The rain fell in sheets, blurring the city lights into streaks of defiant color. Elena Hayes sat by her window, the rhythmic drumming against the pane a hollow comfort. Ryan's face, smiling and kind, flashed in her mind, then faded, replaced by the stark, terrifying headline: 'Local Man Found Dead in Alley.'

A shiver, not from the cold, traced its way down her spine. Paranoia, a new and unwelcome companion, whispered in her ear. Every shadow seemed to deepen, every mundane sound outside her apartment transformed into a sinister warning.

She remembered the black car, parked three times this week, always just out of sight. And then, the message. The one that had solidified the icy dread in her stomach.

"You looked beautiful today. Shouldn't walk alone, Elena."

No name. No number. Just a chilling declaration. Her gaze darted to the street below, where a lone figure stood, cloaked in the shadows across the street. Tall. Dressed in black. Just watching.

The world she knew, once predictable and safe, was twisting into something dark and unrecognizable. She clutched the curtain, her knuckles white. The rain continued its relentless descent, mirroring the tears that pricked her eyes. She was being watched. Hunted. And she had no idea why.