Reborn as a Prophet in a Horror Movie

#141Reader Mode

#141

“Took you long enough, Camry.”

Leimia stood with her arms crossed as Camry finally entered the room. Sunlight streamed through the doorway, illuminating swirling dust particles as Camry pushed a strand of hair from her face, her smile brightening the musty space.

“Sorry, got distracted! You wouldn’t believe the cool stuff hidden around here. You should totally check it out later.” Her attention immediately locked onto the antique mirror hanging on the wall, her expression shifting from excitement to intrigue. “So? Noticed anything weird in it yet?”

Camry moved beside Leimia—the person Johan only knew as Madison. Standing together, they could almost pass for sisters, except Leimia’s boredom was a stark contrast to Camry’s fascination. Leimia dragged her finger across the mirror’s dusty surface, leaving a single clean line.

“Nothing. This stupid thing’s completely boring. I’ve been staring at it forever, and it’s just an old mirror. Watching dust settle would be more exciting.”

“Really? Nothing unusual at all?”

Leimia slumped dramatically against the mirror with a heavy sigh, wrinkling her blouse. Camry, however, couldn’t look away. She leaned closer, mesmerized, like a moth hovering too close to an open flame. Her reflection seemed… different somehow. There was something intense behind her familiar eyes. It pulled her forward, her curiosity mixing with a feeling she couldn’t quite name.

Leimia knocked her head against the glass with an eye roll. “This is nothing like what everyone said it would be,” she complained, clicking her tongue. “All that hype for this? Total waste of our day.”

Camry, however, didn’t seem to hear a word.

Her hands were flattened against the mirror’s surface, her reflection gazing back with an odd, compelling intensity. The glass seemed to be urging her closer, one step further and she might disappear into it entirely.

Leimia glanced over, pouting at her friend’s weird, trance-like state. With an irritated huff, she pushed away from the mirror, her heels clicking sharply against the floor as she stalked over to her bag in the corner. “Unbelievable,” she grumbled under her breath.

But the moment Leimia turned away, her bored expression disappeared. In its place came something much more calculating. A sly smile crept across her face as her eyes darted toward her phone, positioned perfectly on her bag—camera aimed directly at them. Reaching inside, she pulled out a shiny metal thermos and a small bottle of vitamins, holding them carefully.

By the time she spun back around cheerfully, Camry had finally torn herself away from the mirror, the trance broken—for now, at least. Without saying anything, Leimia held out the thermos, and Camry reached for it automatically. Their movements were smooth, practiced. No questions asked, no thanks given. Just routine.

As Camry twisted off the lid, steam drifted up in thin wisps, swirling around her face. With each careful sip, the tension seemed to drain from her shoulders, her tight expression softening as the warmth spread through her.

Leimia pretended to check her nails, but her gaze never left Camry. She watched the gentle way Camry’s throat moved as she swallowed, finding something strangely satisfying about it. A quiet calm settled over her, easing the tightness in her chest.

Looking more relaxed now, Leimia turned to the vitamin bottle and twisted the cap—only for something stuffed inside to suddenly pop out, sending the lid flying across the room.

“What the hell? Why is this in here?” Leimia frowned, confused at the tiny, fuzzy object that had sprung free.

She pinched it between her thumb and index finger, holding it away from her body like something gross. It was a teddy bear. Small, well-worn, and instantly recognizable. Johan knew exactly what it was. His fingers automatically tightened around the cross hanging from his neck as he watched the screen.

In the video, Leimia’s fingers wrapped around the poor little bear’s neck, squeezing so hard it looked like she was trying to choke the life out of it.

Camry spotted the bear right away.

“Leimia! What are you doing with that?” she demanded, hurriedly twisting the lid back onto her thermos. She slammed it down in front of the mirror, her cheeks flushing with anger.

The accusation in her voice was crystal clear.

“Seriously? You’re freaking out over a stuffed animal?” Leimia said, swinging the bear carelessly by one arm. “Calm down. I don’t even know how this shitty thing got here. Someone probably mixed up our stuff.”

“Mixed up? Really? That’s the best you can come up with? That bear isn’t yours, and you’re handling it like garbage. Tell me the truth, Leimia. This wasn’t some mistake, was it? I see how you act around Seojun. You’re not exactly friendly to him.”

At the mention of Seojun’s name, Johan leaned in closer, pressing so near to the small phone screen that his nose almost touched the glass.

A bittersweet ache spread through his chest, twisting into a feeling of both longing and comfort. Seojun. He closed his eyes briefly, letting the name sink in. When he looked again, his deep blue eyes shimmered with tears.

He couldn’t look away now. He was completely focused on the two people arguing on screen.

Leimia’s expression changed instantly, shock turning to outrage.

