Kaida
The loud ring of my phone startled me out of my swirling thoughts, the tension in my body still heavy from the strange encounter on my way home. I glanced at the screen and saw Bastian’s name flashing across it, his call breaking the stillness of the house. Relief washed over me—at least hearing his voice would calm the anxiety that had been gnawing at me since I walked through the door.
“Kaida,” Bastian’s deep voice came through the line, tight with concern. “What’s going on? What did your text mean?”
I closed my eyes for a moment, trying to center myself before answering. “It’s nothing too serious, I promise,” I began, though my own voice betrayed me with a slight tremor. “When I was leaving the grocery store earlier, I felt like someone was following me. And then… there was thi
