The night after the incident was endless. Lina lay awake, the blanket just a gray surface above her. Every time she closed her eyes, she heard the man's voice again:
"No hesitation."
"Always."
"No mistakes."
These words seemed to breathe in the darkness. She heard them in the walls, in the raindrops, in her own heartbeat. When the alarm shrilled, she was certain she hadn't slept a moment. Her head was heavy, her body foreign.
In the mirror, she saw her pale face, dark circles too deep for a seventeen-year-old. She combed her hair mechanically, pulled on her sweater, and left without eating breakfast.
---
In the assembly hall, Giulia grinned as if the world was perfect. "Zombie-Mermaid! You need coffee. And by the liter."
Lina forced herself to smile. "Maybe."
"Maybe?" Giulia tapped her forehead. "Definitely. And chocolate too, or you'll wither away."
