Luna didn't move. Her eyes stayed fixed on the empty end of the hallway.
It was there. She knew it. She saw it.
"I'm not imagining this," she whispered.
Her heart was still racing, too fast, too loud.
"Ethan—"
Her voice came out weaker than she expected.
Footsteps. Fast.
Within seconds, Ethan appeared.
"What happened?" he asked sharply.
Luna turned to him immediately. "There was someone here."
His expression changed instantly. "Where?"
"There," she pointed toward the end of the hallway. "Just standing. Watching me."
Ethan didn't waste a second. He walked past her, straight down the hallway.
Luna followed, her steps slower, hesitant.
They reached the end. Nothing. Empty. Silent.
Ethan's eyes scanned everything—corners, windows, shadows.
"Did you see their face?" he asked.
Luna shook her head. "No… just a figure."
She paused. "But it felt like… the same one from my memory."
That made Ethan go still. Slowly, he turned to her.
"You're sure?"
"Yes."
Silence fell between them, heavy.
Ethan ran a hand through his hair, thinking too fast.
"Stay here," he said.
"No."
That stopped him.
"I'm not staying alone after that," Luna said firmly.
For a moment, they just looked at each other.
"Fine," Ethan said. "Stay close."
They checked the entire floor—every room, every corner. Nothing.
But the feeling didn't leave.
Back in the hallway, Luna wrapped her arms around herself slightly. "This doesn't make sense…"
Ethan looked at her carefully. "It does."
"What do you mean?"
Instead of answering, he asked, "Did anyone know where you were before this?"
Luna frowned. "No."
"No friends? No calls? No one you told?"
"No," she repeated. "Why?"
Ethan's expression hardened. "Because this wasn't random."
Her heart dropped. "You think someone came here… for me?"
"I don't think," he said quietly. "I know."
Silence followed—the kind that makes everything worse.
Luna felt that cold fear creeping in again. "This is insane…"
Ethan stepped closer. "Listen to me. If you see anything again—anything—you don't go alone. You call me."
"You think I'd go alone after this?" she said nervously. But Ethan didn't smile. "I'm serious, Luna."
Something in his tone made her pause. He wasn't just concerned—he was worried.
"Do you know who it is?" she asked.
A long pause.
"Yes."
Her breath caught. "What?"
But Ethan shook his head. "Not yet."
"That doesn't make sense—"
"I said not yet."
His tone cut through her words, and just like that, the wall was back.
Luna stepped back slightly, frustrated. "You keep doing this. Hiding things. Controlling everything."
"And you keep getting closer to something dangerous," he replied.
That hit differently.
"Then tell me!" she snapped. "If I'm in danger, I deserve to know why!"
Ethan went silent. For a moment, it looked like he might actually tell her.
But then— "Not tonight."
Luna laughed softly, without humor. "Of course. Always 'not now', 'not yet'…"
She turned away. "I'm not a child, Ethan."
"I know," he said quietly.
"Then stop treating me like one."
Silence again. This time, he didn't argue.
A few seconds later, Luna felt something unexpected—warmth.
She looked down. Ethan had taken her hand, firm and steady.
"I'm not doing this to control you," he said, his voice softer now. "I'm doing this to keep you safe."
Her heart skipped. For a second, everything else faded—the fear, the anger, the confusion. Just that moment.
"Then stop pushing me away," she whispered.
Ethan didn't respond, but he didn't let go either.
Because the truth was, the danger wasn't coming. It was already here.
And whoever that shadow was… they hadn't just found Luna.
They had been waiting for her.