"He's testing you"
The words pulsed through my chest like a second heartbeat. Rowan's grip on my hand tightened instantly, as if Elias's voice had flipped a switch inside him.
"Alright," Rowan muttered, standing. "That's it. We're leaving. Now."
Elias didn't argue. He grabbed his jacket, checked his phone, then slipped it into his pocket with a quiet finality that made the entire room colder.
"Ava," he said, turning to me, "you have five minutes. Rowan, stay with her."
Rowan nodded. "You don't have to tell me twice."
I walked toward my bedroom, Rowan right beside me, so close our arms brushed every few steps. My legs trembled, but his presence steadied me. When we reached my room, I pushed the door open carefully, half-expecting someone to be inside. Rowan stepped in first, scanning the corners.
"Clear," he whispered. "Go ahead."
I walked to my drawer and pulled out a small duffel bag. Rowan leaned against the wall, watching every move I made, his eyes protective and softer than he probably meant them to be.
"You okay?" he asked quietly.
"No."
He gave a faint smile. "Honesty looks good on you."
I shoved a couple of shirts into the bag. "Do you think he's still outside?"
Rowan didn't hesitate. "Yes. He's not done for the night."
A shiver moved through me. "What does he even want?"
Rowan's jaw tightened. "Control. Fear. Leverage." He paused. "And something about you specifically. Elias isn't wrong."
I zipped the bag. Rowan pushed off the wall and came to stand behind me. For a moment he didn't speak. He didn't even move. He just watched me through the mirror ,his reflection dark, protective, almost too intense.
"You know what scares me most?" he said softly.
"What?"
"That he's looking at you with that kind of obsession." His voice dropped lower. "Because that means he won't stop."
I turned to him. "But you and Elias… you've dealt with people like him before, right?"
Rowan's eyes flickered. A shadow passed through them.
"Yes." His voice was a whisper. "But this one feels different."
Before I could ask why, Elias's voice called from the living room. "Time's up."
Rowan grabbed my bag. "Let's go."
We stepped out of the room and the apartment suddenly felt smaller, darker, tighter. Elias stood near the door with his hand on the handle, head tilted slightly like he was listening for something beyond the wood.
When he looked at me, his gaze softened barely. "Stay close."
Rowan shifted the bag to his shoulder. "If anyone's out there…."
"They won't get the chance," Elias said.
He opened the door.
The hallway was silent. Too silent. The kind that isn't peaceful just waiting.
Elias stepped out first, scanning left, then right. Rowan gently touched my back, guiding me forward. "Stay between us."
We moved in a tight formation Elias in front, me in the middle, Rowan behind. Every light flickering overhead made my heart jump. Every distant creak sounded suspicious.
When we reached the elevator, Elias stopped. "No."
Rowan frowned. "We're taking the stairs?"
"He could trap us in the elevator," Elias said. "Stairs only."
Rowan muttered, "You always pick the fun option," but he didn't argue.
We descended quickly. Elias moved silently but alertly, his hand near his pocket where I knew he kept something maybe a weapon, maybe something else. Rowan stayed close behind me, breathing steady, warm, grounding.
When we reached the ground floor, Elias paused at the stairwell door.
"Ready?" he asked me.
"No."
"Good," he said quietly. "Fear means you're paying attention."
He pushed the door open.
The lobby was dim ,one of the overhead lights flickering in and out. Outside the main glass doors, the parking lot stretched into darkness.
Elias's entire body went tense.
Rowan stepped closer to me. "What is it?"
Elias didn't answer. He took one slow step forward, eyes locked on something near the entrance. I tried to follow his gaze but saw nothing just the quiet night outside, the empty walkway, the shadows.
Rowan's voice lowered. "Elias?"
Elias lifted a hand, signaling us not to move.
My heart pounded so fast it hurt.
Then Rowan saw it too.
"Shit," he whispered.
A small piece of paper was stuck to the glass door. Just big enough for someone to notice. Just small enough to feel intentional.
Elias approached it cautiously, reading it without touching it.
His jaw clenched.
Rowan leaned toward me. "What does it say?"
Elias spoke without turning around.
"It says, 'Bring her back out.'"
My blood turned cold.
Rowan swore under his breath. "He was here minutes ago."
Elias nodded once. "He's close. Very close."
I whispered, "He knows we're leaving?"
"He knows everything," Elias said. "He wanted us to see this."
Rowan moved protectively in front of me. "What now?"
Elias finally turned, eyes sharp, voice lower, colder, more dangerous than I'd ever heard it.
"Now," he said, "we run before he circles back."
Rowan grabbed my hand.
Elias pulled the door open.
The cold night air hit us and somewhere in the dark, I swear I heard a footstep.