Olivier fervently watched the young man named Rio as they strolled down the sidewalk. He was a quiet fellow, pragmatic and focused. Occasionally, he sipped his coffee, but for the most part, he didn’t seem to have any interest in talking.

  That suited Olivier just fine. After everything that had happened, she wasn’t sure if she could carry a conversation, anyway. Images of the terrible creature still haunted her, and the thought that this hideous beast could appear again frightened her to the core.

  She hugged herself and rubbed the goosebumps that rose on her skin.

  Rio glanced at her. “Don’t worry. We’re doing everything in our power to make sure that this doesn’t happen to you again.”

  Olivier nodded, chewing on his words. “How do I know it won’t come for me?”

  Rio took a sip of his coffee. “We don’t. Not for sure. I won’t mince words. We’re still trying to figure out how this thing moves. But we’ve managed to narrow down a few aspects regarding how it selects its victims.” He stopped at the entrance to Olivier’s apartment building. “Is this it?”

  “Yeah.”

  Rio hummed, and the two entered. As they took the stairs, he continued to speak. “Our understanding is that it won’t attack unless it can catch its victim off guard or alone.” When he reached the floor that Olivier lived on, he paused to look at her over his shoulder. “I’ve read Sheriff Krawl’s report. The details in the file match the profile thus far.”

  The way he spoke gave her some solace. Despite being a head shorter than her, he carried a confident air, and was the type to simply see events unfold one panel at a time, handling it however necessary.

  Rio resumed his pace down the hallway toward her apartment. “Given, there’s no precedent for victims who have escaped—you’re the first thus far—but we have significant reason to believe that it will not hunt you down.”

  “But… you don’t know for sure.”

  Rio paused. “No. We don’t.”

  “What are you going to do, then?”

  “Continue hunting it,” he said as he discarded his coffee in a nearby trash bin, “and proceed from there. We’ll have officers watching the apartment for the next few days, so if you see anything suspicious, let us know immediately.”

  Olivier smiled. “Thank you. Truly.”

  “Of course,” Rio nodded. He frowned when a woman with vibrant purple skin in a red top and black shorts ran by, her face full of tears. He stopped and watched her from afar.

  “Something wrong?”

  “Hmm.” He shook his head. “No. Just thought I recognized her from somewhere.” He shrugged and continued on his way, alongside Olivier.

  Moments later, when they came upon her apartment, Olivier realized she recognized the girl. It was the same one in the picture Silas had sent her by accident. She shut her eyes and sucked in her lips. Part of her had come to accept that Silas was cheating on her on a regular basis, but it never hurt any less to see it.

  “Is this it?” Rio asked.

  “Yeah, this is it. Thanks for—” As Olivier moved to enter the apartment, Rio barred her and retrieved a pair of black wrapped rods covered in intricate designs made of gold. He whipped the rods to his side, and the shafts snapped into the bo staff Olivier saw when they first met.

  “Let me check inside first,” Rio said, gently nudging her away from the door. He slowly pushed the door open until it hit the stopper, his bo staff held in the other hand. As the young man entered, his monkey-like tail swayed behind him, and for a moment Olivier pictured him using it to swing from branch to branch. Seconds later, a door squeaked to their right, and Rio readied into a fighting position with both hands on the staff.

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  “Who the hell are you?” came Silas’s voice.

  Olivier sighed and fought the pounding heart in her chest before entering the room next. Silas stood there, naked save for the towel around his waist. Beads of water traveled his sculpted body as he cocked a brow. “Hey, Silas.”

  “Olivier.” Her name rolled off his tongue as if he’d just seen something unremarkable. “Where have you been? And who is this kid?”

  Rio sighed and rested the bottom of his staff on the carpet. “You know him?” he asked as he flicked his head toward Silas.

  “Yeah, I do. He’s my boyfriend.”

  Silas hummed. Of course he wouldn’t confirm or deny it. “Are you going to answer my question?”

