Chapter 3 — The Girl Without a Shadow

It suddenly dawned on me. That is right, now that I think about it, she was the very first person to ask for a transfer! I immediately turned my gaze toward Vuong Nha Chi.

Nha Chi, what about you? Why did you want to change rooms?

Vuong Nha Chi looked like a small, terrified animal. Faced with my inquiry, she began to fidget, her eyes darting around in a panic. Ho Tuyet Huong saw this and spoke up to encourage her.

Just say it. No one is going to call you crazy. After all, all three of us have seen it; it is unlikely that all three of us have lost our minds at the same time.

Vuong Nha Chi remained fearful, her teeth gnashing against her lips. After a long silence, she finally spoke in a trembling voice.

What I saw... it was not the same as what you all saw.

A single sentence immediately captured our full attention. We all turned to face Vuong Nha Chi, waiting in silence for her to continue. It took her quite a while to organize her thoughts.

That day, On Tam was washing her face in the dormitory. She had facial cleanser on her skin and was bowing her head to scoop up water.

I saw her reflection in the mirror, but it was looking down directly at her.

At that moment, I was crouching behind her, tying my shoelaces. The moment the reflection realized I had seen it, it displayed a flash of panic.

The image was completely disconnected. On Tam was bowing her head to wash her face before the mirror, but her reflection was staring right into my eyes.

Once she finished washing and lifted her head, the reflection returned to normal.

On Tam smiled at me, and the reflection in the mirror smiled back. I was so terrified that I broke out in a cold sweat.

I did not dare tell anyone about this, afraid that I would be labeled as mentally ill.

Vuong Nha Chi’s words made my head buzz.

You mean there is something wrong with my reflection? I asked.

I do not know!

Vuong Nha Chi cried out.

I am only telling you what I saw! As for what is actually happening to you, I have no idea!

Her reaction was intense, her voice rising involuntarily. I understood. Anyone witnessing such a thing would find it difficult to remain calm. We all fell silent, each of us lost in our own thoughts. After a while, I bowed my head toward the three of them.

I am sorry. I have caused you all so much trouble. Thank you for being willing to tell me what has happened. At least now, I am no longer stumbling around like someone both deaf and blind.

Your decision to move out is the right one. If I were in your shoes, I would have made the same choice.

I managed a forced smile and waved at them. Just as I turned to leave, Vuong Nha Chi suddenly called out to me.

On Tam! There is one more thing...

I paused. She hesitated for a few seconds, as if gathering all her courage, before continuing.

Lac Minh Tam does not know how you got back into the dorm that night, does she?

I know.

I saw it with my own eyes. Around four or five in the morning, you walked in from outside.

But the door was locked.

You walked straight through the door.

I suddenly understood why Vuong Nha Chi had hesitated so much with every sentence. There are some things that, once spoken, make others doubt one’s sanity. No one wants to be called crazy! At first, I thought my difficulties were just misunderstandings between me and my roommates. Now, I know the real challenge I face is how to believe in an extremely absurd reality while forcing myself to process it. I must constantly remind myself that everyone is sane, myself included. I carefully observed myself in the mirror. My reflection stared back, unblinking. After a long moment, I suddenly could not tell if her eyes looked like mine or not. Was she observing me, or was I observing her? Goosebumps erupted across my skin, and I averted my eyes. The person in the mirror did the exact same thing, clearly mirroring my panic and distress. Tonight, I am the only one left in the dormitory. Is the version of me that Ho Tuyet Huong saw, the one in Lac Minh Tam’s story, the one that terrified Vuong Nha Chi—is that my shadow? If what they say is true, then every night, a different version of me appears. What does that version want? Will she hurt me?

Nine o’clock at night. It was time for bed. I forced myself to stay awake, yet it was so strange—my eyelids felt so heavy I could not keep them open. I struggled to keep my eyes wide, only to find that sleep was like a swamp, aggressively dragging my consciousness down into a thick, viscous dream. From within that darkness, I caught a whiff of something eerily unnatural. I have always had a habit of sleeping early, but this was different. I should not have been this tired, as if I were being forced to shut my eyes immediately. I do not know how long I slept, but in my haze, I felt as if the lower half of my body was being pinned down by stone, unable to move. I opened my eyes in a panic, and the scene that met me caused my soul to flee in terror. On the pitch-black bed, another version of me was sitting on top of me, facing away. Her lower half was sunken into my own body, merged with me. She was leaning down toward me, her back pressing against me. Suddenly, her movement stopped. She seemed to realize that I had woken up. Her long, black hair swayed slightly.