CHAPTER 30 — THE DOOR THAT SHOULDN'T BE OPEN
Campus nights had always been soft around the edges—distant laughter, glowing dorm windows, the rustle of trees. But tonight, everything felt sharper. Louder. The kind of quiet that made Lena's pulse thrum in her ears.
She and Elias made their way toward her apartment building, sticking to well-lit paths. The streetlamps flickered like they were struggling to stay awake. Lena kept close to him, every shadow seeming too long, too deliberate.
"Someone broke into the library," she whispered, replaying the messages in her mind. "Someone left that photograph on purpose."
Elias didn't answer right away. His jaw was tense, his stride purposeful. He was scanning everything—the bushes, the corners, the windows. Like he expected danger to step out at any second.
When they reached her building, something felt off immediately.
The front door was slightly open.
Not enough to look suspicious from the street.
Just enough that Lena felt ice slide through her chest.
"I—I locked that," she said, voice trembling.
Elias lifted a hand, gently pressing her back behind him.
"Stay here."
"No, I—"
"Lena." His voice was low but firm. "You're not going in alone."
He pushed the door wider with the back of his hand, as if expecting someone to be standing on the other side. The entryway lights were on, humming faintly. Nothing looked out of place—mailboxes, bulletin board, the usual flyers.
But it felt occupied.
Lena followed close behind, heart in her throat.
Every step toward her apartment felt like walking deeper into someone else's breath.
When they reached her door, both of them froze.
The lock was scratched.
Not forced.
Picked.
Elias turned to her. "Call campus security."
Lena fumbled with her phone, hands shaking too much to dial. Elias gently took it, doing it for her.
But as he held the phone to his ear, Lena noticed something else—something worse.
Her door was already cracked open.
Barely an inch.
Like someone had left in a hurry.
Or someone was still inside.
She whispered, "Elias…"
He saw it too.
He stepped in front of her, body tense, every muscle ready.
"Stay behind me," he said again, softer this time. "Please."
He pushed the door open.
The apartment was dark.
Silent.
Too silent.
Lena reached for the light switch, flicking it on.
Her living room was untouched—clean, orderly, the way she left it. But that only made her more anxious. She moved toward her desk.
And then she saw it.
A single object placed neatly on her pillow.
Her breath left her body.
It was a bracelet.
Thin, silver, woven with tiny beads.
Maya's bracelet.
The one Lena gave her three years ago.
The one Maya never took off.
No note.
No message.
No dramatic reveal.
Just the bracelet.
A ghost's calling card.
Elias turned slowly toward Lena, and in his eyes she saw it—fear, real fear, flickering beneath the protective determination.
"This means she's alive," Lena whispered.
Elias exhaled shakily. "It also means she was here. Recently."
Lena hugged her arms to herself as a cold realization settled over her:
Maya wasn't hiding because she was weak.
Maya wasn't gone because she had lost.
She was waiting.
Watching.
Choosing her moment.
And now she wanted Lena to know she was still in control.
Lena stepped closer to the bed, her voice barely audible.
"This is a warning."
"No," Elias said, pulling her gently away. "This is a message."
Lena met his eyes, her own wide with dread.
"It's not over."
But somewhere, deep inside her, under all the fear, something shifted. Something solid. Something stronger than she expected herself to feel.
She wasn't running anymore.
Not from her past.
Not from her guilt.
Not from Maya.
She turned to Elias, voice steady.
"Help me end this."
He didn't hesitate.
"I'm with you."
And for the first time since this began, Lena didn't feel hunted.
She felt ready.