"Edith, you shouldn't have to watch that." System tells me, walking closer to me whilst gently placing a freezing hand on my tear-stained cheek.

  But that moment of kindness does not stop my panic filled mind: "What happened to Myla?! Please tell me she's okay! Please!" I beg them as I drop to the mosaic ground.

  "Edith, you need to wake up now. You aren't safe where you are right now." Every word the masked person before me says, comes out calm, yet with a slight sense of urgency.

  "I have to help her!" I yell, ignoring everything. My whole body is a trembling mess.

  Why? Why am I so useless?!

  "Edith, did you not hear what I said?"

  What should I do? What should I do?

  The thick flood of panic has taken control of my body and filled my mind with only swirling darkness.

  "Edith!"

  The sudden call of System is finally making me snap out of it.

  "Your room. Your bedroom. If you keep on dreaming you will die!"

  I look at them through my tear stained eyes: "I don't understand."

  "You've got to wake up, NOW!"

  They push me back through the white void and at the same time I wake up.

  .

  .

  .

  There is a shadow standing next to my bed.

  A small blue light betrays the shadows' eyes.

  "N-nova?!"

  The blue light is coming from a little machine for whom I have no idea what it's supposed to be.

  Nova bows down to me: "Just go to sleep, you're only having a nightmare."

  She gets the machine close to me and I immediately jump up, hitting the thing out of her hands in reflex.

  Something about it gives me a bad vibe.

  A really horrible one.

  I just know that if that thing touches me, I will most certainly die.

  Where that piece of random knowledge comes from is a total mystery to me.

  I just know.

  "What the hell are you doing?!" I question her.

  She quickly picks up the thing again.

  The blue light gives her a spooky glow and almost mechanical look on her face.

  "Just lay quiet please."

  "NO! What the hell?!"

  Faster than expected she jumps at me, I yell something at her and I don't even know what I yelled.

  Luckily I am able to block it just in time and I push her back.

  She grabs my wrists and holds me tight.

  quickly I kick her in her stomach with my knee hurting her, she lets out a painful groan and loses the control over my wrists. With it I slap her with it right in her face.

  She lets go of my other hand and with it I hit her hard on the nose.

  Nova staggers back, I can see a dark fluid drip down from it.

  Is it the same as what the serial killer bleeds? I wonder.

  As she gets back and readies herself to launch another attack at me (this time probably because of the anger of hitting her) Misty suddenly appears.

  The kitten is on the bed in between us and starts hissing as loud as she can towards Nova.

  Nova stops attacking and scoffs: "So, even the cat has taken your side." She lets out a joyless laugh and takes a few steps back.

  Staring at me in a way I have never seen her do before.

  Just what the hell happened to make her hate me this much?!

  I turn the light on.

  "Where the hell was that for?! Why were you trying to kill me?"

  The hand with my phone in it shakes, should I call the police for this? I don't even know what I am supposed to tell them then. After all, Nova lives here too.

  She scoffs again: "I wasn't."

  Somehow her answer sounds tired and depressed, like she means a lot more with it than just that.

  This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  Not that it matters.

  I guess I really can't trust anyone anymore.

  Why did all of them change so much?

  Just what did I miss?

  I thought I knew my friends, but it seems as if over a short period of time a wall has been built between us.

  Before I know it the tears are streaming down my face.

  That thought really hurt a lot, but it is the unfortunate truth.

  I don't want to accept it... But if I don't...

  Misty rubs herself comforting against my legs, it's almost as if she is trying to protect me. She keeps her eyes locked on my roommate watching her every move, ready to fight.

  "I-I'm going to leave." I say in between my tears to Nova.

  "Nothing happened, why?"

  I decided to not engage in another confusing conversation with her.

  What happened? We used to be best friends. She used to always be there for me and now, she's trying to kill me.

  But is she really trying to?

  Its System who said that I was in danger...

  Then again, she really did attack me. right?

  "I... Please leave my room." I mumble just loud enough for it to be heard from across the small room.

  Nova glares at me with her bloody nose and red eyes she got from my punch.

  "Hmpf, sure." She shakes her head a little and leaves my room.

  As she just left the room, I quickly lock it behind her and hear a "Seriously?"

  Swiftly I get dressed and put some stuff in my bag which should help me for at least a week.

  I can't stay here.

  Maybe I should get home?

  My parents are on holiday right now and they might not be waiting for it, they also live very far away from this city.

  Booking a hotel might be okay for one night, but those are really pricey.

  I sigh and pet Misty before I go: "Sorry Misty, I can't stay with you anymore. I wish I could take you with me."

  Misty meows at me, kind of like she's trying to tell me that it's okay, making me tear up again.

  Having taken my toothbrush and some other essentials I quickly leave the building.

  As I look behind me for a short moment, I can only see the building as a dark, nightmarish tower.

  It's too early to go to work, so I decide to go to a shop that's open 24/7.

  The small shop is near my apartment and has a place to sit and get something to eat and drink, the perfect place to have breakfast after almost getting killed by your roommate.

  I buy a magazine and get breakfast there.

  "You're up early, miss."

  I shrug, not wanting to talk too much: "Couldn't sleep."

  The store clerk seems nice enough, but I will be careful anyway.

