The Empty Thorne

Thursday – 4:45 AM

Most of the city was still asleep.

But Yuki Dawson was already online.

By the glow of her desk lamp, she reviewed logs, engagement metrics, keyword alerts. Six chat groups. Three school forums. One unofficial St. Ivy rumor board.

The fires had gone out.

One by one.

Just as planned.

Targets Neutralized

She ran the numbers again:

The manipulated screenshots: erased

Anonymous "witness" accounts: discredited

Backup rumor's: rerouted to fabricated drama involving a fake crush triangle in Class 1-C

Emotional spikes around Amaya, Emma, and Sofia: visibly lowered in chat flow patterns

All variables back to baseline.

Her fingers hovered over the keyboard.

Execute Archive Lock?

She pressed yes.

The system would now slowly delete all traces of this operation. No breadcrumbs.

Not even for her.

6:10 AM – Still in Her Apartment

She poured tea with robotic grace, moving as if guided by script.

She hadn't slept.

Didn't need to.

She operated on structure, not fatigue.

Across the room, her mirror reflected her faint reflection.

Still pale.

Still perfect.

Still unreadable.

Her Thoughts

Jay Markov didn't take her offer.

She expected that.

In truth, she wanted that.

If he had accepted, the game would've changed too quickly. Too loudly.

But this way? He remains in the spotlight. The natural star.

And she?

She stays where she belongs.

In the shadows.

Cleaning the path he walks.

Just far enough that he'll never feel the cold.

9:00 AM – Class 1-A

She entered class quietly.

Didn't greet anyone.

Didn't sit beside anyone.

Just went to her desk and opened a clean notebook. One hand wrote notes. The other traced light sketches of abstract shapes.

Jay sat one seat away, like always.

He didn't speak.

Not at first.

But she could feel him watching.

And that was enough.

Mid-Morning – Quiet Tension

Emma was calm again.

Still competitive, still sharp—but no longer glaring across the room.

Sofia was playful again.

Teasing, laughing, commenting on fashion instead of rumors.

Amaya smiled a little more.

Even Tyler was more energetic, though he kept giving Jay suspicious looks like he was trying to sense a disturbance in the romantic Force.

Everything was falling back into place.

Which meant… it was time to reset.

Lunch Break – On the Roof

She wasn't surprised when he followed her.

Jay Markov didn't need to knock anymore.

She stood near the edge, arms crossed, hair dancing lightly in the wind.

"I know it was you," he said softly.

She didn't turn.

"I don't know how… but I know."

Still no reply.

Then he added:

"Thank you."

She finally glanced over her shoulder.

His expression was honest. No flirting. No charm. Just quiet appreciation.

"You're welcome," she said.

The Offer

He stepped closer.

Hands in his pockets.

"This is probably stupid," he said. "But I wanted to ask…"

He scratched the back of his neck, clearly awkward.

"Do you want to grab coffee sometime? Not for secrets. Just… you know. Thanks."

She looked at him for a long moment.

Then answered:

"No."

He blinked. "Ouch."

She shook her head, not unkindly.

"When you're truly ready to step into this world," she said, "then maybe."

"Yuki—"

She held up a hand.

"Keep your peace. Enjoy your spotlight. Be the center, Jay. They need you there."

"And you?"

"I'll be exactly where I belong."

A Pause

They stood there quietly, two different universes separated by a heartbeat.

Then Jay smiled.

"Alright," he said. "But if I ever lose that peace again…"

"I'll already be fixing it."

He laughed softly.

"You're terrifying."

She smirked.

"Good."

Back in Class – Final Reset

She returned to her seat five minutes later.

Opened her notebook.

Wrote nothing.

Just listened.

To the way Emma snapped at Tyler.

To the way Sofia threw a crumpled love poem at Jay.

To the way Amaya softly offered him another snack.

The balance had returned.

The game was quiet again.

And so was she.