Chapter 3

Three hours later, I realized something that sent a chill down my spine.

My memory had started to go blank for short periods.

I had just memorized a poem and gone over it several times, but once I closed the book, my mind went blank. I couldn't remember the lines at all.

Another hour passed, and the feeling slowly faded. My memory came back.

I stared at the bottle of energy drink and finally understood.

This wasn't a supplementary drink that sharpened your mind. It was a short-term memory blocker.

By the time the SAT was over, the memories would come back.

One would just think, "I know I studied this. So why can't I remember it?"

There would be no way to prove what happened.

That was the worst part.

In my previous life, I tried to stop them, and they blamed me for meddling.

This time, I decided not to stop them.

They chose this path themselves. They could see it through.

…

The night before the SAT, I sat at my desk and checked everything I needed for the next day.

I had my SAT admission ticket, photo ID, all the usual school supplies, and a thermal flask filled with black coffee I brewed myself.

I stared at the coffee briefly, then took a spare pen from my drawer and stuck a small marker on the bottom of the flask.

The next morning, I grabbed my bag and headed out.

As luck would have it, Sasha and a few of her followers had been assigned to the same test center.

As soon as I walked through the entrance, she hurried over.

I tried to walk around her, but she blocked my way and shoved a bottle of the energy drink into my hands.

"Willow, we're about to go in. Why are you still being stubborn?" she asked. "I went out of my way to secure this for you. Drink it. It'll keep your mind sharp during the SAT!"

The cheap plastic packaging made my stomach tighten. I took a step back and said firmly, "Take it away. I don't need it, and mind your own business."

But Sasha wouldn't let up. She grabbed my wrist and held on tight.

"Why are you so impossible? This is something the whole class is doing. Do you really have to be the odd one out?" she asked.

As we struggled, one of the teachers in charge, Henry Gould, came over and stopped us. "Enough! The SAT is about to start. Get your things ready."

With Henry here, I pulled free from Sasha and moved to his side.

Sasha was livid. She stomped her foot and stormed away.

Henry looked over at the crowd and took my backpack. "Willow, go up front and help everyone find their assigned rooms. I'll hold your bag for you."

I nodded and pushed my way through the crowd. After noting down the room numbers for several classmates, I quickly made my way back.

But when I returned, the backpack I had left with Henry was gone.

Henry explained that he had stepped away to take a call, and Sasha offered to hold the bag for him. But now, Sasha was nowhere to be seen.

My SAT admission ticket, photo ID, and all my school supplies were in that bag.

Cold sweat instantly drenched my back. I looked around in a panic, nearly going to a police officer for help.

Just before security checks began, Sasha rushed out from behind a large tree. Out of breath, she roughly shoved my backpack into my arms.

"Willow, where have you been? The SAT is about to start, and you're still wandering around!" she said.

I grabbed my backpack and unzipped it. The coffee was still there, but the marker on the bottom of the thermal flask had misaligned—Sasha had opened it.

I unscrewed the lid and smelled it. There was a faint sweetness in the coffee, exactly like the energy drink.