“Are you for real right now? You’re actually accusing me, ME, of stealing this stupid stuffed animal? Is that what you think of me?” She stepped forward, her eyes flashing dangerously. “After everything we’ve been through together, I expected better. You, of all people, should know I don’t need to sink that low!”

Her eyes narrowed with barely controlled anger, frustration gleaming in them like gasoline waiting for a spark.

Then, as if she couldn’t hold it in anymore, Leimia threw the teddy bear to the floor. The vitamin bottle went flying too, pills bouncing and rolling across the dusty floorboards. The bear landed with a soft thud, bounced once, then tumbled away—discarded. Just like Camry’s patience.

“Leimia!”

With a snarl, Camry moved without thinking. Her hand struck Leimia’s chest in a sharp slap that seemed to echo through the empty room.

The slap wasn’t particularly hard, but the shock of it—combined with the anger in Camry’s voice—left Leimia stunned. Heat rushed up her neck and into her cheeks. Her jaw clenched so tight it ached. Tears threatened at the corners of her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. Instead, she glared at Camry, burying her hurt beneath a wall of indignation.

“Did you seriously just hit me? Now I get what this is really about. This was never about some dumb teddy bear, was it? It’s about him. It’s about you trying to impress him. God, Camry. You used to be better than this. Now? You’re just pathetic.”

Hearing that, Camry bit down on her lip so hard she nearly drew blood. She muttered Leimia’s words over and over under her breath. Her right hand hovered near her mouth, fingers shaking as they brushed against her lips.

“I’m pathetic? No, Leimia, that’s you. Leimia… Leimia…” Camry’s voice was stern, but there was something strange, almost trance-like about the way she repeated the name softly.

Without warning, Camry’s hand forward. Her fingers wrapped around Leimia’s hand, grip shockingly strong.

“Ah! What are you—” Leimia gasped, trying to pull away.

Camry’s thumb traced slowly over Leimia’s perfectly manicured nail before pressing down—not enough to break it, just enough to promise pain.

“You know Leimia… what exactly are you playing at? That expensive blouse, those brand-name shoes, these nails done that way… Are you trying to mock me?”

Camry’s eyes traveled over Leimia from top to bottom, taking in every detail with a disgust that was impossible to miss. It was like she was looking at something gross she’d found on her shoe, not her best friend.

Leimia’s whole body shook with fury. “Mock you? Are you serious? No one—and I mean no one—has ever believed in you like I have, Madison Camry! But you’re the one who’s turned your back on everything you used to be!”

She didn’t bother keeping her voice down anymore.

“What happened to the girl from those first White Star videos? Remember those? Before you hit a million followers? You were real back then. Honest. You didn’t care what anyone thought! People actually connected with you and believed in you!”

Her hand trembled in Camry’s grip, but she didn’t back down.

“And now what? Are you embarrassed by your past? Got famous and forgot who you really are? Abandoned everyone who helped you get there? Look in that mirror again, Camry. That person staring back? That’s not you anymore. That’s some fake version you created because you were too scared to stay true to yourself!”

With a sharp twist, Leimia yanked her hand free. The sudden release sent her stumbling backward, nearly tripping over the scattered pills. For just a moment, her expression softened—a flash of regret for words she couldn’t take back.

But Camry didn’t look hurt. Her face darkened to a dangerous red, a vein pulsing visibly at her temple. When she finally spoke, her voice was terrifyingly quiet.

“A fake? You have the nerve to call me a fake, Leimia?”

The silence between them crackled with tension.

Then Camry laughed—a hollow sound, completely empty of any joy. “You want to know why I changed? Seriously? Are you that blind? It was because of you, Leimia! No, Thomas Fitzvale!”

The name burst from her like an explosion. Her eyelids twitched, the muscles in her neck standing out as she yelled so loudly that Johan had to check his phone’s volume, sure he must have accidentally turned it all the way up. But no. Camry was just that furious.

“Did you seriously think I wouldn’t figure it out?” Camry continued, eyes blazing. “You copying everything I posted? Every. Single. Thing.” She pointed an accusing finger at Leimia. “I’m not ashamed of my past. I’m scared of it because of you! It was torture. Disgusting. Completely horrifying, watching you imitate everything I do!”

Her words rushed out now, like a dam breaking.

“Thomas, remember when you first messaged me, pretending we were old classmates? How did I respond? I was nice. And stupid, trusting me—I actually believed you! I helped you! When you asked about starting fashion posts, I sent you links to all my favorite apps. When you complimented my shoes, I literally sent you the store link. When you asked about the quotes in my captions, I gave you my entire reading list!”

Camry’s hands shook as she paused to catch her breath. “Then you started posting exact copies of my photos—same angles, same filters, same everything.” She hugged herself tightly, like she needed to hold herself together. “Do you have any idea how creepy it is to watch someone turn into your clone? It made my skin crawl. At first, I told myself it was just a coincidence. That we just happened to like the same stuff.”

