The strange feeling didn’t disappear until I entered the apartment. My body finally relaxed as I stepped into the elevator. Our apartment was on the tenth floor-not too high, not too low. Once inside, I closed the door and let out a sigh of relief. Evelyn wasn’t back yet, probably because she was still at some club gathering. The apartment was pitch dark.
It was too quiet, so quiet that it made me uneasy. Why hadn’t the lights turned on automatically? Our apartment used to have manual switches, but later, Evelyn insisted on installing smart sensors for energy efficiency. When we came home, the lights would automatically turn on. The lights, fridge, air conditioning-everything adjusted itself. It was high-tech, and she had paid for it all herself, believing technology could make a significant contribution to environmental protection.
I should mention that Evelyn was a die-hard environmentalist. Unlike me, who had to work part-time to make ends meet, Evelyn came from a well-off family. She didn’t need to work to cover her living expenses, so she fully enjoyed university life. Besides studying, she joined several clubs and associations-her favorite being the ballroom dance club, along with the psychology association and the campus environmental group. Evelyn was always advocating for people to reduce their use of disposable items.
We used to take our thermoses to Starbucks for coffee, but now, thanks to Evelyn’s insistence on sustainability, she would grind and brew coffee early in the morning, filling my thermos for me to take to school. The apartment was almost entirely free of disposable items, and she even discouraged me from buying cheap, fast-consumption products.
But today, strangely, when I walked into the apartment, the lights didn’t turn on automatically. This gave me an eerie feeling, and I couldn’t help but connect it to the incident earlier when I felt like someone was following me. Thankfully, after three seconds, the lights flickered on, and everything seemed normal. I went to the kitchen and poured myself a glass of water. After downing it in one go, I felt slightly better. The good mood Magnus had brought me earlier was fading.
Damn it, who had been following me? The feeling was terrifying, like I was living through a horror movie. But at the same time, I was surprised by my body’s reaction. I had actually felt my hair stand on end, as if I were some wild animal sensing danger. I’d never had such a reaction before, but now it was unmistakable. I remembered my anthropology professor once saying that humans, even after all this evolution, still retain some primal instincts from our cave-dwelling days. Many people can sense danger like animals. Was this situation really that dangerous? And what if the person following me found out where I lived?
Our apartment building was quite large, part of the university’s off-campus housing. It had twenty floors, with ten rooms on each floor. Even if they knew which floor I was on, they wouldn’t know exactly which room I lived in. Still, I couldn’t shake the unease. Just then, my phone buzzed. It was a message from Magnus:
“Seraphina, are you home?”
I replied:
“Yes, I’m back.”
“Good. See you tomorrow, then.”
“Sure, I’ll be at the club in the afternoon for my shift.”
Since most of my classes were in the morning, the club had scheduled my part-time shifts for the afternoons and evenings. Usually, if it was just regular training, I wouldn’t have to stay too late. But today, coming back this early was actually an exception. On the first day, bosses tend to be more lenient. Still, I couldn’t help but worry about how I’d face certain people tomorrow. Kael was one thing, but Vivienne-she’d probably assume I joined the club just to get close to him. She knew so many people there; I wouldn’t be surprised if half the men in the club were her lovers. If she wanted to make my life difficult, she could easily do so. I might even lose this job. But now, I had no other options. I had to tough it out.
I thought about the person who had been following me. If it was one of them, that might actually be better. I didn’t need more enemies around me.
Evelyn came home just then, calling out as soon as she entered, “God, today was so busy. I haven’t even eaten yet.”
“Want me to make you some noodles?” I could tell Evelyn was exhausted. It seemed that being too involved in social circles could be draining too.
“Thank you,” Evelyn said, giving me a sweet smile. When she noticed the cake on the table, her face lit up. “Oh my God, Seraph, did you buy this for me?” I had already discarded the packaging and placed the cake on a plate to avoid upsetting Evelyn with the plastic waste. I respected her beliefs, even if they were a bit inconvenient. After all, we were friends, and I wanted to support her.
I went to the kitchen to cook some pasta for Evelyn, who was already eagerly digging into the cake. “This is so good!” she said, her eyes narrowing with delight. “Seraph, did you get this to celebrate your new job?”
“Yeah, let’s celebrate together.”
“How was your first day? Any trouble?”
“No, everything went fine.” I didn’t mention Kael or Vivienne.
But Evelyn gave me a strange look. “Actually, on my way back, I ran into Vivienne and her friends coming out of a restaurant. I heard her badmouthing you.”
I was startled. “She didn’t bother you, did she?”
“Of course not. I was with my friends, and when I heard her, I immediately called her out. We outnumbered them-seven to four-so they slinked away.” Evelyn smirked, clearly proud of herself.
Relieved that Evelyn hadn’t been harassed, I brought the pasta to the table. The tomato and meat sauce glistened, sprinkled with parsley. It was Evelyn’s favorite. As I set the plate down, a strand of hair brushed against my cheek, revealing the bandage.
Evelyn gasped. “Seraph, what happened? You’re hurt?”
I touched the bandage. “It’s nothing, just a scratch.”
“Was it that bitch Vivienne? Did she hurt you?” Evelyn’s intuition was sharp, and I didn’t see the point in hiding it.
“Yes, but I didn’t let her get the upper hand. She’s probably fuming.”
“I saw her face was swollen. Did you hit her?”
I nodded.
“Good for you, Seraph! She needs to learn that not everyone’s afraid of her.”
I went to the wine cabinet and pulled out a bottle, along with two glasses. Pouring some for both of us, I raised my glass. “Here’s to a smooth start at my new job and many more good days to come.”
“Cheers, Seraph. Bitches will go to hell, and we’ll enjoy the good life.”
We clinked our glasses, laughing. I had to believe I could overcome anything-or anyone-that stood in my way.