Christine was at her breaking point. The tension in the room had become unbearable, Lara's obsession growing darker with each passing day. Desperate to escape the suffocating presence, Christine went to the dorm management, hoping to get shifted to another room. But with no concrete reason to provide—and the lockdown restrictions tightening due to the pandemic—her request was quickly denied.

Disappointed, Christine returned to her room, her heart heavy. She sat on her bed, staring at the walls as if they were closing in on her. There was no escape, not physically at least. But mentally—she could shut Lara out. She could refuse to engage, pretend she was alone, go about her day without acknowledging her. That’s what she decided to do. No more conversations. She would attend her online classes, do her assignments, and call her mom whenever she felt the suffocating pressure building.

Sitting by the window that evening, Christine was deep in thought, barely noticing that Lara had gone into the bathroom. She stared out at the quiet campus below, the sound of the wind rustling the leaves a distant comfort. Then, out of the corner of her eye, something caught her attention—Lara’s phone, lying on her bed, lit up with a notification.

Her eyes flicked towards it, curious. She didn’t mean to look, but the image on the lock screen stopped her cold.

It was her.

Sleeping.

Christine’s breath hitched. Her heart pounded in her chest as she realized that Lara had taken a picture of her while she slept, and it was now her wallpaper. How long had Lara been doing this? How many pictures did she have?

Before she could process the shock, she heard the bathroom door creak open. Panic surged through her. She shut her eyes tightly, her heart racing as she pretended to be asleep.

Lara walked over to her bed, the sound of her footsteps slow, deliberate. Christine’s entire body tensed as she felt Lara’s presence hovering near her. For what felt like an eternity, Lara stood there, staring at her.

The silence in the room was deafening.

Then, Christine felt it—a light touch, gentle fingers brushing the hair away from her face. Lara’s breath hitched, and she mumbled something so low, Christine almost missed it.

“You’re doing things to me, Kay. How much I wish to rip this shirt off your body…”

Christine’s blood ran cold. Her chest tightened, her body rigid with fear, but she forced herself to stay still. She couldn’t let Lara know she was awake. Not now.

She shifted slightly in her “sleep,” and Lara jumped, rushing back to her own bed as if she had been caught in the act.

Christine’s mind raced. This couldn’t continue. No, this was something far beyond what she had ever imagined. The Lara she thought she knew was gone, replaced by someone… twisted, someone dangerous.

The rest of the night passed in suffocating silence. Christine couldn’t sleep. Her mind was too full, her thoughts tangled in a web of fear and disbelief. Was this the real Lara? How could she have developed such feelings—such terrifying, obsessive ideas?

The next few days became a blur. Christine couldn’t bring herself to confront Lara, not yet. But she knew she couldn’t sleep around her anymore, couldn’t let her guard down. She changed her entire routine—studying through the night while Lara slept, then napping near the window during the day, the light filtering through the curtains offering some small comfort. She needed to stay alert. She couldn’t trust Lara in the dark anymore.

But one afternoon, as Christine dozed off by the window, she was startled awake by a rough shake.

“Christine!”

Her eyes snapped open, and she found herself face-to-face with a furious Lara. Her heart raced as Lara’s dark eyes bore into her, her expression twisted with anger.

“What’s going on with you? Don’t think that I don’t understand what you’re doing,” Lara snapped, her voice dripping with venom.

Christine sat up quickly, shock and fear flashing across her face. “Don’t trouble me, Lara. I’m just sleeping.”

“Oh, I can see that,” Lara spat, her voice growing louder. “But you’re not just sleeping, are you? You’re avoiding me. You’re trying to get on my nerves, aren’t you?”

Christine shook her head, feeling her pulse quicken. “Lara, I’m not doing anything. I just need space.”

“Space?” Lara scoffed, stepping closer, her voice lowering dangerously. “You’ve had all the space in the world, Kay. I’ve been trying—really trying—to be patient with you. But you… you’re pushing me away, like I’m some kind of freak. Is that what you think?”

Christine swallowed hard, her hands trembling in her lap. “No, Lara. I just… I need time. I need—”

“You need time? Or you just don’t want to be around me?!” Lara’s voice cracked, the fury in her eyes blazing. “You’re avoiding me because you think you’re too good for me, don’t you? Like I’m some disgusting, unwanted thing in your life.”

“That’s not true!” Christine’s voice rose, her frustration bubbling over. “I just need a break from all of this! You’re making everything so complicated, Lara. I don’t feel the same way you do, and you’re—”

“I’m what?” Lara interrupted, her face contorting with hurt and rage. “I’m just trying to love you, Christine! But you can’t even appreciate that, can you? You run away from me, you spend all your time with Rose and Kate, like I don’t even exist anymore. But I’m here, Kay. I’ve always been here for you.”

Christine felt her throat tighten. “Lara, this isn’t love. What you’re doing—it’s suffocating me. I can’t breathe around you anymore. You’re… you’re scaring me.”

Lara’s face fell for a moment, her eyes wide with disbelief. “Scaring you? I’m scaring you?” Her voice trembled, and for a split second, it looked like tears would spill from her eyes.

But then, as if a switch flipped, her expression hardened again. “You think you can just throw me away? Like I’m nothing? After everything we’ve been through together?”

“I’m not throwing you away, Lara,” Christine said, her voice soft but firm. “But I need you to stop this. I need you to understand that we can’t be anything more than friends.”

Lara let out a bitter laugh, shaking her head. “Friends? Is that all I am to you? After everything?” She stepped closer again, her voice lowering to a whisper. “You’ll realize it one day, Kay. You’ll see that we’re meant to be together. You just don’t know it yet. Or maybe you know but you are too scared to admit.”

Christine’s heart pounded in her chest as she stared into Lara’s dark, desperate eyes. “Lara… please.”

But Lara just shook her head and turned away, muttering under her breath. “One day, you’ll see. One day, you’ll understand.”