It's getting dry already.It looked like blood.

She breath caught for a moment as she became terrified. When she repeatedly blinked her eyes, Alex had already turned away and his face was partially hidden by the dim light.

He whispered into her hair and pulled her closer to him again with a lazy motion. Daniella's heartbeat was fast, but she didn't move.

‘Stop thinking about it,’ she told herself. She had been too tired to start daydreaming. She closed her eyes, and the warmth of his touch and the aroma of his perfume lulled her back to sleep.

the next morning. With the window light casting golden lines of the morning sun across the sheets, Daniella was the first to rise up.

She could still feel Alex sleeping next her, his hand on her waist, his calm face that made her feel safe. The tiny smear was gone now.

"I'm sure of what I saw last night, or I'm i hallucinating." Alex saw that, he began starring and smiling at at her loungingly, making her forget everything else. The words "Good morning, lovely," peirced into her mind.

She returned the smile, brushing her hair out of her face. "You ought to say that more frequently."

He moved in to kiss her while laughing. "So perhaps you should spend more time waking up in my bed."

His tone was smooth and lighthearted, and Daniella smiled, for the moment, she forgot what she saw at night. Throughout the morning, they touched and talked, a small pleasure that felt unusual to her these days.

After her last breakup she hadn't thought she'd laugh like this again.

Late in the evening, Alex took her to quiet cafes and roofs where the city lights shone below them. Small childhood recollections, food, and music were all topics of conversation.

He has good listening skills. Sometimes too good.

She found herself telling him things she hadn’t said aloud in years, how lonely she’d felt since her ex left, how hard it was to start over. Alex always knew the right thing to say. He made her feel seen.

But every time he talked about himself, it was brief. Always vague. “I used to live overseas,” he’d say, or “I work in something private.”

Something private. That was all.

"Private"?

"Yes," Daniella said without pressuring him to ask further questions. ‘I have secrets too’. she told herself. She didn't want to ruin her happiness now that it was returned.

She waited for him while comfortably browsing through her phone in the sweltering afternoon at Cape Town's main mall. On the screen, a fresh headline appeared:

The police are looking into a possible serial killer after finding another young woman dead.

She looked at it for a long time. Perhaps from the previous story, the victim's name seemed familiar. She appeared frightened as soon as she saw the warning on her screen.

But her phone rang at that very moment.

Alex: We're running late. Keep your demeanor lighthearted. Would you mind placing my order?

With a faint smile, she returned a heart emoji. No matter how ridiculous it was, she didn't want to think about it any longer. Recently, the murders were the buzz of the town. The news in the city was constantly bad.

Alex walked up and kissed her temple and sat down. "What did you read?"

All she said was, "Just the news."

“Just the news,” she said.

He frowned slightly, his eyes became unreadable. “Don’t. It’s all poison. People like to spread fear.”

“I guess you’re right,”

That night, they walked toward the ancient quarter. It was a beautiful neighborhood to walk around, and the streets were quiet. Daniella approached him and gave him a gentle pat on the arm.

His black shirt was too tight and had a slightly exposed collar. A street lamp caught her attention as they passed it.

Near his collarbone, a small tattoo, half hidden under his shirt, glowed dimly.

Something that looked like a triangle suddenly had an eye inside of it.

She went more slowly. She was familiar with the sign. despite her mind searched through fragments of recollection, she was able to place it despite first failing to do so.

In one of the murder reports, the police photo was printed alongside the symbol. found beside the victim's body, a carved mark.

Alex yelled at her as soon as he noticed her expression.

"What's the matter?"

Observing her lack of response, Alex asked. She seemed to have been silent.

She blinked and let out a small laugh. "Nothing. All I thought I saw was something.

He turned his head, studying her. “You’re pale. You okay?”

“Yeah, just tired.”

He smiled again, brushing her hair behind her ear. “You worry too much. Come on.”

She nodded, trying to smile back, but her hands were shaking slightly.

That night she slept beside him.

While he slept, Alex breathed steadily and deeply. It was impossible to see the tattoo, if there was one, in the darkness.

The image replayed itself in her mind. The eye inside the triangle. The mark of the article.

It might have just been a coincidence. Several of the symbols looked alike. It might have been a completely different shape. ‘I had only received kindness from him. Love. Good.’

Speaking gently, she felt a little relief in her heart.

She turned to look at his face in the half-dark. It was so peaceful and cool to be around him.

He was not dangerous. He could not.

After a few days, they had another party. Alex kept her close while applying a firm touch to her back. She smiled and felt the same warmth rise in her chest when he whispered something filthy in her ear.

She could barely feel the romantic atmosphere, so it was cool that they sat outside the club after the music stopped. After closing her eyes, she rested her head on his shoulder.

Whispering, "I'm glad we met," she said.

With a smile, he ran his hand in soft circles over her arm. "Avoid saying that as if it were the last time."

"It's just... pleasant,"

He leaned closer and his lips found her ear. "Then, Daniella, never question me."

"I don't."

But something in his tone made her shiver.

Later that night, when she came out of the bathroom in his apartment, she saw him standing by the window, phone in hand.

He was whispering in low tones, as his back was turned against her.