Mine until Midnight

Mine Until Midnight - The Line He Crossed

CHAPTER SIX

Aurora barely slept.

The words from the previous night kept replaying in her mind.

**Next time, I might not warn you.**

She had read the sentence so many times that she had eventually memorized the shape of every letter.

It wasn't the first warning he'd given her.

But it was different.

There had always been something almost calm about his messages, even when they frightened her. This one had sounded like a promise.

Aurora turned onto her side and stared at the journal resting on her bedside table.

She reached for it.

For several seconds, she simply looked at the blank page.

Then she picked up her pen.

**What happens if I don't listen?**

She waited.

Nothing.

Aurora frowned.

She waited another minute.

Still nothing.

"Fine."

She closed the journal.

Then, just as she was about to put it away, ink slowly appeared beneath her question.

Aurora froze.

**You'll find out.**

She stared at the words.

"You're so annoying."

No response.

She smiled despite herself.

Then she closed the journal and finally tried to sleep.

The next morning, Aurora woke feeling strangely restless.

She couldn't explain it.

Nothing had happened.

No messages.

No gifts.

No footsteps.

No shadows.

And yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was coming.

She got ready and headed to class with Mia.

The morning passed without anything unusual happening.

By lunchtime, Aurora had almost convinced herself that she was imagining the tension.

Then Jason appeared.

"Hey."

Aurora looked up.

"Hi."

"Are you busy after class?"

She hesitated.

"Why?"

"I need help with something."

"With what?"

He smiled.

"It's a surprise."

Aurora laughed.

"That's suspicious."

"Only slightly."

Mia looked at Aurora.

"Don't."

Aurora raised an eyebrow.

"Don't what?"

Mia gave Jason a suspicious look.

"Nothing."

Jason smiled.

"I promise I won't kidnap her."

"That's exactly what a kidnapper would say," Mia replied.

Aurora laughed.

"I'll see you later."

Mia sighed as Aurora walked away with Jason.

They crossed the courtyard together.

For the first few minutes, Aurora was relaxed.

Jason wasn't acting strangely.

He wasn't being pushy.

He simply talked.

He told her about a professor who had embarrassed him in front of the entire class.

Aurora laughed so hard she nearly dropped her phone.

"You deserved it."

"How?"

"You were probably annoying."

"That's hurtful."

"You'll survive."

Jason smiled.

"You're actually fun to be around."

Aurora looked at him.

"That's surprising."

"Why?"

"Because you barely know me."

"Maybe I'm a good judge of character."

Aurora smiled.

They reached a small café near the edge of campus.

Jason held the door open for her.

"I wanted to show you this place."

Aurora looked around.

It was quiet.

Warm.

Almost empty.

They found a table near the window.

Jason ordered something for himself.

Aurora ordered her usual coffee.

When the drinks arrived, Jason pushed hers toward her.

"No sugar. Extra milk."

Aurora stopped.

She looked at him.

"How did you know?"

Jason shrugged.

"You mentioned it."

"When?"

"I don't remember."

Aurora narrowed her eyes.

"I don't think I've ever told you that."

He laughed lightly.

"Maybe I heard someone else mention it."

"Who?"

Jason paused.

Then smiled.

"Does it matter?"

Aurora didn't answer.

Something about his response bothered her.

It was a tiny thing.

Almost nothing.

But she remembered the stranger's first gift.

Her exact coffee order.

And suddenly, the memory didn't feel as harmless as it had before.

Jason leaned back.

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

She took a sip.

"I'm just tired."

They continued talking, but Aurora couldn't completely relax anymore.

When they finally left the café, Jason walked her back toward campus.

At the entrance, he stopped.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

"Sure."

He smiled and walked away.

Aurora watched him for a moment.

Then she checked her phone.

Nothing.

No message.

No warning.

She frowned.

For some reason, she had expected one.

She checked again.

Still nothing.

Aurora slipped the phone into her pocket.

"Maybe he's finally done."

She didn't know why that thought disappointed her.

That evening, Aurora left campus later than usual.

The sun had already disappeared.

She walked along the main road, her bag hanging from one shoulder.

Halfway home, she noticed footsteps behind her.

Aurora slowed down.

