Veil of Darkness | Yan! Itachi x Reader |

Chapter 9

It was subtle at first, just little things that didn’t seem important until they began to pile up. Y/N had started to withdraw, but she hadn’t noticed it—how could she? She was too busy trying to keep her head above water, trying to shake the feeling of being watched every second of the day. Ever since that night with Itachi, the world felt heavier, like something was pressing down on her chest, suffocating her.

But her friends noticed.

At first, they had asked her if she was okay. Simple, harmless questions. Y/N brushed them off, telling them she was just stressed, overwhelmed with schoolwork, maybe not sleeping enough. It was easier than explaining what was really happening—because how could she even begin to explain Itachi’s hold over her? How could she tell them that every time she closed her eyes, his face was the only thing she could see?

She couldn’t. So she didn’t.

Days turned into weeks, and slowly, the questions stopped. Her friends began to drift away, one by one, their faces becoming distant blurs in the fog that had settled over her mind.

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It started with Sara.

Y/N had known Sara since her freshman year. They were study partners, had been through hell together during finals week more times than she could count. Sara was the kind of friend who would stay up all night helping Y/N with her assignments, who knew when something was wrong even before Y/N did. But lately, Sara had seemed... distant.

Y/N noticed it during one of their late-night study sessions at the library. Sara kept glancing at her, her brow furrowed, as if she was trying to figure something out.

“You’ve been different lately,” Sara said, breaking the silence between them. Her voice was careful, measured, like she didn’t want to scare Y/N off.

Y/N blinked, glancing up from her notes. “What do you mean?”

Sara shifted in her seat, her eyes searching Y/N’s face. “I don’t know... you’ve just seemed kind of... distracted? Like your mind’s somewhere else all the time.”

Y/N forced a laugh, trying to brush it off. “I’m just tired. School’s been a lot lately, you know?”

Sara didn’t look convinced. She leaned in a little closer, her voice dropping to a whisper. “Is it about that professor? The one you were telling me about?”

Y/N’s heart skipped a beat. She hadn’t mentioned Itachi to anyone except Sara, and even then, she had only given her the basics. She had told Sara about the strange feelings she’d had in class, about how Itachi always seemed to be watching her. But she hadn’t told her about that night on the path. About his confession.

Because deep down, Y/N knew how it would sound. Like madness. Like obsession. And maybe that’s what it was.

“I don’t want to talk about him,” Y/N said quickly, her pulse racing. She could feel the walls closing in around her, the familiar weight of anxiety pressing down on her chest.

Sara frowned, her eyes narrowing slightly. “Y/N, I’m worried about you. He’s not... he’s not doing anything weird, is he?”

Y/N shook her head, too fast, too defensive. “No, it’s not like that.”

Sara didn’t look convinced, but she dropped the subject, sensing that pushing Y/N any further would only make things worse. But from that moment on, Y/N could feel the distance growing between them, an invisible chasm that widened with every passing day.

And then one day, Sara was just... gone.

Y/N had gone to the library to meet her for their usual study session, but Sara wasn’t there. At first, she didn’t think much of it—maybe she was running late, or had gotten caught up with something. But then the hours passed, and Sara still didn’t show. Y/N sent her a text, but there was no response. Another hour passed. Still nothing.