*Aria*
I didn't tell anyone.
Not because I was scared they'd laugh or call me crazy. I just knew they wouldn't believe me.
How could I. What would I even say?
I walked into a restricted wing and saw a man with a knife to someone's throat. Then I locked eyes with a total stranger who didn't even belong here.
They'd think I imagined it. So I kept quiet.
And maybe I did imagine it. Maybe I wanted to believe that. But how he looked at me like he was committing my soul to memory, stayed imprinted in my mind.
This place was too clean. Too perfect for anyone to believe that. A campus where students smiled, lecturers wore tailored suits and secrets didn't exist.
Except... Nope, they totally did. I saw one.
I tried to convince myself that maybe it was a performance or a prank. Anything but the truth. But the image stayed in my head. The blade, the way his eyes had snapped to mine, like instinct, like a wolf catching scent.
I avoided the admin wing and empty halls and even skipped the seminar I was supposed to attend this afternoon. But Moscow buildings are old and full of shadows.
And monsters don't need an invitation.
I managed to act normal throughout the day. I kept telling myself I was just being paranoid. Maybe he didn't even notice me. Maybe he didn't care. Or maybe he's not thinking about me right? God, I just hope he's not coming after me.
By evening, the whole charade had pretty much collapsed. The library was dead silent. Only a few students sat at random tables, already zoning out on their screens, wishing they were anywhere else. I left as the sun set behind the buildings, turning the sky a deep shade of violet.
The courtyard was almost empty. I took the long way back and stayed near lights and people.
Halfway down the corridor, I hear footsteps behind me. They were too quiet.
The hairs on the back of my neck prickle and I get that weird feeling when you're not sure if you're being followed or just losing it. But this time, I knew.
I turned fast, my heart pounding in my chest.
Then I hear a voice.
"Aria, you've been hard to find."
I turn immediately and freeze .
It was him.
Standing just a few feet away. Closer than I ever wanted him to be.
He looked... different. Taller than I remembered. Sharper. He's got to be at least six-three, maybe even taller.
His face was all angles. High cheekbones, pale smooth skin, a jaw so defined you would want to trace your fingers over it. He looked so perfect, like he belonged on the cover of a GQ magazine. And his eyes were so dark and bottomless. Not just in colour, but the way they were fixed on me right now. You could easily get lost in them if you weren't careful.
His hair was dark and messy, falling across his forehead like he'd been running his hands through it.
He was beautiful.
Just what the hell is wrong with me?
This is a dangerous man with dangerous actions.
And I need to stop looking at him like he was anything but a threat.
The stranger from the hallway.
Not in a student coat. No sign of backpacks or books either.
Instead wore a black leather jacket over a simple dark shirt. He was a big man with wide shoulders and an impressive build and quite possibly the most intimidating person I'd ever met.
He has no visible ID. No reason to be here.
Except me.
There was something about his presence, calm but intense, that made it hard to look away even when every instinct screamed to run.
He stepped toward me, slow and casual, like we were just two strangers passing each other.
But we weren't strangers anymore.
How does he know my name? That's a serious red flag itself.
"Who are you and how do you know my name?" I ask
He paused. He almost seemed amused.
"Does it matter?"
I just stare at him.
"You don't go here," I said. My voice came out quieter than I meant. It was not a question. Just an observation. Useless. It didn't matter.
He tilts his head. "No. I don't."
I swallowed hard, my throat tightening. "What do you want?"
His eyes narrowed curiously, as if he was trying to figure something out. "You weren't supposed to be there," he said. His voice was calm and controlled like before. "You saw something you shouldn't have."
He steps closer. "And I don't like loose ends."
"Are you going to kill me?" I asked before I could stop myself.
He doesn't react.. almost like he was bored.
I hated how calm he looked, meanwhile I could barely breathe.
He actually smiled.
"If I were," he said, "we wouldn't be having this conversation."
That didn't make me feel any better.
"I didn't see anything," I said quickly. "I didn't even understand—"
"But you did," he cut in. "And more importantly you ran. Which means you understood just enough."
I step to the side, trying to move past him. He matches my pace, blocking the way.
"I'm not here to hurt you," he said. But his tone didn't match the words. "I'm here to make sure you don't make a mistake."
"And if I do?"
His eyes went cold. "Then you'll find out how far I'm willing to go to clean things up."
He pauses, then steps back. Just enough for me to breathe normally.
"I don't want you scared," he said. "I want you quiet."
I stared up at him, refusing to look away, even if everything in me wanted to.
He leaned in close enough for me to feel his breath. "Do we understand each other?"
I didn't nod. I didn't speak.
And something about that made his lips curve just a little. Not in amusement, something else.
More like approval.
Then without another word, he turns and walkes away leaving me frozen, my heart pounding.
Every sound seemed louder than before. The sound of a door clicking shut from the far end. The rustling of leaves, even my own breathing.
I stood there, waiting for something else to happen. Maybe someone would come out of nowhere like he did.