The message
The message arrived at 11:47 p.m.
Mia was supposed to be asleep.
She had been lying in bed for almost an hour, staring at the ceiling while rain tapped steadily against her bedroom window. Her phone was charging on the desk across the room, its screen turned facedown.
Then it vibrated.
Once.
Mia ignored it.
It vibrated again.
She sighed and reached for it.
Probably another notification. Maybe a group chat. Maybe someone sending a video they expected her to watch at midnight.
She unlocked the screen.
One new message.
Unknown Number
Her eyebrows pulled together.
She opened it.
There was only one sentence.
Don't trust Daniel.
Mia sat up.
For a few seconds, she simply stared at the screen.
Daniel.
Of all the names the stranger could have written, it had to be his.
She read the message again.
Don't trust Daniel.
Her first thought was that it had to be some stupid prank.
Her second thought was that nobody who knew Daniel would call him by just his first name unless they actually knew him.
And her third thought made her stomach tighten.
How did a stranger know that Daniel was important to her?
Mia typed quickly.
Who is this?
She waited.
Nothing.
She sent another message.
What are you talking about?
The message showed as delivered.
No reply.
Then another message appeared.
You don't know what he did.
Her heart began beating faster.
She immediately typed:
What did he do?
The three dots appeared.
Someone was typing.
Mia held her breath.
The dots disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Finally, a message arrived.
Ask him about the night of June 14.
Mia froze.
June 14.
She knew that date.
Everyone close to Daniel knew it.
It was the day his older brother had disappeared.
At least, that was what Daniel had told her.
Daniel never talked about his brother. Whenever anyone mentioned him, Daniel became quiet and distant.
Mia had never pushed him.
She had always believed some wounds needed time.
But now a stranger was telling her to ask Daniel about the same night he had spent years refusing to discuss.
Her phone vibrated again.
And Mia?
Her breath caught.
The stranger knew her name.
The next message appeared.
Don't let him know you received this message.
Mia looked toward her locked bedroom door.
She typed:
How do you know my name?
No response.
Then her phone rang.
Daniel.
It was nearly midnight.
Why was Daniel calling her now?
She answered.
"Hello?"
For a moment, there was silence.
Then Daniel spoke.
"Mia?"
His voice was quiet.
Too quiet.
"Yes?"
"Are you awake?"
She almost laughed.
"Obviously."
He didn't laugh.
"Did anyone contact you tonight?"
Mia's fingers tightened around the phone.
"Why?"
"I asked you a question."
"So did I."
Daniel exhaled.
"Mia, please."
Something in his voice made her uneasy.
"Did something happen?"
"No."
The answer came too quickly.
"I just wanted to hear your voice."
Her heart skipped.
Normally, those words would have made her smile.
Tonight, they frightened her.
"Why did you really call?" she asked.
Silence.
Then Daniel asked, "Do you trust me?"
Mia stared at the unknown number.
"I don't know."
Daniel went silent.
"Mia..."
"I mean, yes," she quickly added. "Of course I trust you."
It wasn't completely true anymore.
"Good," he said softly.
Before she could ask what he meant, he said, "I have to go."
The call ended.
Mia stared at her phone.
Something was wrong.
She knew it.
She just didn't know what.
---
The next morning, Daniel was waiting outside school.
He stood beneath the large tree near the entrance, hands buried in his jacket pockets.
When he saw Mia, he smiled.
It was the same smile that had always made her feel safe.
Today, it didn't.
"Hey."
"Hey."
He studied her face.
"You didn't sleep."
"Neither did you."
A small smile appeared.
"Maybe I was worried about you."
"Why?"
His smile disappeared.
"I don't know."
His eyes moved toward the road, then the school gates.
Mia noticed.
"You keep looking around."
"I'm not."
"You are."
Daniel looked at her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then he said, "Do you remember June 14?"
Her heart stopped.
"Why are you asking me that?"
"I've been thinking about my brother."
"What about him?"
"Nothing."
"You brought him up."
"I said nothing."
His voice sharpened.
Mia stepped back.
Daniel immediately softened.
"I'm sorry."
"It's okay."
"No, it isn't."
He looked down.
"There are things about that night I never told anyone."
Mia's heart pounded.
"Why?"
"Because I was afraid."
"Afraid of what?"
Daniel opened his mouth.
His phone rang.
He glanced at the screen.
His expression changed instantly.
Fear.
He rejected the call.
It rang again.
He rejected it again.
"Who is it?" Mia asked.
"Nobody."
"Nobody doesn't usually call twice."
Daniel put the phone away.
"I need to leave."
"Daniel—"
"I'll explain later."
He walked away.
Mia watched him disappear.
Her phone vibrated.
Unknown Number
You saw his reaction, didn't you?
Mia typed:
Who are you?
The answer came.
Someone who tried to warn him too.
Warn him about what?
The truth about June 14.
Mia stared at the screen.
What happened that night?
Instead of answering, the stranger sent a photograph.
It showed Daniel as a child, standing beside his older brother.
Behind them was Daniel's old house.
But someone stood in the background.
