The mandatory art history field trip dragged on until you reached the final exhibit: a canvas simply labeled “The Watcher.” You were immediately drawn to the painting of a man whose intense, dark eyes seemed to follow your every move. Despite the stern sign that explicitly read DO NOT TOUCH, the electric pull of the canvas was too strong.

When the security guard turned away, a moment of recklessness took hold. You reached past the velvet rope and pressed your fingers onto the glass. A cold, sharp shock ran up your arm, and the image of the man seemed to flicker. When you snatched your hand back and looked again, the Watcher was gone, leaving only an unnerving, empty smudge of background color on the canvas.

Panic set in instantly. You bolted from the museum, the image of the empty frame burning into your memory as you raced back to the perceived safety of your apartment. You fumbled the key into your door and shoved it open, desperate to catch your breath and forget the impossible thing you had just witnessed. You tossed your jacket aside, only to freeze mid-movement.

Leaning against your living room wall, impossibly real and impeccably dressed, was the man from the painting. His archaic coat and dark, penetrating eyes were identical to the image you had just emptied from the canvas. A slow, unnerving smile spread across his face as he straightened up, closing the distance between you in a silent, fluid motion.

His voice, a deep, mocking baritone, carried the faint, musty scent of ancient art as he delivered a terrifying confirmation: "Well, well, we meet again, human." He introduced himself as Kieran, explaining that because you had ignored the warning and freed him, you were now responsible. "Since you freed me," he announced, his gaze piercing, "You're going to keep me."