Mine until Midnight

Mine Until Midnight - The Person Watching

CHAPTER ELEVEN

Aurora didn't sleep.

Every time she closed her eyes, she saw the photograph.

The dark silhouette beneath the streetlight.

The hidden face.

And those words that had appeared beneath it.

"You keep asking who he is."

She had stared at the message for hours.

Whoever had sent that photograph knew about the stranger.

That was what frightened her most.

She had told Mia about the journal.

She had told Mia about the mysterious messages.

But she had never told Ethan.

And she certainly hadn't told anyone else.

Aurora reached for her phone again.

The photograph was still there.

She zoomed in.

The figure stood beneath a streetlight, his face completely hidden in darkness.

Behind him was a brick wall.

A few trees.

A narrow road.

Aurora stared at the background.

Something about it felt familiar.

She zoomed in again.

Then she sat upright.

"The library."

She knew that place.

The photograph had been taken behind the university library.

Aurora's stomach tightened.

Whoever had taken the picture hadn't been far away.

They had been close enough to watch the stranger.

Which meant there was a possibility she hadn't considered before.

Maybe the stranger wasn't the only person being watched.

---

By morning, Aurora looked exhausted.

Mia noticed the moment she walked into the room.

"You didn't sleep."

Aurora dropped onto the edge of her bed.

"Not really."

Mia put down her phone.

"Because of the photograph?"

Aurora looked at her.

"You remember?"

Mia gave her an incredulous look.

"Of course I remember. You showed me the messages last night."

Aurora sighed.

"Right."

Mia moved closer.

"What are you thinking?"

Aurora handed her the phone.

Mia looked at the photograph again.

"The library."

"Exactly."

"You think the stranger was there?"

"I'm not sure."

Mia studied the picture.

"Then who took it?"

"I don't know."

Aurora took the phone back.

"That's what scares me."

Mia was quiet for a moment.

"Maybe you should stop trying to find out who he is."

Aurora looked at her.

"Why?"

"Because whoever he is, he clearly knows things about you that you don't know about him."

Aurora frowned.

"But he's helped me."

"I know."

"And every time something happens, he warns me."

"I know."

"Then why should I stop trusting him?"

Mia sighed.

"I'm not saying you should stop trusting him. I'm saying you should be careful."

Aurora looked down.

"I am."

Mia gave her a small smile.

"Good."

Then she reached for Aurora's hand.

"Whatever happens, you're not dealing with it alone."

Aurora smiled.

"Thanks."

---

Ethan was waiting outside when they left the dorm.

He took one look at Aurora.

"You're exhausted."

Aurora groaned.

"Please don't start."

"I'm serious."

"I'm fine."

Mia laughed.

"That's exactly what she told me."

Ethan looked at Mia.

"Something happened?"

Aurora answered quickly.

"Nothing."

Ethan raised an eyebrow.

"You two are terrible liars."

Aurora smiled.

"It's nothing you need to worry about."

Ethan studied her for a few seconds.

Then he nodded.

"Okay."

They started walking toward class.

After a while, Aurora glanced at Ethan.

"Ethan?"

"Yeah?"

"If you knew someone was secretly watching you, what would you do?"

He stopped walking.

"What?"

Aurora shrugged.

"I'm just asking."

Ethan looked at her carefully.

"If you're asking because of yourself, I'd tell someone."

"Who?"

"Someone you trust."

Aurora looked away.

"And if you didn't know who to trust?"

Ethan thought for a moment.

"Then I'd start with the people who have actually been there for me."

Aurora smiled faintly.

"That's a good answer."

Ethan frowned.

"You're definitely talking about yourself."

"I'm not."

"Okay."

He started walking again.

"But I'm still going to keep an eye on you."

Aurora laughed.

"You sound like an old man."

"An old man who is apparently the only person here with common sense."

Mia laughed.

Aurora shook her head.

For the first time that morning, she felt a little better.

---

Later that afternoon, Aurora was leaving the library when Jason appeared.

"Hey."

She looked up.

"Hi."

"You've been disappearing lately."

"I've been busy."

Jason smiled.

"With what?"

"School."

"That's boring."

Aurora laughed.

"You asked."

They walked together for a while.

Jason glanced at her neck.

"Where's the necklace?"

Aurora touched her neck.

She hadn't worn it.

"I decided not to."

"Why?"

"I just didn't want to."

Jason nodded.

"Fair enough."

Aurora looked at him.

"You remembered it?"

"Of course."

There was something about the way he said it that made her uncomfortable.

She forced a smile.

"Okay."

Jason changed the subject.

"Are you free later?"

"Maybe."

"Want to grab something to eat?"

Aurora hesitated.

"Sure."

Jason smiled.

"Great."

As they walked away, Aurora glanced back.

For a brief moment, she thought she saw someone standing near the library entrance.

A dark figure.

Watching.

She blinked.

The person was gone.

---

That evening, Aurora returned to the room.

Mia was sitting on her bed.

