Dollhouse

Ryan sat in class, but the usual buzz of Nicole's quiet presence was absent. He tapped his pen against his notebook, eyes flickering to her empty seat.

Her absence lingered in the back of his mind like a persistent thought, one he couldn't ignore.

Does she always miss her class without a word? When he inquired about his groupmates-- her classmates, they had given him a simple answer—she wasn't feeling well. But that didn't sit right with him.

"Nicole's not feeling well today," one of them said with a sigh.

"Gahh… who's gonna make the diagram? You know I'm terrible at drawing!" the student whined, exasperated.

"I'll do it," She offered with a small shrug. "Ryan, you can handle the LAS questions, right? Include Nicole's too."

"Yeah, sure. I'll help with the diagram when you're done."

"Thanks! I should've prepared if I knew it'd turn out like this…"

Despite the casual exchange, He couldn't shake the gnawing feeling of uneasiness,

As soon as class ended, he made his way to the boarding house she had mentioned before. It was a cautious decision. He wasn't the type to overstep, but something about this felt different.

The hesitation in his steps vanished when he reached the gate. He raised his hand to knock, but before he could, a voice cut through the silence.

"Who are you looking for?"

He turned around, and his breath hitched.

The long, puffy waves of pink hair that framed her face, cascading past her shoulders.

Eyes that dazzled, sharp and unreadable, glinting like polished glass.

A face that was oh so free and youthful, yet carried an unsettling weight.

An allure that was almost dangerous. It was the kind of beauty that left a mark, a presence that lingered even when she was gone.

"Alie."

"Ryan."

It was her voice,

The very same voice that curled around his senses, a strange, inescapable thread wrapping tighter with every word.

Reminding how he had lost himself as he suffocated in those words,

For a moment, neither of them spoke, their surprise mirrored in each other's expressions. He clenched his jaw, forcing his reaction to remain neutral.

"What are you doing here?"

"I could ask you the same."

He exhaled sharply. He had no time for games. "I'm here to give something to my classmate."

Alie tilted her head, "Who?"

"Nicole."

She blinked, then smirked. "Nicole? I see. You can give it to me, then."

Before she reaches, he instinctively pulled back the papers slightly. "Do you know her?"

Her smirk didn't waver. "She's my cousin. What of it? You look tense."

That answer only deepened his suspicion, but he had no proof. Just a feeling.

Still, he handed over the papers with reluctance. "She missed class today, so I wanted to check on her."

Her eyes, discerning, and sharpened slightly. "So?"

"So, is there a problem with me doing that?"

"No, not at all. Should it be a problem? To me or to her?" She laughed lightly, but there was an edge to it.

He didn't answer.

Instead, he gave a curt nod and turned to leave. The conversation had given him more questions than answers. His gut told him something was wrong, and he needed to figure out what.

He lingered for a moment before deciding against pressing further. Pushing too hard now wouldn't help. He'd wait, observe. He needed to understand the situation before making his next move.

Inside, Alie let herself into Nicole's room with a spare key. 

Nicole lay in bed, barely able to lift her head, her breath uneven, almost at the verge of utmost need of care and urgency,

But she didn't rush.

She never rushed.

Instead, she took her time, brushing her fingers along the wooden railing as she climbed the steps, relishing the anticipation. The air smelled faintly of mildew, the kind of dampness that clung to cheap boarding houses.

Nicole lay curled up on the bed, her body weak and trembling beneath sweat-damp sheets. Alie tilted her head slightly, watching the girl struggle to sit up, to move, to do anything.

Pathetic. The sight before her. It was indeed pathetic.

Her lips curled into a soft, sweet smile as she took slow, deliberate steps toward the bed, her high-heels making barely a whisper against the floor.

She knelt down, just enough to meet Nicole's half-lidded, feverish gaze.

"Alie…" Nicole rasped, her voice barely above a breath. "I heard… knocking… Was it you?"

"Of course, darling. It would be rude to just barge in, wouldn't it?" She tossed the papers onto the bed with little care.

