The rain fell in thick sheets, drenching the streets with silver light. She wrapped her coat tighter around herself, moving quickly past the café where laughter spilled onto the sidewalk. She liked being invisible—quiet, unnoticed, safe.
Until him.
He was leaning against the brick wall, half-hidden in shadow, yet she felt his eyes before she saw his face. Cold. Piercing. Dangerous.
A slip on the wet pavement sent her sprawling. His hand shot out, catching her wrist just in time.
"Careful," he said, voice low, almost threatening.
Her pulse raced. She tried to pull away, but his grip held firm.
"You're… not like the others," he murmured, scanning her with an intensity that made her shiver.
She wanted to run, to disappear. But a strange pull held her in place—magnetic, dark, undeniable.
He released her hand, smirk curling at the corner of his lips. "I'll see you around," he said, vanishing into the night like a shadow claiming the city.
She didn't understand what had just happened, only that she couldn't stop thinking about him. Something told her… this was far from over.