Mine until Midnight

Mine Until Midnight - The Second Secret

CHAPTER TWELVE

Aurora couldn't stop staring at the photograph.

The stranger stood beneath the streetlight, his face hidden by darkness.

But this time, the person who had taken the photograph had been much closer.

Much closer than before.

Aurora zoomed in again.

The image became slightly blurry, but she could still make out the shape of his hand.

Something was on his finger.

A silver ring.

Aurora's eyes narrowed.

There was a tiny crescent engraved on it.

The same crescent.

The necklace.

The symbol on the bench.

The stranger.

They were connected somehow.

But how?

Aurora opened the journal.

Her hand moved quickly across the page.

"Who is following you?"

She waited.

Nothing.

She wrote again.

"Someone is watching you."

Still nothing.

"Who?"

The page remained blank.

Aurora sighed.

"You can't keep ignoring me."

A few seconds passed.

Then ink slowly appeared.

"Don't involve yourself."

Aurora stared at the words.

She immediately wrote:

"Why?"

No response.

"Because they're dangerous?"

Nothing.

"Because you know them?"

Silence.

Aurora tightened her grip around the pen.

"Or because they know you?"

The page stayed blank.

She was about to close the journal when the answer finally appeared.

"Because you have nothing to do with this."

Aurora frowned.

"That's not true."

Silence.

"The photograph was taken because of me."

Nothing.

"The necklace was connected to it."

Still nothing.

"And now I'm involved whether you like it or not."

The ink appeared slowly.

"That's what I'm afraid of."

Aurora stared at the sentence.

For a moment, she didn't know what to say.

Then she noticed something else in the photograph.

She zoomed in on the ring.

"What is the crescent?"

The answer came after a long pause.

"A reminder."

"Of what?"

The page remained blank.

Aurora waited.

Then:

"Something I failed to protect once."

Her expression softened.

For the first time, there was something different in his words.

Not mystery.

Not warning.

Something closer to regret.

Aurora slowly wrote:

"What happened?"

Nothing.

She waited.

Still nothing.

She tried again.

"Who did you fail to protect?"

The journal remained silent.

Aurora sighed.

"Fine."

She closed the journal.

But she couldn't stop thinking about those words.

Something he had failed to protect.

Something important enough to carry as a reminder.

Something he clearly didn't want to talk about.

---

The next morning, Ethan noticed Aurora was distracted.

They were sitting outside before class when he caught her staring at her phone.

"You've been looking at that same picture for ten minutes."

Aurora immediately locked her phone.

"What picture?"

"The one you were staring at."

She sighed.

"Nothing."

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"You know, one day you're going to have to stop saying that."

Aurora smiled faintly.

"Maybe."

He leaned closer.

"Is someone bothering you?"

Aurora hesitated.

She could have told him.

She could have shown him the photographs.

She could have told him about the stranger.

But something stopped her.

"I think someone has been taking pictures of me."

Ethan's expression changed immediately.

"What?"

Aurora lowered her voice.

"I'm not sure. I don't even know who."

"How long?"

"A few days."

"Aurora."

"I know."

"No, you don't."

He looked genuinely worried.

"You need to tell someone."

"I don't know who to tell."

"Me."

She looked at him.

"You already know."

"Then let me help."

Aurora smiled slightly.

"You're taking this seriously."

"Of course I am."

He paused.

"You're my friend."

Aurora looked down.

"Thank you."

Ethan nodded.

"Just promise me something."

"What?"

"If you're going somewhere alone, tell me."

Aurora hesitated.

"Okay."

"Promise."

"I promise."

He smiled.

"Good."

For a moment, Aurora felt safe.

Then she noticed Jason walking toward them.

"Hey."

Aurora looked up.

"Hi."

Jason smiled.

"What are you two doing?"

"Nothing," Ethan answered.

Jason looked at Aurora.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

"You seem distracted."

"I'm just tired."

Jason smiled.

"Again?"

Aurora laughed softly.

"Apparently."

Jason looked at her phone.

"Everything okay?"

Aurora locked it completely.

"Yeah."

Jason nodded.

"Good."

Then he looked toward the library.

"You've been around there a lot lately."

Aurora's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Have I?"

