The Silent Vigilante

The Manipulator

Sat alone in my art class, sketching idly on a piece of paper. I had been ignoring my girl, Sophie, for a month, and I knew she would eventually come to find me. As if on cue, the door to the classroom creaked open and Sophie walked in, looking worried and anxious.
"Why are you here?",not looking up from the sketch, small smile tugged at the corners of my mouth."I wanted to talk to you," Sophie said, her voice soft and shaking. She approached me cautiously, as if walking on eggshells. "You haven't been returning my calls or texts. I was worried". "Worried? About me?" I chuckled, setting my sketchbook aside. "I'm fine. Why would you worry about me?"
Sophie fidgeted with the hem of her shirt, clearly uncomfortable under his intense gaze. "You've been ignoring me for a whole month. I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she said, her voice small and timid. My smirk widened into a predatory grin. "Oh, I'm more than okay," standing up and approaching her. I towered over her slender frame, boxing her in against the wall. "In fact, I've been enjoying the peace and quiet."
Sophie's eyes widened, and she swallowed hard. She tried to take a step back, but I placed a hand on the wall by her head, effectively trapping her. "You didn't really think I would want to talk to you, did you?", leaning down to whisper in her ear. Sophie shivered at my tone, feeling a chill run down her spine. "I...I just wanted to make sure you were okay," she repeated, her voice barely above a whisper. "I care about you, Mikhail." I chuckled darkly, "Care about me?",  mocking her. "You don't know me at all, sweetheart. You're just a naive little girl, playing pretend adult." Sophie's eyes filled with tears, but she tried to keep her voice steady. "That's not true," she protested. "I know you, Mikhail. We've been together for over a year."  "A year wasted and what do you really know about me, Sophie? Do you know about my family? My past? My thoughts and desires?" Sophie shook her head weakly. "You never talk about yourself," she admitted, her voice cracking. "But I thought you loved me."
  I softened my gaze slightly. "Oh, sweetheart, don’t cry," lifting my hand to wipe away a tear on her cheek. "You know I love you, right?" Sophie's heart skipped a beat at my words. She desperately wanted to believe me, even though a small voice in the back of her mind was warning her to be careful. "Y-you do?" she asked shakily. Sophie's eyes widened at his words, and she felt a flicker of hope in her chest. She wanted so badly to believe me, to feel my arms around her and know that I truly cared. "Then why have you been ignoring me?" she asked, her voice soft and vulnerable.
"I've just been busy with work and other things," avoiding her gaze. "But it's been a month", she spoke up with her trembling voice. "You really don't understand, do you? You're needy and clingy, always hanging onto me like a damn leech. Do you really think I want to be around someone like that all the time?" Sophie's eyes filled with tears at my harsh words. "I...I didn't realize I was such a burden," she said, her voice shaking. "I just wanted to be close to you. I thought you cared about me." "Cared about you?", mocking her"Why would I care about someone who's so weak and insecure? You're always questioning yourself, always seeking validation from me. It's exhausting." Tears streamed down her face, but she tried to hold back the sobs that threatened to escape. "I'm sorry," she whispered, feeling small and insignificant under his gaze. "I'll...I'll try to be better. I promise." I took a step closer and gently wiped away her tears. "Shhh, don't cry. You know I don't like seeing you upset."
"Then why do you say such hurtful things?" she asked quietly with her sobbing. "I don't mean to be cruel", stroking her hair. "I just get frustrated when you don't understand that I need my space. You're suffocating me, Sophie. I need room to breathe, room to think." Sophie nodded, feeling guilty for her clinginess. "But...I just miss you," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.
"I just get tired of always having to reassure you. You need to learn to stand on your own. I can't always be there to hold your hand and tell you everything is going to be okay". "I'll try to be better....," she said, her voice muffled against my chest. "Good and stop crying like an idiot" patting her head. Sophie nodded and left the room. I watched Sophie walked away, her petite frame shaking with suppressed sobs. I couldn't help but feel a sense of satisfaction, knowing that I had successfully manipulated her once again. She was so gullible, so easily fooled by my false displays of affection and feigned concern. It was almost too easy to play with her emotions, to keep her dancing on the string while I pulled the strings from behind the curtain.

(Phone rings) Kei: "Mikhail, I need to talk to you urgently. Meet me in the park near the university in 15 minutes."
Mikhail: "What's going on? This better be important."
Kei: "It is. Just hurry."