The Library
A professor walks through the door, reaching for a book on the nearest shelf —
George screams.
She spins around, heart jumping.
"What — what's wrong? What happened?"
Moster looks at George for one long, cold moment through the darkness.
"...Well then, George." His voice carries no urgency. No frustration. Just quiet finality, like someone closing a book they'll return to later. "Another time."
"F*ck you," George says through his teeth.
Moster vanishes. The children vanish with him. The library Is empty and still, like nothing happened at all.
The professor blinks, scanning the room.
"George? Is that you back there?"
George grabs the shelf above him and pulls himself to his feet. His legs are still shaking. His whole body Is still shaking. But he stands.
"Yeah. It's me."
"You were the one screaming?"
"Yeah."
"...What happened?"
"I twisted my ankle," George says. "That's all. Stepped wrong."
The professor looks at him carefully.
"Are you alright?"
"Yeah. I'll just take it slow until the pain settles."
"Okay. Be careful walking."
"I will."
She takes her book and leaves. The door swings shut behind her.
George stands alone in the silent library for a moment. Then exhales everything he's been holding.
The Hallway Outside
George pushes through the library doors and stops.
Andrew is standing right there in the corridor, hands in his pockets.
"George."
"Andrew." George exhales hard, pressing his back against the wall. "What were you doing?"
"Bathroom. Where were YOU? We've been looking everywhere."
George looks at the ceiling for a second. Then back at Andrew.
"He showed up. Moster. Right in my face. I was going to die — he was going to eat me alive. I saw his mouth, Andrew. The fangs. Everything."
Andrew stares at him for a long moment.
"Thank God you got out."
"I'm more scared of him now than I've ever been in my life," George says quietly. "Before it was just — a story almost. Something happening to other people. But now I've looked right at him and he looked back at me and I just—"
"That's exactly what he wants," Andrew says. His voice is calm and firm. "Your fear Is his weapon. It slows you down. Makes you freeze. Makes you easier to take. If you walk Into the next encounter already defeated in your head — he wins before he even touches you."
George is quiet for a moment.
"...You're right."
"You're still standing," Andrew says simply. "That means something. Come on."
"Yeah. Let's go."
Outside — The Group
"There he is," Leo says, spotting them coming around the corner.
Son moves toward George immediately.
"George. Where have you been?"
"We were actually worried," Gowin says, and she means it.
"Moster showed up to him," Andrew says. "In the library. He came after George."
The group goes completely still.
"You're serious," Johnny says.
"Yeah," George says. "But a professor walked in to grab a book — and he just disappeared. She didn't do anything. She didn't even know what she was walking into. She saved my life by accident."
"Same pattern as always," Son says, thinking out loud. "He disappears the second someone else enters the space." He looks around at all of them. "That's something we can use. But for now — we stay together. All of us. Every minute. No more separating for any reason."
"Agreed," everyone says.
One Week Later — The University, Morning
Gowin sits alone on a bench outside, the campus still quiet around her. She has her bag on her lap and she's staring at nothing In particular.
"Gowin."
She looks up.
Andrew is walking toward her, hands In his jacket pockets, easy smile already there.
"Andrew." She sits up slightly. "Hey. Where's Son and everyone else?"
"Doesn't look like they're here yet." He glances around, then drops onto the bench beside her. "How are you doing?"
"I'm okay. You?"
"Good. Better than good, actually." He looks at her for a moment. "You look nice today."
Gowin blinks.
"...Really? Thank you." She looks down at her bag, then back up. "And thank you — for everything. You keep pulling me out of Moster's way. You stood up for Son against Jason. You just — you show up, every single time." She shakes her head slightly. "You're genuinely remarkable. And I won't lie — you're very attractive."
Andrew tilts his head like the compliment genuinely caught him off guard.
"I mean — I'm nothing special. Anyone in my position would do the same things."
"That's not true," Gowin says. "And the fact that you believe that — that's what makes it even more—"
She stops.
They're looking at each other.
And somehow the distance between them has shortened. Their heads are closer. Their voices have gone quieter. And neither of them moves away.
Their faces are almost touching —
"ANDREW! GOWIN!"
They pull apart instantly. Gowin's face goes immediately, completely red.
Johnny and Leo are standing there, backpacks on, looking at them.
"...Did we just interrupt something?" Johnny says slowly.
"No," Andrew says, completely composed. "What's up? Where are Son and George?"
"Called them both," Leo says, still looking between them. "They said they're close."
"Good."
A minute later Son and George come through the gates.
"Hey everyone," Son says. "What's—"
Gowin's phone rings.
She looks at the screen.
"It's Talia."
She answers.
"Hey!"
"Gowin! How are you? You're still coming tonight, right?"
"Wait — the party Is tonight?"
"Yes! Get ready and bring everyone you know, okay?"
"Okay, what time?"
"Eight PM."
"Perfect. See you then."
"See you!"
Gowin hangs up and looks at the group.
"The party is tonight. You're all coming with me, right?"
"Obviously," everyone says without hesitation.
That Night — Talia's House
The house is loud and glowing from half a block away. Music thumping through the walls, colored lights pulsing in every window, voices and laughter spilling out into the night air. The kind of party that looks like a good time from the outside and feels like one the moment you walk through the door.
Son, Gowin, George, Johnny and Leo push inside together.
Talia appears from the crowd immediately, arms out.
"Gowin! You made it!"
"This place looks amazing, Talia."
