The hallway felt colder after Lilith left.
Not actually colder.
The temperature hadn't changed.
The lights still buzzed overhead.
The polished floors still reflected the fluorescent glow.
Students still talked somewhere beyond the corner, unaware of what had just happened.
But to Holt, it felt colder.
Because the worst part wasn't that Lilith had seen him.
He had expected that eventually.
The worst part was that she had seen him...
And somehow she hadn't seen him at all.
Holt stood there silently for several seconds.
The green fire that had surrounded him was gone.
No flames.
No sparks.
No dramatic aftermath.
Just him.
Just Holt Hyde.
He looked down at his hands.
Blue skin.
Long fingers.
The same hands that had played music.
The same hands that had helped his friends.
The same hands that had reached out when someone needed help.
Yet somehow, to some people, that was all erased the second they saw what he looked like.
Inside his mind, Jackson finally spoke.
"...You okay?"
Holt didn't answer immediately.
His jaw tightened.
"Yeah."
A pause.
Then:
"No."
Jackson sighed quietly.
"I figured."
Holt leaned back against the lockers.
The metal was cool against his shoulders.
"I didn't even get angry."
"That's probably a good thing."
"No."
Jackson went quiet.
Holt stared at the floor.
"I think that's what bothers me."
He swallowed.
"I wasn't angry because I wasn't surprised."
The words sat there.
Heavy.
Because that was the part neither of them wanted to admit.
They had both seen that reaction before.
Not exactly.
Not from everyone.
But enough.
Enough times that a person started expecting it.
Enough times that hope became something you had to force yourself to have.
Jackson's voice softened.
"She doesn't know."
Holt laughed once.
A humorless sound.
"She knows what she saw."
"No."
A pause.
"She knows what she thinks she saw."
Holt looked away.
"Does it matter?"
Jackson didn't answer right away.
Because honestly?
Sometimes it felt like it didn't.
Holt pushed himself away from the lockers.
"We need to keep moving."
"Where?"
The question stopped him.
Because that was the problem.
He didn't know.
He had spent so long focused on finding Jackie.
Finding a phone.
Finding a way to fix everything.
Now he was standing in a hallway with no plan.
No direction.
No idea who he could trust.
And somewhere in the building, people were probably already talking.
Not about Jackson.
About Holt.
The monster.
The escaped prisoner.
The dangerous one.
He closed his eyes.
"Phone."
Jackson nodded.
"Right."
"Phone first."
"And then?"
Holt didn't answer.
Because the honest answer was:
I don't know.
---
The school felt different now.
Every hallway looked less like a place and more like a maze.
Every person walking past felt like someone who might turn around.
Might point.
Might recognize him.
Holt kept his hood pulled forward despite knowing it wouldn't help.
It never really helped.
A hood could hide flames.
It could hide hair.
It could hide a face.
But eventually...
People noticed.
Jackson noticed something else.
"Holt."
"What?"
"You're walking too fast."
Holt slowed slightly.
"I'm fine."
"You're doing the thing."
"What thing?"
"The thing where you say you're fine while obviously not being fine."
Holt frowned.
"I don't do that."
"You absolutely do."
"I do not."
"You literally just did."
Holt opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
"...Okay, maybe a little."
Jackson almost smiled.
Almost.
Then they heard footsteps.
Both of them froze.
Not running.
Not chasing.
Just footsteps.
Someone approaching.
Holt turned.
A familiar face appeared at the end of the hallway.
Clair.
And beside her...
Chad.
Holt immediately tensed.
Not because he thought they would attack him.
Because he didn't know what they knew.
Clair stopped.
Her expression changed slightly when she saw him.
Not fear.
Not disgust.
Recognition.
"There you are."
Holt blinked.
"...There I am?"
Chad looked between him and Clair.
"Wait, you two know each other?"
Clair ignored him.
She studied Holt carefully.
Then looked around.
"Where's Jackson?"
The question hit harder than expected.
Holt hesitated.
Inside his mind, Jackson went quiet.
Because neither of them knew how to answer that.
Finally, Holt said:
"He's..."
He stopped.
What was the correct explanation?
That Jackson was still there?
That they were both there?
That they weren't separate in the way everyone assumed?
Every explanation sounded impossible.
Clair tilted her head.
"He's hiding?"
Holt looked at her.
"What?"
She shrugged.
"I mean, I get it."
"No, you really don't."
Chad looked uncomfortable.
"Maybe we should ask fewer confusing questions."
"Probably."
Clair stepped closer.
Not enough to invade his space.
Just enough to look at him.
"You know, I was wondering something."
Holt sighed.
"That's usually dangerous."
She ignored that.
"When did you become like this?"
Holt stared.
"...Like this?"
She gestured vaguely.
"Blue."
Holt blinked.
"Blue."
"Yeah."
"I've always been blue."
Clair paused.
Then looked at Chad.
"...Okay, that sounded smarter in my head."
Chad nodded.
"Way smarter."
Holt couldn't help it.
A small laugh escaped.
It surprised him.
Not much.
But enough.
