The days passed slowly, each one blending into the next with little distinction. Selene kept to herself, burying her thoughts and emotions beneath layers of indifference, as was her habit. The city outside continued to move, unaware of the strange force quietly shifting beneath its surface.
She walked the same cobblestone streets every day, a woman detached from the world around her. People glanced at her, drawn in by her beauty, but none dared to approach. Selene had perfected the art of appearing untouchable, a woman shrouded in an air of mystery that pushed others away.
Except for Elias.
---
Elias hadn't stopped thinking about her. He couldn't. Something about Selene nagged at him, something that pulled him toward her, no matter how much she resisted. It wasn't just her beauty. It was the way she carried herself, the hidden depths that she seemed to guard so fiercely. He had encountered many people in his long life, but none like her. None who made him feel… drawn to them without understanding why.
And yet, Selene kept him at arm's length, her indifference as sharp as any weapon. She had made it clear that she wanted nothing to do with him, and Elias had respected that—for now.
But the more he saw of her, the more he knew that there was something more to her than what appeared on the surface. Her eyes, so cold and unreadable, held stories she had long since buried. Her aloofness wasn't just a defense mechanism; it was a cage she had built around herself. He couldn't ignore the quiet scream for help that lurked beneath her composed exterior.
---
It had been several days since their first encounter, and Elias had learned little more about her, save for the fact that she kept to herself, and seemed to disappear into the shadows of the city every night. But even that wasn't enough to deter his curiosity. If anything, it only fueled it.
One evening, as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting a golden hue across the city, Elias found himself once again standing at the edge of the street, watching her from a distance. She was walking briskly, as usual, her expression distant, her movements precise, almost mechanical.
It was clear to him now that she wasn't just avoiding people—she was avoiding herself.
Selene was trying so hard to be ordinary, to blend in with the crowd, but Elias knew better. She wasn't ordinary. And he had a feeling she never would be.
---
Selene turned a corner, the shadows deepening as the streetlights flickered. The night was closing in, and a slight chill settled over the air. She was used to the quiet, to the emptiness that surrounded her. But tonight, there was a sense of tension in the air, something that made her uneasy.
She didn't know why, but she couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching her.
Her steps quickened, the sound of her shoes tapping against the cobblestones echoing in the silence. She wasn't paranoid. No, it wasn't that. It was something else—something instinctive, like a predator stalking its prey.
A part of her wondered if it was Elias, but she immediately dismissed the thought. He was persistent, but he wasn't the type to follow her in the shadows.
Or was he?
---
Elias watched her with a quiet intensity from across the street, his figure half-hidden in the shadows. He had been following her for several minutes, careful not to make his presence known. She was aware of him, he could tell, but she had yet to turn around, her pace steady and unhurried.
What was it about her that made him feel so… compelled?
The closer she got to the alley, the stronger the pull in his chest became. Something was wrong. He could sense it. There was a shift in the air, a subtle distortion of reality, as if the world itself was holding its breath. And then, as Selene reached the corner, the air grew thick with tension.
Without warning, the shadows around her began to stir, writhing as if they had a mind of their own. Selene's eyes darted around, and Elias saw the flicker of panic in her gaze for the briefest moment before she masked it once more.
She was no longer in control.
---
The moment passed as quickly as it had come. The shadows stopped moving, the tension evaporated, and the street returned to its calm, ordinary state. Selene's breath was shallow as she stood in the middle of the street, her body tense, her mind racing. She had felt it—hadn't she? The strange disturbance, the unnatural pull in the air?
It couldn't be a coincidence. She had been aware of Elias watching her from the beginning, but this… this was different.
She turned, her gaze sweeping the street, but there was no sign of anyone. No one stood watching her from the shadows.
Except…
Her eyes locked onto Elias, standing across the street, his posture stiff and unmoving. His expression unreadable, but there was something in the way he stood that told her he knew something she didn't.
And it irritated her.
---
"Is something wrong?" Elias asked casually, his voice cutting through the stillness of the night.
Selene's heart skipped a beat. She had hoped, even after all this time, that he wouldn't notice. That she could keep herself hidden, remain unaffected by whatever strange pull he had on her. But there was no denying it now.
She gave him a hard, flat stare, but the coldness that usually came so easily to her seemed to falter for just a second. Her lips parted as if to speak, but the words wouldn't come.
She hated it.
And she hated him for seeing through her.
"I'm fine," she said at last, her voice clipped. "You shouldn't be following me."
Elias didn't move, his gaze unwavering. "I wasn't following you. But I can't ignore what just happened. Something's wrong, and I think you know it."
Selene's eyes narrowed. "There's nothing wrong. You're imagining things."
"I'm not." His voice softened. "I'm not imagining anything."
---
The words hung in the air, heavy with meaning. Selene turned away from him, unable to meet his gaze any longer. The truth, the lie, the chaos inside her—she couldn't handle it. Not now. Not with him standing there, challenging everything she had built.
"Go home," she whispered, her voice barely audible.
But Elias didn't move. Instead, he stepped forward, crossing the distance between them in a few quick strides.
"Why do you keep running away?" he asked, his voice low, filled with quiet understanding. "What are you afraid of, Selene?"
She turned sharply, her face hardening. "I'm not afraid," she spat, the words sharp like a weapon. "I just don't need you."
But Elias saw through her walls. And despite her coldness, despite her rejection, he was going to keep trying. Because in the end, he knew there was something more to her. Something that she couldn't hide forever.