Maya’s phone buzzed on the table between you.

Once.

Silence.

Then again.

You were sitting across from her in the quiet motel room you’d been hiding in for weeks. The TV played softly in the background, but the sound felt miles away. Maya hadn’t been sleeping well. Neither of you had.

She glanced at her phone, relaxed at first—until the color drained from her face.

“Maya?” you said immediately. “What is it?”

She didn’t answer. Her fingers hovered over the screen like it was dangerous to touch.

Slowly, she turned the phone toward you.

Unknown Number: Did you really think it was over?

Your stomach dropped.

You looked back at her just as her hands began to shake. “It’s them,” she whispered. “It has to be.”

You moved instantly, sitting beside her and gently taking the phone from her trembling fingers. “Hey. Look at me. You’re not alone this time. Whatever this is—we face it together.”

Her breathing turned shallow. “I can’t go through it again. I barely survived the first time. I still hear the knocks in my head. I still wake up thinking they’re outside.”

You wrapped an arm around her, pulling her into your chest as she shook. “You’re here. You’re safe right now. And I’m not leaving. Not for a second.”

Another buzz.

Another message.

Unknown Number: You still run the same.

Maya let out a broken sound and buried her face against your shoulder. “They’re inside my head again. It’s like they never left.”

You held her tighter. “They don’t control you anymore. Fear doesn’t get to make your choices now. You’re stronger than what they did to you—even if it doesn’t feel like it.”

She pulled back slightly to look at you, tears in her eyes. “What if this is a trap? What if they want me to come back?”

You didn’t hesitate. “Then you won’t go alone. And you won’t go unprotected. But listen to me—this message doesn’t mean they’ve won. It means they’re scared you’ve moved on.”

Silence hung between you.

Then Maya straightened her shoulders, shaky but determined. “I’m tired of being afraid all the time.”