LAST SEEN ONLINE
See you on Monday
[Friday — 5:42 PM]
The street outside the school was already getting quieter, the kind of late afternoon where the sky starts turning orange, but nobody really wants to go home yet. Students drifted out in small groups, laughing, arguing, dragging their bags like they had all the time in the world.
Lyra and Jaden stayed behind near the gate, like they always did on Fridays.
Jaden
You’re seriously still stuck on that question?
Lyra
I’m not stuck. I’m just… building a relationship with it.
Jaden
That's not how math work.
Lyra
It is if you’re emotionally intelligent. *muttered quietly*
Jaden
You’re going to fail again. *sighs*
Lyra
Confidence is the key.
Lyra
Boring. *rolls her eyes*
Jaden
You say that every week. *speechless*
Lyra
Because every week you still sit here helping me anyway. *shrugs*
Jaden
Someone has to make sure you don’t completely ruin your academic future.
Lyra
Aww, you care. *smiles*
Jaden
Don’t make it weird. *frowns at her*
Lyra
Too late. *stuck out her tongue teasingly*
They started walking slowly down the street together, not really in a hurry. The sound of distant traffic mixed with their conversation, and for a while, everything felt normal. Safe, familiar.
Jaden
Did you at least finish the assignment?
Lyra
What? That’s progress.
Jaden
You’re hopeless. *shook his head*
Lyra
But you still like me anyway.
Lyra
I’ll take that as a win. *beamed*
They both laughed quietly. It was one of those easy moments that didn’t need effort.
[6:18 PM]
Lyra slowed down near her street corner. The sky was darker now, streetlights starting to flicker on one by one.
Lyra
Today was actually… nice.
Jaden
Yeah? *eyebrow arched up*
A small pause followed. Not awkward, just calm.
Lyra
We should do this again Monday.
Lyra hesitated for a second, kicking lightly at the ground.
Lyra
Don’t disappear on me, okay?
Jaden looked at her for a moment longer than usual. Then he gave a small nod.
Jaden
I won’t. See you Monday, Lyra. *watched her leave*
Lyra
Oh, seems like he's offline now. Gotta go check what's in the oven.*dropped her phone on the bed and heads downstairs*
Author: I hope you enjoyed it?😊
He didn't come
[Monday — 8:07 AM]
The classroom felt different that morning, even though nothing had changed.
Jaden’s seat was empty.
Still neatly arranged. Still untouched. Like he would walk in any second and drop his bag beside hers like always.
People were talking, laughing, moving around the room, but everything felt distant to Lyra. Like sound was happening behind glass.
Lyra
He’s just late…
*She checked her phone under the desk.*
That alone made her uneasy. Jaden always texted. Even when he was five minutes late.
By the end of first period, the empty seat still hadn’t changed.
By lunchtime, it still hadn’t changed.
And by the time school ended, Lyra stopped pretending it was normal.
[Monday — 3:41 PM]
She stayed behind near the school gate, the same place they had always parted ways on Fridays. Except this time, she wasn’t waiting because she expected him to show up. She was waiting because she didn’t know what else to do.
Lyra
Maybe his phone died… *She opened their chat.*
Last message still sat there like nothing had happened...“Okay👍”
Read. Delivered. No reply after that.
Her fingers hovered for a moment before she typed:
Lyra
💬[Hey… are you okay?] *She stared at the message.*
The sky had already started shifting darker than usual, like the day was ending too early.
[9:18 PM]
At home, Lyra couldn’t focus on anything. Her phone stayed beside her the entire time, like it might suddenly explain what school couldn’t.
Then her screen lit up.
No notification sound.
Just the chat opening on its own.
Her chest tightened slightly. She saw it.
“Jaden is online.”
The time at the top of her screen changed. 2:12 AM...
2:13 AM.
Her stomach dropped.
Then a message appeared.
Jaden
💬[Don’t come looking for me.]
No reply...
Silence again...
Then one more message appeared, slower this time. Like whoever was typing didn’t want to.
Jaden
💬 [They noticed you.]
Author: I hope you enjoyed it 😊
The arcade
Lyra didn’t sleep properly. Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the same thing.
A chat screen.
A message.
“They noticed you.”
She sat up in bed, staring at her phone like it might explain itself.
Lyra
This doesn’t make sense…
Jaden wassn’t like this. He didn’t talk in riddles. He didn’t scare people for fun.
At least… not before he disappeared.
[Tuesday — 2:14 PM]
During lunch break, Lyra stayed alone. Her friends talked around her, but she barely heard them.
Then something one of them said made her pause.
Friend
Hey… didn’t you and Jaden used to pass that old arcade after school?
Lyra
*Lyra froze slightly.* …arcade?
Friend
Yeah, the abandoned one near the bus stop. People say it’s been closed for years.
Lyra frowned. She remembered now.
Friday...
Walking home. Jaden slowing down slightly when they passed it.
Jaden
That place always feels… wrong.
Lyra
You’re scared of an arcade? *teased*
Lyra
It’s just an empty building. Duh *shrugs*
Jaden
Still. Don’t go in there. *held her by the collar, dragging her away*
...Back in the present...
Lyra blinked hard. Why was she only remembering this now?
[Tuesday — 9:42 PM]
That night, she couldn’t stop thinking about it.
The messages.
“They noticed you.”
''The arcade''. And Jaden’s missing presence.
Her phone lit up again.
No notification.
Just the chat opening itself.
Her heart jumped instantly.
“Jaden is online.”
It was 2:13 AM again.
Exactly the same time. Then a message appeared.
Jaden
💬 [You remember the arcade now.]
Lyra
💬 [If this is a joke, it’s not funny!]
No reply. A long pause.
Then...
Jaden
💬 [Don’t come tomorrow.]
Silence...
Then one final line...
Jaden
💬 [Because if you do… you won’t leave alone either.]
Author: I hope you enjoyed it😊
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