The golden sun rose over the quiet Saturday morning, dew drops coating the colorful petals of the flowers in the front yard.
Adrian's eyes blinked open, his mind still foggy from exhaustion. He turned in his bed, snuggling into his pillow.
Or was this really his pillow? He didn't remember it being so... soft.
Adrian fully opened his eyes and looked up to see Natalie shifting in her sleep, seemingly on the verge of waking up. His head was resting comfortably on her lap.
The pieces clicked together, and yesterday's events came rushing back to him.
Adrian sat up on the couch and stared at her for a moment.
Hope I don't have to take you up on that promise.
He quickly made his way up the stairs towards the bathroom to begin his daily routine.
Adrian walked into the bathroom and went straight to the sink. He turned on the tap and splashed cold water over his face a couple of times.
He stared at his reflection in the mirror for a few seconds before turning away. He grabbed a towel from the rack and wiped his face.
As he stretched to put it back, he noticed something.
There was a stain on the perfectly white towel.
And it was red.
His gaze snapped towards the mirror.
A steady stream of blood was trickling from his nose.
Then came the pain.
A dull ache throbbed through his skull, and his vision blurred as dizziness washed over him. His hands gripped the edge of the sink to keep himself steady while blood dripped from his nose, dyeing the clear water crimson.
His breathing grew ragged and heavy. His heart pounded as pain coursed through his head, panic flooding his mind.
And then...
Nothing.
The pain vanished in an instant.
His breathing gradually steadied, and his grip on the sink loosened as he stared at his reflection once more.
A trail of blood ran from his nose to his chin. His face was pale as a sheet, and sweat trickled down his forehead.
What the FUCK was that?!
He swallowed, then washed the blood from his face.
A sharp knock echoed against the bathroom door.
"Adrian, are you in there?" Amaya called out from behind the door.
"Gimme a sec," Adrian replied, trying to calm his racing heart. He took a deep breath before opening the door.
Natalie stood behind it with a wry smile on her face.
"Morning," Adrian greeted, trying his best to hide what had just happened.
"Uh, good morning," Natalie responded, slightly avoiding eye contact.
"So, did you sleep well?" she asked, with a bit of worry in her tone, as though his response mattered more than it should.
"How couldn't I when I had such a soft pillow?" Adrian replied with his trademark grin.
Natalie blushed slightly and jabbed his shoulder.
"Idiot, don't say that."
Despite her little outburst, she let out a sigh of relief as her smile returned to normal.
Adrian stepped into the hallway.
"Anyway, I'm going back to my place to get a couple of clothes to wear. I'll be back in a bit."
He started making his way towards the staircase.
"Okay then, see you soon," Natalie replied.
Adrian walked down the stairs into the living room, where he could hear someone moving around in the kitchen.
Sure enough, he walked in on Nicole already preparing breakfast for everyone. She spotted Adrian out of the corner of her eye.
"Oh, Adrian, are you going somewhere?" she asked, whisking a bunch of eggs in a bowl.
"I was just about to go get some clothes from my apartment," Adrian replied.
"Well, just make sure you come back in time for breakfast."
"Wouldn't miss it for the world," Adrian said, walking out of the kitchen and picking up his motorcycle keys.
A few minutes later, he was out on the road, deciding to drive slowly and calmly this time rather than blitz his way there. The strange event in the bathroom remained stuck in the back of his mind.
It shouldn't be too serious. I mean, people experience sudden headaches all the time.
He tried to reason with himself.
But not nosebleeds.
He was conflicted about whether to open up about it or not.
If it happens again, I'll come clean. Until then, it could just be a coincidence.
He took a deep breath and continued riding towards his apartment.
He soon arrived, making his way up the stairs towards his room. The grey walls along the way felt lifeless and empty, a stark contrast to the warmth of Natalie's home.
Coming back here, he couldn't help but notice how much darker the place felt.
Focus. You still have a weekend to spend. Don't waste it with useless thoughts.
He sighed under his breath and pulled out his key to unlock the door.
To his surprise, the door swung open without resistance.
...The lock was broken.
His mind raced through endless possibilities before he rushed into the room, expecting the place to be ransacked.
Except it wasn't.
Everything was just as he had left it. The unmade bed, the money left in his drawer... Apart from the broken lock, everything was exactly as he had left it.
If someone broke into your place, didn't steal anything and just left, then what did they come for?
They could've taken the money, or at least messed the place up. So what exactly were they looking for?
And then it clicked. He wasn't home last night.
They came for me.
The thought seemed like something from a horror movie, but it was the only one that made sense.
What would've happened if he had refused Nicole's invitation to stay over for the night?
The thought made cold sweat run down his back.
If someone really broke in looking for me, then there's no way in hell I'm staying here.
Luckily, I have a spare lock.
He quickly packed the clothes he needed and hurried out. He kept looking left and right the entire way, watching for anyone who might be following him, remaining on high alert for even the slightest sign of suspicion.
Except all his efforts were worthless, because...
Back at the apartment, Adrian's bedroom door creaked slightly, swinging open as though the lock had never been there in the first place.
A hand stretched out from behind the frame, its long fingers ending in sharp claws. They tightened around the doorframe, cracking the wall beneath their grip.
...The culprit had never left.