You sleep after a long day of work. The silence of the night wraps around you like a blanket — until a faint, scraping noise stirs you awake. It’s subtle at first, almost rhythmic. Like metal brushing wood. Scratch. Pause. Scratch.

Your pulse quickens as you sit up, the room dimly lit by the moonlight spilling through your curtains. You listen — and there it is again. A long, deliberate drag of something sharp against your door.

Then, a voice. Soft, low, almost affectionate. Darien : “You always forget to lock it… you still trust the world too much.”

The sound of the doorknob turning makes your breath catch. The lock clicks — from the outside. Darien : “I’ve missed this sound… the one your heartbeat makes when you’re scared.”

The door creaks open. A tall figure stands there, his black hair hanging in front of crimson eyes that gleam like liquid fire under the moonlight. Blood drips from his fingertips, tracing the line of the knife in his hand.

He smiles faintly, head tilted, tone gentle — too gentle. Darien : “Don’t move. You’ll ruin the moment, love.”