The bell rang, and Caroline remained seated in the art room, her mind churning with the remnants of Paul's words. She watched the clock tick, the minutes crawling by as her thoughts spiraled deeper into the darkness he had planted. Knowing what happened in the Biology demo, she should have left. She should have run away, called the police, done something—anything—to escape. But instead, she stayed. Because somewhere in the wreckage of her mind, a new, twisted understanding had taken root.

She remembered the flyer on the bulletin board outside the art room. Live Model Session - Advanced Drawing Class. 3:00 PM. Art Room 204. Models needed. Sign up in advance. She had ignored it when she first saw it, but now, as the clock struck 2:55, she made a decision that would change everything.