Chapter 3 - He who has control over me cannot be contradicted.

The resemblance was uncanny, but not entirely. Chloe was standing, holding a piece of cake in her hands, staring at him. Everyone around him looked strange. This environment didn't sit well with Chloe; She knew this better than anyone. But what could she do?

"You've got a piece of cake too, throw it, it's fun!" - Cristian said.

A decision can change a number of events. Chloe didn't fully understand what was behind it, but she understood that this action wasn't right. The girl then dropped her piece of cake on the floor and turned her eyes to the pile of cake in front of her. The others, who were laughing, paused for a moment as they watched Chloe dig into the pieces of cake. Before long, she removed the pieces of cake, revealing Alice. Her hands hurt a little from the blades, but Chloe didn't make a big deal out of it. All Chloe had in mind was to know how the girl in front of her felt.

"You... I didn't have to do that. Alice said with a downcast look.

"Exactly. It's just a joke we're having. - Cristian said.

"Do you really think that's funny, Cristian?" An imposing voice caught everyone's attention, it was Ruby who was staring at them with a scolding look.

Upon seeing Ruby, a strange feeling arose within Chloe. Her heart pounded, while a strange sense of relief enveloped the girl. However, she didn't quite understand the reason for this feeling.

[Chloe is confused]

While her attention was focused on Ruby, Chloe noticed Alice walking past her and the entire crowd. It seemed like she wanted to avoid arguments, which caught everyone's attention. However, everyone stared at her in silence as she made her way to her desk and sat still. Her gaze was now somewhat sad, as she tried to focus on anything that would take her out of reality. The room was in an awkward silence until it was shattered by the sudden arrival of a television-headed figure. Everyone quickly sat down in their seats, including Chloe.

- Well done, guys! Again you are here, ready to be carried by the pre-chosen knowledge for your progress. - Said the television in front of everyone.

The television then began to transmit its contents into the room. As the television broadcast began in the living room, Chloe looked around, she saw Alice, her neatly groomed brown short hair accompanied a calm look hidden behind a pair of glasses, she stared serenely at the television until she turned her hands to her purse, Chloe then noticed Alice opening her notebook that she had taken out of her purse. Overcome with curiosity, the girl began to focus on Alice during class. She twirled a pencil between her fingers as she paid attention. For a few seconds, his pencil was slowly positioned on the paper. A truly sincere smile appeared on Alice's face, and then she began to draw. Each stroke formed a majestic design. Chloe watched silently, awaiting the final result. Throughout the lesson, Alice observed and drew. In the end, she finished her drawing. As she struggled a little to see, Chloe noticed that Alice had drawn a near-perfect drawing of the classroom, with the television figure in its center. It was so well done that Chloe found herself very interested in the subject.

Alice looked pleased. She stretched for a moment before closing her sketchbook. As he put his things away, he thought about what he could do after he left the room. However, his thought was interrupted when he noticed a presence by his side. She turned quickly, waiting for something to happen. However, she came across Chloe, who was standing next to her, watching her.

— ... You're the girl from earlier, need anything? Alice asked with a fearful look.

[Chloe nodded.]

Chloe then pointed to Alice's sketchbook. Her gleaming gaze denoted a captivated and genuinely interested expression, which did not escape Alice's notice. Reluctantly, she squinted at Chloe. Then he stretched out his arms, holding off his notebook.

"You... Would you like to see it? It's nothing very interesting, just some doodles I made as a hobby. She held out the notebook, which was closed, with a trembling hand.

A twinkle appeared in Chloe's eyes, and she reached out and took Alice's notebook. She seemed reluctant to hand it over, but at the same time utterly anxious. As Chloe examined the drawings, she flipped through page by page, absorbing every tiny detail.

"You... Do you like drawings? Alice asked, with a look of curiosity mingled with strangeness.

