The hallway was quiet. Too quiet.

Outside, the wind rustled faintly against the windows. Inside, the buzzing of the overhead lights sounded louder now without the murmur of students to drown it out.

Miles leaned against the wall, head tilted back, staring at the ceiling like maybe the answers were written up there.

He didn’t know what he expected to find if he did spot the girl again. Maybe she was a figment of his imagination. Maybe he was overtired. Or maybe—and he considered this sincerely—he’d actually died in that last boss fight and was hallucinating the afterlife.

Then he noticed it.

A small lump of color just a few feet down the corridor.

On the floor, resting perfectly upright like it had been gently placed, was a plush rabbit—purple, with stitched black bat wings and tiny silver fangs poking from its sewn-on smile.

Miles crouched down. “Huh.”

It was well-made. Soft velvet fur. Eyes that glittered faintly with mismatched buttons. He picked it up, feeling the gentle weight in his hand, like the toy had been hugged a lot over the years.

Then—

He looked up.

And there she was.

Standing right in front of him.

She hadn’t walked up. She hadn’t rounded a corner. She just… appeared, like she’d always been there and he had only just noticed.

She was small, a little shorter than him, wrapped in a pale pink hoodie with the hood down now. Her shoulder-length blonde curls framed her face softly. Her eyes—bright blue, with a faint watery gloss to them—were locked on him like she was staring through him.

Like he was already dead.

She wore a white knee-length dress under the hoodie, the hem swaying slightly. On her feet were pink ballet-style flats, with ribbons tied neatly around her ankles.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then her eyes flicked downward—toward the bunny.

Her expression changed instantly. She gasped, and her whole face lit up with the warmest, gentlest smile Miles had ever seen.

“O-oh my,” she whispered, her voice soft and sweet, barely above a breath. “T-that’s my Bunny Bat… May I… may I please have him back?”

Miles blinked. Something warm settled in his chest.

“Uh… yeah. Sure,” he said, standing slowly and holding it out to her.

She took it carefully, cradling it in both arms like a real pet. Her smile lingered—nervous, but genuine.

Miles found himself staring. Her eyes.

He didn’t know why, but they stuck in his head. The kind of blue that reminded him of skies on cheat days—when school was cancelled, and the world felt easier. They weren’t just pretty. They felt… important.

He coughed, shaking himself. “So, uh. How come you’re not wearing the uniform?”

She blinked up at him, her expression shifting.

“I-I… I’m not supposed to be here,” she said quickly, cheeks flushing pink. “I… I got lost.”

Miles tilted his head. “Do you want me to walk you to reception?”

Her eyes brightened again. “Yes, p-please. That would be very kind.”

He smiled, motioning down the corridor. “This way.”

They turned together, her footsteps quiet beside his. She clutched Bunny Bat close, the soft wings bouncing with each step. When they reached the corner, Miles passed her the doll properly—hand to hand.

Their fingers brushed.

It was the lightest touch.

But she recoiled like she’d been electrocuted.

Her whole body jerked backward. “Oh no,” she gasped. “Oh no, oh no, oh no—”

Miles stepped back, alarmed. “What? What’s wrong?”

“N-nothing!” she stammered, shaking her head violently. “I-it’s probably fine. Maybe nothing will happen. M-maybe.”

She turned, stumbling. “Thank you! Bye!”

Then she ran.

Tripped once. Got back up.

Tripped again. Didn’t stop.

Miles stood frozen in the corridor, the quiet pressing in again.

“…That was weird,” he said out loud, mostly to himself.

He looked down at his palm where her skin had brushed his.

No marks.

No burn.

But something felt… different.

Like something small and invisible had just snapped loose from the world.

The bell rang, slicing through the hallway like a blade of noise.

Hazel and Toby spotted Miles just as he was dusting himself off from his strange encounter. They weaved through the crowd to meet him.

“There you are,” Hazel said, tugging lightly on his sleeve. “We’ve been looking all over. You okay?”

Miles blinked like he’d forgotten he was still in school. “Huh? Yeah. I'm good. Just... my head feels weird.”

“Weird how?” Toby asked. “Like ‘I’m about to faint’ weird or ‘I saw a ghost’ weird?”

Miles shrugged, but his eyes flicked back down the hallway. The girl was gone again.

“I dunno,” he muttered. “Like... something’s off. Like I glitched.”

Hazel tilted her head. “Well, don’t be weird later. We’re still meeting up at the park, remember?”

Miles paused. His brain froze. “Right. Park. Of course.”

Hazel narrowed her eyes. “You forgot.”

“What? No!” he said a little too fast. “I was just… storing it in the secret folder of my mind palace.”

She stared at him, unimpressed.

“You’re lucky you’re cute when you’re forgetful,” she muttered, then leaned in and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

For a moment, Miles smiled. His cheeks warmed. Everything felt almost normal again.

Then he heard the shout.

“Hey, snitch!”

It happened fast.

The bulky kid from earlier—the one who had been hassling that kid near the bins—was charging straight at them. Rage burned in his eyes like someone had lit a match in oil.

He didn’t even look at Miles.

He went straight for Toby.

The punch hit hard. Toby stumbled into the lockers with a clang, eyes wide.

“You think I don’t know it was you who told?” the bully snarled. “Think you can get me in trouble?”

Toby froze. Miles saw it in his face—the panic. The locked-up kind of fear where your body forgets how to move.

Hazel’s voice cut through the chaos. “Miles! It’s your friend—do something!”

Without thinking, Miles lunged forward, shoving the bully back.

It was like shoving a truck.

The kid barely budged.

But it was enough for Toby to scramble away, his shoes squeaking against the floor.

Miles turned to follow—but the bully’s fist slammed into the side of his face.

Everything spun.

He hit the floor hard, the world muffled and distant.

Through the ringing in his ears, he heard mocking laughter. “You’re pathetic,” the bully sneered. “Weak little snitch defender.”

Something loomed over him.

A locker door, yanked off its hinges.

Miles blinked through the blur. Past the chaos, past the fists, past Hazel shouting and Toby frozen in shock.

And then he saw her.

The girl.

She stood at the edge of the hallway, just watching—her hands pressed to her chest. Her eyes were glossy, shimmering with unshed tears. She wasn’t moving. She looked terrified.

Like she knew exactly what was about to happen.

Like she’d seen it before.

The locker came crashing down.

There was no time to dodge.

Just a crack of metal, a crush of pressure—

—and then silence.

No pain.

Just cold.

Then nothing.