The next morning, I got a message.
Not from the usual number.
This one was new.
"You're not the only one who sees."
"Meet us. You'll understand."
"Don't bring the others."
I stared at the screen.
Then I showed it to Lena.
She paled.
"This isn't good," she said.
"Why would they contact me again?"
"Because they're expanding," she whispered. "Recruiting."
I looked at her. "You think Ava told them something?"
She hesitated. "Maybe. Or maybe they've been watching someone else all along."
That's when I remembered.
Jin.
He'd suspected me for weeks. He'd seen my behavior shift. My reactions. My choices.
And he hadn't let it go.
I grabbed my bag.
"Where are you going?" Lena asked.
"To test a theory."
I found Jin in the hallway before first period.
He gave me a wary look.
"What?" he asked.
I held up my phone.
He glanced at the message.
His eyes widened.
For just a second.
Then he covered it.
Too late.
I stepped closer. "You got one too, didn't you?"
He didn't answer.
I leaned in. "Who are they, Jin?"
He swallowed hard.
Then he whispered, "I don't know if I want to find out."
But I could already tell.
He was next.
And the Institute was spreading faster than we thought.