(Arata)
Karsten never brought up that kiss he had given in his office. No lingering looks or subtle glances when we were alone, just his old aloof self.
Deciphering him was even more difficult than figuring out string theory.
But putting his thoughts on the back burner, I went shopping. The next day, I had to leave for Angel City where I was finally going to et my family and friends.
Caysir remained my shadow as usual and also beca my self-acclaid porter. Although I insisted on carrying my own shopping bags, he wouldn’t let .
While coming out of an antique jewellery shop, a man in a black hoodie with a cap pulled low on his face deliberately bumped into .
He didn’t hurt , as it was a slight brush, but Caysir quickly reprimanded him, rushing forward to ensure I wasn’t hurt.
"Watch where you are going?"
The man quickly mumbled an apology and rushed off in the opposite direction.
"Are you fine, Miss Arata? Did he hurt you?" He instantly asked with deep concern, his hands laden with my shopping bags.
"It was just a brush, all good. Let’s go ho."
We left the shopping mall and Caysir took ho.
We arrived outside my apartnt. When I placed my hand in my handbag, sothing wet touched my fingers, and I wondered what I had placed in my bag.
Did my bottle of lotion spill out? But it seed like sothing with feathers. I pulled it out and instantly dropped it on the floor with a loud scream tumbling out of my mouth. My feet took steps back in horror.
Caysir was right behind and he rushed forward to see what had shouting like a crazed woman.
It was most likely a dead rose finch; her eyes had been removed, and crimson blood coated its head, beak and feathers.
"Where did this co from?" He asked, placing my bags down and picking the dead bird carefully into his hands.
"From my bag," I whispered, staring at the bird with wide eyes and sothing caught my attention.
There was sothing carved on the poor bird. Caysir tried to shield it with his hands, but I caught a glimpse.
"YOU ARE NEXT."
What? This seed like another threat and my mind reeled back to the man who had bumped into at the mall.
Did he slip that poor bird into my bag?
Since the security had been tightened around the office, it seed like he could no longer sneak past and chose this thod.
"Miss Arata, I need to get you inside your apartnt and then report this."
All traces of the warm smiles Caysir always carried disappeared as he took the keys from my bag and unlocked the door, ushering inside.
Fear had grappled at like liquid ice, numbing my senses and mind.
Who would want dead?
Was it just a threat or was there soone out there considering it?
Like a robot, I walked up to the wash basin and rubbed my hands clean under the hot water using liquid soap.
My hands shook violently as I removed blood from them.
Quietly I settled down on the lounger and pushed my legs closer to my chest. Caysir thoroughly checked my bag, ensuring there wasn’t any note or sothing else while he kept asking if I was doing okay.
I could only nod, too shocked to speak.
A red bird had been chosen because of my red hair?
Was the bird supposed to represent ?
Did this person know my real identity?
Could it be soone I knew?
Could it be Andy?
My brain was bombarded with a million questions as I placed my hands on my mouth and tried not to break down.
Caysir was making calls in the background. I knew it must be Karsten since I had requested no police.
He then brought a glass of water.
"Please! Drink, it will be fine. We will catch whoever this person is."
Thanking him, I took a few sips and tried not to cry. I felt desperately alone and wasn’t used to such situations. My family was always around when I needed them but this was a very dangerous, very difficult situation for .
I sat still, pondering over and over who would be trying to hurt , but nothing ca to mind.
’Could it be Azul?’ The voice ca from the deep crevices of my mind. ’He is the only one who calls you by a bird’s na.’
An imaginary bird.
A rational person would instantly believe that a masked man could be the one to stalk and send death threats.
But my heart refused to believe it was him. Plus the man who bumped in the mall was leaner and shorter in height than Azul.
’He could have hired soone.’ Another thought sprang in my brain and I held my head in my hands and shook it.
No, he was my safe space. He wouldn’t hurt . If he wanted, he had plenty of opportunities to do that.
’Maybe he likes to play with his victims.’ My disturbed thoughts kept going back to him but my sixth sense refused to consider him the culprit.
They hadn’t found any fingerprints on the note which had been left on my car and I was sure they wouldn’t find any on this bird as well.
Reeling from the turmoil spinning in my head, I closed my eyes to get a mont’s peace when Karsten’s deeply concerned voice reached .
"Arata!"
Was he here? Or was my mind hallucinating because I felt safe with him.
My head swivelled in the direction of the voice and he was standing just behind . His rugged face now lined deep with ticulous concern gravelly ingrained into his features.
Without thinking I sprang from my seat and ran to him. His arms opened to receive , and I launched right into them and hugged him as if he were my lifeline.
Pressing my face into his solid chest, I began to bawl my eyes out, and he just held there, slowly rubbing my back, trying to console but never asking to stop crying.
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