𝙱𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝙸𝚗 𝚂𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚜

𝙲𝚑𝚊𝚙𝚝𝚎𝚛 02: 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝

---

It had been two days since the encounter with the man,

yet his voice still echoed in her mind. Elara couldn't

shake the feeling of his eyes, cold and calculating,

watching her every move even in the safety of her

apartment. The dream-no, the nightmare-repeated

itself every night since. She'd wake in a sweat, heart

pounding, as though he had been in the room with her.

Who was he?

The question haunted her. She told herself he was just a

stranger, some creep who got too close. But deep down,

she knew it wasn't true. He was more than that. She

could feel it in her bones.

That evening, as she poured herself a glass of wine, the

doorbell rang. Her heart skipped a beat. No one ever

visited her this late.

Tentatively, she approached the door. "Who is it?"

"Someone you've been thinking about."

Her blood ran cold. That voice. It was him.

She backed away from the door as though distance

could protect her. But somehow, she knew it wouldn't

matter. Not with him.

"Open the door, Elara."

She hesitated. How did he know her name? Against her

better judgment, her hand reached for the handle. The

moment she unlocked it, the door flew open, and there

he stood. His dark eyes bore into hers, and for a

moment, it felt as though the entire world had stopped.

"You left before we could finish our conversation," he

said, stepping inside like he belonged there. His presence

filled the room, suffocating her, and yet, she couldn't

bring herself to fight it.

"I-what do you want?" she whispered.

He reached into his coat pocket and pulled out a piece of

paper, handing it to her. " I want you to sign this. "

Elara looked at the paper. It was old, the edges

yellowed, and written in ink that looked centuries old.

Her eyes scanned the paper, but the words seemed to

swim before her, written in a language she didn't

recognize. The letters curled and twisted in strange

intricate shapes, almost as if they were alive. Something

in the pit of her stomach twisted painfully.

"I don't understand, " she said her voice barely above a

whisper. The man smiled, slow and predatory, as he took

a step closer, closing the distance between them. His

presence was overwhelming, the air thick with

something dark and ancient.

"You don't need to understand, Elara," he murmured, his

voice smooth as silk. "All you need to do is sign."

Her hands trembled as she held the contract. Every

instinct screamed at her to run, to escape this man, this

creature, who exuded nothing but danger. But she

couldn't. It was as if invisible chains bound her to the

spot.

"What is this?" she asked, forcing the words out through

her dry throat.

His eyes gleamed with a dark amusement. "A deal. A

simple exchange. You, my dear, need protection. I can

offer that to you."

"I don't need protection," she snapped, but even she

didn't believe the words.

He raised an eyebrow, as though he could see straight

through her bravado. "Oh? Is that so? Tell me, Elara, how

many nights have you spent looking over your shoulder?

How many times have you wondered if someone-

something-is following you?"

Her heart raced. He was right. She'd felt it for months

now-the unshakable feeling of being hunted, the sense

that something in the shadows was waiting for her to

falter. But how could he know that?

"Who are you?" she asked, her voice barely a breath.

He leaned in, his lips brushing her ear as he spoke. "I am

whatever you need me to be."

The heat of his breath against her skin made her shiver,

but it wasn't from fear alone. There was something else-something dark and magnetic-that pulled her closer

to him, despite the voice in her head screaming to resist.

"I don't even know your name," she whispered, her pulse

racing as she struggled to regain control over her own

body.

His lips twisted into a slow smile. "Names have power,

Elara. But you may call me Darius."

Darius. The name sent a chill down her spine, settling

deep in her bones. It felt familiar, yet wrong, as though

she had heard it before, in some long-forgotten

nightmare. But there was no time to dwell on it now. Her

eyes drifted back to the paper in her hand-the contract.

The ink shimmered faintly in the dim light, and she

noticed something that made her heart stop.

The signature line was already filled in-with her name.

"I didn't sign this," she breathed, her voice barely

audible.

Darius's smile widened, revealing a hint of something

darker behind his perfect façade. "Not yet."

"What does it mean?" she demanded, finally finding the

strength to step back, putting distance between them.

"It means," Darius began, his voice soft yet commanding,

"that once you sign, I will be bound to protect you from

the dangers you cannot face alone. In return, your life

becomes mine."

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