Writers 
At exactly 8:14 p.m., Zara received a notification from her best friend, Kira.
I need you to forget me.
Zara frowned.
What are you talking about?
Three dots appeared.
Then disappeared.
Zara called her immediately.
The number didn't exist.
She tried again.
Nothing.
The next morning, Zara arrived at school and found Kira's seat empty.
“Where's Kira?” she asked their classmates.
Everyone stared at her.
One girl frowned. “Who is Kira?”
Zara laughed.
“Very funny. Kira. My best friend?”
Nobody knew what she was talking about.
She rushed to their teacher.
“Ma, Kira wasn't in class today.”
The teacher looked confused.
“There has never been a student named Kira in this class.”
Zara's stomach dropped.
She opened her phone.
Every photograph of Kira was gone.
Their messages had disappeared.
Even Kira's contact was missing.
Zara ran to the bathroom and locked herself inside.
“This isn't possible.”
Then her phone buzzed.
UNKNOWN NUMBER:
You didn't forget her. They made you forget her.
Zara immediately replied.
Who are you?
The response came seconds later.
Look inside your locker.
She ran there.
Inside was a small black notebook.
On the first page was her handwriting.
If you're reading this, Kira is already gone.
Zara's hands began shaking.
She turned the page.
Don't trust anyone who tells you Kira never existed.
Suddenly, someone grabbed the notebook.
Zara turned.
It was Daniel, the quiet boy from her class.
“Give that to me.”
“Why?”
“Because you're not supposed to have it.”
Zara stepped backward.
“You know Kira.”
Daniel looked around before whispering, “Everyone knew Kira.”
“Then why does nobody remember her?”
“Because that's exactly what they wanted.”
He explained that Kira had discovered something hidden inside the school's computer system: records showing that students' identities and personal information had been secretly altered.
Kira tried to expose it.
The next day, everyone forgot she existed.
Everyone except Zara.
“Why do I remember her?” Zara asked.
Daniel looked at her notebook.
“Because Kira planned for you to.”
He opened the last page.
There was a photograph of Zara and Kira standing together.
Behind them was the school principal.
Under the photograph were five words:
HE KNOWS WHERE SHE IS.
Zara's heart raced.
They went to the principal's office after school.
The door was unlocked.
Inside, they found dozens of student files.
Then Zara spotted one with her name.
She opened it.
SUBJECT: ZARA ADEYEMI.
Underneath was a single sentence:
MEMORY RESTORATION: SUCCESSFUL.
Zara froze.
Daniel stared at her.
“What does that mean?”
Before she could answer, the office computer turned on.
A video began playing.
Kira appeared on the screen.
“If you're watching this, Zara, I failed.”
Zara's eyes filled with tears.
Kira continued.
“They'll try to convince you that I'm dangerous. Don't believe them. I discovered that our school has been testing a system that can manipulate students' digital records and memories. I knew they would erase me, so I hid everything inside your memory.”
The video paused.
Then Kira looked directly into the camera.
“There's one thing I didn't tell you.”
Zara leaned closer.
“You were never supposed to remember me either.”
The screen went black.
Suddenly, the office door opened.
The principal stood there.
Daniel stepped in front of Zara.
The principal sighed.
“You should have left this alone.”
Zara held up the notebook.
“Where is Kira?”
The principal said nothing.
Then a voice came from behind him.
“I'm right here.”
Zara's heart stopped.
Kira stepped into the room.
Alive.
She looked exhausted but smiled.
“I told you I'd come back.”
The three of them escaped with the evidence and took it to the authorities.
The investigation exposed the school's secret system, and the students whose records had been altered were finally told the truth.
Kira returned to school weeks later.
This time, everyone remembered her.
One afternoon, Zara asked her, “Why did you choose me?”
Kira smiled.
“Because you were the only person who kept looking for me when everyone else forgot.”
Zara smiled back.
Then her phone buzzed.
A new notification appeared.
MEMORY SYSTEM: 1 SUBJECT STILL UNACCOUNTED FOR.
Zara looked at Kira.
Kira's smile disappeared.
“That's impossible.”
“Why?”
Kira slowly looked toward the school.
“Because we found everyone.”
Then the notification changed.
SUBJECT: DANIEL.
Zara turned around.
Daniel was gone.
