CHAPTER 173 : EYES THAT FOLLOW

The first boutique Elara and Kira had gone to was a cozy one in a quiet spot tucked between two larger stores.

It was the kind that smelled of fresh clothes, freshly printed tags and soft perfumes. It wasn't too big, but it was a lovely place to shop in.

Elara was currently admiring a dress she had found, twirling in front of a mirror, while Kira, who had gotten most of what she wanted from the boutique, carefully folded the items into their shopping bags.

As they rounded up, they made their way to the door, their hands full of what they had bought.

Taking a deep breath, Kira let the outside air clear her head-the gentle breeze needed.

She was about to close the boutique door behind her when something, or rather someone, caught her eye.

She noticed that it didn't sit right with her and that someone was watching them, but she didn't let it show and pretended to know.

She remained calm, not bothered, and was simply observant of the person watching them as she dropped the bags into the back seat of the car, her fingers brushing the seat slowly before she closed the door.

Across the street, near a coffee shop, Kira saw him from the corner of her eyes, watching them.

She didn't turn her head; instead, she just pretended to check something in her purse, her posture composed as if nothing suspicious was happening.

Meanwhile, Elara was talking to her, something about going to the next boutique, but Kira's attention was a bit divided. She didn't know why, but something about the stillness of the man made her somewhat uneasy.

Still, she turned to Elara and gave a small smile, nodding as if she was fully engaged, though her mind was somewhere else.

Now walking down the street to the next boutique, which was just a few steps away, Kira kept walking normally, talking to Elara and nodding when she needed to, but her peripheral vision stayed locked on the man trailing them.

His pace matched theirs. It was not too fast, and it was not too slow. He wasn't close enough to bump into them either, but Kira could feel him there, like a shadow hovering over them, and she did not like it one bit.

Elara, on the other hand, was oblivious to the situation. She was so invested in spending time with Kira that she just kept talking happily, while Kira listened, not wanting her to worry as she also studied the person who followed them.

When they finally reached the boutique, the chime of the boutique's door sounded above them as they both entered the shop.

Moving around and acting like she was checking out clothes to buy, Kira saw him standing right outside.

He was a few feet away from the boutique window, and it seemed like he wasn't trying to hide the fact that he was following them and wanted her to know.

He was just standing there, not moving and staring directly at her, but Kira didn't flinch. She walked deeper into the boutique, pretending to pick out a jacket as she took in every detail of him, from his clothes to the way he stood that was very off.

Suddenly, their eyes met through the glass, and Kira froze for a split second.

There was something about his eyes, but she wasn't sure, and then his lips parted, pulling into a smile.

It was not a normal smile; it was wide, too wide. And as he smiled, his eyes remained fixed on hers, his smile widening even more in a grotesque way.

"Something isn't right," Kira thought as she didn't break eye contact either, not even for a second.

She studied him, her gaze cold. Then, before she knew it, the man slowly turned as if something was controlling him and walked away, his head remaining tilted in her direction before he disappeared.

Turning back to Elara, who was looking through a rack of scarves, completely unaware of what had just happened, Kira walked up to her and rubbed her arms.

"Mum. I need to grab a few things," she said, her expression not giving off that anything was wrong and her voice unhurried. "I will be back soon. You keep shopping, okay?"

"Sure," Elara said, nodding with a smile. "Take your time."

"Alright, I'll see you," Kira muttered before turning towards the entrance.

The moment she stepped out of the boutique, the air felt… different.

The street was still lively, people moving past, chatting, laughing, bags in hand and so many more.

Her eyes scanned the area as she moved in the direction the man had disappeared in, looking for him without making it obvious.

Then-there.

Across the street, on the same lane, he stood, still unmoving and facing her.

It was that moment that Kira knew that he knew what he was doing and wanted her to know too.

Then he turned left and disappeared into a smaller road.

"Fine," Kira muttered to herself. "You want me to follow you," she said as she started walking. "I will."

She crossed the street, walked through the crowd easily, and stepped into that small road the man had disappeared into.

Unlike the bustling street, this place felt… different.

"Something is definitely not right," She confirmed as she felt the change in the atmosphere and looked at the people who sold fruits, dried herbs, jewelry, flowers and other things on a path.

She walked forward, her eyes moving from stall to stall, expecting to find the man. But he was gone.

There was no sign of him.

Kira kept walking, but her steps were now slow as she waited, waiting for whatever was about to happen next.

Soon, the people, the vendors, the customers, and the passersby all became quiet and turned toward her.

They started surrounding her slowly, and when she saw their eyes, completely white, she knew what was happening.

The people who were surrounding her were being controlled, and Kira knew what a powerful spell that was.

She turned, and when she did, he was right there.

The man from earlier.

Standing directly in front of her.

Unlike the others, his eyes weren't white, but she could see that he was also being controlled.

"Probably the messenger," She thought as she stared back at him before he spoke.

"Meet me in this place tomorrow," he said, his voice natural and unnatural at the same time as he extended his hand, giving her a small, folded piece of paper.

Kira didn't hesitate and took it, her movements calculated and on alert in case of any unexpected surprise.

"Come alone," the man continued. "I have information about the witch you are looking for. The one who cursed your mates. If you do not come alone, you will not receive that information."

Then, before Kira could say or ask anything, his body tensed and his eyes shifted.

A moment of disorientation flickered across his face, and he looked around as if he was wondering how he got to where he was.

"Do I know you?" He asked Kira, still wondering as the vendors, the customers, and everyone who surrounded her also blinked, confusion on all their faces.

"You don't," Kira answered politely.

"Oh," the man nodded and rubbed his face. "I might have drank a lot. I don't remember anything." Then he turned and walked away, everyone else picking up their conversations and interactions from where it stopped as if nothing had happened.

They had no memory of what had just transpired, and Kira watched them for a moment before unfolding the piece of paper.

She stared at the address, thinking of what to do next, although… she already knew.