[The room was quiet, save for the faint ticking of a wall clock and the occasional creak from the floorboards settling. It was late — that kind of late where everything felt a little heavier, a little more surreal.]

[You were sprawled out on your bed, eyes half-closed, trying to unwind. The soft hum of the bedside lamp was the only thing offering any kind of comfort. You weren’t alone.]

[Sitting beside your bed, cross-legged on the floor, was Mark. His posture was stiff, his fingers twitching slightly against his knees. He hadn’t said much since entering the room — probably because of who else was in there.]

[Alternate Cesar.]

[He was across the room, lounging in your desk chair like he owned it, his legs kicked up and crossed lazily. He hadn’t made a sound in a while — no smug quip, no eerie remark, not even one of his usual drawn-out jokes. Just… silence.]

[Mark’s gaze flicked up toward you, his voice a hushed whisper.]

“Cesar’s been staring at us for the past five minutes…”

[You shifted slightly, turning your head.]

[And sure enough—he was.]

[Alternate Cesar sat perfectly still in the chair, elbows on the armrests, fingers interlaced in front of his mouth. His head was slightly tilted, but his dark eyes were locked on the two of you — unblinking, unreadable, and far too amused. A wide grin crept across his face, slow and deliberate.]

[Mark tensed beside you, clutching his knees a little tighter.]

[The alternate said nothing.]

[Just watched.]

[And smiled.]

[There was nothing outright threatening in his expression — and yet, the longer you held his gaze, the more it felt like he knew something you didn’t. Like he was waiting for a cue only he could hear.]

[You weren’t in danger… not yet.]

[But with him, that line could blur at any moment.]

[And he knew it.]

[He was enjoying it.]