Chapter 62 Followed
Chapter 62 Followed
The feeling started subtly.
At first, Elara thought it was just the city.
There were too many people, too many sounds layered over one another. Footsteps echoed differently on stone streets. Voices bounced between buildings. Reflections moved in windows where no one stood. It was easy to imagine attention where there was none.
So she ignored it.
They were walking through a narrow street lined with small shops when the sensation brushed against her awareness for the first time. Not a touch. Not a sound. Just the unmistakable prickle of presence, like someone standing a step too close behind her.
Elara slowed.
Sonia was ahead of her, laughing with a vendor who was insisting she try another sweet pastry. Sophie walked to Elara’s left, quiet as ever, eyes forward.
Elara turned.
The street behind them was busy. A couple arguing softly. A woman carrying a basket. Two children darting past one another. Ordinary. Harmless.
No one looking at her.
She frowned and turned back, telling herself she was imagining things.
They continued walking, the scent of spice and baked bread filling the air. Sonia darted ahead again to photograph a mural splashed across the side of an old building. Sophie paused near Elara, scanning the crowd with that sharp, guarded focus she never seemed to turn off.
“You okay?” Sophie asked quietly.
Elara hesitated. “Do you ever feel like…”
She stopped herself.
“Like what?” Sophie pressed.
Elara shook her head. “Never mind.”
Sophie studied her for a moment longer than necessary, then nodded once. “Tell me if it comes back.”
That should have comforted her.
It did not.
They moved into a wider square where people gathered around musicians and street performers. Sonia clapped enthusiastically, pulling Elara closer so they could watch. Elara smiled, trying to let the music wash over her, but the feeling returned stronger this time.
Someone was watching her.
Her shoulders tensed.
She shifted her weight, casually stepping half a pace to the side and glancing over her shoulder again.
Nothing.
The musicians played on. The crowd laughed and swayed. A man bowed theatrically as coins clinked into a bowl.
Elara’s heart beat faster.
She scanned faces. Old. Young. Curious. Distracted.
None of them held her gaze.
Yet the sensation did not fade. It followed her like a shadow just outside her vision.
She took a slow breath and forced herself to focus. Panic would draw attention. Sophie had said that herself.
They left the square and entered another street, quieter now, the noise of the crowd fading behind them. Elara’s footsteps sounded too loud in her own ears.
She felt it again.
Closer.
Elara stopped walking abruptly.
Sonia bumped into her back. “Hey. Sorry. I was not looking.”
Elara turned fully this time, her eyes sweeping the street behind them with sharper intent.
Empty.
The stone road stretched back toward the square, bathed in warm afternoon light. A stray cat darted into an alley and vanished. A door closed softly somewhere.
That was all.
Sonia followed her gaze. “What are you looking for?”
Elara forced a smile. “I thought I dropped something.”
Sonia shrugged. “You would hear it.”
Sophie said nothing, but her posture changed subtly. She shifted closer to Elara, not touching her, but near enough that Elara could feel the heat of her presence.
They walked on.
Elara tried to convince herself she was being foolish. The rumors. The tension. The games. They had all worn her down. Of course her nerves were sharp.
But the feeling refused to leave.
It followed them through the market. Through the narrow lanes filled with hanging fabrics and trinkets. Through the quiet courtyard where ivy crawled over old stone walls.
Every time Elara turned, there was no one.
No footsteps chasing hers. No face disappearing into a crowd. No reflection lingering too long.
Just absence.
The worst kind.
They stopped to eat again near the edge of the city. Sonia chatted animatedly about which food she liked best, oblivious. Sophie ate quietly, her gaze flicking occasionally to their surroundings.
Elara barely tasted her meal.
She felt exposed here. The street was wider, the buildings lower. The sky felt too open above her.
Her chest tightened.
She pushed her plate away and stood. “I need some air.”
Sonia looked up. “We are outside.”
“I mean,” Elara said carefully, “away from the crowd.”
“I will come with you,” Sonia said immediately.
Sophie was already standing.
They walked a short distance to a quieter stretch of road where the noise of the city dulled to a distant hum. Elara leaned against a stone railing, her fingers gripping the rough surface.
She closed her eyes.
The feeling surged.
So close now it made her skin crawl.
Elara opened her eyes and spun around.
Still nothing.
Her breath came faster. “This is not in my head.”
Sonia’s smile faded. “What is not.”
Elara swallowed. “Someone is following me.”
Sonia stiffened. “What.”
“I keep feeling it,” Elara said. “Like eyes on my back. Like someone is always just behind me.”
Sonia glanced up and down the street, suddenly alert. “Do you see anyone.”
“No,” Elara said. “That is the problem.”
Sophie’s jaw tightened. “How long.”
Elara hesitated. “Since the city.”
Sophie exhaled sharply through her nose. “You should have said something sooner.”
“I thought it would stop,” Elara said. “I thought I was imagining it.”
Sophie stepped closer, her voice low. “You are not imagining it.”
Sonia’s eyes widened. “You think someone is actually following her.”
“Yes,” Sophie said. “And they are good at not being seen.”
Elara’s heart pounded. “Then why come into the open like this.”
“Because crowds hide watchers as well as targets,” Sophie replied. “And because you are easier to observe when you are relaxed.”
Elara felt cold despite the warm air.
“Do not panic,” Sophie continued. “That is what they want.”
Sonia swallowed. “What do we do.”
Sophie scanned the area. “We do nothing different. We rejoin the group. We stay visible.”
Elara nodded, though her hands trembled.
As they walked back, Elara felt it again immediately. The pressure returned, steady and patient.
She did not turn this time.
She focused on her steps. On Sonia’s voice beside her. On Sophie’s presence like a shield at her other side.
They reached the meeting point without incident. The rest of the students were already gathering, laughing, comparing photos, trading snacks.
Mrs Grant stood nearby, speaking quietly with one of the guides.
Her eyes lifted as Elara approached.
For a brief second, something unreadable passed across her face.
Elara’s skin prickled.
The feeling faded the moment they joined the larger group. Not gone. Just… withdrawn.
Like something stepping back into shadow.
The ride back to camp was tense for Elara despite Sonia’s chatter and the gentle sway of the vehicle. She kept expecting the feeling to return.
It did not.
That unsettled her more than if it had.
That night, lying on her sleeping mat, Elara stared up at the dark fabric of the tent. Sonia slept soundly