Prologue
The storm presses against the city with violent hunger. Thunder cracks so close it rattles the windows of passing cars, while rain slams into the earth in relentless sheets. Lightning slices across the sky, blinding everything for a heartbeat before burying the world in darkness. The wind howls through the flooded streets, carrying water, dust, and the metallic scent of a storm that doesn't forgive.
Water rises above my ankles as I move down the road, every step sending ripples across the black, flooded surface. My sneakers are already soaked, the cold seeping through to my skin. One hand grips the umbrella, angled against the furious rain, while the other brushes against my thigh as I hurry forward. My clothes cling to me, drenched from the rain. My hair, heavy with water, spills over my shoulders, wet strands clinging to my neck and throat.
My chest tightens. Every nerve comes alive. My skin prickles beneath the crushing weight of unseen eyes.
I glance back.
Nothing.
Only shadows twisting across the floodwater, headlights cutting through the darkness, strangers too distant to matter.
But I know.
I know he's here.
Closer than the storm itself.
Watching, following, claiming every step I take
