---Raven---
It had been two weeks.
Fourteen long days since the night everything spiraled.
Jayden was furious about what happened with Ben.
He said he wanted to go teach him a lesson, but I told him not to.
I seized his credit card and only gave him enough for living expenses—no extras.
He begged me not to, but if I kept being soft on him, he'd never learn.
After the incident, he stayed three days before returning to uni.
He didn't remember much. Just that I showed up and dragged him out.
I never told him the full truth.
And Dante?
Nothing.
I didn't see him at work.
When I asked around, the few colleagues who answered gave a vague reply:
"He comes and goes when he wants."
I wasn't sure if I felt sad…
Or relieved.
The number that texted me that night?
Still investigating.
So far, it's a dead end.
Whoever it was used a non-traceable number.
But I haven't given up.
I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, dabbing healing balm on the fading gash across my cheek.
It still stung—not like that night—but just enough to remind me.
I'm not invincible.
And sketchy clubs aren't worth the trauma.
I pulled my hoodie over my head, grabbed my laptop bag, and headed to work.
Vortex had been a good distraction.
My official position started a few days after everything.
Work was smooth—rebuilding firewalls, encrypting data.
Clean. Focused.
No drama.
No guns.
But every now and then... I felt it.
Someone.
Watching me.
In the crowd. In the shadows.
I couldn't prove it. But I knew.
Someone was watching.
Who? I didn't know yet.
But I planned to find out.
I slammed my locker shut and shook the thought off.
No time for paranoia.
Just another day in Ashford City.
Just another shift at Vortex.
But deep down…
It bugged me.
A while ago, I got a photo.
Me, collecting pizza.
Same hoodie. Keys in hand.
The angle was too perfect—taken from the alley where our CCTV has a blind spot.
Whoever took it…
They were prepared.
"Earth to Raven," Dan's voice broke through.
I turned. He smiled. "What's got you zoning out this time?"
I shook my head. "Nothing."
I smiled back as we walked out of the locker room into the big interior of Vortex. Dan is my colleague. We're in the same department—IT. He was sweet and funny and the first person to talk to me in our department. We hit it off and became friends. He put me through the basics, and I'm good now.
We walked side by side through Vortex's glass hallway.
Sunlight poured through tall windows, making the polished floors gleam.
Staff buzzed past—coffee in hand, voices low, screens glowing.
But none of it felt normal.
I kept smiling.
But that photo still haunted me.
"You sure you're okay?" Dan asked again at the department door.
"Yeah," I lied.
"You've been spacing out a lot."
I forced a smile. "Just life. I'm good."
Thankfully, he didn't press.
We sat at our desks, and I got to work.
Server encryption tasks. The usual.
Until—
UNAUTHORIZED NETWORK PING.
I froze.
It wasn't internal.
Remote signal.
Someone was sweeping the firewall.
Not enough to break it—but definitely testing the strength.
I dug deeper.
The IP was rerouted through three different countries.
Classic misdirection.
But something in the packet structure felt... familiar.
Not random.
Goosebumps prickled along my arms.
I minimized the window just as Dan leaned over.
"Firewall issues?"
"Nope," I said, turning my screen slightly. "Just patching a loophole."
He nodded. "Fast learner. Vortex is lucky to have you."
I smiled, but my brain was racing.
Who would be stupid enough to poke Vortex's defenses?
Unless they weren't stupid at all.
After a few hours, my eyes were dry and I needed a break.
I headed to the cafeteria—yes, Vortex is that rich.
Free meals. Gourmet-level.
The woman behind the counter smiled.
"Bet you're new here. What can I get you?"
I smiled back. "Hamburger. Fries. Ketchup."
"Coming right up," she said.
She had warm energy. The kind that made you feel safe.
I found a seat and scrolled through my phone while eating.
A moment of peace—
Until Dan snuck up behind me.
I jumped.
"Seriously?!"
He laughed. "Couldn't resist."
We talked.
Nothing serious—until he looked me in the eyes.
"Ravy… would you like to have dinner with me?"
I blinked.
He looked nervous. "Just a friendly dinner. If that's cool."
I nodded. "Sure. Text me this weekend."
He grinned wide, and I couldn't help but smile back.
Maybe… just maybe, I didn't hate this job after all.
I originally planned to work remotely.
But then my mom called the company—yeah, called them—and they insisted I come in.
After work, Dan walked me to my car.
We said our goodbyes.
The city lights were flickering on as the sky darkened.
But the shadow in my chest?
Still there.