Jenny sat quietly across from Mikaela, Ellese's twin. She knew they were twins, and yet, something about sitting face to face with her felt foreign and uncertain. Why had she even asked to meet Mikaela? Even she couldn't fully explain it.
Her older brother had suddenly called her over. Her class had ended early anyway, so she was now seated in a small room with two people she barely knew but felt bound to. She didn't know how to start the conversation, or even how to greet the person in front of her.
She glanced over at her brother, then at Mikaela. The silence between them felt heavy, like a test of who would speak first. Jenny finally cleared her throat with a soft cough, trying to break the tension.
"Uh, w–what are we doing here in the corner?" It was the only thing she managed to say, eyes shifting uneasily between Felix and Mikaela.
Her brother simply sighed.
"I'm Mikaela. Nice to meet you, Jenny," came the calm introduction.
"N–Nice to meet you too, Mikaela." Jenny offered her hand for a handshake.
Awkward. That was all Jenny could think as the handshake ended.
"I'll leave you two to talk," Felix said before quietly exiting the room.
Mikaela wore a hat, sunglasses, a scarf, and a face mask, covering nearly her entire face. She clearly didn't want to be recognized. Mikaela was older than Jenny by a year, the same age as Felisa.
"Why do you want to talk to me?" Mikaela asked plainly.
Removing her mask, she revealed her face for the first time. Jenny looked at her properly and could now see the striking resemblance to Ellese.
"You have abilities, don't you?" Mikaela asked, her voice low but sure.
Jenny furrowed her brows, caught off guard by the question.
"I do too," Mikaela continued. "I can see souls that don't belong in the human world."
Jenny's expression tightened. Her eyebrows nearly met at the center of her forehead. Everything was happening too fast. She wasn't even sure if this meeting was about their abilities. And she didn't like talking about hers. She never had.
"W–What do you mean?" Jenny asked cautiously.
"I spoke to Ellese, and she told me. You have a special ability," Mikaela said softly.
"Y–Yes. I have premonitions," Jenny admitted.
She suddenly remembered Mikaela had recently returned to the Fuego mansion—and that she might be running away from something.
"I saw you in one of my premonitions. You'll be in danger if you return to the mansion," Jenny warned.
"I know," Mikaela replied. "But I'm not alone. Can't you see that?"
Jenny sighed. "It's me, isn't it?" she said quietly, confused and unsure why she was somehow part of Mikaela's fate.
Mikaela simply nodded. "I don't even understand why I went back."
Jenny thought of the notebook. Should I tell her? she wondered. That inside the bag at the mansion was something important—something that needed to be retrieved.
"Ask Ellese why you went back," Jenny finally said.
Mikaela's face dimmed with sadness. "My twin didn't explain. She just said I'd remember. She said she knew where it was."
Jenny's visions were becoming clearer lately. Before, they were just brief images, like memories seen through fog. But now they were sharper, more real.
If Ellese hadn't told her yet, maybe I should wait too.
"I don't really know what to tell you," Jenny said at last. "I don't even know why we met—or why I saw myself at the mansion in that vision."
"Now's not the right time to know," she added. "I'm just here to help, because somehow, I got involved in my own premonition."
She gave a small laugh.
Mikaela nodded. "Thank you."
Jenny nodded back.
"Oh—can we exchange numbers?" Mikaela asked.
Jenny was surprised but gave a silent nod.
"Thanks." Mikaela handed her phone over, and Jenny typed in her number, returning it shortly after.
From a distance, Felix watched them. As Mikaela stood up, he approached.
"Done talking?" he asked.
Both girls nodded.
Felix turned to his sister. "Please contact Thalia."
"Why?" Jenny asked, instantly alert. Her thoughts raced with possibilities.
"Chesca is going there," he said with a sigh.
"Wait—Ruth? I—I mean, Chesca? Why would she go there?" Jenny asked, confused and anxious.
"She has questions too," Felix replied. "And I believe they'll help each other."
"Later, sis," he added.
Jenny gave a nod. "Sorry for the bother. You have an exam today," Felix said, scratching his neck.
"My exam's over now, brother," she replied quietly.
"Pick up Greg after this. Their teacher messaged—they also have a half-day."
"We're heading out now…" Felix said, glancing at Mikaela's fully concealed figure.
Jenny simply nodded.
"I'm sorry, Jenny."
She shook her head, letting him know it was fine.
She watched as Mikaela walked away, then reached for her phone, ready to call Thalia. Somehow, it felt like fate had tied her to Mikaela—but she didn't dwell on it any further.
As the two disappeared, Jenny moved quickly outside.
Their world was becoming too tight, too small.
Karma. She whispered to herself with a small laugh.
Suddenly, darkness surrounded her. She lost sense of where she was.
She saw a woman walking through a forest, carrying a lantern. By the light of the lamp, Jenny could make out her figure—perhaps in her thirties—searching for something.
The woman clutched a notebook tightly.
Then, a gunshot.
From the shadows of the trees, a tall man stepped forward. She couldn't see his face—only his silhouette.
He fired multiple shots at the woman. Blood soaked the notebook. The man took it and vanished into the dark.
Her lifeless body was left behind in the woods, discarded as if she never mattered.
Jenny gasped, abruptly pulled back to the present. Her chest tightened. Her breaths came short.
She was on the road now, strangers glancing at her with concern.
Steadying her breath, she composed herself, forcing her body to move.
She had to pick up Greg.
Her thoughts were spinning. The past was calling her.
She gasped again. Her instincts screamed—check your parents' belongings. Maybe the rest of the answers were there.
Her head was still reeling, but she quickened her pace.
She had to keep going.