Shadows That Watch

Souta's breath hitched. His body refused to move as he stared at the shadow outside his window. It wasn't his imagination. Someone was really there.

The dim glow of the streetlights outlined a tall figure, unmoving. Watching.

His chest tightened. His mind screamed at him to do something—run, hide, scream—but his body was frozen in place.

Then, his phone vibrated again.

Unknown Number: "Don't move."

Souta's stomach twisted into knots. His fingers trembled as he typed a response.

Souta: Who are you? What do you want?

No reply.

He slowly backed away from the window, his breath coming in shallow gasps. His heart hammered so loudly it drowned out everything else.

Then

Knock. Knock.

The sound made him jump. But it wasn't from the window.

It was coming from the front door.

His head snapped toward it. The knocks were slow, deliberate. Like whoever was on the other side was waiting for him.

His phone buzzed again.

Unknown Number: "Open the door, Souta."

A shiver ran down his spine.

No. He wasn't stupid enough to do that.

He gripped his phone tighter, debating whether to wake his parents. But something told him… if he made a noise, things would get worse.

He forced himself to move, creeping toward the door, his breath shaky. He pressed his ear against the wood, listening.

Silence.

Then

Knock. Knock.

His phone buzzed again.

Unknown Number: "Last chance."

Souta squeezed his eyes shut. Think, think!

He couldn't just stand there.

With a deep breath, he backed away from the door. Slowly, carefully, he reached for the closest thing he could find—a wooden bat from under his bed.

His hands trembled as he gripped it. If someone broke in, he had to be ready.

Minutes passed. The knocking stopped.

Silence.

Souta's pulse pounded in his ears. Was it over?

His phone buzzed again.

With shaking hands, he checked the screen.

Unknown Number: "Smart choice."

His blood ran cold.

Then, the final message

Unknown Number: "See you soon."

Souta's breath caught.

And just like that

The presence outside was gone.

The next morning…

Souta barely slept. Every creak, every noise in the house made his heart jump. But nothing else happened.

By the time the sun rose, he felt like a ghostdrained, exhausted, and paranoid.

At breakfast, his mother noticed. "Souta, are you feeling okay?"

He nodded weakly. "Didn't sleep well."

She frowned. "Are you sure? You look pale."

"I'm fine," he lied.

His father glanced at him from across the table but said nothing. Souta could tell he had noticed something too.

As soon as breakfast was over, he grabbed his bag and left for school. He needed to clear his mind.

But as he walked through the village, he couldn't shake the feeling that he was being watched.

People greeted him as usual, but he barely noticed. His mind was elsewhere. His feet moved on their own, his thoughts replaying last night's events over and over.

Then, as he turned a corner

He felt it.

That same presence.

He stopped walking, his breath catching in his throat. Slowly, he turned his head.

And there, standing across the street, was a man in a dark coat.

Tall. Unmoving. Watching.

A chill ran down Souta's spine. His instincts screamed at him to look away, to keep walking, but he couldn't. His eyes locked onto the stranger's.

Then—

The man smiled.

Souta's stomach twisted. He took a shaky step back, and just like that

The man turned and disappeared into the crowd.

Souta's pulse pounded. His breathing was uneven. Who was that?

And more importantly…

Why did it feel like he had seen that smile before?

That night, Souta sat on his bed, phone in hand, debating whether to call Toru again.

Something wasn't right.

Whoever was after him… they were real.

And the worst part?

They already knew his name.

To be continued…