The footsteps slowed too.

She stopped.

Silence.

She turned around.

A man stood near the corner.

She couldn't see his face clearly.

He wasn't moving.

Aurora stared at him.

"Can I help you?"

He said nothing.

Aurora took a step backward.

The man took one step forward.

Her heart began beating faster.

She turned and continued walking.

Faster this time.

She heard the footsteps again.

She reached for her phone.

Before she could unlock it, a car passed between them.

When it moved away, the man was gone.

Aurora stopped.

She looked around.

Nothing.

She continued walking.

A few seconds later, she heard a sound behind her.

A door opening.

She turned.

The man was there again.

Closer.

Aurora's breath caught.

She stepped backward.

Then a light suddenly flickered on above them.

The man looked toward the light.

Something changed in his expression.

A second later, he turned and walked away.

Aurora stood frozen.

She watched him disappear around the corner.

Then she heard footsteps coming from the opposite direction.

A figure appeared.

Tall.

Dark clothing.

The same silhouette she'd seen before.

Aurora's heart skipped.

She stared.

The figure stopped.

For a moment, neither moved.

Aurora took a cautious step forward.

"Wait."

The figure remained silent.

"Are you the one who's been messaging me?"

Nothing.

"Are you the one who's been leaving things for me?"

Still nothing.

Aurora took another step.

"Who are you?"

The figure turned slightly.

A car passed between them.

Aurora blinked.

When the car had moved on, the figure was gone.

She ran toward the corner.

Nothing.

No one.

Only an empty street.

Aurora stopped, breathing heavily.

She looked around.

Then something caught her attention.

A small object lay on the pavement.

She bent down and picked it up.

A black lighter.

There was a tiny silver symbol engraved on it.

Aurora turned it over in her hand.

It wasn't hers.

She slipped it into her pocket.

For some reason, she didn't want to leave it there.

By the time she reached the dormitory, her hands were still cold.

Mia was sitting on her bed.

"You took forever."

Aurora dropped her bag.

"I got delayed."

"By what?"

"Nothing."

Mia gave her a look.

"You really need a new answer."

Aurora smiled.

"Maybe."

She went to her desk and opened the journal.

For a moment, she stared at the blank page.

Then she wrote:

**You keep saving me without telling me who you are.**

She waited.

The reply appeared almost immediately.

**Would you rather I stopped?**

Aurora's fingers tightened around the pen.

She stared at the sentence.

Then she wrote:

**No.**

She paused.

She hadn't meant to answer that quickly.

She added:

**But I want to know why.**

The page remained still.

Then another sentence appeared.

**Because I can't watch you walk into danger and do nothing.**

Aurora read it twice.

Something about the words made her chest feel strangely tight.

She wrote:

**You make it sound like you care.**

There was a long pause.

For once, the stranger didn't answer immediately.

Aurora waited.

Nothing.

She almost smiled.

"Got you."

Then the ink appeared.

**Maybe I do.**

Aurora froze.

She stared at those three words.

Before she could respond, her phone vibrated.

She looked down.

A photograph.

Her.

Sitting at the café with Jason.

Aurora's face went pale.

She hadn't noticed anyone taking it.

The angle was wrong.

The photographer hadn't been sitting anywhere near them.

She opened the message beneath it.

**Someone else has been watching you.**

Aurora's heart dropped.

Another message appeared.

**And he's closer than you think.**

She looked toward the window.

Her curtains were closed.

She slowly walked toward them.

Her hand reached for the edge.

Then stopped.

She didn't know why she was suddenly afraid to look outside.

Her phone vibrated again.

One final message.

**Don't open the curtains.**

Aurora froze.

She stared at the words.

For several seconds, she didn't move.

Then she slowly stepped away from the window.

Whoever had taken the photograph wasn't just watching her.

They had been close enough to know exactly where she was.

And somewhere outside that room, someone was watching.

Someone she hadn't noticed.

Someone the stranger seemed to know about.

Aurora looked back at the journal.

The last sentence was still there.

**Maybe I do.**

For the first time, she wondered whether the mysterious man protecting her was actually afraid of something.

And if he was...

Aurora didn't want to know what could possibly scare him.