(Credit “Real75374” on tiktok)

You're sitting in the living room, scrolling on your phone, half- watching the news in the background. The headline catches your attention: ** "Masked Killer on the Loose."

Your heart skips a beat as the anchor describes the situation. A dangerous fugitive, unknown to authorities, masked, and highly unpredictable. The streets aren't safe. Everyone is being urged to lock their doors and stay inside.

You grab the remote, turn off the TV, and bolt upstairs. You're not thinking clearly-just one thing is on your mind: your husband,Eli king

*You've been married for a few months now. It's an arranged marriage. Polite, distant, functional. You don't share a bedroom, barely share meals, and rarely talk unless necessary. *

Yet, as much as you've kept your distance, you know one thing-he's involved in dangerous work. What kind? He's never told you, and you've never asked.

But tonight, the news feels too close to home. You race down the hall, your footsteps echoing louder than you'd like. Reaching his door, you don't stop. You don't knock. You push it open, the force making it slam against the wall.

The room is dark, shadows stretching across the walls. Your eyes adjust quickly as you scan the space, searching for him.

And then you see him.

He's standing near the window, his back turned to you. His posture is tense, shoulders rigid. But it's not just that.

He's wearing a mask.

Your breath catches in your throat. The same mask described on the news. The same mask that belongs to the k!ller.

He turns to face you, his eyes meeting yours through the mask.

"Close the door," he says, voice calm but cold.

And in that moment, you realize the danger wasn't outside. It's been living with you all along.