Chapter 5 Beneath the Surface

The sound of my mother's voice echoed in my mind long after I left the café, her words still lingering in my head like smoke.

"You cannot hide forever, Eliaca."

I had not known she had followed me. I had not even seen her.

The entire interaction, the way she practically trapped me with her words, left me breathless.

I had always been good at pretending I was not affected by her harshness.

But today? Today, it felt like a weight had settled in my chest, heavy and suffocating.

I wished I could shake it off, but I could not.

The sun was beginning to set, the orange glow painting the sky in hues of pink and lavender.

The streets were more crowded than usual, but I felt strangely alone in the sea of faces.

I wrapped my arms around myself as if to keep from unraveling.

As I walked down the sidewalk, my thoughts raced. What did she want from me?

Her sudden appearance in my life after all these years, it did not make sense.

She was not the type to show up without an agenda. I was certain of that.

I turned a corner, my eyes scanning the faces in the crowd.

That was when I saw him.

The man who had been following me for days now.

My heart skipped a beat.

He was standing across the street, his eyes fixed on me.

His face was partially obscured by the collar of his jacket, but there was no mistaking that gaze.

I knew those eyes.

Panic surged through me, but I forced myself to breathe.

Keep calm, I told myself.

He had not done anything yet. I was not going to give him the satisfaction of seeing me break down.

I quickened my pace, my eyes darting from side to side as I tried to shake the feeling that he was right behind me.

He had not followed me home, not yet.

Maybe he would not.

But then I heard the sound of footsteps behind me, steady and purposeful.

I glanced over my shoulder.

There he was.

I made a sharp turn into an alleyway, hoping to lose him in the maze of narrow streets.

My heart pounded in my chest as I took quick, uneven steps, my prosthetic leg clicking against the pavement.

It was harder to run like this-impossible, even.

But I had to try.

I could not let him catch me.

I rounded another corner, gasping for breath.

The alley was dark, shadows stretching across the walls like fingers reaching for me.

I could barely make out anything in the dim light, but I did not dare stop to look.

I kept running, my legs aching, the sound of my own breath drowning out everything else.

And then I heard him.

A voice, deep and smooth, cutting through the silence.

"You cannot outrun me, Eliaca."

I froze, the blood draining from my face. His voice-it was like he had known me my entire life.

Like he knew exactly how to press all my buttons.

I turned slowly, my heart in my throat, expecting to see him just behind me.

But the alley was empty.

I blinked, confused. Had I imagined it?

A cold shiver ran down my spine, and I took a step back, my hand reaching out to steady myself against the brick wall.

I did not know what was happening anymore. Was it him? Or was I losing my mind?

I waited, listening to the silence, but nothing came.

No footsteps. No voice.

I pressed my back against the wall, feeling the cool stone against my skin.

My mind was spinning, my thoughts a tangled mess.

What was I supposed to do now?

I did not know how long I stood there, frozen in place, before I heard it again.

This time, it was closer. So close I could feel the warmth of his breath on the back of my neck.

"You cannot run forever."

The voice sent a jolt of panic through me. Without thinking, I spun around, but the alley was still empty.

I was alone.

I let out a shaky breath, my mind racing.

My hands were trembling as I reached down to grip my phone from my pocket.

I fumbled with the screen, my fingers too shaky to type the message I needed.

I was not safe. I knew that now.

I sent a quick message to the only person I could trust-my best friend, Selene.

"Someone is following me. I think he knows me."

I did not have time to say more before I heard the footsteps again.

This time, they were closer, and I could tell they were deliberately slow, deliberate.

I looked around desperately, searching for somewhere to hide.

But the alley offered no escape, no refuge. I was trapped.

I took a step forward, ready to run, but then the footsteps stopped.

Dead silence.

My breath caught in my throat.

It was as if time had frozen, and the air around me thickened with tension.

Then came the voice again, so close it made my skin crawl.

"You have always been so determined, Eliaca. So strong. But you cannot outrun your past."

I spun around, my heart pounding in my chest, but once again, the alley was empty.

I was losing it. I had to be.

There was no way he could have moved that quickly, no way he could have been right there and disappeared.

But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.

The man following me, the one who had been haunting my every step-he knew things about me. Things no stranger could know.

I could not keep pretending I was just imagining it. He was real.

But why was he following me? And what did he want?

My phone buzzed in my hand, breaking through the haze of fear in my mind.

It was a message from Selene.

"Call me. NOW."

I did not need to be told twice.

I pressed the call button, bringing the phone to my ear, my hands shaking.

"Selene? What is it?"

I asked, trying to keep my voice steady, but it wavered.

"You are in danger, Eliaca," Selene's voice crackled through the line, low and urgent.

"I have been hearing rumors. Someone has been asking around about you. Someone... dangerous."

My blood ran cold. "Who?"

"I do not know yet, but you need to get somewhere safe. Now."

"I... I think he is here," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

I could hear the panic in Selene's voice.

"Do not go home. Do not go home. You need to stay with me tonight, Eliaca. Please."

I could barely process her words. My thoughts were a mess, my body on autopilot. I had to get out of here. I had to leave before-

"Eliaca."

His voice, cold and smooth, cut through the silence.

I whipped around, my heart pounding in my chest. But once again, there was nothing there.