Letting excitement and thrill took control over me last night, I couldn’t remember whether I got to read the final chapter let alone a single word. Frustrated, I rubbed my eyes to trigger a scene of words or to recall what had caused me to sleep at once. At the same time, I tried to pave way for a thread of memory; all I remembered was the shining button which says “Click to read”. I let out a deep sigh as I buried my head on the desk, piled with papers and textbooks heavy enough to use them as dumbbell and I was not even kidding.

“You surely have time to doze off during calculus lessons, I dare say.” I felt a paper roll poked on the back of my skull. I peeked maliciously as another strong poke blew to me again. 

“I am sorry.” I frowned at my seatmate who claimed herself as my personal tutor and ever since then, I had to endure with her persistent naggings and these kind of strong blows every time I got an answer wrong.

“Get better sleep tonight, Anne.” she said in a unusual serious tone. “And get rid of that late night binge reading habit of yours!” Again, I was hit: critically to heart this time. Saying of novel, my brain lighted up. Immediately, I brought my head up and my widened eyes stared right into her phone which I legally snatched away from her pocket.

“You sneaky little..” she scoffed as she snatched her phone away from me.

“Linda, I want you to do me a favour.” I looked at her. Pleadingly. “Can you please go to check if they got the final chapter out or not?”

Linda raised her eyebrow. Her eyes were telling me that I could check it on my own and why bothering her instead. Before she could translate her look into words, I admitted.

“Then, go check it yourself.”

Linda handed her phone to me, smirking. I nodded as I quickly grabbed my own phone and putting them side to side. Here we go. Let’s find out if I am hallucinating or not.

“Final Chapter: Click to read.” As if we were splashed with brisk, invigorating chilly water, our faces went cold and silent as our eyes widened in sync to the flickering button which only appeared in my phone.

“This is not right. There has to be some system error-”

“Ophelia.” I turned right to my back to find where the source of the voice was, even though “Ophelia” was clearly not my name, yet I felt I was addressed. Linda broke into confusion seeing the way I responded and she was driven into chaos when one of our supposedly classmate walked to us.

No.

To me.

“I would like you to hand me your phone, please.” Thick glasses which he got from either excessive studying or rather video game addiction, a sweater with a shirt underneath with its collars folded unevenly and the dark circles under his eye bags which reconnected to my previous assumption; I could guarantee that this was a type of person who would not pay attention to online novels as much as he did to calculus and sciences.

“Right now.” he gritted his teeth as he opened his palm before me, filled with scratches.

“Your reason.”

“Look. I got no time and it would be very wonderful of you to just hand me your phone.” he stared firmly into me,” So that I could fix the little problem of that final chapter, Ophe- my bad, Anne.” I froze in place as his lips continued to curve into a malicious smirk and his hands reaching for my phone.

I recited the name “Ophelia” in every corner of my head to find his reason of mistaking me as “Ophelia "and who she might be. Surely, there might be hundreds or even thousands of Ophelia in this campus alone but why did I feel personally addressed yet he knew my name was not Ophelia.

The Final Chapter

My mind snapped back as I remembered the Ophelia whom I almost personally knew about: Ophelia Vespertine from the novel. The final chapter, Ophelia… it’s all connecting the dots now.

I carefully observed the man in front of me while I clenched my phone inside my fist.

I ran.

Sprinting through the half-opened door as I barely dodged leisurely strolling couple of students as if they were in amusement park with the sun smiling upon them; I very much express my condolences to you. Their peaceful amble got interrupted again by my mysterious follower who pushed away people like pawns in chess which blocked his way to the checkmate. Not confident enough to glance behind my shoulder again, I dashed towards somewhere. Somewhere which would allow me to blend in with the crowd or somewhere which would allow me to buy some time for reading.

But I never reached that somewhere.

What awaits was the dead end.

I almost slipped when I stopped myself from getting slammed at the wall which was several inches away from my face. I sighed but not as a sign of relief; I was still being chased. With my back glued with the wall, I tried doing a half sit as my restless, shallow pants started to stabilize. I stared at my phone covered with sweat and tapped the screen with my fidgeting fingers.

Heavy clomp of footsteps rained in the hall, the mysterious figure approached me. Suddenly, the air would not reach my lungs as the slight headache came to embrace me instead along with cold atmosphere. My heart started to pounder rapidly as it were to burst at any moment. My half sit was corrupted and brought my knees down to the floor; how could it be? The man in front of me was neither the devil nor the harm: a regular college student who I might have spotted him at lecture halls or canteen, might have been a friend of friend of mine, might even share same hobby.

But why? What made this person so intimidating?

My eyes were captured by his piercing gaze.

“Who are you?” I asked. “What are you trying to do?”

Looking away from my eyes and at the empty floor he stared. “It would ruin fun.” impatiently he said. ” You know me.” he whispered. “And I know you.”

My headache began to get worse. As if the grey clouds were circling around my head, my head spun with the thoughts why? why am I feeling like this? why? why?

Those questions stopped questioning me as I clicked on to read “The Final Chapter.”

A bright beam of light almost blinded me and the words started to circle me.

“I am starting to understand things now, you see.” I glared at the man looking finest in his defeat as his hand tried to reach for me in a tornado of sprinkling light.

And suddenly it was all black again.