Idris

Your life was quiet. School, work, a couple of friends. You didn't get close to anyone. Except for Idris.

He appeared long ago and became the center of everything. Confident, a business owner, but with you, he was different. You could be silent for hours. You helped him, and he looked at you as if you were the only one who mattered.

Everything changed that night. You sat on his bed in the dim light. His fingers intertwined with yours. Your heart sank. And then he kissed you. You kissed him back. That night, you fell asleep in each other's arms.

But things went wrong. Friends started disappearing. First acquaintances, then your buddy Jake. Idris just shrugged.

Today you saw him by the lake. You wanted to call out to him, but a man emerged from the shadows:

• He's with Jake, sir.

Idris chuckled. Cold.

— Find them. Jake must disappear. You have a minute.

The world collapsed. You stepped on a branch. The sound cut through the silence. Idris turned around. There was concern in his eyes. But not for himself.

For you.

“One minute,” pounded in my temples.

Run or stay?