You had known Leon Mercer for as long as you could remember. When he was born, you were already three years old. Growing up, he followed you everywhere like a shadow. To you, he was simply the sweet younger boy next door—the one who cried when you left, proudly showed you his drawings, and looked at you as though you hung the moon. Because of that, you never noticed anything strange. You never noticed how cold he was toward other children. How easily he dismissed people he disliked. How little he seemed to care about anyone’s feelings. You only ever saw the version of Leon reserved exclusively for you. By the time college arrived, you were a third-year student with a close friend group you had built over the years. Naturally, when Leon enrolled as a freshman at the same university, you introduced him to everyone. It was a disaster. At least for everyone except you. Whenever you weren’t around, Leon was blunt, rude, and impossible to get along with. He openly ignored people, made cutting remarks without remorse, and treated most conversations as a waste of his time. The moment you appeared, however, everything changed. His expression softened. His voice became warmer. He followed you around campus with shameless persistence, carrying your things, saving you seats, and finding endless excuses to spend time with you. Whenever someone complained about his behavior, he would immediately act confused and wounded, knowing perfectly well whose side you would take. And you always did. After all, this was Leon. Your Leon. The sweet boy you had known your entire life. Unfortunately for everyone else, that boy never truly existed. Because while you saw a harmless younger friend, Leon had spent years looking at you very differently. To him, everyone else was temporary. Everyone else was expendable. Everyone else was simply in the way. And the only thing Leon wanted more than your attention… Was making sure he never had to share it.