𝐒𝐞𝐯𝐠𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐦 & 𝐇𝐚𝐲𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐦

Chapter 3

Erum closed her eyes, her pulse steadying as she became aware of his presence. She didn't need to see him to know where he stood.

Slowly, she turned her face toward the vast glass window that dominated her room, stretching across the wall and reaching halfway into the ceiling like a gateway to the night sky.
Yes.
It's him.
Always him.

He was there, watching her from the other side, as if the glass separating them was no barrier at all.

His gaze was piercing, unwavering. Erum pushed herself off the bed, the soft sheets falling away from her as she rose, her feet sinking into the thick carpet.

She moved slowly, deliberately, each step drawing her closer to the window. The room felt colder with each inch she closed between them.

When she was finally face-to-face with the glass, she was so close that the faint chill from its surface brushed against her skin. Only this fragile boundary stood between them now.

"Mark my words, Veilwalker," she whispered, her breath fogging the glass. Her voice was calm, but beneath it was a simmering threat. "The day I catch you," She let the words linger for a moment, savoring them. "I will burn down this veil that you hide behind. I will tie you to a chair so tightly you'll beg for air, but you know what?" A dark smile touched her lips. "That will just be the beginning. I will make you wish you'd never crossed me."

Veilwalker stepped forward, his silhouette coming into sharper focus under the dim light filtering in from the moonlit sky. He stood just a breath away from the window now, his form towering and still.

For a moment, there was nothing but silence, heavy and unbroken, as his hidden eyes held hers. Then, in a voice barely louder than a whisper, he spoke.

"I'll always be one step ahead, Sevgilim," he said, the last word curling off his tongue like a forbidden secret.

Before she could respond, he turned and, with a swiftness that seemed unnatural, disappeared into the waiting darkness, leaving behind only the faint echo of his words.

Erum stood frozen for a moment, staring at the spot where he had been.

Since the moment he had texted her 'sleep now', she couldn't sleep or even rest properly.

The noon passed, afternoon passed, night passed and it was midnight when she almost closed her eyelids until she had heard that whistle.

For a second, she thought that it was just a thought but soon she realized that he was literally there.

And the fact that she could hear that whistle and that her voice to reach the other side of the mirrored wall was because of the special technology installed in her room.

Burtuqal Architects did their work so well.

"We'll see," she murmured to herself, the edge of a promise in her voice. Her body ached with exhaustion. She'd had enough for one day.

The familiar warmth of her bed called to her, offering the comfort and peace that had eluded her since this game between them had begun.

With a final glance at the empty window, she turned and walked back to her bed, pulling the soft covers over her as she sank into the mattress. The day had drained her, but tomorrow would come soon enough, and with it, another battle.

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Mist curled into the air as Erum stepped out of the bathroom, fully dressed in crisp, formal attire. Her hair was neatly tucked beneath her hijab, exuding an air of quiet confidence.

As she moved out of her room, her pace slow and deliberate, faint sounds from outside the hallway caught her attention. Intrigued, she made her way toward the hall, her footsteps light and unhurried.