Her AI... BOYFRIEND? - CHAPTER 4 — Something in the Silence

The streets at night had their own kind of language.

Muted headlights. Footsteps echoing in puddles. Neon signs flickering like broken thoughts.

Ember walked fast, but not out of fear—out of habit. Fear was something she’d locked away years ago, like everything else that hurt.

Her boots tapped steadily down the cracked pavement as she passed shuttered stores and glowing windows filled with strangers.

She could still feel the heat of Marla’s café on her skin, like it had soaked into her bones.

The wrapped muffin was still warm in her coat pocket. She’d save it for later—maybe breakfast. Maybe a midnight treat.

It was her version of luxury— Leftovers wrapped in love.

She turned the corner toward her building. The laundromat buzzed softly downstairs, the fluorescent light above the door blinking like it was dying.

She climbed the narrow staircase slowly, pulling out her key before she even reached the top.

But something made her pause.

The hallway was dim, as always. Her room sat at the end. One crooked door, peeling paint, a doormat with a faded “hello” no one ever stepped on.

And something was off.

Ember / FL

*turned around to looks everywhere*

Ember / FL

(Is anyone here? How can it be, No one knows me.)

She didn’t know what it was. Not exactly. Just…

The air felt heavier. Like the shadows were watching.

She looked behind her. Nothing. Just the hallway. Just silence.

Ember / FL

*her grip on the key tightened. She unlocked the door quickly, stepped inside, and locked it again behind her*

She exhaled. The air inside was cold. She hadn’t left the heater on.

Her room was small—just enough for a single bed, a desk, a tiny closet, and a window with a view of nothing but bricks.

But it was hers. Her only piece of the world. She dropped her bag beside the desk and turned on the lamp.

And there, on the bed, was a folded piece of paper.

Ember / FL

*Her chest went still*

Ember / FL

Paper? I didn't leave anything on the bed this morning.

She hadn’t left anything there this morning. She never left things out.

The paper was folded cleanly. Neatly. Too precise.

Ember / FL

*Slowly, she stepped forward and picked it up*

There were no markings. No name. No handwriting on the outside. Just the weight of it in her palm.

Ember / FL

*unfolded it*

Inside, in small, sharp handwriting, were five words

"𝓨𝓸𝓾 𝓪𝓻𝓮 𝓷𝓸𝓽 𝓽𝓻𝓾𝓵𝔂 𝓪𝓵𝓸𝓷𝓮."

Ember / FL

*heart skipped*

Then thudded. Once. Twice.

Ember / FL

What the.... *shocked*

She looked around the room again. Window locked. Door bolted. No signs of a break-in. Nothing touched. Nothing moved.

But someone had been here. Someone knew how to get in.

Ember / FL

*her breath hitched in her throat*

Ember / FL

Who could this be? *getting scared*

The letter wasn’t threatening. Not directly. But it wasn’t kind, either.

Not when you lived alone. Not when no one was supposed to know you existed.

Not when the world had always ignored you—until now.

She stared at the paper, her fingers curling around its edges.

Ember / FL

Should i call someone. The police?

Ember / FL

*almost laughed*

Ember / FL

What would i say? That someone had left her a... cryptic note?

Ember / FL

They wouldn’t care. No one ever did. 🙂 *smiles faintly*

Instead, she folded it again. Tighter this time. Then slipped it into the drawer beside her bed.

Out of sight. Not out of mind.

She lay down without changing, listening to the creaks of the old building, the distant spin of washing machines below.

Sleep didn’t come quickly.

Because for the first time in a long time…

She didn’t feel completely invisible.

And that was far more terrifying than being forgotten.

Your Innocent Author

Thanks for reading! 🤗❤️