Sarafina POV
The door clicked shut behind him before I could decide whether to run, scream, or throw the nearest object, which happened to be a mug that said #1 Teacher. Not very intimidating.
The stranger from the street. The one whose eyes had glowed.
He stood in my living room like he'd been there a thousand times, tall, calm, silent… too silent. His presence pressed against the walls, thick enough to choke on.
I swallowed. "You can't just walk into people's homes like that…" My words hanging in the air.
"You opened the door." His voice was low, smooth, and so calm it made me more anxious.
"I thought you were someone else!"
"Who?" His head tilted. "Cassian?"
My heart dropped. "How do you know his name?"
He looked around my apartment, ignoring the question completely. "You shouldn't be alone tonight."
"I'm not…"
I stopped. Cassian wasn't here anymore. I completely forgot before making that statement.
The stranger's gaze flicked toward the couch where Cassian had slept earlier. "He left too quickly. He's hiding things from you."
I stepped back. "You need to go."
"I will."
He said it like a promise, not an agreement. "But first, you need to listen."
Something in his tone, an edge of urgency, froze me in place. I avoided his eyes and crossed my arms.
"Five minutes," I muttered. "Then you leave."
His jaw tightened like he didn't want to agree. "Hmm…Fine."
He stayed by the door, like he could sense how close I was to panic. His eyes softened, not warmly, more like a storm easing before the next strike.
"There are things moving around you," he said. "Things you can't see yet."
Seriously? "I know." The words slipped out before I could stop them.
His brows lifted slightly. "What exactly do you think you know?"
"I…. I don't know,i…I just feel it."
God, where did I even start?
The strange dream?
The migraine that felt like my skull was ripping apart?
Or the glowing marks on my wrist that only showed under certain lights?
"I don't know," I whispered again "But something's wrong."
His expression shifted, barely, ike he'd expected that answer.
"You're not imagining it," he said.
A cold weight settled in my stomach.
"What's happening to me?" I asked.
He hesitated. Actually hesitated.
Then he said softly, "Your memories and visions are not stable. And your… instincts are returning faster than they should."
"Instincts?" I repeated. "What am I, a dog?"
A tiny twitch touched his mouth. Not quite a smile, more like a ghost of one.
"Not a dog."
"I'm sorry, should I guess again? Cat? Forest goblin? Annoyed pigeon?"
This time a breath actually left him, almost a laugh, but as I have noticed, he shut it down immediately like emotions were illegal.
"You're not ready for the truth," he said. "Not yet. It will hurt you."
I stared at him.
"Do you always talk like an ominous trailer voice?"
"No."
"That was sarcasm."
"I know."
"…Are you bad at sarcasm?"
His silence answered for him.
Despite the tension, my lips twitched. Just slightly.
He watched it happen, eyes narrowing as though confused that I could smile at all.
"You're strange," he murmured, more to himself.
"Says the man breaking into my house."
"You let me in."
"You didn't give me time to think!"
His gaze held mine, and something electric passed between us, something I couldn't explain. Okay, that was weird.
Then his expression shuttered.
Time was up.
He moved toward the door. "I should go."
"Wait."
The word escaped before I could stop it. He paused, hand on the doorframe, back to me.
"You never told me your name."
Silence.
He seemed to fight himself for a moment.
Then he slowly turned his head, eyes finding mine.
"Alistair," he said.
Just one word, but it rolled through the room like thunder.
A shiver raced down my spine.
"Alistair what?" I whispered.
His eyes glowed faintly.
"Just Alistair… for now."
Then he opened the door and stepped into the night.
Leaving me with a name that felt far too familiar.
And far too dangerous.