“You’ve been glued to that phone,” Scott commented as he took a chair next to Jessica at breakfast. Sean was still upstairs, asleep—playing video games until 4 AM had its effects.

“It’s called having a social life, Scott. You should give it a shot.”

“I do have a social life.”

“Your gym buddies don’t count.”

Scott grabbed a piece of her bacon. “So what’s up with this Sky guy?”

Jessica looked up in surprise. “How do you know his name?”

“You talk in your sleep sometimes. Plus, I’ve seen you writing ‘Sky’ in the margins of your notebooks.” Scott’s face showed care but also concern. “I just want to make sure you’re safe.”

“Seriously, you’re more overprotective than Sean.”

“Sean just cracks jokes. I actually pay attention.”

That was true. Sean liked to think he was the head of the family, but Scott was the one who noticed when she struggled with math, remembered she disliked mushrooms on pizza, and checked on her after nightmares about Dad.

“He’s nice,” Jessica finally said. “And he really listens to me.”

“That’s great. But Jess…” Scott leaned closer. “You do know that texting isn’t enough to really know someone, right?”

“We talk on the phone too.”

“But you’ve never done a video call? Never met face-to-face?”

Jessica felt her cheeks flush. “It’s not that easy.”

“Why not?”

“Because…” She searched for a reason that wouldn’t sound sad. “What if I’m not what he imagines? What if he sees me and thinks I’m not worth his time?”

Scott's expression softened again. “Jess, any guy who would walk away because of how you look isn’t worth your energy anyway.”

"That’s easy for you to say. You look like you walked right out of a magazine."

"And you seem like the coolest girl in school. You just don’t realize it."

Jessica rolled her eyes, but Scott's words sparked a warm feeling inside her.

"Plus," Scott added, "if this guy truly cares about you, he should want to see all of you."

Later that night, Jessica found herself gazing at her reflection in her bedroom mirror. Scott was right—Sky had never pushed for video calls or asked to see her face. She had been so relieved by the lack of pressure that she hadn’t thought much about it.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed.

*Sky: You’re thinking about me. I can sense it.*

Jessica felt a flutter in her stomach. That was… strangely specific.

*Jessica: Are you psychic now?*

*Sky: We have a connection, Cinderella. I told you—our souls are intertwining.*

*Jessica: That sounds either really romantic or really creepy. I’m still deciding.*

*Sky: You make jokes when you’re nervous.*

And she did. It was how she protected herself, and realizing he noticed made her feel vulnerable.

*Jessica: Maybe I’m just naturally funny.*

*Sky: You are. But you're also scared.*

*Jessica: Scared of what?*

*Sky: Of how real this is.*

Jessica stared at his message. He wasn't wrong.

*Sky: I want to give you something, Cinderella. A token that represents what we mean to each other.*

*Jessica: Like what? A friendship bracelet?*

*Sky: Something more meaningful—something that shows how connected we really are.*

Before she could reply, her phone buzzed again with a video attachment. The file name caught her attention: *rose.mp4*

She pressed play.

The video featured a single red rose blooming slowly against a dark background. Haunting piano music accompanied the rose as it opened, showing deep crimson petals that seemed to throb like a heartbeat. Gradually, the rose began to wilt, with its petals turning black and falling off.

At the very end, she heard a whisper—hardly audible:

“Beauty must die to be remembered.”

Jessica felt a chill run through her. The whisper sounded like Sky’s voice, but something was off. It was distorted.

*Jessica: That was really creepy. It gets points for the look, but loses points for the whole “death” idea.*

*Sky: You don’t get it yet. But you will.*

*Jessica: Get what?*

No answer came.

Jessica waited, but Sky didn’t respond. She replayed the video and this time noticed something she had overlooked before. In the reflection on the screen, for just a second, she thought she saw movement behind her.

She quickly turned around.

Her room was empty.

Yet the air felt colder, and she could almost smell roses.