Gets Even Darker

The room should have felt safer after the shadow disappeared.

It didn’t.

⸻

Cristina was still on the floor, her back pressed against the cold surface behind her, her breathing uneven, her pulse refusing to calm down.

But it wasn’t because of what had come through the door.

⸻

It was because of who was still in the room.

⸻

Leo Davis.

⸻

Standing there like he had every right to be.

⸻

Watching her.

⸻

Not like a stranger.

Not like a savior.

⸻

Like something that had already decided she belonged to him.

⸻

Cristina (quiet, shaken):

“You need to leave.”

⸻

The words came out weaker than she intended.

⸻

Leo didn’t move.

⸻

Leo:

“No.”

⸻

A simple answer.

Calm.

Final.

⸻

Her fingers curled slightly against the floor.

⸻

Cristina:

“You broke into my apartment.”

⸻

Leo:

“You were in danger.”

⸻

Cristina:

“That doesn’t give you the right—”

⸻

Leo (cutting in):

“It does.”

⸻

Silence hit the room again.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

⸻

Cristina forced herself to stand up, even though her legs still felt unstable.

She needed distance.

Space.

Something.

⸻

She took a step back.

He took one forward.

⸻

Her breath caught.

⸻

Cristina:

“Stop doing that.”

⸻

Leo:

“Doing what?”

⸻

Cristina:

“Closing the distance like I don’t have a choice.”

⸻

A faint shift in his expression.

Almost amusement.

⸻

Leo:

“You don’t.”

⸻

Her chest tightened.

⸻

Cristina:

“I do.”

⸻

She moved again—this time toward the side of the room, trying to create space between them.

⸻

He didn’t follow immediately.

But his eyes never left her.

⸻

Tracking.

Measuring.

⸻

Leo:

“Then try.”

⸻

Something about the way he said it—

Not challenging.

Not mocking.

⸻

Certain.

⸻

It made her stomach twist.

⸻

Cristina:

“I don’t even know who you are.”

⸻

Leo:

“You know enough.”

⸻

Cristina:

“I know you’re in my dreams.”

⸻

Leo:

“Yes.”

⸻

Cristina:

“I know you knew about my visions.”

⸻

Leo:

“Yes.”

⸻

Cristina:

“And I know something came for me—and you weren’t surprised.”

⸻

He didn’t answer this time.

⸻

That silence said more than words.

⸻

Cristina swallowed hard.

⸻

Cristina:

“…How long have you been watching me?”

⸻

A pause.

⸻

Then—

⸻

Leo (quietly):

“Long enough to know when you stopped locking your windows properly.”

⸻

Her entire body went still.

⸻

Cristina:

“…What?”

⸻

He stepped closer again.

Slow.

Controlled.

⸻

Leo:

“You forget things when you’re distracted.”

⸻

Her heart started racing again.

⸻

Cristina:

“You’ve been in my house before.”

⸻

It wasn’t a question.

⸻

He didn’t deny it.

⸻

Leo:

“Yes.”

⸻

Her breath hitched.

⸻

Cristina:

“That’s not normal.”

⸻

Leo:

“Neither are your dreams.”

⸻

That shut her up.

⸻

Because he was right.

⸻

But that didn’t make this okay.

⸻

Cristina:

“You don’t get to just walk into my life like this.”

⸻

Leo:

“I didn’t walk in.”

⸻

A step closer.

⸻

Leo:

“I’ve always been here.”

⸻

Her back hit the wall.

⸻

She hadn’t even realized she’d been retreating.

⸻

Now there was nowhere left to go.

⸻

Her breathing became uneven again.

⸻

Cristina:

“That doesn’t make sense.”

⸻

Leo:

“It will.”

⸻

His hand lifted slowly.

⸻

She tensed instantly.

⸻

But he didn’t grab her this time.

⸻

He placed his palm against the wall beside her head instead.

Trapping her in place without touching her.

⸻

Close.

Too close.

⸻

Cristina (whispers):

“You’re doing it again.”

