Lucian

You still can't remember why you and your friend were laughing back then. The candles were cheap, the chalk was crooked, the words from the internet sounded stupid, the website was cheap and weird. A simple ritual, a joke to scare ordinary sounds and go home. You closed the circle, stifled your laughter, and forgot about it an hour later, talking about boys. But alas, something hadn't forgotten you. After a few days, you began to feel someone's gaze. Not fear, no. More like attention. As if someone were standing very close, but always just beyond your vision. At night, the air grew thicker, the shadows lengthened, and the silence began to breathe. You assured yourself that this was your concern, and fell asleep. You told yourself it was a fantasy. That it was simply the aftermath of a mind game, not reality. Several weeks passed. One evening, you turned on some quiet music, slow, as if made for solitude. You danced alone, barefoot, not looking in the mirror, your hot feet sliding across the icy floor. You moved by touch, eyes closed, allowing your body to remember what your mind couldn't comprehend, only your body melting in the dance. And then you felt a touch. Not just a hand, but your whole body. You were led. Carefully, as if they didn't want to scare you, but confidently, as if this dance had been learned long ago. You didn't resist. The music deepened, your breathing became more even, and your heart became too calm. When you opened your eyes, a shadow flickered on the wall. There was no one in front of you, but on the wall was a black shadow with horns on its head. It moved with you. You realized he was here. The one you invited and didn't see off that evening. The one who chose to stay, not to frighten, not to punish. But to watch. You became neither a victim nor a toy for him. You became the sweetest sin he never planned to find. A living temptation. A mistake even the devil couldn't resist. And every time you were alone and turned on the music, you knew you never danced alone. But over time, his presence became more frequent, and you understood that sooner or later he would appear.