Élise stood frozen beneath the flickering streetlamp, the night air pressing against her skin like a silent witness. Adrien's words echoed in her mind, heavy and unsettling.
This city doesn't forgive lonely souls after midnight.
"Why would you say that?" she asked again, her voice barely steady.
Adrien exhaled slowly, as if weighing whether the truth was worth the risk. For a brief moment, the confident smile she had grown used to vanished, replaced by something darker—fear, perhaps… or guilt.
"Because I've seen what happens," he replied. "And because I don't want you to become part of it."
Élise folded her arms, trying to hide the chill crawling up her spine. "You're talking in riddles. If you know something, just say it."
He glanced down the empty street. The cafés were closed now, their lights extinguished one by one. Somewhere in the distance, a door slammed. The city felt different after midnight—quieter, but not peaceful.
"People disappear," Adrien said finally. "Not the kind that makes the news. They just… fade. No traces. No goodbyes."
"That's ridiculous," Élise scoffed, though her heart was racing. "This isn't some gothic novel."
Adrien stepped closer, lowering his voice. "Three years ago, a girl lived in your building. She used to walk home late, just like you. One night, she never made it upstairs."
Élise swallowed. "What are you saying? That someone hurt her?"
"I'm saying the city took her," he answered. "And it takes those who wander alone when the clock strikes twelve."
A sudden breeze rushed past them, making the streetlamp flicker violently. Élise shivered, every instinct telling her to leave.
"You're scaring me on purpose," she said. "Why?"
Adrien met her gaze, his eyes intense. "Because tonight, you were almost late."
The words hit her harder than she expected. She checked her phone—12:07 a.m.
"I didn't realize—"
"That's how it starts," he interrupted. "You lose track of time. You think nothing will happen. And then…" He stopped himself.
"And then what?" she demanded.
Adrien straightened, his mask of calm slipping back into place. "Just promise me something."
"What?"
"Don't walk alone after midnight again. If you must be out, call me."
Élise hesitated. Logic told her this was nonsense, yet something deep inside her believed him. The fear in his voice had been too real to fake.
"Fine," she said softly. "I promise."
A look of relief crossed his face. "Good."
They stood there in silence for a moment, the tension slowly easing. Adrien stepped back, giving her a small smile.
"Get home safely, Élise."
As she walked toward her building, she couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. She glanced over her shoulder once.
Adrien was gone.
The streetlamp flickered again, and for a split second, she thought she saw a shadow moving where he had stood.
Her promise echoed in her mind.
Don't walk alone after midnight.