The person's face had been blurred.
Mia zoomed in.
Her breath caught.
There was a silver symbol on the person's jacket—a circle with a line through it.
She had seen that symbol before.
Daniel had the same symbol engraved on an old silver keychain.
She had once asked him about it.
He had smiled and said it was "nothing important."
Another message appeared.
Ask Daniel where he got the keychain.
Mia typed:
Who is the person in the photograph?
Ask Daniel.
Are you trying to help me or scare me?
The answer came almost instantly.
I'm trying to save you.
---
At lunch, Daniel found her.
He sat across from her.
For a moment, neither spoke.
"You disappeared this morning," Mia said.
"I had something to deal with."
"What?"
"Nothing."
Mia stared at him.
"Why do you keep saying nothing?"
"Because there's nothing to tell."
"Then tell me about June 14."
Daniel went completely still.
"Who told you about that?"
"You mentioned it this morning."
"No."
He leaned closer.
"I didn't tell you anything."
Mia looked away.
"Who talked to you?" he asked.
"No one."
"Mia."
"No one."
Daniel lowered his voice.
"You need to stay away from this."
"Stay away from what?"
"You don't understand."
"Then help me understand."
"I can't."
"Why?"
His eyes met hers.
"Because if you know the truth, you're not safe anymore."
Mia's heart sank.
"Are you protecting me?"
Daniel hesitated.
"Yes."
"From what?"
"From me."
Mia stared at him.
For a second, everything else around them seemed to disappear.
Daniel reached across the table and gently took her hand.
"I'm sorry," he whispered.
Despite everything, Mia couldn't pull away.
"Then stop lying to me."
His eyes searched hers.
"I don't know how."
"Try."
Daniel's fingers tightened around hers.
"I care about you more than you know."
Her heart fluttered.
"Then trust me enough to tell me the truth."
Daniel looked as though he wanted to answer.
Instead, he leaned closer and whispered, "If anything happens, promise me you'll stay away from my family."
"Daniel—"
He released her hand.
"I mean it."
Then he walked away.
Mia watched him go, more confused than ever.
Her phone vibrated.
Unknown Number
Now you know he lied.
Mia typed:
What lie?
The answer came.
His brother didn't disappear on June 14.
Her blood ran cold.
Then what happened?
The stranger replied:
He was murdered.
Mia stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
And Daniel knows who did it.
---
Mia looked across the cafeteria.
Daniel was standing near the exit.
He was staring directly at her.
Not at her phone.
At her.
Their eyes met.
Daniel's face went pale.
He pulled out his phone.
Mia's phone vibrated.
A new message.
This one was from Daniel.
Run.
Mia looked up.
Daniel was already moving toward her.
Then the cafeteria lights went out.
Everyone screamed.
Mia heard footsteps.
Someone grabbed her wrist.
"Mia!"
Daniel's voice.
"It's me!"
He pulled her toward him.
"Don't let go."
"What is happening?"
"I'll explain later."
The emergency lights flickered on.
Daniel looked toward the cafeteria doors.
A man stood there.
He wasn't wearing a school uniform.
And on his jacket was the same silver symbol from the photograph.
Daniel grabbed Mia's hand.
"We have to go."
They ran down the corridor and into an empty stairwell.
Daniel shut the door behind them.
Mia turned toward him.
"Who was that?"
He didn't answer.
"Daniel."
He closed his eyes.
"There are things about my family you don't know."
"Tell me."
"I wanted to."
"Then tell me now."
Daniel reached into his pocket and pulled out the silver keychain.
He placed it in her hand.
"The person you're looking for isn't a stranger."
"Who is it?"
Daniel looked terrified.
"Someone you already know."
Before Mia could ask who, his phone rang.
Mum.
He answered.
"Hello?"
His expression changed.
"What?"
He listened.
"What happened?"
Then the phone slipped from his hand.
Mia caught it.
"Daniel?"
He stared at her.
"The police found my brother."
Mia's heart stopped.
"But you said he was dead."
Daniel shook his head.
"I thought he was."
He looked down at the keychain in Mia's hand.
Then back at her.
"He's alive."
The call suddenly ended.
Mia couldn't move.
Her phone vibrated.
A new message.
Unknown Number
Now ask yourself one question.
Another message followed.
Why has Daniel's brother been hiding for all these years?
Her hands were shaking.
She looked at Daniel.
"Daniel..."
He didn't answer.
His eyes were fixed on the message.
Then his phone vibrated.
He read whatever appeared on the screen.
And for the first time since Mia had known him, she watched Daniel completely break.
"What is it?" she whispered.
He slowly lifted his eyes to hers.
"It's not my brother who's been hiding."
Mia's heart stopped.
"Then who?"
Daniel looked toward the locked stairwell door.
Someone was standing on the other side.
And then came three slow knocks.
Knock.
Knock.
Knock.
Daniel grabbed Mia's hand.
"Whatever happens," he whispered, "don't open that door."
The knocking stopped.
Then a voice came from the other side.
A voice Mia recognized.
Her blood ran cold.
Because it belonged to someone she trusted.
