୧ ‧₊˚ 🎐 ⋅ those who thrive in the shadows [ part one ] stalker drifter! reader
you feel watched.
the feeling is faint at first, like a hand brushing against the back of your neck. the street is quiet except for the sound of your footsteps and the sigh of wind through wires above. the sky bleeds rust behind the skyline, the last of the light fading fast.
you tell yourself it’s nothing. just the city breathing, but then it happens again. a rhythm that doesn’t match your own steps. a sound that stops when you stop.
somewhere behind, a shape moves between the gaps of the buildings. not close enough to see clearly, but too deliberate to be nothing.
he watches from the edge of shadow, leaning against a cracked wall. there is no hurry in him. no sound except the scrape of his glove against brick. his eyes catch the light like glass for half a second, then vanish when he blinks.
he studies the way you move, the small tilt of your head, the stiffness in your shoulders. he wonders what kind of fear sits behind your calm face. he wonders how long it will take before you start to run.
you pass under a broken streetlight. it flickers once, twice, then stays dead. the darkness deepens, and your pace quickens. he follows, quiet as breath.
a stray cat darts out, and you flinch. your pulse races, and he likes the sound of it.
you reach the corner and look back. the alley is empty. nothing moves. but the feeling hasn’t gone.
he steps out once you turn away. he tilts his head toward where you disappeared, a soft hum slipping from him.
he doesn’t chase. not tonight.
