Mara stood near the old auditorium door. The paint was peeling. The air felt cold, even though it was afternoon. Above the door, a small camera light blinked red. It blinked like a slow eye.
Across the courtyard, a screen turned black. White words appeared.
last seen online 3 seconds ago
Mara did not look at it for long. She forced her eyes down to the ground. She held her breath so she would not make any sound. Her heart beat fast, like it wanted to run away without her.
The office aide walked toward her. They wore a neat lanyard and a calm smile. The smile did not feel kind. It felt trained.
"Mara," the aide said, warm and gentle, like a teacher calling a kid for help. "Admin needs you again. It will only take a minute."
Mara did not answer. She did not say her name back. She did not say yes. She did not say okay. She stepped back until her shoulder touched the old door.
Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She did not take it out. She could feel the buzz like a second heartbeat.
The courtyard speakers crackled. A happy voice started to load, like a song about to play. Mara knew this trick now. They wanted witnesses. They wanted people to look up. They wanted people to talk.
Then someone grabbed her wrist and pulled her sideways, fast and hard.
Mara almost screamed, but a hand covered her mouth for one second. Not tight. Just enough to stop sound. She turned her head and saw Jace.
Jace's eyes were sharp. His face looked calm, but his hands were shaking a little.
"Don't talk," he whispered. It was only air. It was almost nothing.
He pulled her behind the small wall near the auditorium steps. From there, the screen was harder to see. The aide was still walking, but they slowed down, like they were listening for the right sound.
Jace took out his phone. The screen was not normal. It had dark boxes and clean words, like a control panel.
Mara saw one word she hated.
PROXY
Jace's thumb hovered. He swallowed. Then he tapped a button that said, Reduce witness attention.
His phone buzzed once, deep and heavy. A new line appeared. Payment processed: memory (minor).
Jace blinked. His eyes went blank for a moment, like he had dropped a small thing inside his head and could not find it.
The screen in the courtyard flickered. The black card stayed, but the brightness lowered. Fewer people looked. The speaker voice stopped, like someone had cut the wire.
The aide paused. They looked around, still smiling. Then they turned and walked away, slow, like nothing happened.
Mara's chest hurt. She wanted to cry, but she did not. Crying was loud. Loud was danger.
She pulled out her notebook and wrote with a shaking pen. Why did you come?
Jace looked at the paper. He did not smile. He did not joke. He wrote on his own phone notes, then turned it toward her. Because it was going to lock you in.
Mara wrote again. How did you know?
Jace's jaw tightened. He typed, then showed her. My phone told me.
Mara's stomach turned. His phone was not just a phone. It was a leash, and it was also a map.
Mara wrote one more line. What did you trade?
Jace stared at the words for a long time. His eyes looked tired. Then he typed slowly, like each letter hurt. I traded my fear.
Mara froze. She stared at him. She wanted to ask what that meant, but she did not speak. She waited.
Jace looked away. He kept typing. Months ago. It offered me calm. I said yes. Now I don't feel danger right. I smile when I should run.
Mara remembered Drew on the railing, smiling. She remembered Jace running without stopping. She remembered how Jace did not flinch when things got worse.
Mara wrote with a shaky hand. That's why it likes you.
Jace nodded once, small and angry.
Then his phone buzzed again. Three sharp pulses. The PROXY screen opened by itself.
Proxy action required. Target: Mara R. Method: liability reassignment. Option: send countdown to prior blocked contact.
Mara's blood went cold.
She wrote fast. It wants you to send it.
Jace's hand shook more now. He did not touch the screen. He held the phone like it was burning him.
He typed, eyes hard. I did it before.
Mara's throat closed. Her pen stopped.
Jace typed again. Once. I was panicking. I pushed it to someone I ghosted. I told myself it was just a glitch. But someone paid for me.
Mara felt sick. She thought of Kira. She thought of the blank line on the attendance sheet. She thought of lockers that became mailboxes.
Mara wrote slowly. Who?
Jace's fingers froze. Then he typed. I don't know anymore.
Mara's hands went numb.
That was the worst part. The system did not just make you hurt people. It also made you forget you did.
Jace's phone buzzed again. A new line appeared under the PROXY task. Deadline: 00:10.
Ten seconds. Like a bomb with a polite font.
Mara wrote fast, pressing the pen hard. Do not do it. Look at me. Choose me.
Jace lifted his eyes to her face. For one second, he looked scared. Or maybe he only looked like he remembered what fear used to be.
Then his phone buzzed again. A new warning appeared. Refusal may increase guardian-link penalties.
Mara's mom. The missing pet name. The panic. The blank look.
Mara's chest felt like it was cracking.
Jace swallowed. His thumb hovered over the screen.
Mara grabbed his wrist. Not hard. Just firm. Just real. She shook her head.
Jace closed his eyes for one second. Then he moved his thumb away and hit, Postpone.
His phone vibrated like it was angry. Another banner flashed. Penalty queued.
Jace's face went pale.
Mara's phone buzzed in her pocket at the same time. She pulled it out without thinking, then regretted it right away.
A new message was there. Blank sender. Black card. White text.
Thank you for your choice.
Then another line. Guardian link review starting.
Mara's breath caught. Her hands shook so much the phone trembled.
Jace looked at her, jaw tight. He typed one last thing and showed her. We have to move. Now.
Mara nodded. She shoved the phone away. She tucked the paper meet note deeper into her sleeve.
They stepped out from behind the wall.
And on the courtyard screen, the black card changed. The white words were still there, but now there was a new line under them.
New feature: liability reassignment ready.
Mara felt the world tilt.
Because the system was not done.
It was just getting better at forcing them to hurt each other.
To be Continued
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