Chapter six
350 Words
The Thing Behind Her
Lydia didn’t sleep properly after school.
Kael’s words kept repeating in her head.
You’re being followed.
She tried to ignore it. Tried to act normal. But normal didn’t feel real anymore.
That night, she stayed up late, scrolling through her phone just to keep her mind busy. Nina had sent her like ten messages, all warning her not to “get involved with the mysterious billionaire psycho.”
Lydia almost laughed.
Almost.
It wasn’t funny.
Around midnight, the lights in her room flickered.
She froze.
The air changed—subtle, but enough to make her sit up slowly.
“Mom?” she called out.
No answer.
Silence.
Then a soft sound came from the hallway.
Like footsteps.
Barely there.
Lydia reached for her phone, her hand shaking slightly. Before she could unlock it, the window behind her tapped.
Once.
Twice.
Her heart dropped.
She turned slowly.
Nothing.
Just the dark glass reflecting her own scared face.
Then—
A shadow moved behind her in the mirror.
Lydia spun around instantly.
Nothing was there.
But she wasn’t alone.
A low sound echoed through the room. Not a growl this time. Something… breathing.
Close.
Very close.
Her wrist suddenly burned.
The mark.
It was glowing again.
“Okay,” she whispered to herself, stepping back. “This is not happening.”
The door creaked open slightly.
And then Kael’s voice came from the hallway.
“Don’t move.”
He stepped into the room, eyes sharp, posture tense like he was ready for a fight.
Lydia stared at him in shock. “How did you—”
“Later,” he cut her off immediately.
His gaze shifted past her.
To the empty space behind her.
The air in the room dropped colder.
Kael’s jaw tightened.
“There you are,” he said quietly.
Lydia’s breath caught.
“What are you talking about?”
He didn’t answer.
Instead, he stepped closer to her slowly.
Not looking at her anymore.
Looking at what she couldn’t see.
And then, in a lower voice, he said—
“Don’t turn around.”
- Writer
