Chapter 9: Something Else Wears My Skin
Kavy didn't move.
Didn't breathe.
The mirror remained still.
Her reflection watched her—patient. Waiting. Smiling.
A horrible, creeping dread wrapped around her throat.
That thing wasn't her.
It looked like her. But it wasn't.
It was something else.
Her pulse pounded.
It's not real. It's not real. It's not real.
She forced herself to take a step forward.
Then another.
Until she stood inches away from the glass.
Slowly—so slowly—she lifted her hand.
Her reflection did the same.
But it was too smooth. Too controlled.
Like it was pretending.
A lump formed in Kavy's throat.
Her fingers trembled as she reached out.
A test.
A mistake.
The moment her fingertips brushed the cold glass—
The reflection's eyes darkened.
Black. Bottomless.
And then—
It moved first.
Kavy jerked back, heart slamming against her ribs.
No. No, no, no, no.
Her reflection had moved before she did.
It had acted on its own.
That wasn't a reflection.
That was something else.
A shuddering breath left her lips.
She stumbled back, slamming into the bathroom wall.
Her reflection tilted its head.
Then—
It stepped forward.
Kavy choked on a scream.
The glass didn't stop it.
Her own image pushed against the mirror like it was just water.
It smiled.
And then it whispered.
"Let me out."
Kavy fled.
She tore out of the bathroom, nearly tripping over her own feet.
The bedroom was dark, suffocating.
But it was better than that.
Better than seeing something else wear her skin.
Her hands trembled violently as she pressed her back against the door.
It wasn't real.
It wasn't.
Except—
The whisper slithered through the silence.
"You can't run from yourself, Kavy."
She swallowed hard.
Because deep down—
She knew the truth.
This thing inside her?
It was her.
And she was losing.