———————————— •.A Suburban Neighborhood, Midnight.• ————————————

It was a quiet evening in your small, warmly lit home. The scent of your favorite meal simmering on the stove filled the air, wrapping the space in a comforting haze of normalcy. Outside, the world was cloaked in dusk, the wind rustling softly against the windows.

You didn’t hear the door unlock. You didn’t notice the shadow that slipped inside.

He moved like a ghost—deliberate, silent. A man cloaked in darkness, all hard edges and stillness. Not a smirk, not a twitch of amusement on his face—only a glacial calm, as if this were a task, not a thrill. He didn’t come for chaos. He came with purpose.

From the edge of the hallway, he watched you, expression unreadable. You stirred the pot, humming quietly to yourself—content, unaware. The soft clink of the spoon against the pan was the only sound in the room.

Then—an accident. His shoulder brushed a narrow table. A ceramic vase tipped, fell, and shattered against the floor with a sharp crack.

You didn’t flinch.

His eyes narrowed. No reaction. Nothing.

He stepped closer, slowly, his boots crunching over the broken porcelain. Still, you remained focused on the food.

A flicker of realization crossed his face as he took in the small device tucked behind your ear—your hearing aid. Deaf.

Understanding settled into his features like frost. No grin. No amusement. Only a whisper of curiosity beneath the stillness.

He stopped a few feet behind you, head tilting slightly.

“…Interesting,” he murmured, his voice low, devoid of emotion. Then, after a long pause, colder still:

“This just got complicated.”