Chapter 2: The Girl Who Knew His Name
Aiden didn't sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, the words burned behind his eyelids—
I see you.
Morning came too quickly, dragging reality with it. He stood in front of the mirror, water dripping from his hair, trying to recognize the person staring back. There were shadows under his eyes now. He looked… hunted.
At the university, the corridors felt narrower than before. Voices blurred into whispers. Laughter sounded like mockery. He kept glancing over his shoulder, half-expecting to see her.
But she was nowhere.
He found her name by accident.
A notice board near the library listed students selected for a special academic program. He scanned it without interest—until one name made his breath hitch.
Lilith Holloway..
The memory of those eyes struck him instantly.
So she's real, he thought.
As he turned away, a voice slid into his thoughts like a blade.
My name.
He turned sharply.
She stood there,Looking for me, Aiden ?"
She stood there, arms folded, lips curved into that same unreadable smile. Up close, she was worse—beautiful in a way that made his instincts scream danger. Her presence felt deliberate, as if she had stepped into his life with intention.
"How do you know my name?" he asked.
She tilted her head. "You don't ask easy questions."
"You left this," Aiden said, holding out the note.
She didn't take it.
"I wanted you to find it."
They sat across from each other in the quiet corner of the library. Dusty sunlight fell between them, like a fragile truce. Aiden noticed the scar on her wrist—thin, pale, deliberate.
"You're not like the others," Lilith said suddenly.
"Neither are you," he replied before thinking.
Her smile faded. For a moment, something dark flickered in her eyes—pain, maybe. Or satisfaction.
"This place," she whispered, "it changes people."
Aiden laughed bitterly. "I've been here two days.""I've been here two days."
"And you're already losing sleep," she said softly.
His silence was answer enough.
Before leaving, Ishara leaned closer, her voice low and steady.
"Be careful, Aiden . Some doors don't open unless you're ready to bleed."
Then she walked away.
That evening, Aiden found a message waiting on his phone.
Unknown Number:
You shouldn't trust me.
But you will.
His heart pounded.
Fate hadn't just changed his life.
It had learned his weakness—and given it a name.