Alice's question broke Chloe's ecstasy of curiosity. She directed her gaze to Alice and pondered for a few seconds. His face expressed confusion as a series of thoughts flashed through his mind. Then she turned her gaze to Alice and nodded her head in agreement.

Noticing Chloe's interest, Alice felt intrigued, but pleased. She noticed how much the girl had appreciated her drawings, which made her happy. Although reluctant, he mustered up the courage to talk to Chloe about his hobby.

"Have you ever tried to draw something?" Alice asked as she watched Chloe.

[Chloe shook her head in denial.]

"Do you want to give it a try?"

Alice's question motivated Chloe. Her face quickly transitioned from curiosity to joy, and she nodded promptly in agreement. Her happy expression showed Alice that she genuinely took an interest in her hobby.

"Let's try to draw a little bit together." Alice said as she took her notebook back.

Following Alice's suggestion, Chloe picked up a chair and positioned it next to Alice's desk. Then he took out a sketchbook and a pen. With concentration, Chloe tried to draw, focusing intensely on each stroke. Every line she made brought a bit of her imagination to paper. Meanwhile, Alice scribbled masterfully, her gaze fixed on Chloe, she began to create a portrait. Her trait was creative, but it lacked refinement, at least that's what Alice thought of Chloe. They stayed that way for a few minutes, until Chloe finished her drawing. Then she turned to Alice and showed the result of her effort. Alice, a little trembling at this sudden action, took out her notebook to analyze the drawing.

Chloe's drawing was somewhat curious, in it there was a girl with somewhat long white hair, she was holding a kind of teddy bear, in the middle of a forest, Alice could say that it looked like a drawing made by a child, it was something beautiful to see, for someone who was not in the habit of drawing, It was a very well done drawing.

"Interesting, where did your inspiration for drawing this come from?" Alice asked, showing some curiosity.

Chloe's eyes drifted as she pondered where such inspiration could have come from. His fingers moved almost by instinct, executing whatever came to mind. Thus, she wasn't sure how to respond.

Chloe then looked at Alice's drawing, which was almost a perfect portrait of her. At this point, Chloe felt a certain discouragement. Her face took on a comical expression as she compared the drawings.

— ... No need to be discouraged, I've been drawing for a long time. It all comes down to experience. If you persist, you can become as good as I am, or even better. Alice said, noticing that Chloe was a little disappointed.

Alice's statement motivated Chloe. Her face now displayed a mixture of happiness and determination, which reassured Alice. She didn't want to be a cause for Chloe to be discouraged.

Watching Chloe draw put Alice at ease. She didn't fully understand this feeling, something she hadn't experienced in a long time. However, it made her feel somewhat welcomed.

"If you want... We can train together. I can help improve your features. What do you think? Alice asked, rather timidly, as she interlaced her fingers, her voice was a little trembling.

At this moment, Chloe smiled radiantly. She gently grasped Alice's hands, whose close eyes almost made her tremble with panic at his nearness.

Chloe's friendship with Alice had taken its initial step.

Adapting to Alice's way of acting made Chloe opt for a style similar to hers.

She altered her style of dressing by opting for more casual clothes and her demeanor underwent a slight change, leaving Chloe somewhat fearful as well.

As her friendship with Alice grew stronger, Chloe learned more and more about drawing. Now, Chloe was able to create slightly better drawings, although her real motivation was to interact with Alice, which made her happy. She loved to dedicate herself to something that brought her so much joy. However, something began to feel strange with Alice. Chloe noticed that the girl was a little dejected, which led her to question what could be wrong.

Chloe wondered about this thought until she was abruptly interrupted by a flashy commotion. She noticed Alice, visibly excited, arguing with Andy. That seemed a bit abnormal, leaving Chloe perplexed and worried.

- You don't understand! No, you don't want to understand, you always turn your back on people, as if you don't care, what's your problem?! Alice said, excitedly.

