After that strange day, Henry started talking to Christ more than he ever did before.
First it was just small things — asking if she did the homework, checking if she reached school safely, waiting for her outside class. Soon people started noticing it.
By the end of two weeks, everyone already whispered the same thing:
Henry and Christ… were becoming good friends.
They walked together sometimes, laughed at silly things, shared snacks, and Christ actually looked… happy. Happier than she had looked in months.
Everyone saw it.
Everyone except Lily — Christ's best friend.
Lily didn't hide her irritation at all.
She narrowed her eyes every time she saw Henry near Christ.
She made suspicious faces.
She even muttered, "What's he planning now?"
Christ ignored her. Lily always acted dramatic whenever Henry was anywhere around. They weren't enemies, but Lily had her own history with him — she had been kicked from the football team because of a misunderstanding involving him. She never forgave him.
So naturally, she wasn't thrilled.
One month later…
Christ was completely exhausted after the school's basketball match. She had played for the whole 40 minutes without rest, and her legs felt like noodles. Lily, who was cheering the whole time, was sweating more than the actual players.
"Water…" Lily said, half-dead.
"Same…" Christ whispered, leaning against the wall.
Someone approached.
A bottle appeared in front of Christ's face.
It was Henry.
"You both look like you're about to faint," he said with a small grin. "Here, drink."
Christ smiled softly and took the bottle. "Thanks."
Lily took hers too but the moment she realized who gave it — she spit the water out dramatically like she just drank poison.
Henry raised an eyebrow.
Christ nearly choked from laughing.
Lily wiped her mouth, glaring. "I'm fine. Didn't need your water."
Henry shrugged like he was used to Lily's behavior by now.
But Christ… she was genuinely grateful. After all, they were friends now.
Most people in school now believed that everything was okay, that Christ was fine, that the monster was a one-time nightmare.
But Christ knew better.
That presence…
That cold eyes-on-her feeling…
It never left.
She just learned how to ignore it.
That evening, Henry invited almost the whole class to a party at his house. His family was rich — everyone knew their mansion was huge, with lights everywhere, a backyard pool, and music that could be heard from a street away.
Lily didn't want to go at all.
"I'm not stepping into that rich boy's house," she declared.
But Christ insisted. "Just come with me, please. I don't want to be alone today."
Lily, after three minutes of complaining, finally sighed.
"Fine. But if Henry even breaths weird, I'm leaving."
And they went.
The party was loud, bright, and crowded.
Music shook the floor, lights flashed across the walls, and people danced everywhere like they had no problems in life.
Christ and Lily entered the main hall.
Henry greeted them with a wave.
"Christ! You made it," he said with a cheerful smile.
"Yeah," she smiled back. "Lily too."
Lily crossed her arms. "Don't get too excited."
Henry laughed softly and left to serve drinks to other guests.
The party was actually fun.
Lily danced with her friends, Christ ate too many cookies, and everyone looked relaxed.
But the whole time, Christ felt something bothering her.
A chill across her neck…
A tingling in her spine…
She tried to ignore it.
Until she saw him.
A figure standing near the back corner of the hall.
Tall.
Completely dressed in black.
Wearing a long dark cloak that blended into the shadows.
A mask covering his entire face — no eyes, no mouth, nothing but black.
And he wasn't dancing.
He wasn't talking.
He was staring at her.
Just her.
Only her.
Christ stopped moving. The music faded into the background. Her breath tightened in her chest.
Why… why is he looking at me?
She blinked once —
he still stared.
She looked away for a second —
looked back —
and he hadn't moved an inch.
Her stomach twisted.
A cold wave shot down her spine.
"Lily…" she whispered, tapping her friend's arm. "Do you see that guy?"
Lily turned, scanned the crowd.
"Which one?"
"Over there… the one in the black cloak—"
But when Christ pointed again…
He was gone.
Just disappeared into the crowd like he had never been there at all.
Christ stepped back, heart pounding.
She searched the crowd — nothing.
She checked the doorway — nothing.
She looked at the stairs — empty.
She scanned the hall again — no black cloak. No mask.
As if he vanished into thin air.
Lily frowned. "You okay? You look sick."
Christ swallowed.
"Someone was watching me."
Lily sighed. "Christ, you've been stressed since that night. Maybe you're just—"
"No."
Christ shook her head.
"I know what I saw. And someone was staring at me… the whole time."
The music echoed around her, but all Christ could hear was her own heartbeat.
She suddenly felt it again.
The presence.
Cold. Heavy.
Like someone's gaze pressing against her back.
She turned around slowly.
And on the second-floor balcony — above all the dancing people —
The masked figure stood again.
Staring directly at her.
Unmoving.
Unblinking.
Like he had been waiting for her to look.
Christ froze in the middle of the party.
Because she knew…
This was the same presence she felt a month ago.
The same presence that watched her every night.
And now—
it was here.
Inside Henry's house.