I shouldn't have stayed.
That's the first thought that crosses my mind as I stand there, too close to a man I don't know, a man who somehow feels more dangerous than whatever was chasing me outside.
And yet…
I don't move.
There's something about him—something quiet and suffocating—that keeps me rooted in place. Not fear. Not exactly.
Something else.
Something worse.
Something that feels like… curiosity wrapped in warmth.
"You're shaking."
His voice is softer now, almost observant, like he's noticing something fragile rather than pointing it out.
I hadn't even realized it until he said it.
"I'm fine," I reply quickly, pulling my hands closer to myself, as if that would hide it.
It doesn't.
Nothing about me feels hidden under his gaze.
He doesn't look away.
People usually do.
They glance, they smile, they move on.
But he doesn't.
He watches.
Like I'm something he's trying to understand.
Or something he's already decided matters.
"Sit," he says.
It's not a request.
But it doesn't feel like an order either.
It feels… natural.
Like I was already going to do it.
And somehow, I do.
I take the seat across from him before my mind can catch up with my actions. My heart is still beating too fast, but not from fear anymore.
Or maybe it is.
I'm just not sure what I'm afraid of.
Up close, he feels even more… unreal.
His features are too sharp, too precise, like they were designed instead of born. There's no hesitation in the way he holds himself, no uncertainty, no awkwardness.
Just control.
Complete, effortless control.
"What's your name?" he asks.
I hesitate for a second, not because I don't want to answer—but because something about this feels strangely important.
"Aanya," I say finally.
He repeats it softly.
"Aanya."
The way he says it…
It doesn't sound like a name.
It sounds like something he's memorizing.
"And you?" I ask, my voice quieter than before.
There's the smallest pause.
Almost unnoticeable.
But I catch it.
"Lucian."
The name settles between us like something heavy.
It fits him.
Too well.
"Do you come here often?" I ask, trying to sound normal, trying to bring this conversation back to something ordinary.
But nothing about this feels ordinary.
"No."
His answer is simple.
Direct.
"Then… why today?"
For a moment, he doesn't respond.
He just looks at me.
And that look— it does something to me.
Something I don't understand.
"Because you were here."
My breath catches.
It's such a simple answer.
But the way he says it— like it's the only reason that matters— makes my heart stumble in a way it shouldn't.
I look away first.
I have to.
Because if I don't…
I might forget how to breathe.
"That's a strange answer," I mumble, trying to ignore the warmth creeping into my chest.
"It's an honest one."
Silence falls between us again.
But it's not uncomfortable.
It's… heavy.
Filled with things neither of us is saying.
Riya calls my name from the counter, breaking whatever this is.
"Aanya! Orders!"
I stand up quickly, almost too quickly, grateful for the distraction.
"I should—uh—work."
He nods once, like he expected that.
Of course he did.
He seems like the kind of person who expects everything.
But as I turn away, I feel it again.
That gaze.
Still on me.
I try to ignore it.
I really do.
But every time I move, every time I speak to a customer, every time I try to focus—
I can feel him watching.
Not in a creepy way.
Not exactly.
In a way that feels… focused.
Like I'm the only thing in the room that exists for him.
It shouldn't feel like this.
It shouldn't make my heart race.
It shouldn't make me aware of every little thing I do.
And yet— it does.
Hours pass, or maybe minutes.
I can't tell anymore.
Time feels strange when he's here.
Slower.
Heavier.
When I finally gather enough courage to look back at his table— he's gone.
My chest tightens unexpectedly.
Disappointment.
Why am I disappointed?
I don't even know him.
"Looking for someone?"
Riya's voice pulls me back.
"No," I say too quickly.
She raises an eyebrow but doesn't push.
I tell myself it's fine.
That it's better this way.
That I don't need whatever that was.
But as my shift ends and I step outside— the night feels different.
Colder.
The street is empty again.
Too empty.
And suddenly— that feeling comes back.
That presence.
Behind me.
My breath catches.
No.
No, not again.
The streetlight flickers.
Once.
Twice.
My body goes still.
I can feel it now.
Closer than before.
Closer than it should be.
A shadow stretches unnaturally across the ground— reaching toward me.
My heart starts racing.
My feet won't move.
And then—
a voice.
Low.
Calm.
Familiar.
"You shouldn't be out here alone."
I turn.
And there he is.
Lucian.
Standing just a few steps away.
The moment I see him— the shadow behind me freezes.
Then slowly—
unnaturally—
it begins to pull back.
Like it's retreating.
Like it's afraid.
But this time…
I see it.
Just for a second.
Something not human.
Something twisted.
Something with too many limbs— and it disappears.
My breath comes out in a shaky whisper.
"Lucian… what… was that?"
He looks at the empty darkness where it vanished.
Then back at me.
And for the first time— there's something dangerous in his eyes.
"Something," he says quietly,
"that should not have found you."
A cold shiver runs through me.
"Why is it—"
I stop.
Because the real question isn't what that was.
It's— "Why is it coming after me?"
Silence.
And then—
he steps closer.
Too close.
His voice drops.
Lower.
Darker.
"That," he says, "is exactly what I intend to find out."
But the way he looks at me— like I'm not just in danger… but something far more important— makes my chest tighten.
Because suddenly…
I don't think this is random anymore.