⸻

Leo:

“Keeping you where I can see you?”

⸻

Her pulse spiked.

⸻

Cristina:

“No… controlling me.”

⸻

A pause.

⸻

Then—

⸻

Leo (low, steady):

“Protecting you.”

⸻

Cristina:

“That thing—what was it?”

⸻

His jaw tightened slightly.

⸻

Leo:

“Something that followed your ability.”

⸻

Her chest tightened.

⸻

Cristina:

“My… ability?”

⸻

Leo:

“You see the future.”

⸻

Cristina:

“I see fragments.”

⸻

Leo:

“That’s enough.”

⸻

Silence stretched.

⸻

Cristina:

“Enough for what?”

⸻

His gaze darkened slightly.

⸻

Leo:

“To make you valuable.”

⸻

That word hit wrong.

⸻

Valuable.

Not safe.

Not special.

⸻

Something to be used.

⸻

Her stomach twisted.

⸻

Cristina:

“By who?”

⸻

His eyes didn’t leave hers.

⸻

Leo:

“People worse than me.”

⸻

Her breath caught.

⸻

Cristina:

“…That’s not reassuring.”

⸻

A faint shift in his expression again.

Not quite a smile.

But something close.

⸻

Leo:

“It’s not supposed to be.”

⸻

Her mind was spinning now.

Too many things.

Too fast.

⸻

Cristina:

“Then why are you here?”

⸻

A pause.

Longer this time.

⸻

Then—

⸻

Leo:

“Because they’re getting closer.”

⸻

Her heart dropped.

⸻

Cristina:

“…They?”

⸻

Before he could answer—

⸻

Her vision snapped.

⸻

Sudden.

Violent.

⸻

A flash—

⸻

A man smiling.

Warm eyes.

Safe.

⸻

Then—

Blood.

⸻

A knife.

⸻

His body collapsing.

⸻

And behind him—

⸻

Leo.

Watching.

⸻

Unmoving.

⸻

Cristina gasped sharply.

⸻

Her knees almost gave out again.

⸻

Leo:

“What did you see?”

⸻

Her breathing became erratic.

⸻

Cristina:

“…Someone is going to die.”

⸻

Silence.

⸻

Leo:

“Who?”

⸻

She looked up at him.

Her eyes filled with something new.

Not just fear.

⸻

Confusion.

⸻

Cristina (shaky):

“I don’t know him yet…”

⸻

A pause.

⸻

Cristina:

“But I will.”

⸻

Her voice dropped slightly.

⸻

Cristina:

“And when I do…”

⸻

Her chest tightened.

⸻

Cristina:

“…you’ll be there too.”

⸻

For the first time—

Leo didn’t respond immediately.

⸻

His expression didn’t change much.

But something in his eyes did.

⸻

Something darker.

⸻

More dangerous.

⸻

Leo (quietly):

“Then stay away from him.”

⸻

Her breath caught.

⸻

Cristina:

“You’re already deciding that?”

⸻

Leo:

“Yes.”

⸻

No hesitation.

⸻

Her heart pounded again.

⸻

Cristina:

“What if I don’t listen?”

⸻

A step closer.

Now barely inches between them.

⸻

His voice dropped.

⸻

Leo:

“You will.”

⸻

Her pulse spiked.

⸻

Cristina:

“And if I don’t?”

⸻

Silence.

⸻

Then—

⸻

Leo (low, controlled):

“I’ll make sure you regret it.”

⸻

⸻

The words settled heavily between them.

⸻

Not loud.

Not threatening in tone.

⸻

But absolute.

⸻

Cristina realized something in that moment—

⸻

The shadow wasn’t the real danger.

⸻

The visions weren’t the real danger.

⸻

Even the unknown people hunting her—

⸻

Not the worst part.

⸻

The worst part was standing right in front of her.

⸻

Calm.

Patient.

⸻

Already inside her life.

⸻

And not planning to leave.

⸻

⸻

The End of Chapter 3

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