The air between them had changed. Not thick with shouting or storms of accusation but colder, sharper, like a blade pressed against the skin, invisible yet undeniable.
Adrian noticed it first. Elena was softer than ever. Too soft.
The way she lingered with her touches, the way she laughed at small things, the way her eyes held his just a fraction too long. It unsettled him, though he couldn't explain why.
At breakfast, Elena poured his coffee and slid the cup toward him with a smile.
Long night? she asked.
Adrian blinked. Not really. Why?
With her lips curved, gentle. You really look… distracted. Shadows under your eyes. She tilted her head.
Oh! or perhaps in your mind?
He shifted, the cup rattling slightly against the saucer.
I guess work, maybe.
Work!! Elena repeated, as though savoring the word. She didn't press further, but the silence afterward was louder than any question.
That afternoon, Maya stopped by. She carried books, pretending she needed help with a paper. Adrian wasn't home at the moment. She shriveled walking to the doorbell.
Elena welcomed her in warmly, almost too warmly.
She brewed tea, served cookies, listened to Maya stumble through explanations that grew less coherent with every passing minute.
At one point, Elena reached across the table, brushing a crumb from Maya's lips with her thumb. There, she whispered, her touch lingering a second too long.
Maya's breath caught. The room felt too small, the air too thin.
You're pale, dear. Elena said softly, sipping her tea.
Not sleeping well?
I…. I'm fine. Replied Maya.
That word again. Elena smiled knowingly, her eyes steady. Fine is rarely true to me.
Maya's hands trembled as she lifted her cup. She couldn't drink. Couldn't swallow past the knot in her throat.
When she finally excused herself, Elena watched her leave with the calm of someone who had already won a silent game.
Later, Adrian returned home. Elena was reading in the living room.
He kissed her cheek tentative, waiting for some crack in her serenity. She only smiled.
How was your day? she asked.
Busy as usual. Adrian responded.
And yours? Hope you had a better restful day after the lectures.
Enlightening, she replied softly. She closed her book and met his gaze.
You know, Adrian…" shadows never stay hidden forever. They always bleed into the light".
His brow furrowed.
What does that mean?
She stood, brushing past him, her perfume trailing like smoke. Just an observation. Nothing confronting.
Adrian turned, watching her retreat down the hall, his heart pounding with a confusion that was far more dangerous than suspicion: which is fear.
That night, Daniel's phone buzzed. A message from Elena: "The shadows are shifting. They can feel me watching". Soon, Daniel. Soon.
Daniel stared at the words, unease crawling up his spine.
He typed slowly: "Be careful. Fire consumes even the one who lights it".
Her reply came almost instantly. "Let it be. Some fires are meant to burn".