KILL ME AGAIN!

Chapter 4

I spent the entire night thinking about three words.

Not this time.

They were simple words.

They shouldn't have meant anything.

But they wouldn't leave me alone.

I had read the message so many times that I could have recited it in my sleep.

Not this time.

What was that supposed to mean?

And more importantly, what did this time mean?

I had asked if we had met before.

The stranger hadn't said yes.

They hadn't said no.

Instead, they had answered as though my question had another meaning entirely.

I hated that.

I hated not understanding.

By morning, I had made a decision.

I was going to stop thinking about it.

A sensible decision.

A mature decision.

A decision that lasted approximately eleven minutes.

I was brushing my hair when I caught sight of the black rose sitting on my desk.

I stared at it.

Then looked away.

“No.”

I pointed at it through the mirror.

“You're not ruining my morning.”

The rose remained silent.

“Good.”

I finished getting ready.

When I reached the university, Selene was already waiting for me near the entrance.

She took one look at my face.

“You didn't sleep.”

“I did.”

“You look exhausted.”

“I've had a long week.”

“It is Wednesday.”

I stopped.

She raised an eyebrow.

“Exactly.”

I sighed.

“Fine. I didn't sleep much.”

“Why?”

“Couldn't stop thinking.”

“About?”

I hesitated.

Selene crossed her arms.

I knew that look.

She wasn't going anywhere.

“Something happened yesterday.”

Her expression immediately changed.

“What?”

I lowered my voice.

“I got another message.”

She waited.

I pulled out my phone and showed her.

She read it.

Her eyes narrowed.

“Whoever this is, they're obsessed with being dramatic.”

“That's what I'm saying.”

“No. I'm saying they're creepy.”

I took the phone back.

“I asked if we'd met before.”

“And?”

“They said, ‘Not this time.’”

Selene stared at me.

“What does that even mean?”

“I don't know.”

She looked genuinely concerned now.

“Have you shown your mum?”

I shook my head.

“Arielle.”

“I know.”

“No, you don't. You've been acting like this is something you can solve by yourself.”

“I don't think I can solve it.”

“Then stop trying to.”

I didn't answer.

She sighed.

“I'm not trying to control you.”

“I know.”

“I just don't want you dealing with this alone.”

I looked at her.

That was the problem with Selene.

She always made it difficult to keep secrets.

“Thank you.”

She smiled.

“Good. Now come on.”

“Where?”

“Breakfast.”

“I ate.”

“You had coffee.”

“Coffee is breakfast.”

“Coffee is a cry for help.”

I laughed.

“Fine.”

We headed toward the dining hall.

For the next hour, we did our best to forget about everything.

We talked.

We laughed.

We argued about whether pineapple belonged on anything besides the floor.

Selene said yes.

I said absolutely not.

She accused me of having no taste.

I accused her of having no morals.

It was normal.

And I clung to normal.

Because lately, normal felt like something I could lose.

After breakfast, we separated for our different lectures.

I had two classes before lunch.

The first went smoothly.

The second did too.

Nothing happened.

No messages.

No strange feelings.

No mysterious roses.

By the time I walked out of my second lecture, I was almost convinced everything had finally ended.

Then I noticed someone standing near the entrance.

An older man.

Probably in his fifties.

He wasn't a student.

He wore dark clothing and stood completely still while everyone else moved around him.

I slowed down.

He looked familiar.

Not personally.

I didn't know him.

But there was something about his face.

Something that made me feel as though I should recognize him.

His eyes met mine.

My stomach tightened.

He looked away first.

Then he walked toward the parking lot.

I watched him disappear.

“Arielle.”

I turned.

Selene stood behind me.

“You okay?”

“Yeah.”

“What were you looking at?”

“That man.”

“What man?”

I pointed.

He was gone.

Selene frowned.

“There isn't anyone there.”

“I know.”

She studied me.

“You're doing it again.”

“Doing what?”

“Looking for things that aren't there.”

I looked toward the parking lot.

Maybe she was right.

Maybe I was becoming paranoid.

I forced myself to smile.

“Forget it.”

Selene didn't argue.

But she watched me carefully for the rest of the afternoon.

That evening, I went to the library again.

I told myself it was because I needed to study.

That was partly true.

The other reason was the strange book I had found.

I wanted to know what the symbol meant.

I walked through the older section and searched the shelf.

The book was still there.

I pulled it out.

The leather cover felt cold beneath my fingers.

I opened it.

Most of the pages were faded.

Some had been damaged by water.

Others had been torn out entirely.

I flipped through them carefully.

There were references to old packs.

Ancient bloodlines.

Wars that had happened centuries before I was born.

Then I found the symbol again.

The crescent moon.

Three marks around it.

Beneath it was a single sentence.

What is bound by the First Moon cannot be broken by death.

I stared at it.

My heart beat once.

Hard.

I read the sentence again.

Nothing happened.

No vision.

No memory.

Nothing.

Just a sentence in an old book.

I exhaled.

“Of course.”

I closed the book.

I was about to put it back when something slipped from between the pages.

A small piece of paper fell to the floor.

I picked it up.

There were only three words written on it.

He remembers everything.

I froze.

The paper trembled slightly between my fingers.

I looked around.

The library was nearly empty.

A few students sat at distant tables.

Nobody was watching me.

I turned the paper over.

Nothing.

I read the words again.

He remembers everything.

Who was he?

And what exactly did he remember?

I placed the paper back inside the book.

I didn't want to take it.

I didn't want to know.

But curiosity won.

Again.

I slipped the book into my bag.

As I left the library, I noticed a man standing across the courtyard.

The same man from earlier.

The older man.

He was watching me.

This time, I knew I wasn't imagining him.

Our eyes met.

He didn't move.

Neither did I.

Then he turned and walked away.

I followed.

I didn't know why.

Maybe because I was tired of being watched.

Maybe because I wanted answers.

I hurried across the courtyard.

By the time I reached the parking lot, he was gone.

I looked around.

Nothing.

No cars leaving.

No footsteps.

Nothing.

My phone vibrated.

I pulled it out.

Unknown number.

Curiosity will get you killed.

I stared at the message.

Then another appeared.

You should have learned that by now.

My anger returned.

I typed quickly.

Stop talking in riddles and tell me who you are.

The reply came almost immediately.

You wouldn't believe me.

I clenched my jaw.

Try me.

Three dots appeared.

Then disappeared.

Nothing.

I waited.

A minute passed.

Then two.

I shoved the phone into my pocket.

“Coward.”

I started walking home.

Halfway there, I felt something strange.

Not a vision.

Not a memory.

Just a sudden ache in my chest.

It lasted only a second.

Then disappeared.

I stopped walking.

My hand pressed against my chest.

“What was that?”

Nothing answered.

I continued walking.

That night, I placed the old book on my desk.

I didn't open it.

I didn't touch it.

I simply stared at it from across the room.

There were too many questions.

The messages.

The rose.

The symbol.

The strange sentence.

The man watching me.

And the words written inside the book.

He remembers everything.

I didn't know who he was.

I didn't know what he remembered.

But somehow, I had the feeling that whatever connected us had already started moving.

And I wasn't sure I wanted to know where it would lead.