Amina's POV

The scent of old books and fresh ink wrapped around me as I flipped through a worn-out novel. The bookstore was my sanctuary—a quiet escape from the world’s chaos. Today was no different, except for the unsettling feeling that someone was watching me.

I tucked a loose strand of hair behind my ear and glanced up. The shop was mostly empty, except for Sophie rearranging a shelf and Elias, the owner—and my fiance—scribbling in his ledger. Nothing unusual. Yet, the air felt charged, like a storm brewing beneath a calm sky.

A shadow flickered at the entrance. Rayhan. His brooding presence had a way of making the bookstore feel smaller. His dark eyes held an intensity that made it hard to look away.

“Lost in another world, Amina?” His voice was smooth, teasing, but there was an underlying sharpness to it. He wasn’t just asking about the book in my hands.

I closed the novel, fingers tightening slightly around the worn cover. “Some worlds are better than this one.”

His smirk was slight but knowing. “Careful, you might get too lost.”

A shiver ran down my spine. Maybe it was the way he said it. Maybe it was just Rayhan being Rayhan. But deep inside, a whisper of doubt lingered.

I placed the book back on the shelf and walked past him, heading toward the counter where Elias was still hunched over his ledger. The scratch of his pen against paper filled the silence.

“Elias, did someone new come in today?” I asked, keeping my voice casual.

He barely looked up. “Other than the usuals? No.”

I frowned. That uneasy feeling of being watched hadn’t left me. If it wasn’t Rayhan, who else could it be?

A movement near the window caught my attention. I turned just in time to see a figure disappearing into the street outside. A thrill of fear shot through me. My pulse quickened.

“Amina?” Sophie’s voice broke through my thoughts. She stood a few feet away, holding a stack of books, her expression puzzled. “You okay?”

I forced a smile. “Yeah. Just thought I saw someone.”

Sophie followed my gaze toward the window but shrugged. “Probably just a customer passing by.”

Probably.

Still, the air in the bookstore felt heavier, as if the shadows were watching and waiting.

Elias finally looked up, his sharp gaze locking onto mine. “Amina, if something’s wrong, you should say it.”

The words hovered on my tongue, but I hesitated. What could I even say? That I felt like someone was lurking in the background, unseen but present? That Rayhan’s cryptic words unsettled me more than usual? That for the first time in a long while, the bookstore—the one place I felt safe—suddenly felt different?

Instead, I shook my head. “It’s nothing.”

But deep down, I knew it wasn’t nothing. And whatever it was, it wasn’t over yet.

As I turned back to the bookshelf, my fingers brushed against something tucked between the pages of an old, leather-bound novel. A folded letter.

My heartbeat pounded in my ears as I pulled it out. The paper was yellowed, the ink slightly smudged, but one thing was clear—the letter was meant for me. My name was scrawled on the front in jagged, almost frantic handwriting.

Swallowing hard, I unfolded the letter, my eyes scanning the words. My breath hitched. The message was simple, yet chilling.

You don’t know who to trust.

The world around me seemed to tilt. I glanced up, my gaze darting between Sophie, Rayhan, and Elias. The air felt suffocating.

I clutched the letter tighter. Someone was playing a game with me. But who?

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