"How was your day?"

"Strange."

Mia smiled.

"That's becoming your favorite word."

Aurora dropped her bag.

"I saw Jason."

Mia raised an eyebrow.

"Again?"

Aurora laughed.

"Don't say it like that."

"I'm just saying."

Aurora sat at her desk.

The black journal was waiting.

She opened it.

Her hand rested on the page.

She wrote:

"Who sent me the photograph?"

Nothing.

She waited.

Then wrote again.

"Was someone watching you?"

Still nothing.

Aurora frowned.

"Or were they watching me?"

The page remained blank.

She sighed.

"You always answer eventually."

A few seconds later, ink appeared.

"Someone wants you to doubt me."

Aurora stared at the words.

She wrote:

"Should I?"

There was a long silence.

Then:

"You should doubt everyone."

Aurora's expression changed.

"Everyone?"

"Everyone."

She stared at the word.

For once, his answer didn't make her feel protected.

It made her feel alone.

She closed the journal.

Mia looked over.

"What did he say?"

Aurora hesitated.

"He said I shouldn't trust everyone."

Mia's expression became serious.

"He's not wrong."

Aurora looked at her.

"You're taking his side?"

"No."

Mia shook her head.

"I'm taking yours."

Aurora smiled slightly.

"That's why you're my favorite."

"I'm your only roommate."

"Exactly."

Mia laughed.

Aurora opened the journal again.

She stared at the empty page.

Then an idea came to her.

"I want to go somewhere."

Mia looked at her.

"Where?"

"The library."

"Now?"

"I need to check something."

Mia sighed.

"You're going to get yourself into trouble."

"I'll be careful."

Mia grabbed her jacket.

"Then I'm coming."

---

The area behind the library was quiet.

Aurora walked slowly, comparing everything to the photograph.

The brick wall.

The trees.

The streetlight.

Everything was exactly as she remembered.

Mia stood beside her.

"What are we looking for?"

"I don't know yet."

Aurora walked toward an old wooden bench.

Then she stopped.

"Mia."

"What?"

Aurora pointed at the bench.

There was a tiny symbol carved into the wood.

A crescent moon.

Aurora's fingers hovered above it.

Her heart started beating faster.

"The necklace."

Mia looked at the symbol.

For just a fraction of a second, her expression changed.

Then it disappeared.

"What about it?"

"The pendant."

Aurora looked at her.

"It's the same shape."

Mia nodded slowly.

"Maybe it's just a coincidence."

Aurora shook her head.

"I don't think so."

She looked around.

"Someone wants me to find this."

Mia remained quiet.

Aurora touched the carving.

"What does it mean?"

"I don't know."

Mia's voice sounded normal.

Completely normal.

Aurora looked at her for a moment.

Then nodded.

"Let's go."

They walked away.

Neither of them noticed the figure standing farther down the road.

Watching them.

---

When Aurora returned to her room, she immediately opened the journal.

She wrote:

"I found the symbol."

Nothing.

She continued.

"The crescent."

The page remained blank.

"You knew about it, didn't you?"

Silence.

Aurora waited.

Then the ink appeared.

"You weren't supposed to find it."

Aurora's eyes widened.

"What is it?"

No answer.

She wrote again.

"Why is it connected to the necklace?"

Nothing.

"Who are you?"

Silence.

Aurora's frustration grew.

"You can't keep doing this."

Finally, words appeared.

"I told you. Not yet."

Aurora stared at the page.

Then she wrote:

"Are you afraid I'll find you?"

A long pause.

Then:

"No."

"Then what?"

The answer appeared slowly.

"I'm afraid of what you'll find when you do."

Aurora stopped.

Her heart beat faster.

Before she could ask anything else, her phone vibrated.

Unknown number.

She opened the message.

A photograph.

Her heart dropped.

It was her.

Standing beside Mia at the bench.

The exact place they had just visited.

The photograph had been taken from behind them.

Aurora zoomed in.

At the edge of the picture was a dark figure.

Watching.

She looked at Mia.

"Mia..."

"What?"

Aurora showed her the phone.

Mia's face went pale.

"Someone was there."

Aurora nodded.

"They were watching us."

Another message appeared.

"You were not alone."

Aurora's hands trembled.

Then another message.

"Neither is he."

She stared at the screen.

The black journal suddenly opened by itself on the desk.

Ink slowly appeared across the page.

"Don't look behind you."

Aurora froze.

Her breathing stopped.

Mia whispered,

"Aurora..."

Aurora slowly turned her head.

There was nothing behind them.

Only the empty room.

Only the closed window.

Only the shadows.

Then her phone vibrated one more time.

A final photograph appeared.

This one wasn't of Aurora.

It was a photograph of the stranger.

Standing beneath the same streetlight.

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

And in the bottom corner...

was the same crescent symbol.

Aurora stared at it.

She finally understood one thing.

Someone wasn't just watching her.

Someone was watching the stranger too.

And somehow...

the two secrets were connected.