TORN BY ECSTASY BY Vail blackRose

Chapter 10

Zara

It's morning. I offered my Fajr prayers, and as I got ready to face the day, a familiar heaviness settled into my chest. I headed to the mess hall for breakfast, but the fear of stepping outside lingered like a shadow.

Should I take another day off? I've already been absent from university and my internship for too long. One more day, and I'll probably get fired from both. But then he—the thought of him—crept into my mind. I could feel his presence everywhere, even when I was safe inside my room.

It made me feel ridiculous, like I was letting my imagination run wild. I had already applied to change rooms in the dormitory, and now I'm sure I seem foolish. Everyone wants the window rooms. They're a privilege, a rare spot of sunlight and fresh air. But to me, that window had become a source of terror.

What if he came through the window?

My psycho mind, I groaned inwardly. Too many stupid books have twisted my thoughts into worst-case scenarios. I was on the fourth floor for God's sake, and here I was imagining some Spiderman-like stalker scaling the walls.

Wait... what? I shook my head.

My brain is not "braining" today.

I forced myself to focus on the food in front of me, pushing the ridiculous thoughts away. No more Spider-Mans or Venoms lurking around my life. Even though, come to think of it, he did seem more like Venom—always in the shadows, never showing his face, and always acting like I was hiding something that was his right to see.

Astaghfirullah, ya Rabbi, I muttered under my breath, pushing the plate aside.

I gave up on breakfast and returned to my room. I needed to focus. Work would distract me. Mr. Holloway had sent me some online drafts to review. It was better to bury myself in that than in my spiraling thoughts.

Two hours passed, and I was finally starting to feel calm when my phone buzzed. A call from reception.

"You have a parcel waiting for you."

My heart sank.

No. No, no, no. Please, not again.

With hesitant steps, I made my way downstairs, and there it was—a small black box, tied with a red ribbon. My hands shook as I picked it up. Smaller than the last one, but still the same sleek black.

I took it back to my room, setting it carefully on the bed like it might explode. I stared at it, hoping it would turn into Aladdin's lamp, and some helpful genie would pop out to save me from whatever was happening.

Just open it already.

I did, and the contents inside hit me like a punch to the gut.

Oh. My. God.

Sitting inside, perfectly placed, was a first edition of Ulysses. The sheer rarity of it made me gasp. This wasn't just a book—it was a treasure. Something you'd expect to find in a collector's vault, not delivered to a university student's dorm room.

How did he even— No. I couldn't think about that. This must have cost a fortune—probably the equivalent of selling a kidney on the black market.

My fingers grazed the cover, and two notes fell from the box, landing softly on the floor.

The first was written in elegant silver ink, the words sharp and precise:

"Why always books?"

The second was more direct, more unsettling:

"Resume your university and job... otherwise, you will lose it... and I will have to sit at your dormitory door to stalk you."

What the—