The Library

Lilith

I wake up the next morning feeling uneasy, the remnants of last night still clinging to me like a heavy fog. I can’t shake the feeling that someone was watching me, even though I never saw anyone. My rational mind tells me it was just my imagination, just the lingering effects of that damn book I stayed up too late reading. But something deeper, something instinctual, keeps gnawing at me.

It doesn’t help that today is Monday. I fucking hate Mondays, especially after a weekend like this one. The kind of weekend that leaves me more exhausted than rested, with thoughts swirling around in my head that I can’t control. I drag myself out of bed, rubbing my eyes as I stare at the clock.

I’m late again. Of course I am. I throw on the first thing I can find—jeans and a simple sweater—and barely take the time to run a brush through my hair. My glasses sit on my nightstand, and I slide them on instead of bothering with my contacts. I don’t have the energy for anything else.

As I rush out the door, my mind is already racing, not about class, but about him. The man from The Library. The man who’s been haunting my thoughts since the moment I first laid eyes on him. I haven’t been able to get him out of my head. Those fucking eyes, that smile. Like he’s unraveling me without even trying.

I make it to class just in time, slipping into my seat before the professor starts talking. I’m not even really paying attention to what’s going on. My mind is elsewhere, still lost in thought.

And then the door opens.

I glance up, and my heart stops in my chest. It’s him. The man I haven’t been able to stop thinking about. He’s standing there, filling the doorway, his eyes scanning the room until they land on me. The moment he sees me, a slow, dangerous smirk curls on his lips, sending a jolt of heat straight through me. I can feel my pulse quicken, my skin prickling with awareness, but my nipples harden at the same time. It’s like the air between us thickens, charged with something I can’t quite explain.

“Sebastian, so nice of you to join us for once,” my professor says in a mocking tone.

Sebastian? Join us? What the fuck, he goes to this college?

I’ve never seen him in this class before, or any other for that matter. I’m in my senior year at Blackthorn University, and I know most of the faces around here by now. But him? He’s a complete stranger, a mystery.

He moves, slipping into a seat a few rows behind me, just off to my right. Close enough that I can feel his presence without even looking. My hands shake as I fumble for my notebook, trying to focus on anything other than the fact that he’s here. Why is he here?

I try to keep my breathing steady, but it’s no use. I can feel him watching me. My mind races, a thousand questions buzzing in my head, but none of them make sense. Why does he keep showing up? Why do I feel like he’s always there, just on the edge of my life, like a shadow that won’t leave?

Class drags on, and I can’t focus on a single word the professor is saying. All I can think about is him. Is he staring at me? Is this all in my head? The rational part of me wants to believe that this is just a coincidence, but the way my body reacts tells me otherwise. Every time I shift in my seat, I feel his eyes on me. Every time I glance over my shoulder, I see him—those mismatched eyes, dark and full of something I can’t name.

The way he looks at me, though, it’s more than just watching—it’s like he wants to tear me apart, devour every inch of me until there’s nothing left. There’s hunger in his gaze, raw and dangerous, like he could consume me whole if he wanted to, and a twisted part of me wonders what it would feel like to let him.

When the class finally ends, I practically bolt for the door. I need to get the fuck out of here, away from him. But as I gather my things, I can feel his presence behind me, looming like a shadow that’s too close for comfort. My heart races, my palms sweaty as I make my way to the exit, not daring to look back.

I don’t stop moving until I’m outside, the cool air hitting my face. I take a deep breath, trying to calm my nerves, but it doesn’t help. My heart pounds in my chest, my mind a tangled mess of fear… and something darker lurking beneath.

I should go straight to my next class, but instead, I find myself walking toward The Library. I don’t know why. Maybe it’s because it’s the only place I feel safe, surrounded by books, by the familiar scent of old paper and quiet solitude. Maybe it’s because part of me hopes that, by some strange twist of fate, he won’t follow me there.