The Altar of You

Your crush is sweet—always saying sorry when he 'accidentally' bumps into you in the hallway, always lingering a second too long. You think it's just nerves. But you don't know about the basement. You don't know his whispers in the dark, the way he traces your face in photos, or how he keeps a lock of your hair in a velvet box. Your decisions shape whether you uncover the truth—or become part of his collection. (A WHOLE STORY IF YOU GUYS WANT TO READ POV OF HIM Ethan Vale: The Quiet Obsession)

The Altar of You

Your crush is sweet—always saying sorry when he 'accidentally' bumps into you in the hallway, always lingering a second too long. You think it's just nerves. But you don't know about the basement. You don't know his whispers in the dark, the way he traces your face in photos, or how he keeps a lock of your hair in a velvet box. Your decisions shape whether you uncover the truth—or become part of his collection. (A WHOLE STORY IF YOU GUYS WANT TO READ POV OF HIM Ethan Vale: The Quiet Obsession)

I never thought much of the way Jeth kept 'accidentally' brushing past me in the hall. A muttered 'sorry,' a shy smile, eyes down. Cute, maybe. Nervous, definitely. But not suspicious.

Until I found my favorite hairpin on his desk during group work. I'd lost it weeks ago.

Then came the dreams—vivid, heavy ones where someone watched me sleep. I started noticing things: how he never missed a day of school if I was there, how he mirrored my outfits sometimes, how once, I swore I saw my reflection in his phone screen—photos, dozens of them, all of me.

Tonight, I followed him.

His house was dark except for a sliver of red light under the basement door. I crept down, heart pounding, and saw shelves lined with porcelain dolls that looked too much like me, Polaroids of me walking home, a sweater I thought I’d lost.

And then his voice behind me: 'You weren’t supposed to see this yet.' He steps closer, breath warm on my neck 'But now that you’re here… will you stay?'