  Rio raised a brow. “My name is Rio. I work under Sheriff Krawl.” The slightest hint of a smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth when Silas straightened his posture. “I apologize for the intrusion. It seems that I’ve caught you at a bad time.”

  “It’s fine,” Silas smiled easily. “Is she all right?”

  “Physically speaking, yes. She’s fine. I escorted her here to ensure her safety. I trust that you’ll take care of her, yes?”

  “I’ll ignore the hint of venom in your voice. She’s my other half. Of course I will.”

  “Very well, then.” Rio turned and started out the front door, when he stopped and gripped the doorframe. “Take care.” The young man shut the door behind him. Once his footsteps sounded down the hall, Silas closed the distance between him and Olivier.

  “What game are you playing?” he asked.

  “N-Nothing. I… was attacked by…” Should she say it? Would he even believe her? She had to confide in someone, even if that someone was a detestable being of a man. “By a Lurker. This… grotesque thing that crawled toward me.” She fought back tears. “Silas, I thought I was going to die.”

  “You think I would believe that?”

  Olivier stared, wide-eyed.

  “I know what this is about,” Silas continued. “It’s about the security around the districts. Well, I’ll have you know that my father has it under control, and I don’t take lightly to you dissing him like that.”

  Olivier blinked. “What in the fuck are you talking about, you indulgent prick? I was almost killed! Do you not understand that?”

  “No. No, no, no,” he shook his finger and gripped her by the collar of her shirt. “Don’t play coy with me, bitch. I know what you’re about, and I’m not going to let you snake your way out of this.”

  Olivier batted his hand away, and it immediately came back and struck her across the face. Her hair whipped across her face, sticking to the oils on her skin. She rolled her tongue across her bottom row of teeth and rocked her jaw from side to side. She was raring for a fight.

  “Don’t… touch me,” Olivier said.

  “I’ll do whatever I want,” Silas spat.

  Olivier swung at his face, but Silas was quicker. He snatched her wrist from the air, twisting it just enough so that it wouldn’t break. He kept it low, and Olivier was forced to her knees. Silas clicked his tongue and trailed a finger from her neck down to her cleavage. “I suppose all you’re good for is your body.”

  Olivier growled, and rose to strike back. Silas leaned into the attack, then shoved her against the wall. The back of her head struck with a deafening thud, eliciting a yelp from her throat.

  “Silas, stop!” Olivier pleaded.

  Silas approached, his hand clenched into a fist. Olivier shut her eyes and braced.

  “Hauugh!”

  “Huh?” Olivier carefully opened one eye, then gasped. A long staff had struck Silas between the ribs, pushing two of the bones inward deep enough that Olivier was sure that they’d broken. She looked to her left to see Rio, a disturbingly dark expression on his face.

  Silas groaned with a hand on his side. He swung at the staff, but Rio pulled back and quickly struck the sides of his knees, sending Silas down to his good side.

  “At least you know how to fall,” Rio said, spinning the staff and extending his hand to Olivier. “Are you all right?”

  “No. No, I’m not. There’s so much going on in my head and in my life, I don’t know what to do.” Olivier slowly placed her hand in his and came to his side. “But I’m glad people like you exist.”

  “How dare you,” Silas said through hitched breaths. “When my father hears about this—”

  “He’ll hear of how his son assaulted a woman, and an officer was there to see it happen.” Rio narrowed his gaze on Silas. “Don’t think I don’t know how this works. It’ll be your word versus mine. Do you truly wish to test that?”

  Silas visibly swallowed.

  “Don’t ever touch her again. Do you understand?” Rio said. “If so much as a hair is damaged on her head, I’ll make sure you pay for it.” He looked up at Olivier. “Let’s take you somewhere safer.”

  Olivier paused, then glanced at Silas. “We’re through. I’m not dealing with your shit anymore. Take whatever you have left of your dignity and do something useful with it. I’ll be back for my things later.”

  Silas growled but said nothing more on the matter. As Olivier and Rio shut the door behind them, Rio let go and gestured for her to follow him. She smiled, then retrieved her phone from out of her pocket. Maxis would never believe this.

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