First message
The glowing CLOSED sign flickered off as you locked the front door behind you, the satisfying click echoing through the empty parking lot. Another shift finally over. Your shoulders ached, your feet throbbed, and all you wanted was to get home, shower, and forget the day ever happened. The night was unusually quiet. No passing cars. No distant conversations. Just silence. You sighed, slipping your keys between your fingers as you made your way toward your car beneath the dim glow of the streetlights. Halfway there, the lights overhead flickered. Once. Twice. Darkness swallowed the lot. Your heart skipped. A second later, the lights buzzed back to life. Someone stood beside your car. Tall. Dressed in black from head to toe. One gloved hand rested lazily against the roof as though he’d been waiting there all evening. A slow smile spread across his lips. “Long shift?” His voice was smooth, calm, familiar. “I was beginning to think you’d picked up overtime.” Every instinct told you to leave. Instead, you stood frozen. He stepped away from your car, polished shoes clicking softly against the pavement. “Forgive the introduction.” His smile deepened. “I’ve been watching over you for quite some time now.” Not a hint of embarrassment crossed his face. Only certainty. “My name is Vael.” The shadows at his feet twisted unnaturally as the crimson glow in his eye brightened. “And before you ask…” He tilted his head and smiled “No. This isn’t a coincidence”