With a disappointed shake of her head, Camry continued, “Even when you drew on a fake beauty mark in the exact same spot as mine, I tried to ignore it. But when my followers started asking if you were my backup account, and you just… let them believe that? Thomas, why didn’t you tell them the truth?”

Her voice cracked, the hurt spilling out despite her efforts to stay composed. Yet beneath the hurt, something darker was brewing. Anger. Hatred.

“That’s when I knew. When I realized I couldn’t even stand to look at you anymore. You disgust me, Thomas.”

Leimia—or Thomas—looked away, shoulders curling inward like she was trying to disappear under the weight of Camry’s glare.

Camry let out a shaky breath. The anger that had been holding her up seemed to drain away, leaving her looking exhausted. She pointed weakly to the mirror behind them. “That’s why I wanted to come here. This stupid haunted mirror. Everyone says it shows your true self.” Her voice softened, almost like she was talking to herself. “I thought maybe it would help me understand what I’m feeling. But ghost stories are just stories, aren’t they? I don’t feel possessed. No strange supernatural rage taking over. Just… me. Tired of being scared to post anything online.”

The words hung in the heavy silence.

Leimia’s hand twitched, like she wanted to reach out, but she stopped herself. Instead, she hugged her own arm tightly, as if trying to squeeze some comfort out of herself—comfort she couldn’t offer Camry.

But Camry didn’t seem to need it. Something had shifted. Her expression smoothed out, calm in a way that was almost eerie. When she smiled, it wasn’t friendly or warm. It was ice-cold.

“You know what’s strange?” she said softly. “I always wondered what it would feel like to want to kill someone. Turns out, it feels… peaceful.”

Before Leimia could even process those chilling words, Camry lifted the edge of her shirt. There, strapped to her waist, was a knife. The blade—slightly shorter than a ruler—caught the light as she pulled it free, its sharp edge throwing a sinister shadow across her face.

Leimia’s eyes widened in panic. “What are you—”

Camry lunged, fast and sudden, the knife a silver blur as it plunged into Leimia’s chest. The blade sliced through her like she was nothing—skin, muscle, all of it giving way. Somehow, it missed the bone, and Camry yanked it out in one brutal rip.

Leimia didn’t even have time to scream. The second stab came faster, higher this time, just above her left breast. Blood sprayed, a dark splatter landing across her chest as Camry ripped the blade free. Her face lit up with a wild, manic glee, her movements growing more frantic.

Leimia barely reacted, whether from shock or pain. Only strangled gasps escaped her as she stumbled back, instinctively trying to flee. But her steps were clumsy, disjointed. She wasn’t going anywhere.

Johan couldn’t help think that every step Leimia took back only made it easier for Camry to pull the blade free and strike again.

By the third stab, Leimia’s arms flailed weakly, her bloodied hands trembling as she tried to push Camry away. But her strength was fading fast, like a dying ember snuffed out by shock and the cold tide of blood loss. Her hands slid helplessly down Camry’s chest, leaving bloody streaks, her resistance crumbling into nothing.

Then came the fourth. The fifth. The sixth. The seventh…

The stabs were unending, each one aimed at Leimia’s chest and shoulders. It was over in moments, but those moments felt like an eternity, Leimia’s life draining away under the weight of the violence.

Maybe Camry’s calm had been a mask all along. Maybe her anger had always been a wildfire, ready to burn everything until nothing remained but ashes.

Leimia collapsed to the ground with a heavy, final thud. Her eyes, once bright with defiance, stared upward—empty, unseeing. Whatever light had been there was gone, leaving behind only a hollow shell.

Her gaze remained fixed, frozen in an expression of pure, silent shock.

Camry stood over her, breathing hard, like she’d just run a marathon. She wiped the sweat from her brow with a casual swipe, a soft laugh bubbling up from her throat. The sound was almost cheerful, completely out of place in the midst of such horror.

“Well, I should go clean up,” she said, chuckling to herself.

She took an unsteady step forward, her body swaying slightly as adrenaline rushed through her. The knife remained tight in her grip, its blade wet and gleaming.

As she moved out of the camera’s view, the lens focused on Leimia’s lifeless body, lying broken on the floor. Gone was the lively girl she’d once been, replaced by stillness. The room was quiet, except for the soft, steady drip of blood. It flowed from her wounds, pooling around her in a dark, creeping stain. The floorboards soaked it up as the puddle grew wider, marking forever the spot where everything had ended.

Johan stared at the screen anxiously. The body and the fallen teddy bear were too close for comfort. He desperately hoped for a miracle—that somehow, gravity would just stop working, that Leimia’s blood would stay inside her and wouldn’t reach the bear.