Alice then turned and left Andy behind. His watery eyes swept past Chloe without noticing her, and she quickly walked away, disappearing into the hallways. Chloe wanted to know what had happened, but something stopped her: a hand grabbed her shoulder, pulling her back as she tried to follow Alice.

"Observing private conversations is not elegant, Chloe. Andy said.

Chloe turned around and saw Andy. His serene eyes stared at her as he waited for her answer.

[Chloe is Receosa.]

"You're worried about her, aren't you?" Andy asked.

[Chloe nodded.]

She seems to be overwhelmed, as if there's something crucial that's consuming her thoughts. Lately, she's been a little weird. Andy speculated.

The boy's gaze changed quickly after his words, as if he wanted to do something but was impeded. Chloe noticed that he was holding Alice's sketchbook. She reached out to pick it up, and Andy handed it to her without hesitation. Chloe then hugged him as she waited anxiously for something.

"I was thinking of returning this notebook to her, but she's not in the mood to talk to me at the moment. Could you work it out for me? Andy asked.

[Chloe nodded.]

Leaving Andy aside, Chloe searched for Alice. It took a while to find the girl; after scouring room by room, Chloe found her in a lonely, quiet environment. Alice's eyes were fixed on a blank canvas as she held a paintbrush. She seemed to be struggling to start something.

Approaching slowly without making a sound, Chloe stopped behind Alice and waited in silence. She longed to find out what Alice was creating. As he watched, he noticed that Alice's once quiet and affectionate look had become somewhat nervous. Alice painted the picture, creating a beautiful work of art: a flower in the middle of a desert. It was a lovely thing to behold, but Alice did not seem happy about it; She looked disappointed.

"It's not good enough, is it?" I'm not good enough, like this—" Alice said, with an anxious look.

Noticing that Alice was a little agitated, Chloe approached her and subtly touched her shoulder. This startled Alice, and in one swift motion she almost hit Chloe with her brush. This left Chloe somewhat perplexed, however, she noticed that Alice's gaze was a little downcast. Putting aside the recent situation, Chloe held out Alice's sketchbook to her. His gesture was clear: he was returning the notebook. However, Alice's eyes showed no happiness at the sight of her notebook.

"I... I don't need that anymore... you can keep it, Chloe. Alice said, her voice trembling.

[Chloe is confused.]

The girl then denied it, shaking her head. Again, he held out the notebook to Alice. However, this time, Alice's reaction caught Chloe's attention. She slapped the notebook, throwing it away.

"I told you I don't need him anymore!" Alice cried.

After the explosive gesture, Alice regained consciousness. Noticing the surprise and fear in Chloe's eyes, a weight came over her. He wanted to apologize, but the words seemed to stick in his throat. Instead, she lowered her gaze and hurriedly left the room. Meanwhile, Chloe remained motionless, trying to make sense of what had happened. She stayed like that for a while until she noticed a silhouette in the doorway: a blond boy was watching her with a smug look.

"Something, isn't it?" Cristian asked.

[Chloe is Receosa.]

The boy came over and looked her in the eye for a moment; His gaze no longer denoted so much self-centeredness, but rather a common expression. Then he walked past Chloe and grabbed Alice's sketchbook. He quickly flipped through the pages and then handed it back to the girl.

"She continues to make very detailed drawings, as usual. - Cristian commented.

The young woman noticed that Cristian was clenching his fist, denoting some discomfort. Without fully understanding, she waited, but what was expected never happened. Cristian turned to her with a slightly eccentric look and made his way to Chloe, stopping next to her and leaning in to whisper something in her ear.

"If you consider yourself a real good friend, why are you standing there like a door?" Cristian asked.

Immediately, Chloe pushed him away, feeling uncomfortable with Cristian's sudden approach. Meanwhile the boy burst into laughter, which ceased as quickly as it began. Resuming his usual posture, he turned to leave the room.

"You're almost just like her." I wonder if it's as superficial as it seems, or if it just doesn't care about anything. Maybe you'd better wake up to real life, Chloe. Cristian murmured as he left the room.

