Sleep didn't come easy.
When it did—it wasn't peaceful.
Lily was running.
Again.
Dark streets.
Cold air.
Footsteps echoing somewhere behind her.
Her heart pounded as she turned a corner—
And then—
Voices.
Angry.
Sharp.
Unfamiliar.
She stopped.
She didn't know why.
Something pulled her forward.
Slowly… carefully… she stepped closer.
A figure stood in the shadows.
Tall.
Still.
Familiar.
Her breath caught.
"No…"
Another man stood in front of him—nervous, shaking, backing away slightly. His voice trembled as he spoke, words rushed, desperate.
"I said I'll return it—just give me more time—"
The tall figure didn't move.
Didn't react.
Just watched.
And then—
Everything shifted.
The air.
The silence.
The tension.
Lily felt it before she understood it.
Danger.
She tried to step back.
But her foot scraped lightly against the ground.
A small sound.
Barely anything.
But it was enough.
The man turned.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
And his eyes met hers.
Lily jolted awake.
Her breath came fast, uneven. Her hands trembled as she sat up, the memory clinging to her like something real—too real.
"That wasn't just a dream…" she whispered.
The door opened.
She didn't even flinch this time.
"You remember," he said.
It wasn't a question.
Lily looked at him, her chest rising and falling rapidly.
"You…" her voice shook. "That night…"
He didn't deny it.
Didn't explain it.
Just watched her.
"You were there," she said. "I saw you."
A pause.
Then—
"Yes."
The confirmation hit harder than anything else.
"You—" she struggled to find the words. "That man—he was begging you—"
"He owed something he chose not to return," he said calmly.
Her stomach twisted.
"That doesn't mean—"
"It means he made a choice," he interrupted.
"And I made mine."
Lily stared at him, fear rising again—but this time, it was different.
Deeper.
Real.
"And I saw you," she whispered.
"Yes."
Silence filled the room.
"That's why…" her voice dropped. "That's why you took me."
His gaze didn't waver.
"You ran."
Her chest tightened.
"I was scared!"
"You disappeared," he continued, ignoring her words. "I looked for you."
A flicker of something crossed his expression—frustration, maybe even anger—but it vanished just as quickly.
"For days," he added quietly.
Lily's breath caught.
"You were… searching for me?"
"I don't leave things unfinished."
The words sent a chill down her spine.
"So I was just a problem to fix?" she asked bitterly.
A pause.
Then—
"No."
Her brows furrowed.
"You were a witness," he said.
"Then you became something else."
Her heart skipped.
"What does that mean?"
He stepped closer.
Slow.
Controlled.
"It means…"
A pause.
His eyes locked onto hers.
"…I could have let you go."
Her breath caught.
"But I didn't."
Silence.
Heavy.
Unavoidable.
"Why?" she whispered.
For the first time—
He didn't answer immediately.
"Because when I saw you…"
His voice lowered slightly.
"…you looked at me like you already knew me."
Her heart stuttered.
"And I realized…"
Another pause.
"…I didn't want you to forget."
Lily shook her head slowly.
"This isn't obsession," she said.
"This is madness."
A faint smile appeared.
"Maybe."
Her chest tightened again.
"You killed someone," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
His expression didn't change.
"And you still brought me here."
"Yes."
Fear and confusion twisted together inside her.
"I should hate you," she said.
"You probably do."
She hesitated.
And that hesitation—
Said everything.
Because deep down…
It wasn't that simple anymore.
"You scare me," she admitted.
"I know."
"And yet…"
She stopped herself.
His gaze sharpened slightly.
"And yet?"
She looked away.
"I don't understand why I can't just…"
Leave.
Hate you.
Forget you.
"…why this feels so complicated."
Silence.
Then—
"Because you saw me," he said quietly.
She frowned. "What does that mean?"
"Most people don't," he replied.
"They see fear. Power. Control."
A pause.
"You saw… me."
Her breath caught again.
"And now," he added, "you can't unsee it."
The room felt smaller.
Closer.
Heavier.
Lily stepped back slowly, her thoughts spinning.
This wasn't just about what she saw.
This wasn't just about that night.
It was something deeper.
Something darker.
Something pulling her in—whether she wanted it or not.
"I should run again," she whispered.
"You will," he said.
Her eyes snapped to his.
"But next time…"
He stepped back toward the door.
"…you'll know exactly what you're running from."
And somehow—
That made it worse.
Because now she did.
And yet…
She still wasn't sure if she wanted to escape him—
Or understand him.