Adrian walked leisurely through the bustling streets of his city, his gaze sweeping over the crowded sidewalks and the constant flow of people. With a slight shake of his head, he moved forward.
The city was alive with activity—shopkeepers calling out to customers, students rushing to school and college, office workers hurrying to their jobs. Everyone had somewhere to be, something to do.
But not Adrian. Not today.
His college had a holiday, which meant he had the luxury of spending the day at home, free of responsibilities. A small smile played on his lips as he thought about the brand-new console he had bought with his hard-earned savings. Today, he would finally get to enjoy it, uninterrupted.
He quickly reached his apartment, got his keys from below the plant pot, and opened the door, only to be greeted by an silent and humble apartment. It had a bedroom, and a kitchen for 10,000 rupees, which would be the 120 in dollars.
Originally, the rent had been split three ways with his roommates. However, due to sudden emergencies at their homes, they had both left, leaving Adrian as the sole occupant.
Though paying the full rent on his own had been tight, he was managing—just barely. But with the apartment all to himself, one thing was certain: tonight, he was going to game like there was no tomorrow.
As he stepped inside, Adrian set the groceries down absentmindedly, his mind already drifting toward checking whether his Amazon delivery had arrived. But just as he was about to move, he froze.
His eyes landed on the living room table.
There, resting in the center, was a black-covered casing.
Adrian stood still, his breath hitching. For a moment, his mind went blank, unsure of how to react. Then, all at once, alarm bells erupted in his head, sending him into full-blown panic mode.
...
"Brat! Don't call the police over such trivial matters!" the senior officer snapped, his irritation evident. "The parcel is the one you ordered online, and yet you had the nerve to call us, claiming someone planted a box inside your home?"
"Sir, you don't understand!" Adrian protested, his voice tight with frustration. "How can it possibly be my parcel when I haven't even signed or confirmed the deliv—"
Before he could finish, another officer approached, escorting an Amazon delivery guy. The officer in charge raised an eyebrow and motioned for his subordinate to speak.
The subordinate took the delivery guy's phone and handed it to the senior officer. The man studied the screen, his brows furrowing slightly before he turned his gaze back to Adrian.
For a moment, he simply stared.
Silence followed bewilderment.
Adrian felt the weight of the officers' stares growing stranger by the second, their expressions shifting from suspicion to something even more unsettling.
"If you haven't accepted the parcel," the head officer finally spoke, his voice edged with irritation, "then what the hell is this?!"
He shoved the phone into Adrian's face.
Adrian's eyes widened as he stared at the screen. It was the receipt for his order—his name, the confirmation, the exact time of delivery. Everything matched perfectly. Even when the officers checked his own phone, the same message was there, confirming the delivery.
His mouth went dry. "I swear I didn't confirm it!"
"Sir, he is lying."
The delivery guy stepped forward, his voice firm. "I met Sir in person. He was acting flustered when accepting the parcel—looked like he was in a bit of a pan—"
"You freaking liar!"
Adrian lunged at the man, his panic giving way to fury, but before he could reach him, the officers grabbed him, twisting his arms behind his back and restraining him with practiced ease.
Pain flared where their grip tightened, but that wasn't the worst part.
The worst part was the crowd.
Neighbors peered from their doorways, some whispering, others outright gawking. Murmurs spread like wildfire, and soon enough, the entire building was buzzing with gossip.
"Poor child… it seems the stress of studies is getting to him."
"The moment I saw him, I knew that kid had a screw loose."
"Hmph, going mad at this age? Back in my day—"
A wave of hushed voices filtered through Adrian's ears, each whispered judgment cutting deeper than the last. It was a mix of coherent yet fragmented murmurs, but the meaning behind them was crystal clear.
He had hit rock bottom.
And the most humiliating part? The crowd wasn't just filled with nosy neighbors and bystanders—it included a good number of his fellow college students.
Worse still, there were female students among them.
Beauties, at that.
Their expressions varied—some filled with amusement, others with confusion, pity, or even mild disgust. None of them were the looks he wanted.
Adrian clenched his fists, his face burning with shame. His gaze flickered toward the delivery guy, and in his eyes was a crazed, almost bloodshot intensity.
The man visibly recoiled, stepping back hurriedly until he was half-hidden behind the police officers, seeking their silent protection.
Adrian gritted his teeth.
This night was going to be more tedious than he could have ever imagined.
...
"You… Try not to overwork yourself," the head officer said, his tone now carrying an unexpected gentleness. "There's no need to sacrifice your health for your studies. It looks like you planned to relax with some games? Though I won't say it's the best form of entertainment or relaxation… go ahead and play some. Unwind a little."
He paused before adding, "I'm saying this for your own good."
With that, the officer finally unlocked Adrian's restraints.
Adrian wanted to refute—to scream that this wasn't about stress, studies, or some ridiculous mental breakdown. But he held himself back.
Instead, he let out a heavy sigh, forcing down his frustration. With a face full of helplessness, he nodded. "Will do, officer."
Deep inside, he was relieved.
If he had been dealing with a more ruthless officer, someone harsher and less understanding, he might have been running in circles, desperately trying to convince the entire world that he wasn't mad.
Or worse, he would have become a viral hit—a short video making rounds across the internet, turning him into the latest meme for the entire world to laugh at.
Adrian sighed again, long and deep.
The officers were dispersing the crowd, but he had no face left to show his neighbors. The weight of their gazes, their judgment, their whispered speculations—it was too much. So, he chose to wait outside the flat, leaning against the wall as he listened to the murmurs fade.
Only when the last of the spectators had gone, and the watchman's eyes—still drilling into his back—finally looked away, did he move.
Stepping out onto the dimly lit street, he let the cool night air wash over him. The streetlights flickered—dimming and brightening with an eerie, unnatural rhythm.
And then, his gaze settled on a lone figure down the lane.
The delivery man.
The man straddled his bike, his motions slow and deliberate, as if he were waiting for something. Or someone.
Adrian sighed.
He had nearly scared the wits out of the delivery man when he lunged at him earlier. But now, as he stood there watching, a creeping realization began to form. Someone—or something—was impersona—
He froze.
His mind went blank.
His body locked up.
A shiver, cold and primal, slithered down his spine.
The delivery man had mounted his bike, his movements slow, almost calculated. But then… he didn't leave.
He just sat there.
Under the flickering streetlights, unmoving. Seconds stretched into what felt like eternity. And with each passing moment, an overwhelming sense of dread coiled around Adrian's chest, tightening, suffocating.
It was then that his gaze shifted—just slightly—catching sight of something.
A convex mirror.
It was fixed onto a pole at the street's corner, its curved surface reflecting the entire scene.
And in that reflection… the delivery man was looking straight at him.
Smiling.
A slow, creeping grin that twisted unnaturally, warping into something cruel. Malefic amusement gleamed in his eyes, as though he knew something Adrian didn't.
Then, without a word, he took off.
The engine revved, tires scraped against the asphalt, and the figure of the delivery man disappeared into the night.
And Adrian?
He stood there, staring into the darkness, trapped in a silent terror that refused to fade.
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