"Thank you! Welcome, guys — make yourselves at home. Seriously, anything you want."
"Hey."
Jason's voice cuts through from across the room.
He's already there, leaning against the wall with his crew, beer In hand, looking directly at them.
"Look who it is. The b*tch and her little weak-ass Son."
Gowin turns to Talia immediately.
"Why is he here?"
Talia lowers her voice.
"He told me if I didn't invite him he'd hurt my dad. I didn't have a choice."
"...Got it."
"Hey," Talia says, changing her tone. "Which one Is the tall one who's alwayss with you guys?"
"Andrew," Son says.
"He's — wow. He's very handsome."
"Yeah," Gowin says, before she can stop herself.
Talia looks at her sideways with a sly smile.
"Why'd your face just change?"
"It didn't."
"Gowin."
"There's nothing going on, Talia."
Talia grins and doesn't say another word. Just gives them a look and disappears back into the crowd.
"BOOM."
Son nearly leaves his body.
Andrew is standing right behind him, grinning wide.
"WHY," Son says, pressing his hand to his chest.
Andrew laughs — genuine, relaxed, unbothered.
"You good?"
"I hate you," Son says, and then laughs too.
"How's everybody?" Andrew looks around at the group.
"Good."
"Better now."
"Gowin." He looks at her. "You good?"
"Yeah," she says. "I'm good."
"Come on, let's find somewhere to sit."
They settle onto a large couch in the corner — all six of them, half watching the party, half watching everything else. Andrew leans forward slightly.
"Even here — we stay sharp. Moster could be in this room right now. Could be anyone." He glances across the room. "And look — Taiga's here. Top of the suspect list, Son. Keep your eyes on him."
"Got it," Son says.
"I mean it. I'm worried about you. About all of you."
"We hear you."
"I'm gonna use the bathroom real quick," Leo says.
"Okay."
"Be careful," Gowin says.
"I'll be fine."
The Bathroom
Leo stands at the sink, washing his hands. The music thumps through the walls. The mirror above the sink Is slightly fogged at the edges.
A loud BANG from inside one of the stalls.
Leo's hands freeze under the water.
"Easy," he tells himself. "Easy. It's a party. People are drunk."
BANG. Again. Harder.
"No — no no no—"
The stall door swings open.
A girl stumbles out laughing, dragging a guy behind her by the wrist. They're both flushed and grinning and completely oblivious to Leo's expression.
They disappear out the door still laughing.
Leo puts both hands on the sink and breathes.
"They're just drunk," he says to his own reflection. "That's all. You're fine."
He looks up at the mirror —
Moster is standing directly behind him. Blade already raised.
Leo drops his head forward below the sink's edge —
The knife drives into the mirror exactly where his face was. Glass cracks in a spiderweb from the impact point.
Leo is already moving. He throws himself out the bathroom door and sprints back to the group.
"Moster — he's HERE — bathroom — he almost stabbed me through the mirror—"
"What?" Son is on his feet immediately.
"Where's Andrew?" Gowin says, looking around.
"He was just here," Johnny says.
"We need to clear this place out," Son says. "Now. Everyone out."
They find Talia and pull her aside. Within minutes the music stops and the announcement goes out. Confused, unhappy guests file out Into the night, grumbling and cursing under their breath.
Four Hours Later — Outside
The last of the guests are gone. The street Is quiet. Lights off Inside.
"I'm sorry about your party," Son says to Talia.
"It's okay," she says, though she looks exhausted. "Not your fault. You guys can come back anytime."
Footsteps behind them.
"Hey — what happened?"
Andrew walks up, hands in his pockets, looking genuinely confused.
"Where were you?" Leo says immediately. "Moster showed up. In the bathroom. He almost killed me."
"Are you serious? I was — I stepped out for some air, I didn't know—"
"Andrew," Talia says, grabbing his arm. "Please. Stay with us."
"Of course," Andrew says. He puts his arm around her shoulders. "I'm not going anywhere. Don't be scared."
Talia holds his hand.
Gowin stares at it. Her jaw tightens almost imperceptibly.
"But wait," Andrew says, frowning slightly. "How did he appear?"
"He was in the bathroom mirror," Leo says. "Right behind me."
"Hm." Andrew is quiet for a moment. Then — "You know, now that I think about it — has anyone else noticed that Moster has never once shown up when I'm around? Not once?"
The group goes quiet.
Leo tilts his head slowly.
"...Yeah. Actually. Why is that? Not one single time have you told us Moster appeared to you alone."
"That's true," Son says. He looks at Andrew. "You've always been there to help when he comes after us. But he's never come after you alone. That's — that's kind of lucky."
Andrew meets Son's eyes.
And smiles.
"It's not luck," he says.
The smile doesn't waver.
"The answer is simple."
He reaches into his jacket.
"Because I am Moster."
He pulls out the blade.
His eyes shift — the color bleeding out of them, replaced by deep burning red. The same red. The same light that has haunted every dark room and every mirror and every nightmare for ten chapters.
He turns to Talia.
She doesn't even have time to understand what's happening.
The knife drives into the top of her skull.
Blood spills from her mouth. Her eyes go blank. She drops.
Andrew pulls the knife free and watches her hit the floor without any expression at all.
Then he reaches under his jacket —
And pulls out the black mask.
He puts it on slowly. Deliberately.
The red light Ignites behind it.
Moster stands where Andrew was.
And looks at the group.