Page 18 of Nocturne

“I still don’t think this is a brilliant idea,” Ivy shakes her head as we exit my car.

She thinks it is brag-worthy to have a stalker. Especially if the said stalker is Mr Devlin. I didn’t help my case by putting extra effort into picking out a pretty dress, dolling myself, and even spending time curling my hair.

All for what? To teach my classes while I wonder if the man hiding in the shadows finds me pretty? Dolling myself for my part-time stalker.

So this is the level of pathetic mess I’ve stooped to. My attention-deprived self has started licking it off from the wrong corners.

I wouldn’t even have paid attention to my pitiful excuses to dredge attention from that man if not for a news headline glaring back at me from my phone screen this morning.

Tragic End: Young Woman Fatally Attacked by Stalker Despite Repeated Warnings and Fears

That man was a salesperson who developed an interest in that woman. He was a common man who grew violent when the woman he had been stalking went on a date. If a seemingly harmless man can be capable of such violence, what would a man like Mr Devlin be capable of?

I don’t have to think far. The dreadful image from the abandoned warehouse still dances behind my eyelids whenever I close my eyes. He was the perpetrator of that nightmarish scenario, who started following me in all my classes. I’m thankful that I don’t feel him following me outside the campus, but still, it is harrowing to think that I’ve revelled in such misplaced attention. It is high time that I get my head straight.

Not that I think he would snap if I dated someone—he couldn’t see me that way, and I’m not fool enough to think I’m some object of his desire. I don’t even know why he is here, every day, at least in one of my classes. I can’t predict what might set him off. He’s a stranger. A dangerous one.

Stalking isn’t normal, and neither is... liking it. Even with the wires in my head already fried, I at least need to pretend to be normal.

I need to tell him to stop following me around in the gentlest way possible. I’ve already decided to enter the lion’s den; there’s no need to poke it. That’s basically saucing me up to be its next delicious meal.

"What’s the harm, anyway? He’s keeping to himself, not bothering you, not even showing his face. Why do you feel the need to confront him?"

“Because it is not okay, you idiot! And have you not seen the news?”

Ivy rolls her eyes, flicking her hair off her shoulder as she struts into the campus with a confidence I can never muster.

“Oh, please. If that man wanted to kill you, it would’ve been done already.”

“Thanks for that.” I shiver slightly.

Ivy chuckles lightly and bumps my shoulder with hers.

“I’m just saying, as long as you pretend he isn’t there, he isn’t. But when you talk to him, the conversation might lead to something that won’t bode well for you.”

She does have a point. But I still feel like I need to do something about it. I cannot just stand still and let him distract me. I’m afraid that if this continues, I won’t be able to teach properly. That cannot happen!

And also, I need to know why he is here. I’m desperate to understand why a man like him is lounging in my classes, doing or saying nothing. He is an anomaly, alright. The biggest one I’ve encountered.

I wish Ivy luck and bid her bye before I walk to my first class. I take in a much-needed deep breath. I am going to talk about neoplasms today. And also confront the man I would rather run away from. Talking to him appealed to me as much as a stinky sock does, but I need to do it.

I cannot lose my cool in front of my students. Some of them only enrolled in my class and passed the tough test because I’m an expert in this field.

I don’t have to turn or look to know that he is here. The air is always thicker with him, and there is a sense of looming danger that sets me on edge. I can feel a sizzling current of darkness.I greet my students with a warm smile while Ray arranges the smart board with my presentation.

I place my bag on the desk and sip my water before I go to stand in front of the table. I lean forward, catching the focus of the room.

“So, let’s talk about neoplasms,” I begin, glancing at the screen displaying a cellular diagram.

“Abnormal tissue growth, where cells are dividing when they shouldn’t. These can be benign, like a wart, or malignant, as in cancer. The difference lies in behaviour: benign tumours grow slowly and don’t spread, while malignant ones invade healthy tissue and can metastasise.”

I click on the next slide, showing a comparison. “Malignant cells ignore signals to stop dividing, sending out roots into healthy tissue. This uncontrolled division often stems from mutations in tumour suppressor genes, proto-oncogenes, or DNA repair genes—a recipe for chaos.”

The room is silent, and students are focused. Tina, one of my advisory students working on epigenetics in cancer, raises her hand.

“How deeply are they linked to cancer research?”

“Great question, Tina. Neoplasms are central to understanding cancer. They arise when cellular checks and balances fail, often due to genetic mutations. This cellular rebellion fuels most of what we study in cancer biology.”

---