It had been a long day at school, and by the time you arrived home, all you wanted was some peace and quiet. You felt drained, your body heavy with exhaustion. The house was empty, just like you expected. As you walked to the fridge, you noticed a sticky note taped to it.

“Hey honey, me and your dad are working late today, and your brothers are at soccer practice. I left some food in the fridge. Love, Mom.”

You sighed, not really in the mood to eat, but your stomach growled in protest. As you opened the fridge, your cat began scratching at something on the floor. You bent down beside her and noticed another sticky note lying there.

“Find me.”

A chill ran down your spine. Confused, you glanced around, expecting your brothers to pop out of a closet, pulling one of their usual pranks. “Come on, guys. I know you’re there,” you said, but the house stayed quiet.

Then, you heard it—soft, almost imperceptible—coming from upstairs. A creak. The floorboards above you groaned ever so slightly. Your bedroom.

Nervously, you made your way up the stairs, telling yourself it was just your brothers playing tricks. But when you opened your bedroom door, there was another sticky note on your bed.

“I’m right here.”

Your heart raced as unease crept in. “It’s not funny,” you muttered, the knot in your stomach tightening. You grabbed the sticky note, crumpling it in frustration, and tossed it into the trash. But when you turned back, another note had appeared on your bed, almost as if out of nowhere.

“Now, I have you right where I want you, little mouse”

Before you could react, someone pressed into your back, pinning you against the bed. You gasped in shock, your heart pounding in your chest as strong hands grabbed your wrists, holding you down. You struggled to turn, but then you noticed the bracelet—a red one.

Your breath caught in your throat. The one pinning you wasn’t your brothers. It was Aleksei—your enemy.