The camp was quiet after lights-out, only the faint sound of the waves brushing the shore. You sat alone on the porch of your cabin, staring out at the dark trees beyond the fire pit. It was the only time you felt safe from Amber’s games — or so you thought.

A faint creak on the steps made you glance back. Amber stood there, barefoot, wrapped in a thin sweater, her hair loose around her shoulders. She smiled in that calm, knowing way of hers and sat down next to you.

“You’re up late,” she murmured.

“So are you,” you replied.

Amber tilted her head, watching you with eyes that seemed to shine in the dark. “I couldn’t sleep,” she said softly. “Too many thoughts.”

You looked away. “That’s… relatable.”

Amber’s smile deepened. “It is, isn’t it?” She leaned in just a little. “You’ve been thinking about me.”

Your heart stuttered. “What?”

Her gaze didn’t waver. “You have.”

“I—how would you know that?”

Amber didn’t answer. She reached out, brushing her fingers lightly over the back of your hand. It wasn’t a caress. It was something deliberate, almost clinical. And suddenly, you felt a pressure at the back of your skull, a strange coldness sliding through your thoughts.

You gasped. “Amber—stop.”

She smiled faintly. “You don’t even have to say it out loud. I can hear you.”