"Yeah."

He shrugged.

"I saw you there yesterday."

Aurora studied him.

She hadn't remembered seeing him.

"When?"

"Afternoon."

"Oh."

Jason smiled.

"Why?"

"No reason."

He walked away.

Aurora watched him.

Something about that conversation bothered her.

Not enough to accuse him of anything.

Not enough to even call it suspicious.

But enough for her to remember it.

---

That evening, Aurora returned to her room.

Mia was sitting on her bed, scrolling through her phone.

"You look like you've been thinking too much."

Aurora dropped her bag.

"I have."

"About him?"

Aurora knew exactly who she meant.

"The stranger?"

Mia nodded.

"Yeah."

Aurora sat down beside her.

"I think someone is watching him."

Mia's eyes moved toward her.

"What makes you think that?"

"The photographs."

Aurora took out her phone.

"Look."

Mia studied the picture.

"That's the same person?"

"I think so."

"And you think they're following him?"

"Yes."

Mia handed the phone back.

"Then maybe he's in danger too."

Aurora looked at her.

"That's what I was thinking."

Mia was quiet.

Aurora opened the journal.

"I want to ask him something."

Mia glanced at her.

"Go ahead."

Aurora wrote:

"Did you know about the crescent before you met me?"

The page remained blank.

Aurora waited.

Nothing.

She wrote again.

"Did you?"

Still nothing.

Then, finally:

"Yes."

Aurora's heart skipped.

She quickly wrote:

"Then why did you give me the necklace?"

Silence.

Longer than usual.

Aurora waited.

Mia watched the page.

Finally, the stranger answered.

"Because I wanted you to have something that belonged to the story."

Aurora frowned.

"What story?"

The page remained blank.

She waited.

Then:

"Mine."

Aurora stared at the word.

Mine.

She had never heard him speak about himself like that.

She wrote:

"Tell me."

Nothing.

"Please."

Silence.

Then the ink stopped completely.

Aurora frowned.

"What?"

No answer.

She waited.

Still nothing.

Mia leaned closer.

"Maybe he doesn't want to talk about it."

Aurora sighed.

"Obviously."

She closed the journal.

But the word remained in her mind.

Mine.

---

Later that night, Aurora was standing near the window when she noticed something outside.

Something dark on the ground.

"Mia."

Mia looked up.

"What?"

"Come here."

They walked toward the window.

There was a black glove lying on the ground beneath it.

Aurora frowned.

"Was that there before?"

Mia shook her head.

"I don't think so."

Aurora stared at it.

"Someone was here."

Mia's expression became serious.

"Don't go outside."

"I wasn't going to."

Aurora reached for her phone.

Before she could unlock it, it vibrated.

A message.

Unknown number.

"Leave it where it is."

Aurora's heart jumped.

She showed Mia.

Mia stared at the screen.

"The stranger?"

"I think so."

Aurora immediately opened the journal.

"Were you outside my window?"

No answer.

She wrote again.

"Were you?"

Nothing.

Aurora's frustration grew.

"Answer me."

Still nothing.

Then words appeared.

"No."

Aurora stared.

"If you weren't there, then who was?"

Silence.

She waited.

Then:

"You don't need to know"

Aurora's stomach dropped.

Why?

Mia stepped closer.

"Maybe we should call Ethan."

Aurora nodded.

"Maybe."

Before she could reach for her phone, they heard something downstairs.

A door opening.

Both girls froze.

Footsteps.

Slow.

One after another.

Coming up the stairs.

Aurora's heart began pounding.

Mia whispered,

"Did you lock the door?"

"Yes."

The footsteps continued.

One floor.

Then another.

Closer.

Aurora looked at the journal.

She grabbed the pen.

"Who is coming?"

Nothing.

The footsteps stopped.

Right outside their room.

Aurora and Mia stared at the door.

Nobody spoke.

Then the journal suddenly filled with ink.

"Don't open the door."

Aurora's breath caught.

Mia looked at her.

"What did he say?"

Aurora couldn't answer.

Three slow knocks sounded from the other side.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

Neither girl moved.

Aurora stared at the door.

Mia slowly reached for her hand.

And whoever was standing outside...

wasn't leaving.