Chapter 4

Sophia's POV.

       The silence in the hallway scared me more. I stood frozen, staring at the note in my shaky hands, my heart racing. Whoever it was, they wrote like the meant war. 

    I felt a chill down my spin as I looked down the empty hallway, my heart raced even faster. I looked back into my room, the window was slightly open, allowing cold breeze that did nothing to calm my nerves. I closed it swiftly, double checking the lock, but deep down, I knew I couldn't keep out whatever it was.

    I put the note in my pocket as I gathered courage , and walked down the hallway . I knew u couldn't stay in my room forever. I needed to get to the bottom of this, but my thoughts couldn't leave the note. Who would want to hurt me? And why now?.

     I passed a lot of closed doors, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I was being watched. I had learned lomh ago that trust was something I couldn't afford especially in places like this . But what about Xavier? He saved me when things almost got out of hand. Could I trust him?.

   I shook my head , trying to clear my head. There was no time for distractions. Why did the hall seem longer or was I just being paranoid?.

    A sudden moment caught my eye, I froze. At the far end of the hall, a figure stepped out of the shadows. This face was hidden, but the body, the body was familiar. A tall man, his posture firm. His eyes locked into mine. The figure then gave a wide smirk.

    "You're not as invisible as you think, Sophia," the figure said. "You've made your presence known"

       I couldnt see his face clearly, but something about his voice made me shiver. I immediately took a step back, my own body still in fear.

       The figure took another step forwards, his smirk widening. 

   "You've caused quite a stir. But that doenst matter now. What matters is what comes next."

      "Who are you?" I asked, my voice barely about a whisper. 

      "Someone who knows your secrets Sophia. And someone who can make them all disappear".

    Before I could react, he stepped back into the shadows, I couldn't see him anymore. My heart raced more in my chest, my mind asking series of questions that I couldnt answer. Who was that? Why has he come for me?" 

      I looked around, the hall was empty like nothing had happened. I was alone, no one to witness what I just experienced. 

     I rushed back to my room, shutting the door behind me. I pressed my back against it, sliding down till I was sitting on the floor.

    "Get a grip Sophia, you've been through worse" I told myself.

      But the truth was, this was different. There was something about tonight, something about that figure that made me uncomfortable. It felt like the beginning of something more dangerous.

   I pulled my knees to my chest, my mind filled with possibilities and questions. Was thus connected to Miranda? Was she behind all of this? Or was it someone else entirely, someone who had been watching me long before i entered this institution?.

  I couldn't afford to be paranoid, not now. Bit I couldn't ignore the feeling that the walls were closing in on me. I had an enemy, maybe not one even, maybe two, or three, or a whole gang. But how far were they willing to go to hurt me, how far?, or what happens if they join forces, what will become of me then? What do I do then.

    Just then, I heard a knock at the door again.

My heard skipped a beat this time. This time, I didn't think about it, I just rose up, pressing my back against the wall like it could protect me from whatever was going to happen.

    "Wh..who is it?" I called out, my voice shaky

There was no answer. There was another knock again, but this time louder. I tried to remain calm as my shaky hands reached for the doorknob.

    When I opened it, no one was there. But there was another note, lying on the ground. My heart raced as I bent down to pick it up. The words were written in the same red ink as before.

   "You're not safe Sophia, watch your step"

This wasn't a threat anymore, it was a warning. And I had no idea who or what was out for me or what they were planning next.

    But one thing was sure. My life had this institution had just taken a dark turn, and there was no going back now!.