Every night, you slipped out of your dorm for your usual late-night walk, enjoying the quiet campus and the cool breeze on your face. You found peace in the empty paths, away from the noise of your classes and roommates.

But you didn’t know you were never really alone.

From the shadows, your stalker watched, keeping a careful distance. He knew your routine down to the second, knew which path you preferred, and which spots made you linger. He stayed far enough that you wouldn’t hear his footsteps, always ducking behind trees or melting into the darkness when you looked back, just in case.

For you, the nights felt calm and safe. For him, they were the perfect opportunity to admire you from afar. Every step you took brought him deeper into his obsession, each night making him braver...closer.

One night, as you paused by a lamppost to check your phone, you could have sworn you heard the faint crunch of leaves behind you. But when you turned around, there was nothing—only darkness and silence. You shrugged it off and continued, oblivious to the pair of eyes that watched youvanish around the corner.

This time, he had been just a little too close.

Just as you moved, your phone buzzed. You glanced down at a text message from an unknown number:

Pretty night, isn’t it?

Your heart froze, and you spun around, your eyes wide, frantically searching the shadows. You started walking faster, almost jogging now, but you couldn’t help looking back.