Love Algorithm

The Trace

Nova hesitated. "And then what?"

His voice dropped. "Then we make them regret ever pressing send."

By morning, the world had moved on.
The Ridgeview feed was silent.
No new posts. No new messages.

Too quiet.

Nova walked through the halls with her hood up, every step echoing.

Jamie stood by her locker.
She froze.

"Hey," he said softly.

"Hey," she answered, trying to sound normal.

He studied her face. "You look... tired."

"Didn't sleep."

"Because of him?"

Nova stiffened. "Because of this."

Jamie sighed. "Nova, listen. I know things are weird, but Aiden—he's not what you think."

She frowned. "You don't even know him."

"Neither do you."

His voice cracked a little, and it hurt more than she expected.

He leaned closer. "I saw what he did at his old school."

Her heart skipped. "What?"

Jamie lowered his voice. "There was a girl. Things got bad. She disappeared. No one ever said it out loud, but everyone knew he had something to do with it."

Nova's breath caught. "That's not possible."

Jamie looked her in the eye. "Ask him."

The bell rang before she could answer.

That night, she did.

They met again, same parking lot, same car, same hum of tension between them.

But this time, Nova's voice shook differently.

"What happened at your old school?"

Aiden froze.

He didn't look at her. He just stared at the windshield, rain streaking down it in thin silver lines.

"Jamie told you?"

She nodded.

He was silent for a long time.

Then—"Her name was Lyra."

Nova frowned. "What happened to her?"

He swallowed hard. "She ran one of the biggest student accounts on campus. Exposed teachers, scandals, everything. Then someone started posting about her. Her secrets. Her family. Her fears."

Nova's voice dropped. "@thealgorithm?"

Aiden nodded once. "The account existed before I transferred. I tried to find out who was behind it. But before I could—Lyra disappeared."

Nova's pulse raced. "And they blamed you."

He looked at her, eyes dark. "Wouldn't you?"

Her chest tightened. "Did you do it?"

He didn't answer.
He just turned his phone around.

A message was on the screen.

@thealgorithm: Welcome back, Aiden. We missed you.

Nova's stomach dropped. "They know you're back online."

He exhaled shakily. "They never stopped watching."

The headlights from a passing car lit his face for a second—just long enough for her to see something she hadn't before.

Fear.

Pure, unfiltered fear.

"What do we do?" she whispered.

He stared ahead. "We find out who they are before they find Lyra's replacement."

"Replacement?"

He met her eyes.
"You, Nova."

Her heart stuttered. "That's not funny."

"I'm not joking."

She wanted to say something, anything—but her phone buzzed again.

Slowly, she looked down.

@thealgorithm: Level 4 unlocked. Welcome, Nova.

The text pulsed once, then disappeared.

Her voice trembled. "What's Level 4?"

Aiden's expression turned grim.
"Level 4 means you've stopped being a player," he said. "You've become the target."

The sound of rain filled the silence.

And then, from outside the car, came a soft click.

Like a camera shutter.

Aiden froze.
Nova turned toward the sound—just in time to see a figure dart between the trees, vanishing into the darkness.

A flash of light followed.

Then—her phone vibrated again.

A new post.

@thealgorithm:
"Smile for the followers. We see you."

Nova's breath caught. "Aiden... they're here."

He started the car. "Then hold on."

Tires screeched. Headlights cut through the rain.

Nova clutched the seat as the world blurred into motion.
Her pulse was a drumbeat.

And somewhere, deep in the static of her phone, @thealgorithm's laughter echoed—distorted, mechanical, endless.