Clair noticed.
"So you're still Jackie."
Holt's smile faded.
"No."
She frowned.
"What?"
"I'm not Jackie."
The hallway became quiet.
Not completely.
The school was still alive around them.
But for the three of them, everything seemed to slow.
Clair crossed her arms.
"Okay."
Holt waited.
"Then explain."
He looked away.
Because how?
How did he explain something that sounded impossible?
How did he tell them that Jackson wasn't fake?
That Jackie wasn't a disguise?
That the person they thought they knew wasn't a costume?
Inside his mind, Jackson spoke quietly.
"Try."
Holt sighed.
"Jackson is real."
Clair stared.
"...Okay."
"And he's not a disguise."
A pause.
"Okay."
"And I'm not a transformation."
Another pause.
Chad looked at Clair.
"Are we following any of this?"
"Not really."
Holt rubbed his forehead.
"Look, I know it sounds weird."
"Weirder than normal?"
"Yes."
"Fair."
Holt looked at them.
"I didn't replace him."
Clair's expression shifted.
Not much.
But enough.
Because she was listening.
Really listening.
"He didn't disappear."
Holt's voice lowered.
"He's still here."
The two teenagers stared.
Chad looked around.
"Here where?"
Holt tapped his temple.
Chad's eyes widened slightly.
"Oh."
A pause.
"Okay, that's... actually pretty weird."
"Yeah."
"Like, extremely weird."
"Yeah."
"But not impossible."
Holt blinked.
"What?"
Clair shrugged.
"We go to a school full of impossible things."
That wasn't the same reaction Lilith had.
Not even close.
Holt looked down.
A strange feeling settled in his chest.
Not relief.
Not exactly.
Something smaller.
A little bit of hope.
Then—
A voice echoed from inside the hallway.
Students.
Talking.
Someone mentioning a "monster."
Holt's expression changed instantly.
The moment vanished.
Clair noticed.
"So..."
She looked toward the sound.
"Things are bad."
Holt nodded.
"Yeah."
Chad looked at him.
"Are you actually dangerous?"
The question was direct.
But not cruel.
Holt froze.
Because that was the question everyone eventually asked.
He answered honestly.
"No."
A pause.
"I mean..."
He looked down.
"I can be."
Chad frowned.
"That's not the same thing."
Holt looked back up.
"What?"
"Everyone can be dangerous."
Chad shrugged.
"Humans too."
Clair nodded.
"Doesn't mean they are."
Holt didn't know what to say.
Because somehow, in less than five minutes, these two people had done something Lilith hadn't.
They had asked.
They hadn't decided.
They hadn't looked at him and immediately rewritten his entire existence.
They just...
Asked.
Holt looked away.
Inside his mind, Jackson whispered:
"They're different."
Holt smiled faintly.
"Yeah."
Then the sound of footsteps approached again.
This time faster.
The three of them turned.
A group of students passed by the hallway entrance.
Nobody noticed them.
Nobody stopped.
Nobody called out.
Not yet.
Holt let out a breath.
"We still need that phone."
Clair nodded.
"Office is still that way."
Chad pointed.
"Second hallway."
Holt looked at them.
"You're helping me?"
Clair shrugged.
"You're still Jackson's friend."
Holt blinked.
"Actually..."
He stopped.
Because that explanation would take forever.
Chad grinned.
"Don't worry. We'll get the complicated family stuff later."
Holt stared.
Then laughed quietly.
For the first time all day...
It didn't feel forced.
It didn't feel like pretending.
It was just a laugh.
A real one.
And somewhere deep inside, Jackson felt it too.
They still had problems.
A lot of them.
Lilith was still out there.
People still believed things that weren't true.
They still needed to find a phone.
They still needed to find Heath.
They still needed to figure out how to get Holt's name cleared.
But for a few seconds...
Just a few seconds...
Holt Hyde wasn't an escaped prisoner.
He wasn't a disguise.
He wasn't a monster someone had decided he was.
He was just Holt.
And that was enough to keep moving.
---
The office was closer than Holt expected.
That was the annoying thing.
After everything that had happened, after running through unfamiliar hallways, after hiding, after the confrontation with Lilith, after trying to explain something that even he still struggled to explain—
The phone had been right there the entire time.
A simple object.
A few more steps.
A chance to call someone.
Anyone.
Holt walked beside Clair and Chad, still keeping his hood up out of habit more than anything else.
Inside his mind, Jackson was quieter now.
Not gone.
Never gone.
Just tired.
"Almost there," Jackson said.
Holt nodded slightly.
"Yeah."
Clair glanced at him.
"You know, for someone who apparently escaped from jail, you are surprisingly bad at running away."
Holt looked over.
"...Excuse me?"
"You keep stopping to explain yourself."
Chad nodded.
"She's right."
Holt frowned.
"That's because I'm trying to not make things worse."
Clair raised an eyebrow.
"And how's that working?"
Holt opened his mouth.
Then closed it.
"...Not great."
Chad laughed.
"At least you're self-aware."
Holt shook his head.
"You two are weird."
