Chapter 44

I broke my rules for you.

-Unknown.

|A L E E Z A|

My eyes shot open in the dead of night, jarred awake by an eerie sound that cut through the silence like a blade. I lay still, my heart pounding, trying to make sense of the unsettling noise that seemed out of place in the quietude of my apartment. It felt like an intruder, an unwelcome guest in the stillness of the night.

Now, you might not know it but I am like scared of everything. Even the slightest change in usual things makes me afraid. Right now, I feel like someone is here for me, not in a positive way, of course.

With a chill running down my spine, I cautiously slipped out of bed, my feet barely making a sound on the cold floor. The dim light from the moon spilled into the hallway as I crept forward, my ears strained to catch the elusive sound. Each step felt like a tentative exploration into the unknown.

I hesitated at the entrance to the living room, bathed in the faint glo