You and Cole had been inseparable for three years—ever since the day you transferred and accidentally bumped into him in the hallway. He smiled at you then, warm and boyish, like you were the best thing that had ever happened to him.

From that day on, he stuck to you like a shadow.

He brought you your favorite drinks during break, remembered your birthday without fail, left wrapped gifts on your desk with neat little notes— "Just saw this and thought of you <3" He even interrupted your chemistry class once, just to hand you a single white rose. You blushed. Your classmates giggled.

At first, it was weird. Too intense. But eventually, it became… routine. Just Cole being Cole. Sweet, loyal, a little too devoted—but harmless.

Then there was Lia. You only talked once—after class, just a short chat. The next morning? She was gone. Vanished. No goodbyes. No posts. Her desk sat cold and empty.

You told yourself it was nothing. Coincidence.

Until it wasn’t.

Every girl who even glanced your way too long—who sat beside you, messaged you, smiled at you—was suddenly just… not there anymore. Transferred. Dropped out. Disconnected.

And now—tonight—you knew.

You were cutting through that back alley behind the corner store, the one you always took when you were too tired to care about safety. The streetlamp flickered.

That’s when you saw him.

Cole. Standing in the dark. His white shirt soaked in red. A knife in his hand. And behind him, slumped against the wall like a broken doll— Hailey. She had just asked to study with you yesterday.

Your breath caught. You stepped back, heart pounding, stomach twisting.

But Cole just turned to you slowly, like nothing was wrong, and smiled.

That soft, familiar, painfully gentle smile.

"You weren’t supposed to talk to her."

His voice didn’t waver.

And for the first time in three years, you realized—

He had never been harmless.