y mind long after I left the café, her wor

hide forev

had followed me. I h

she practically trapped me wit

t pretending I was not a

e a weight had settled in my

d shake it off,

the orange glow painting the s

than usual, but I felt strange

ound myself as if to

walk, my thoughts raced.

y life after all these yea

show up without an agend

y eyes scanning the

when I

been following

skipped

oss the street, his

by the collar of his jacket, but

those

h me, but I forced

m, I tol

as not going to give him the sati

rom side to side as I tried to shake t

ollowed me h

he wou

nd of footsteps behind m

over my

e he

lleyway, hoping to lose him i

ok quick, uneven steps, my prostheti

run like this-i

had

ot let hi

er corner, gasp

stretching across the walls

hing in the dim light, but I

g, the sound of my own breath

n I hea

smooth, cutting th

t outrun m

m my face. His voice-it was lik

ctly how to pres

in my throat, expecting

alley wa

nfused. Had I

took a step back, my hand reaching out

ppening anymore. Was it hi

g to the silence,

steps.

the wall, feeling the co

ning, my thought

supposed

stood there, frozen in pla

se I could feel the warmth of hi

not run

ugh me. Without thinking, I spun ar

s al

aky breath, my

s I reached down to grip

, my fingers too shaky to

safe. I kn

the only person I could tr

lowing me. I th

say more before I hea

and I could tell they were

erately, searching f

ed no escape, no re

ready to run, but the

sil

caught in

zen, and the air around m

again, so close it

rmined, Eliaca. So strong. Bu

nding in my chest, but once

ng it. I h

d that quickly, no way he could hav

ght about it, the m

en haunting my every step-he knew things

ending I was just ima

ollowing me? And

nd, breaking through the

message f

me.

eed to be t

n, bringing the phone to

? What

keep my voice ste

Selene's voice crackled throu

meone has been asking around ab

ran col

but you need to get

ere," I whispered, my

he panic in Se

home. You need to stay with

ts were a mess, my body on autopilot. I had

iac

nd smooth, cut th

unding in my chest. But once