Ch-2.Something In The Air

Kael hated the feeling of being watched.

It was irrational. Stupid. Paranoia creeping in where it didn’t belong. But no matter how many times he told himself that, his skin still prickled, his heartbeat still stuttered, and his hands still trembled as he locked the door behind him.

The scratch on the window haunted him. It wasn’t much—just a single, jagged line—but something about it felt deliberate. Like a signature. Like a warning.

Like a whisper in the dark meant only for him.

He exhaled, slow and careful. Maybe he was imagining things. Maybe it had always been there, and he was only noticing now because his mind was desperate for something—anything—to break the monotony of his life.

Or maybe someone really had been there.

Kael shook the thought away, peeling off his damp sweater and tossing it onto the chair in the corner. He needed to calm down. A warm drink. A book. A night like any other.

But even as he moved to the kitchen, something in the air felt wrong.

The silence pressed too tightly against him. The apartment, usually a safe, familiar space, felt smaller somehow—like the walls had shifted an inch closer when he wasn’t looking.

Kael reached for the kettle. His fingers wrapped around the handle—

And then he heard it.

Not a knock. Not a creak. Not the usual, innocent sounds of the old building settling.

Breathing.

Soft. Barely there. But close.

Too close.

Kael froze, every muscle in his body locking into place. The air felt thick, suffocating. He turned his head just slightly, his eyes darting toward the window, toward the shadows pooling in the corners of the room—

Nothing.

And yet, the feeling didn’t go away. The weight of unseen eyes. The whisper of something just beyond reach.

He wasn’t alone.

Kael swallowed hard, his pulse hammering against his ribs. Slowly, carefully, he stepped backward, his bare feet soundless against the wooden floor. He reached for the nearest object—a book on the counter, the only thing within arm’s length that could serve as a weapon.

The breathing stopped.

For a long moment, there was nothing. Just silence.

Then—

Tap.

The sound was soft, almost playful.

It came from behind him.

Kael spun around—

Nothing.

Just the window. Just the darkness outside, stretching endlessly past the flickering streetlights.

His throat was dry. His head felt too light.

Maybe he really was losing his mind.

But as he turned away, forcing himself to breathe, forcing himself to move, he missed it—

The faint trace of a finger smudged against the glass.

A single word, barely visible in the condensation from the rain.

"Soon".

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Forgive me.Me here is trying to reach 500 words blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah blah

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