{ Mia }
I couldn't sleep.
Not really. My eyes burned from staring at the ceiling, my mind replaying every shadow, every movement from last night. Something was… off. My skin crawled. A prickling at the back of my neck, a pulse of energy that made my hair rise.
He was out there. I could feel it.
By six, I was up. Every routine felt mechanical—shower, clothes, backpack—but my heartbeat never slowed. My senses were taut, like a wire stretched too far.
School was worse. Every hallway, every classroom, every glance from a classmate felt like it carried a secret message I wasn't supposed to understand. I tried to focus on the lesson, on the scribble of my pen, on anything besides the sensation crawling along my spine.
It didn't work.
During lunch, I sat alone, stirring my drink, eyes darting to every window, every reflection. There it was again—that tiny weight on my chest, the invisible presence brushing against the edges of my thoughts. I froze. My stomach dropped. Someone was watching me.
I couldn't stay.
I slipped into the bathroom, heart hammering. I made the clone under my blanket shimmer faintly, letting it mimic my usual routine while I stepped into invisibility. The world blurred around me as I focused, Scarlett guiding every movement:
"Coordinates set. Forest, forty meters from the northern path. Stable area confirmed."
With a blink, the school, the streets, the prying eyes—all vanished. I landed among gnarled roots and moss, the forest breathing around me. The air was crisp, the leaves whispering, and I could feel the sun pushing through the canopy in thin streams. Here, there was space. No black cars, no watching eyes, no tension pressing against my chest.
I climbed, higher, into the skeletal branches of an old oak. Every snap of a twig beneath me barely registered. My pulse finally slowed, muscles relaxing. For the first time in hours, I felt… safe.
And then I sensed it.
A light pressure on my shoulder. Something soft, feathered, and impossibly cold.
A white crow perched there, tilting its head at me. Its eyes were sharp, intelligent, too knowing, and the way it stared… it made me shiver, though I couldn't explain why.
"Hey there, little guy," I whispered, voice trembling slightly. "Missed me? You're the only one who doesn't stress me out these days."
The crow's wings rustled softly, brushing my neck. Its head swiveled almost unnaturally, following my gaze, as if it understood more than it should.
"You okay?" I muttered, reaching up to scratch behind its feathers. "You… you don't scare me. You're… different."
It stayed still, watching, waiting, its quiet presence unsettling in the way only something that shouldn't be fully human—or fully natural—can be.
"Wanna come home with me?" I whispered softly, stroking its feathers. The wind ruffled through the leaves, birds called in the distance, and I let myself smile, shaky but real.
For now, I was safe.
But even from here, I knew… someone was still watching.
I stroked the crow gently, feeling the strange warmth of its feathers. Its head tilted, watching me with those impossibly sharp eyes. I put a finger over my mouth and whispered, "I'll tell you a little secret… but promise you won't tell anyone."
The crow blinked once—and then, almost deliberately, nodded. I chuckled softly, shaking my head.
"You're ridiculous," I whispered. Its gaze was so intent, so… knowing, that I couldn't help but grin.
I moved my fingers slowly, elegantly, tracing invisible shapes in the air. Light shimmered faintly around the crow as if responding to my motion, and a magical cage appeared—not to trap it, but to shimmer around it, almost like a protective aura.
"I'm not going to keep you here," I murmured, "but… you might stay invisible to everyone else. Stay beside me, okay?"
The crow's head bobbed frantically, almost eagerly, and I laughed, a little breathless.
A final flick of my fingers, a shimmer across its feathers—and now, the world couldn't see it. But I could. Its presence stayed perfectly clear to me, perched on my shoulder, quiet, comforting, loyal.
For the first time that day, I allowed myself to exhale.
{ Enzo }
I'd been here since the morning, blending into the shadows of the schoolyard, keeping my eyes on her—on her. Every subtle movement, every glance. Every heartbeat that told me she was somewhere near.
I spotted her slipping inside the bathroom. Just a quick step, like she thought no one would notice. I didn't move—didn't need to. My patience was endless, and she had to come out eventually.
Moments later, the door opened. She stepped out, hair brushing her shoulders, backpack slung lazily, walking with the effortless grace that drove me insane. She looked… normal. Too normal.
But my instincts screamed otherwise.
I followed, staying just far enough behind. Every casual step she took, every turn of her head, I noted. The girls passing by didn't matter. Teachers didn't matter. Nothing mattered except her.
She left the school grounds, walking as if she had no care in the world. Every so often, she glanced around—or at least, I thought she did. Her pace never faltered.
I kept distance, careful, silent. She stopped at a small crosswalk, looked left, right, then continued, almost as if she could sense me but didn't want to give anything away.
Her home came into view eventually. A modest house, quiet, calm. She went inside without hesitation.
I stayed across the street, watching the door close behind her. Something twisted inside me—a mixture of frustration and curiosity. She had vanished before, and yet here she was, walking freely.
She's playing with me, I thought, my jaw tightening. But I couldn't let her know that. Not yet.
I slipped into the shadows of the street, staying just out of sight. She was mine to track, whether she knew it or not. And if she thought she could escape this easily… she was about to learn just how wrong she was.