Something caught Chloe's attention; in a way, she understood what Cristian was trying to convey. He felt the need to act, but before that, he needed to understand the reasons that led Alice to act that way.

For a while, Alice stopped going to school, which made Chloe somewhat worried. However, Alice wasn't responding to her messages, which added to Chloe's uneasiness.

Immersed in her questions, Chloe began to follow a more common path, she spent her time drawing and focusing on her studies. However, this frequent routine did not bring the expected joy. It felt like something had changed profoundly in his core. The longing for her friend, Alice, became more latent with each thought directed at her, making Chloe more and more restless. One day, while leafing through Alice's book of drawings, he came across a drawing along with an intriguing note: "What I like doesn't please everybody." It was a note on a drawing that was a kind of portrait of a girl looking at the horizon, Chloe couldn't fully grasp the meaning behind those words, but she knew who to turn to for answers.

Chloe looked for Andy, noticing that, strangely, the boy was not surprised to see her with Alice's sketchbook.

"She didn't accept it?" Well, it was to be expected. Andy commented, turning his face to face the landscape beyond the living room window.

Chloe's gaze, full of silent inquiries, denoted her desire to understand what was happening. Andy noticed this and, with a slight sigh, directed his gaze back to Chloe. His countenance indicated that he would prefer not to get involved, but at the same time he expressed a longing for an improvement in the current situation.

"You know, it turns out she's in a dilemma. Have you ever had that feeling of wanting to do something, but at the same time being afraid of leaving your comfort zone or feeling insecure? Andy asked.

[Chloe is confused.]

For a moment, the girl tried to deny Andy's questioning, but something stopped her. This intrigued her.

"You know, there are certain issues that we shouldn't direct to others. If you really want to understand what's going on, it's best to talk to her directly. Andy suggested.

The boy took out a piece of paper and jotted down some things that Chloe couldn't see at first. He then handed the paper to the girl, who quickly checked it out. On it was Alice's address, which surprised Chloe. She then turned her gaze to Andy, who simply stared at her and motioned for her to come soon.

Walking towards Alice's house made Chloe anxious, which was understandable. She had never been to a friend's house before and was eager to learn more about Alice. It was then that she realized that she had arrived in front of the girl's house. It was a modest house, with a subtle air of serenity. Suddenly, Chloe pressed the doorbell button and waited. After a beep, a female adult voice caught Chloe's attention.

"Do you need help?" The female voice asked.

Chloe noticed that there was a camera in front of the doorbell. She then showed Alice's notebook to the camera. For a few seconds, a silence set in. Suddenly, a female voice broke the silence, but it wasn't from the camera.

"Do you know Alice?" The female voice addressed Chloe, catching her attention.

Chloe turned her gaze to the side and came across an adult figure. He dressed casually, his face was a blank canvas, with only three dots painted.

[Chloe nodded.]

That figure then went back inside the house, subtly beckoning Chloe to follow her. The girl followed, and when she entered, she sat down on a sofa, waiting for a moment. The figure returned with a glass of juice, handing it to Chloe, who accepted it somewhat fearfully. She drank the drink and waited for a while, while being stared at by the figure.

"Are you Alice's school friend?" - Questioned the figure.

[Chloe nodded.]

"I see...

The figure sat down next to Chloe and held out his arm to the girl, clearly asking for Alice's sketchbook. Chloe then handed the notebook to the figure.

"She has a very good stroke, but that's it, she doesn't need to do that, these types of drawings don't have any real artistic content. He speculated the figure.

Chloe didn't understand what the figure meant. "It doesn't have artistic content, what do you mean?" he wondered. However, a second figure caught his eye.

"Chloe?" What are you doing here? Alice asked.

The girl then turned and came face to face with Alice. His face no longer exhibited that characteristic warmth; on the contrary, she seemed somewhat unmotivated.

