Ethan's breath hitched.
Golden eyes. Flickering in the cracked window, staring straight into him.
His pulse slammed against his ribs. He whirled around—
Nothing.
The alley was empty. The shadows still. But the whisper…
It was still there.
"I see you."
Ethan's grip on his knife tightened.
This wasn't just a hallucination. He knew the difference between fear and something real.
Adrian was watching.
Somehow.
Somewhere.
Warnings and Doubts
"Ethan?"
Olivia's voice pulled him back. She was standing near the door, watching him carefully. "You look like you've seen a ghost."
He ran a hand over his face. "Maybe I have."
Noah groaned, rubbing his temples. "Great. First, we fight a golden psycho. Then shadow monsters. And now… ghosts?"
Valerie, still clutching her wounded side, met Ethan's gaze. "Are you sure it's him?"
Ethan hesitated.
No. He wasn't sure.
Adrian had been dragged away. Swallowed by an abyss deeper than anything Ethan had ever seen.
And yet…
He could feel him.
Watching. Waiting.
The weight of his presence pressed against Ethan's skull like an unbearable static.
"He's not gone," Ethan finally said. "Not completely."
Noah let out a slow breath. "So… what the hell does that mean?"
Ethan turned back to the window, scanning the city beyond.
"It means," he said grimly, "we don't have time to waste."
Shadows on the Move
The group packed up quickly. Supplies were low—just a few energy bars, half a bottle of water, and whatever weapons they could salvage.
Blaze and Shadow moved cautiously, their animal instincts on high alert.
As they stepped into the ruined streets, the city felt… different.
Not just broken. Not just abandoned.
Watched.
Every alley, every shattered window, every twisted car—something lurked just beyond sight.
Olivia pulled her jacket tighter. "I hate this silence."
Noah grunted. "You'd prefer screaming?"
"At least that way, we'd know what's coming."
Ethan didn't answer. His focus was locked on their path ahead—the remains of Blackwater University.
A place that might hold answers.
But as they got closer, the whispers returned—louder this time.
"You're running, Ethan."
His blood turned to ice.
Because this time…
The voice wasn't just inside his head.
It was coming from behind him.