Nicole reached weakly for a tablet on her bedside table, but it slipped from her grasp. She barely had the strength to retrieve it.

Alie watched, unimpressed, before kneeling to pick it up herself.

What a mess.

Nicole's voice was weak. "Don't… worry… I rescheduled--"

Without warning, Alie grabs her chin, forcing her mouth open, and shoved the pill inside before tilting a glass of water against her lips. Nicole barely had time to react before she presses the rim of the glass to her lips.

"Drink," Alie ordered.

Nicole coughed, struggling, but swallowed.

"The contact almost lost interest because you're acting like a little bitch."

Nicole flinched, her hands trembled as she clutched her blanket. "I'm sorry… I just… I couldn't…"

Frustrated, she dropped a cold compress and some fruit onto the bedside table. A loud thud echoed

"You know how I get when things don't go my way."

Nicole didn't answer, just looked away. Her lips parted as if to say something,

An apology? an excuse? a plea? It didn't matter,

Alie had already turned her back to her.

As she packed up her things, she let out a small, breathy chuckle.

"Without me, you're nothing, so, unless you want things to get worse, you'll do exactly as I say. Flawlessly."

She was afraid. That is good.

She didn't need to say anything else. Nicole already knew the consequences of disobedience.

She strode to the door, pausing only once to glance over her shoulder. Nicole was still trembling, her fingers clutching the sheets so tightly that her knuckles turned white.

The silence felt suffocating. How had things come to this? How had she ended up here, with no way out?

Then, a knock.

A familiar voice. "Nicole? It's me, Ryan."

Her eyes widened slightly. She wanted to call out, but her throat felt tight. She slowly pushed herself up, dragging herself toward the door. Just as she reached for the knob, she lost her balance, crashing to the floor.

"Nicole?" Ryan's voice sharpened. "Are you okay?"

She squeezed her eyes shut, trying to steady herself. "Yeah… Just a minute…"

Summoning what little strength she had, she gripped the edge of her bed and dragged herself up. Her fingers trembled as she unlocked the door.

He stood there, with concern written all over his face.

His eyes flickered over her-- sweat-soaked skin, unsteady posture, the exhaustion carved into her features. His presence was grounding, yet it made her feel even more fragile.

"I… your cousin left the gate open, so I--"

He trailed off as he took in her appearance. Sweat clung to her skin, her clothes damp, clinging in ways that made her shrink back in embarrassment. She snatched a towel from beside the door, wrapping it around herself.

"Nicole, you don't look okay..."

"Alie brought me medicine. I'll be fine."

He nodded, but his gaze still scanning her. "I answered the questions for you in class."

Her smile faltered, but she nodded. "Thank you. I'm sorry for the trouble."

"It's fine. Do you need anything else?"

"No… Alie already brought some things."

He hesitated, his fingers twitching at his side as if debating whether to say something more. But he only nodded. "Alright… Just take care."

She shut the door, and he stepped away, the feeling of helplessness clawing at him.

Later that afternoon, he bought some drinks to clear his mind.

But as if fate played on him again, he saw her.

Nicole. Dressed differently.

An oversized jacket, a mask covering her face.

But what caught his attention the most was her movements-- forced, groggy, she was struggling.

She wasn't well.

He moved to approach her,

As he was about to call out her name, a sleek sports car pulled up beside her.

A man stepped out. Wealthy, well-dressed. He touched Nicole's forehead, concern flashing across his face. "You're burning up. Are you okay?"

She forced a smile. "I'm fine"

Before she could finish, the man ushered her into the car, pressing a cooling pad to her forehead. The door shut, and the car rolled away.

Ryan stood frozen, gripping the cold compress he had bought for her. He had planned to give it to her himself. He had wanted to help.

But as he watched the car disappear into the distance, a realization settled in his gut.

He wasn't the only one looking out for Nicole. And right now, he was the least important.

He clenched the cold compress in his fist, exhaling slowly. He had to figure this out. He had to understand who that man was, what Nicole was hiding, and most importantly, how he could change the game.

Because standing on the sidelines wasn't an option anymore.