Chapter Thirteen: The Shadow Follows
763 Words
Writer’s POV
The next morning carried an uneasy calm — the kind that came before a storm.
Mila walked through the school courtyard, sunlight spilling across the marble steps, but something in her gut felt off. The air was too still. The whispers felt too quiet.
It wasn’t just paranoia anymore.
Someone was watching her.
*****
Mila’s POV
I kept my pace steady, pretending not to notice the faint shadow that moved behind me every few minutes. At first, I thought it was just my nerves. But then, when I turned the corner toward the old library wing, I caught a glimpse of him — a student I’d never seen before, pretending to scroll on his phone.
Tall. Grey hoodie. Head down.
But every time I changed direction, he did too.
I stopped at my locker, forcing a casual tone as I pulled out my notebook. My phone buzzed — a message from Xavier.
> Xavier: You okay?
Mila: Someone’s following me.
Xavier: Where?
Mila: East corridor.
Xavier: Don’t go anywhere alone. I’m coming.
I shut my locker, exhaled slowly, and started toward the library, blending into the crowd of students pouring out of class. My pulse thudded in my ears, every step echoing too loud.
When I glanced over my shoulder — he was gone.
Or so I thought.
*****
Writer’s POV
The old library wing was nearly empty, sunlight slicing through the dust and silence. Mila slipped inside, closing the door behind her.
“Xavier?” she called softly.
No answer.
Her fingers brushed against the cold metal of the computer desk — the same place she’d been just days ago, uncovering the drive. Except now, everything had been reset. No files. No trace of the footage.
Someone had cleaned it all.
And that’s when she heard it — the faint creak of a floorboard behind her.
*****
Mila’s POV
I spun around.
He was there — the guy in the grey hoodie.
He didn’t speak. Just stood in the doorway, blocking the only exit.
“Who are you?” I demanded, trying to keep my voice steady.
He tilted his head slightly. “Someone who’s trying to help you. You’re in over your head, Miller.”
My heart skipped. “Help me? By following me?”
“I was sent to keep you quiet.”
That one sentence froze everything.
Before I could react, he tossed something onto the table — a folded piece of paper — and slipped out through the side door as footsteps echoed in the main hall.
I hesitated only a second before grabbing the note. The handwriting was rough, hurried:
> They know what you found.
Don’t trust anyone.
Meet at the south gate after school.
Come alone — or don’t come at all.
*****
Writer’s POV
Mila’s chest tightened as she stared at the message.
Her instincts screamed not to go. But what if this was the only lead to unravel everything — Hale, Jasper, and now the Reeds?
The door behind her opened again.
“Mila?”
She spun — this time, it was Xavier.
Her relief lasted half a second before she saw his face. He looked pale, furious.
“You shouldn’t be here,” he said quietly.
“I could say the same to you.”
He stepped closer, lowering his voice. “My father knows we’ve been digging. Hale’s protecting him — and whoever that guy was, he’s not working alone. You need to stay out of sight until we figure out who’s pulling the strings.”
Mila held up the note. “Too late.”
He read it — and every trace of calm vanished from his face.
*****
Xavier’s POV
I stared at the message, my blood running cold.
“They’re moving faster than I thought.”
She looked at me — scared, but steady. “Should I go?”
“No.”
But I could see it in her eyes. She was already deciding.
Mila wasn’t going to stop now.
And if she went to that meeting… she might not come back.
*****
Writer’s POV
The final bell rang, echoing through the halls like a countdown.
Outside, the campus was fading into dusk — long shadows stretching across the south gate. Mila stood near the old fence, note clutched in her hand.
She told herself she wasn’t afraid.
But when a second note slid from beneath the gate — written in the same rushed handwriting — her heart stopped.
> Too late. They already know you came.
And behind her, a figure stepped out from the shadows.
- Writer
