Chapter 3 Levi’s POV

Getting a message about a job wasn’t unusual for me. What made this one strange was how it was written.

“I have a job for you.”

That could have been anyone. Tommy had sent me random offers before, and sometimes people passed my number around when they needed help.

But then the second message came in.

“The pay is attractive.”

I stared at my phone for a moment.

That part didn’t sit well with me. It sounded too deliberate, like the sender knew exactly what to say to get my attention.

The only people who knew I was constantly looking for work were Tommy and Jamie, and neither of them talked like that.

I typed a quick reply.

Who is this?

The message was delivered, but no response came back.

I waited for a few seconds, then a minute. Nothing.

I dropped the phone on the bed.

“Not my problem,” I said to myself and went back to my assignment.

Even then, I couldn’t focus properly.

The next morning, I was already tired before my day even started. Being tired was kind of normal for me, so I should be used to it now.

I didn’t sleep well. My mind kept going back to that message for no reason. It didn’t make sense, but it still bothered me.

By the time I got up, I was already running late again.

“Levi, you’re going to miss another class,” Jamie said from the kitchen.

 Being late was starting to be a regular thing.

“I won’t,” I replied, grabbing my shirt. “I’m leaving now.”

“You said that five minutes ago. And I'm almost done with the pancakes.”

“And now I mean it. I can't wait for it.”

I picked up my bag and headed for the door.

“You didn’t eat,” he added.

“I’ll eat later.”

“You always say that. I'm starting to think you're allergic to food.”

“ I'm not hungry.”

I left before he could continue.

The walk to campus wasn't far, but it felt that way.I kept thinking about that message, even though I told myself to forget about it.

Then that same feeling from the fundraiser came back.

Like someone was watching me. I glanced behind me quickly.

There was no one there. Just people walking around like normal.

I shook my head and kept moving. Come to think of it, I've had that same feeling for a while now.

Who had time to follow a loser like me around.

I didn’t have time to deal with this. I shoved the thought and feeling away.

By the time I reached campus, I was late.

Again. I checked my schedule while walking through the hallway.

Psychology.

I didn’t even remember the lecturer’s name. I just needed to get inside before I missed too much.

I got to the door, took a breath, and opened it.

“Sorry I’m—”

I stopped.

The man standing in front of the class was the same one from the fundraiser.

For a second, I thought I was mistaken.

But I wasn’t.

He looked exactly the same. Same expression. Same calm posture.

And he was looking straight at me. The only difference was he wasn't wearing a suit.

“You’re late, Mr. Cross,” he said.

His tone was calm, like this was a normal situation.

“Yeah,” I said, walking into the room. “I noticed.”

Some students laughed quietly, but I ignored them and took a seat.

How did he know my name?

I could feel his eyes on me while I sat down.

“Now that everyone is here, we can begin,” he said.

He turned to the board and wrote his name.

“Professor Lucifiel Thorne.”

So that was his name.

It still sounded strange, but I didn’t say anything.

“As this is our first class, let’s start with something simple,” he said, facing the class again.

His eyes moved across the room and stopped on me.

“What defines human behavior?” he asked.

I sighed quietly.

“Do I have a choice?” I asked.

“If you intend to pass,” he replied.

“Fine.”

I thought for a moment.

“Survival,” I said. “Everything people do comes back to that.”

“And why?”

“Because people are selfish,” I answered. “They just try to make it look better.”

The room went quiet.

He looked at me for a few seconds, then nodded.

“Interesting.”

That was all he said.

I didn’t know why, but that annoyed me. The rest of the class went by slowly.

I tried to focus, but it was difficult. Every time I looked up, he seemed to be watching me.

By the time the class ended, I packed my things quickly.

I wanted to leave.

“Mr. Cross.”

I paused and looked up.

“Yes?”

“Stay back.”

I sat down again, already annoyed.

The other students left the room one by one until it was just the two of us.

He walked toward me.

I watched him carefully.

“What is it?” I asked. “Did I do something wrong?”

“No.”

“ You're way behind in my class." There was something about the way he speaks that sends shivers down someone's spine. No, not someone mine.

"I'm aware of that." I said ignoring the feeling.

"How do you plan to catch up?" He asked.

"I'm working on it."

He stared at me, and it felt like he was staring at my soul and not my body.

“Are we done?”

“ for now. You can find me in my office when you're ready to work on your grade.”

I stood up immediately and walked out.

Once I was out of the classroom, I felt a little better. But something still felt off.

I started walking down the hallway, trying to clear my head.

Then that feeling came back again.

Stronger this time.

Like someone was behind me.

I stopped and turned around.Nothing. Just students moving around like normal.

I frowned and kept walking, this time a bit faster.

When I got outside, I reached for my phone without thinking. There was a new message.

Unknown number.

I opened it.

“I told you I had a job for you.”

I stopped walking.

Another message came in immediately.

“I don’t like being ignored, Levi.”

I felt a slight chill run through me.

Slowly, I turned around.

This time, I didn’t ignore the feeling. Because now I was sure of one thing.

Someone was watching me.