The night refused to let Adrian sleep.
He sat alone in his apartment, the city lights flickering through the glass windows like restless thoughts in his mind. His phone lay on the table, silent—but heavy. Every vibration earlier that evening had dragged memories back from a past he had tried to bury.
A past named Shiya.
Adrian rubbed his temples, jaw tight. He had walked away from that life for a reason. From control. From manipulation. From a love that felt more like a cage.
And now… it was knocking again.
His phone buzzed once more.
Unknown Number.
A single message appeared.
> "You can't erase me, Adrian. And you know it."
His fingers curled into a fist.
She was back.
Not physically—not yet—but her presence was already poisoning the air around him.
And the worst part?
She knew about Maya.Maya — Fear Without Answers
Across the city, Maya stood by her bedroom window, arms wrapped around herself. The night breeze brushed past her, but it did nothing to cool the unease in her chest.
Adrian hadn't called.
Hadn't texted.
And her mind was doing what it did best—spiraling.
Did I say something wrong?
Did he regret getting close?
Or is there something he's not telling me… something dark?
She picked up her phone, staring at his name on the screen.
Her thumb hovered.
Then stopped.
No.
She didn't want to be the girl who chased answers that weren't ready to be given.
But the fear stayed.
Because the way Adrian had looked last night—tense, distracted, almost haunted—had left a crack in her heart.
> "I'm scared I'll lose you…"
His words echoed again.
And Maya realized something that made her chest tighten.
She was scared too.
---
Shiya's Shadow
Adrian stood up abruptly, pacing the room. Another message blinked onto his phone.
> "Stay away from her. Or she'll get hurt. Just like I did."His blood ran cold.
"That's enough," he muttered, typing a reply with shaking hands.
> "Don't drag her into this."
The reply came instantly.
> "Then come meet me."
Adrian exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair.
Shiya always knew where to strike.
---
The Choice
He stopped pacing.
In that moment, one image cut through the chaos in his mind—
Maya's smile.
Her quiet strength.
The way she looked at him like he was safe.
Not dangerous.
Not broken.
Just… him.
Adrian picked up his phone and typed one final message.
> "I'll come. But this ends. And Maya stays out of it."
He stared at the screen, heart pounding.
For the first time, the choice was clear.
Not between past and future.But between fear… and love.
And even though the storm was far from over, Adrian knew one thing with painful certainty—
> No matter what Shiya tried to take from him…
He would choose Maya.
Always.