"She came to give it back to you." I thought you said get rid of that and concentrate on your paintings, Alice. - Observed the figure.

"I... I got rid of the notebook, Mom. I'm doing what I can to improve. Alice said with a downcast look.

The figure then turned forward, apparently disappointed. They were both silent, an unsettling silence shrouded in an eerie mood. The figure then rose and approached Alice, his hands gripping her shoulders, who remained silent.

"You'd better give up that path, Alice. I've told you before: if you keep going like this, you'll only end up failing. You have a talent for painting, but wasting time on these illustrations... How do you hope to sustain yourself as an artist in the future? - Questioned the figure.

At this moment, Chloe noticed that the room they were in was more than an ordinary room. In the corner, there were several hand-painted pictures, displaying excellent landscapes, all very beautiful and magnificent. Looking around, Chloe spotted a certificate of recognition with Amanda's name on it. Thus, she realized that Amanda, Alice's mother, was a successful artist.

'I understand, mother,' said Alice.

"Very well, you know what to do then.

The girl's approach caught Chloe's attention, who turned her eyes to Alice. Her friend stared at her with a sad look, making Chloe somewhat apprehensive. However, she still wished to maintain her friendship with Alice. So he took the notebook from the couch and showed it to her with a warm and cheerful look. However, Alice still had sadness in her eyes.

"Chloe... We can't be friends anymore. Alice said in her trembling voice.

Those words hurt Chloe deeply. Her face, once radiant, now wore a blank expression. She couldn't understand why Alice didn't want to be her friend anymore.

"You... Could... go away? Alice asked.

Alice's face was full of regret, but she could not express herself as she wished. At that moment, his actions seemed disorderly, evidencing his agitation. Alice trembled, her arms crossed, her fingers tightening her clothes, her words did not correspond to her true feelings. However, she felt powerless to change anything.

Chloe stood up slowly, accompanied by Alice and her mother. The girl left the house, feeling completely sad. However, as she was leaving, she was surprised by Alice, who grabbed her hand, leaving Chloe surprised. In an unexpected gesture, Alice handed Chloe her sketchbook and, with a sad look, stared her in the eye for a few moments. Then he returned to his mother's side.

Watching the girl, Chloe focused her attention on just one thing: the collar around her neck, held by the figure next to her. It was strikingly similar to his own. This sight triggered a panic attack in Chloe; His breathing became heavy, his vision began to blur, and tears began to stream down his face. Quickly, she took her bullets from her pocket and consumed several of them. After a few moments, Chloe began to calm down. All of this caused her to give up trying any further interaction.

As the days passed, Alice left school and was transferred to another institution. As a result, Chloe ended up withdrawing from other people.

"You look pretty shaken, don't you?" Kitten. Cristian said as he stared at the girl sideways, flipping through Alice's sketchbook. "In the end, she's still the same, but what about you?" Why did he let himself be so down?

[Chloe is Chatted.]

The girl ignored Cristian, completely focused on something more flashy. The boy left the notebook next to Chloe and left the room with a disappointed look at her. Meanwhile, the girl finally finished what she was doing; Her fingers glided smoothly across a canvas, revealing a portrait of two smiling girls together. This brought a warm smile to Chloe's lips, accompanied by tears, she then ran her fingers over her collar, showing very apparent discomfort, however, she couldn't seem to get rid of it.

Chloe is full... of regret and sorrow.

A heavy mood hangs in the air. Maybe you're feeling lost? Would I have liked to have taken different paths? Did you really want to do something different? What do you really want, Chloe? I understand you better than anyone. I can pick up on your thoughts. Give yourself to me. I can help, maybe not in the way you want, but in the way you need.

Bob then slid over Chloe's face. The girl didn't seem to have any more thoughts, completely motionless. Bob absorbed it. Once again, Chloe had the opportunity to retrace her steps.

Chapter 4 in progress.