Episode 7
426 Words
Episode 7 — The Quiet Before
The car ride was silent.
Not the comfortable kind — the kind where words felt dangerous.
Lucian’s hands stayed steady on the wheel, but Elara noticed the small things now: the way his eyes flicked to the rearview mirror a little too often, the way he avoided main roads, the way he slowed before every turn.
“Are they still following us?” she asked quietly.
Lucian didn’t answer right away.
“Not closely,” he said finally. “That’s what worries me.”
Her stomach tightened. “Why?”
“Because when people stop rushing,” he said, “it means they’re planning.”
They drove the rest of the way without speaking.
Lucian dropped her a street away from her house — far enough not to draw attention. Before she stepped out, he spoke again.
“Change your routine tomorrow,” he said. “Everything. What time you leave. Where you sit. Who you talk to.”
Elara nodded. “And if I feel like someone’s watching me?”
Lucian met her eyes. “Trust that feeling.”
She closed the door and walked home slowly, forcing herself not to look back.
Inside the house, everything felt too normal.
The lights were warm. Her mother hummed softly in the kitchen. The television played quietly in the background. It was hard to believe that danger could exist alongside something so ordinary.
Elara went up to her room and locked the door.
She stood there for a moment, listening.
Nothing.
Still, she didn’t relax.
She changed clothes, tucked her phone under her pillow, and sat on her bed, staring at the wall. Her thoughts kept circling the same question.
How long can this stay hidden?
Later that night, just as she was drifting toward sleep, her phone buzzed.
A message.
Lucian: Did you make it inside safely?
Elara: Yes.
Three dots appeared. Disappeared. Appeared again.
Lucian: If anything feels off tonight, don’t ignore it.
Her fingers hovered over the screen.
Elara: Lucian… are you in danger too?
The reply took longer this time.
Lucian: I’ve always been in danger. I just learned how to live with it.
Her chest tightened.
Before she could respond, another message came through — not from Lucian.
Unknown number: You shouldn’t trust him.
Elara sat up sharply, her heart slamming against her ribs.
She typed quickly.
Elara: Who is this?
No response.
The typing indicator never appeared.
Outside her window, a car door closed softly.
Elara held her breath.
The city was quiet.
Too quiet.
- Writer