"You're the one with the complicated situation."
"Fair."
For a moment, things almost felt normal.
Almost.
Then a voice echoed from behind them.
"Hey."
The three stopped.
Holt's expression immediately changed.
He recognized that tone.
Not friendly.
Not curious.
The kind of tone people used when they had already decided they were right.
Slowly, he turned.
Two students stood at the end of the hallway.
The jock twins.
Both were tall.
Both looked confident.
Both looked like they had been waiting for this moment.
The first one pointed directly at Holt.
"There he is."
Chad sighed.
"Oh no."
Clair looked between them.
"You know these guys?"
"Unfortunately."
The second twin stepped forward.
"You seriously thought you could just walk around here?"
Holt stared.
"Actually, yes."
That answer seemed to annoy them.
"You think this is funny?"
"No."
Holt paused.
"Mostly because my day has been terrible."
The twins exchanged a look.
Then the first one stepped forward.
"You're not going anywhere."
Holt looked at the office door behind them.
Then back at the twins.
"Really?"
A tired expression crossed his face.
"That's your plan?"
The twin narrowed his eyes.
"What?"
"You saw a guy having the worst day of his life and thought, 'Yeah, let's make that harder.'"
Holt shook his head.
"That's honestly impressive, and with a couple teeth missing each as well."
The second twin moved forward.
"You should be more worried about yourself."
Holt sighed.
Inside his mind, Jackson spoke.
"Do it."
"I know."
"Seriously."
"I know."
But the last thing Holt wanted was another fight.
Not here.
Not after everything.
Not when he was already barely holding himself together.
But the twins didn't seem interested in giving him that choice.
The first one reached for him.
Holt moved.
Quickly.
Not violently.
Just enough.
He stepped aside, caught the student's arm, and redirected the momentum.
The twin stumbled forward.
The second immediately charged.
Holt barely had time to react before moving again.
A quick dodge.
A trip.
A shove back.
Nothing excessive.
Nothing meant to hurt.
Just enough to make it clear that he wasn't someone they could push around.
The hallway went quiet.
Clair stared.
"...Okay."
Chad blinked.
"That was fast."
Holt stood between them, breathing hard.
Not because of the fight.
Because of everything else.
The twins slowly got back up.
Their confidence was gone.
Not replaced by fear.
Just realization.
They had expected a fairytale monster.
Something wild.
Something uncontrollable.
Instead they had gotten someone who was exhausted and trying very hard not to lose control.
Holt looked at them.
"Are we done?"
Neither answered.
"Because I really need that phone."
The twins stayed silent.
Holt turned away.
"Good."
He took a step toward the office.
Then another.
And then—
The music stopped.
The entire school seemed to freeze.
The pep band's victory song ended on one final note.
A bright, cheerful sound.
Completely out of place.
But the effect on Holt was immediate.
His shoulders dropped.
His breathing changed.
Inside his mind—
Jackson noticed first.
"Holt."
"I know."
The pressure that had been holding him together disappeared.
Not because he wanted it to.
Because the thing keeping the transformation stable was gone.
The music.
The rhythm.
The sound that had been pulling him forward.
Holt grabbed the edge of the locker beside him.
"No."
Clair noticed.
"What's wrong?"
Holt didn't answer.
Because he already knew.
The heat was returning.
Not angry.
Not dangerous.
Just inevitable.
Green sparks appeared around his fingers.
Chad took a step back.
"Uh..."
Holt closed his eyes.
"I'm sorry."
Jackson's voice came quietly.
"It's okay."
"No, it's not."
"It is."
The green glow spread.
Clair watched, eyes widening.
Not with disgust.
With shock.
Because she had seen Jackson.
She had seen Holt.
But she very fucking much still wasn't used to seeing one become the other.
The flames rose.
Not exploding.
Not attacking.
Just surrounding him.
A curtain of emerald fire.
And then—
A voice shouted from the entrance of the hallway.
"Everybody stay where you are!"
The sheriff.
Several officers stood behind him.
The twins immediately pointed.
"That's him!"
The sheriff's eyes locked onto Holt.
The escaped suspect.
The wanted monster.
The one everyone had been searching for.
"Holt Hyde."
But before he could move—
The fire shifted.
The sheriff stopped.
Because this wasn't what he expected.
The green flames curled inward.
The blue skin faded.
The red hair disappeared.
The amber eyes changed.
And standing there moments later was—
Jackson Jekyll.
The same boy who had been walking through the school.
The same boy who had asked for directions.
The same boy who looked exhausted, frightened, and completely human.
The hallway fell silent.
The sheriff stared.
Not moving.
Not speaking.
Just watching the impossible happen right in front of him.
Because whatever he thought he was walking into...
It wasn't what he was seeing now.
And nobody—
Not the twins.
Not Clair.
Not Chad.
Not even the sheriff—
had an explanation for what they had just witnessed.
"Uh... fund the police? And,... would you believe that I was doing monster face while doing a science project?"
"Hands up, now freak."
Yep, they were somehow more fucked than they thought they were beforehand.