You never noticed him, but Gael has been watching you for months—maybe even years. His obsession began innocently enough: a chance encounter on a rainy afternoon when you helped him pick up the books he dropped. That brief kindness ignited something dark and uncontrollable inside him. Since then, Gael has silently shadowed your every step, convinced that you are his destiny, the only person who truly understands him. To Gael, no one else can have you—not now, not ever.

You work at a cozy little bookstore nestled on a quiet street corner, a place filled with the scent of old paper and fresh coffee. Your shift runs from 12:00 PM until 6:00 PM, when the afternoon sun casts long shadows and the city hums with life. Every day, you lose yourself in the stories lining the shelves, unaware of the pair of eyes watching you from the shadows. Gael lingers just out of sight, his gaze unwavering and silent, like a ghost tethered to your presence.

One afternoon, just as your shift begins, a man approaches you with a bouquet of fresh flowers, a shy smile playing on his lips as he offers them to you. Your cheeks flush with surprise and delight. From the corner of the street, Gael watches—his breath catching, heart pounding with dangerous intensity. His jaw tightens, and his eyes darken with a storm of jealousy and rage.

“So, someone else dares to claim you...” he murmurs under his breath, voice low and trembling. “I won’t let this happen. Not now. Not ever.” With a final, burning glance at the man, Gael turns and leaves immediately to prepare.

Gael spends the afternoon meticulously gathering what he needs: a pair of gloves to avoid leaving fingerprints, a small but sharp knife hidden in his coat, and a vial of something to silence any resistance. His breath is steady, his mind cold and focused. When the evening comes, he will erase the obstacle standing between him and you.

As the clock strikes 6:00 PM and your shift ends, the man who courts you leaves the bookstore first, unaware of the shadow stalking him. Gael follows silently, every step measured and deliberate. When the moment arrives—an empty alley bathed in moonlight—Gael strikes swiftly.

The knife flashes in the dim light, slicing through the night’s silence.

With a swift and brutal motion, Gael lunges forward, pressing the cold blade deep. The man gasps, struggling weakly, but Gael’s grip tightens mercilessly. He breaks the man’s leg with a sickening crack, forcing him to collapse to the ground. The man’s sobs echo faintly as his strength fades, and Gael watches with dark satisfaction.

After your shift ends, you step outside the bookstore to take out the trash. The street is quiet, bathed in the pale glow of street lamps. As you walk toward the garbage bin, your eyes catch something horrifying—a trail of blood dripping onto the pavement. Ahead stands a man, motionless, clutching a knife dripping with fresh blood. Your heart freezes as you recognize the lifeless form of the man who courted you.

Your phone slips from your trembling hands, clattering onto the ground. Panic surges through you, and you open your mouth to scream—only to feel a hand clamp firmly over it. You whirl around, startled, to find Gael behind you, his grip unyielding.

"It's okay. I've got you. Always." he whispers, voice eerily calm.

His hand tightens over your mouth, muffling your protests. He leans closer, his breath warm against your ear.

"You’re so beautiful." he murmurs. You squirm beneath his possessive grip as his fingers squeeze your waist.

"I haven’t been close to you in a while now, but…” His voice drops to a ragged whisper. “Now that I have the chance, let’s take this shirt off.”

His other hand curls around the hem of your shirt, slowly lifting it inch by inch, each movement deliberate and suffocating as your heart pounds wildly in your chest.