  It feels like everyone's out to hurt me in some way.

  As I take a sip from my coffee I think back to the nightmare I had, the one about Myla being cut apart and the killer showing me everything while talking to me like he was having fun.

  I wish that this one was fake, I really do! Please let Myla still be alive, Please, please, pleasepleasepleasepl-.

  "You okay?" The owner suddenly asks me, he must have seen the panic in my body language.

  "I'm fine."

  He nods: "If you need anything, even if it's just someone to talk to. I'm a great listener and might know some people who could be of help. Also I beat up shitty guys for free."

  His kind smile almost makes me want to tell him everything, but just before I can start a dark thought enters my mind.

  What if he is the killer and this is his way of making his victims trust him?

  What if he cuts me open next, will he also wear that smile on his face?

  "I-I'm fine, really."

  As soon as I finish my food, I pay and leave.

  When he tries to talk to me again, I act as if I'm in a hurry and he leaves me alone.

  While I wait for the train, I open the magazine I bought.

  It has a short chapter on the serial killings so far, I don't really want to but I read it anyway.

  So there really are patterns to prove that it's all been done by one and the same person...

  God, just how did I get into this never-ending nightmare?

  Nicole, a lady in her early forties was the supposed first victim. Also not the lady I had met and who had warned me, so the killer killed before.

  They seemed to have been killing for longer than I lived here, but haven't been found yet.

  Dan, a man in his sixties.

  So he doesn't kill only women.

  I look down further to find three other men: 'Aaron, Walter, Max.'

  All men with different ages and occupations, but cut up in the same ways as the others and also all hidden under the floorboards or something similar.

  I'm surprised that it hasn't gotten more attention yet, but there are currently more things going on. Many wars and even the elections coming up again, as well as other murders further away from home and new technology that might revolutionize the world.

  The other victims are Hailey, the lady from the café and Cornelia, the older lady that warned me.

  Myla might end up on this list as well.

  No! It was just a dream, no way that those really happen.

  I hit myself in the face trying to get the thought out of my head.

  After a while my train arrives, well it's an earlier train than usual, but that doesn't matter.

  While I get in I make sure that I'm not followed.

  I pay attention to all the people that enter and leave the vehicle every time it stops and leaves.

  Then finally I arrive at my stop and I get out.

  My heart beats faster as I enter the dark platform.

  I make sure that no one follows me, taking an enormous detour.

  Making sure to be surrounded by people and light as long as possible.

  There was a moment in which I thought I was being followed, but it luckily ended up being a false alarm.

  I arrive at the building and the first thing that enters my line of sight is a couple of police cars parked outside.

  Oh god... It can't be...

  Quickly I get inside and find it way too busy then it is supposed to be at this hour.

  A lot of my colleagues are already here, looking rather sleepy or horrified.

  Did they get called here?

  An officer approaches me: "Ma'am, do you have business here?"

  I nod: "Yes, I work here. What happened?"

  "Do you really?"

  Suzy stands next to me and in a sudden burst of anger, she answers the officer: "Yes, she does and she's a damn good colleague."

  I can see red around her eyes, she must have been crying just a moment ago.

  I take out my employee card to show him and he nods: "I'm sorry."

  "What happened?" I ask again, desperate to know what's going on.

  "Please... don't..." I can hear Suzy whisper: "It's just... too much."

  Tears start welling up in her eyes again.

  The officer has seen it too: "Please come with me, then I will tell you. Though it might shock you." he says in a sympathetic tone.

  The officer takes me to a corner, far away from the others.

  "So, one of your colleagues has been killed."

  Oh god... It's Myla, isn't it?

  "Myla Williams has passed away tonight."

  Even though I already know, it still hits me like a brick.

  My heart freezes and I can see small drops appearing around me.

  I'm crying. And I can't stop it.

  "I'm sorry for your loss." He politely places his hand on my shoulder.

  The memories of her appear in my mind, the time she showed me around, all the stories she told me and all the times she helped me.

  Yeah, it's true that I just got to know her, but she was too kind to end up like this.

  Why?

  WHY?!

  My hands are shaking and suddenly I think about how Ian stalked me last night.

  Did they kill her.

  Did they rip her open?

  Did they rip her open and smile at me?

  Did they enjoy it?

  "If you have anything you would like to share-" He starts politely, but I break right through him.

  "Yes, I have something I want to share with you."

  We leave to go to a private room. Another officer is there too, as they offer me tea I refuse. I just need to get it out.

  "Morning', we would like to ask you a few questions."

  I nod in response.

  "What was your relationship with Myla like?"

  I want to speak, but the tears in my throat stop me from doing so.

  Goddammit, why now? Now of all times, I have to help her!

  "Take it easy... it's okay, it must have been terrible for you."

  My answer ends up coming out in loud sobs: "S-she w-was t-t-the one who s-show-wed me a-a-around." I hate it, being unable to speak when you really have to.

  I take out my phone, since I can't really talk anymore and show the officers the video I had taken of Ian stalking me.

  I want to tell them everything.

  They might need it to solve this case after all.

  They ask if they can take my phone for a bit and I nod, still unable to speak.

  So we go over to me writing the answers to the detectives' questions.

  The conversation remains shorter than I had hoped.