Echoes in the Mirror
Mary closed the door of her room and dropped her bag on the bed. College had been exhausting again — loud lectures, endless assignments, and people she didn’t really care about.
She walked slowly toward the mirror.
For a moment, she just stared at herself. Tired eyes. Quiet expression. A life that felt stuck between routine and something unspoken.
She raised her hand and adjusted her hair.
And then — something shifted.
Not in the room.
In her mind.
The Memory
The college cafeteria was noisy, full of laughter and conversations.
Suzane leaned forward excitedly.
“Guys, we should all make Facebook accounts. Just for fun!”
A few friends laughed.
“Why?” someone asked.
Suzane grinned. “Just to see what happens!”
Mary sat quietly nearby, listening more than speaking.
She didn’t react much at the time.
But something about that idea stayed with her.
Facebook.
Just for fun.
A small idea… that later stopped feeling so small.
The Hidden Feeling
There was one person she couldn’t ignore.
Oz.
He was always around her life in some way.
Not close.
Not invited.
But always present.
He would show up behind her car sometimes.
Appear at family gatherings through distant relatives.
Always watching.
Always noticing her more than she liked.
Mary hated it.
Not loudly.
But deeply.
It felt like she had no space to breathe freely.
And worse… he never seemed to understand it.
To him, it might have looked normal.
To her, it felt like pressure.
The Fake Account
One night, Mary made a decision.
She created a fake account.
No real name. No identity. Just a mask.
And she searched one name.
Oz.
Her fingers didn’t hesitate.
She sent a friend request.
Then she messaged him.
Mary:“Hi… I think this is Oz? I just wanted to know you.”
The reply came quickly.
Oz was direct.
Oz:“Yes. Oz here.”Oz:“If you’re going to talk, introduce yourself properly.”Oz:“I am a pilot trainee. Discipline matters to me.”Oz:“And don’t do these random fake account things.”
Mary smirked slightly.
Even through messages… he was the same.
Controlled. Serious. Always acting like he was above confusion.
She replied coldly.
Mary:“Maybe I just wanted to see why you always appear where I don’t expect you.”
Silence followed. Omi Enters
To make her fake profile look real, Mary started adding people randomly.
That’s when she added Omi.
He was studying engineering at an army college.
Disciplined. Straightforward. No nonsense personality.
He accepted the request.
And replied.
Omi:“Hi.”
Mary replied simply.
Mary:“Hi.”
And that was the beginning.
Daily Conversations
Days passed.
Then weeks.
Mary and Omi started talking daily.
At first, it was basic.
Routine questions.
College life.
Training life.
Small updates.
Omi:“Drill was exhausting today.”Mary:“College was boring as usual.”
Slowly, it became more personal.
Omi started enjoying her messages.
She was calm.
Different from others.
But there was one thing missing.
Her real self.
Omi’s Curiosity
One day, Omi finally asked:
Omi:“You never talk about yourself.”Omi:“Not your family… not your life.”Omi:“Why?”
Mary paused for a long time before replying.
Mary:“Some things are better left private.”
But Omi didn’t feel satisfied.
He replied:
Omi:“It feels like you’re always holding yourself back.”
Mary stared at the message.
For the first time… she felt slightly uncomfortable.
Because he was getting closer to something real.
Oz’s Silent Suspicion
Meanwhile, Oz was still observing everything indirectly.
He and Mary never had a normal relationship.
They used to argue more than talk.
He had always been around her life in some form.
And now… this fake account didn’t feel random to him.
He started noticing patterns.
Mutual connections.
Names from Mary’s circle.
Including Omi.
Oz didn’t say anything.
But he had already begun guessing the truth.
The Quiet Shift
Mary thought she was in control.
She was just expressing frustration through a fake identity.
But something changed.
Omi wasn’t just a name anymore.
He was becoming someone who wanted toknow her.
And that was dangerous.
Because the more real Omi became…
The harder it was to keep everything hidden.
And somewhere far away, Oz watched everything silently.
Waiting.
Observing.
Understanding more than he was supposed to.
End of Chapter
Mary stared at Omi’s last message again.
She didn’t reply immediately.
For the first time…
The fake world she created didn’t feel like a game anymore.
It felt like something that was starting to breathe on its own.
