Chapter 1: The Stranger in the Dark
(Aria’s POV)
I trudged through the crowded streets, my backpack weighing heavily on my shoulders.
The bright afternoon sun and cheerful chatter of people passing by should have lifted my mood, but instead it only made the knot in my stomach tighten.
My exam was tomorrow.
And I was completely unprepared.
If I failed this class, everything would fall apart. My scholarship, my future—everything depended on it.
I sighed and pushed my hair out of my face as I crossed the street toward my apartment building.
That’s when I felt it.
The strange feeling.
Like someone was watching me.
I glanced up instinctively.
Across the street stood a man.
Tall.
Broad-shouldered.
Dark hair slightly messy as the wind brushed through it.
But it was his eyes that caught me.
Piercing blue.
So intense that when our gazes locked, it felt like something inside me snapped awake.
A jolt of electricity shot through my chest.
For a moment, the world around me disappeared.
The traffic noise faded.
The chatter of pedestrians blurred into silence.
It was just him.
And me.
Then a car horn blasted nearby, snapping me back to reality.
I quickly looked away, my cheeks burning.
What is wrong with you, Aria?
I didn’t know him.
He was just some random guy.
Probably wondering why I was staring like a complete i***t.
But as I continued walking, something strange happened.
I could still feel his gaze.
Heavy.
Focused.
Like he hadn’t looked away.
Against my better judgment, I glanced back over my shoulder.
He was still there.
Still watching me.
And this time his expression had changed.
It wasn’t curiosity.
It was something else.
Something darker.
Something almost… protective.
A chill ran down my spine.
I quickly turned the corner toward my apartment building.
By the time I reached the entrance, my heart was beating faster than it should have been.
I told myself it was just stress.
Exams.
Sleep deprivation.
My imagination running wild.
Still, the feeling of being watched didn’t fade.
Even when I got inside.
Even when I locked my door.
Even when I sat down at my desk and tried to focus on studying.
Hours passed.
The sun dipped below the horizon, painting the sky deep orange before darkness slowly crept in.
My books were spread across the desk, but I had barely absorbed a single page.
My thoughts kept drifting back to the stranger.
Those eyes.
That look.
Like he knew me.
Like he’d been searching for me.
A sudden scratching sound snapped me out of my thoughts.
I froze.
The noise had come from outside my window.
Slow.
Soft.
Like claws dragging across wood.
My pulse jumped.
I stood slowly and walked toward the window.
“Probably just a tree branch,” I muttered to myself.
But when I pulled the curtain aside
Nothing was there.
Just darkness.
The forest behind my building stretched into shadow, silent and still.
I exhaled slowly and turned away.
You’re being paranoid.
I crawled into bed a few minutes later, pulling the blanket up to my chin.
But sleep refused to come.
That same uneasy feeling lingered in the air.
Like the night itself was holding its breath.
Minutes passed.
Then suddenly
A loud thud echoed somewhere outside.
My eyes flew open.
Footsteps.
Heavy ones.
Moving fast.
My heart started pounding.
Before I could even sit up
The bedroom door creaked open.
A figure stepped out of the shadows.
My breath caught in my throat.
It was him.
The stranger from earlier.
He stood in the dim light, his blue eyes glowing faintly in the darkness as they locked onto mine.
For a moment neither of us spoke.
Then he took one step toward me.
“Aria,” he said quietly.
My stomach dropped.
“How do you know my name?” I whispered.
His jaw tightened.
As if he didn’t want to answer.
“We’ve been looking for you,” he said.
Fear crawled up my spine.
“Who’s we?”
Before he could answer
CRASH.
The front door exploded open.
The entire apartment shook violently.
The stranger’s head snapped toward the hallway.
And for the first time since I had seen him
He looked worried.
“Stay behind me,” he said sharply.
My heart raced.
“What’s happening?”
But he didn’t answer.
His body moved in front of mine, tense and ready.
And then
Heavy footsteps stormed down the hallway toward my room.
The stranger’s voice dropped into a dangerous growl.
“They found you.”
The bedroom door burst open.
And the nightmare began.
