Rina stood frozen in the center of the pitch-black room. She wasn't a kid; the initial rush of hope was dying, replaced by a cold, prickling sensation on the back of her neck. Something was horribly wrong.
"A… Arya… are you there?" she asked softly.
"Ye… yes… can…"
"y… you… ple… please…"
"open the door?" the voice pleaded.
Seraphine's eyes widened. 'Is this voice deliberately ignoring me?' she thought. Every time, it only answered Rina.
Despite the plea, Rina didn't move. She looked at Seraphine, When she saw that Seraphine was too stunned to speak, Rina took the initiative.
"Ar… Arya?" she called again.
"Y..yes?" The response was immediate, but the tone had shifted. It was now sharper and impatient.
"Whe..where is Sylvia? Arya? Did you find her? Is she okay?" Rina's voice was trembling so hard she could barely get the words out.
The voice became silent, but this time it didn't stretch long.
"She is dead…" the voice replied flatly.
The news of Sylvia's death hit them like a physical blow, leaving them paralyzed in the dark. But before they could even process the grief, the voice continued again..
"Sh..she is de..dead."
"n..now.. can you..."
"pl..please open the door..?"
"I..its very cold here.."
"I am.. freezing to death.."
"You.. you are not Arya!" Rina suddenly screamed.
The outburst caught Seraphine completely off guard. Rina was shaking, her face twisted in a mix of terror and fury. "Th..the Arya I know is not like this! She would never just say that and then ask for a door to be opened!"
The voice behind the door fell silent again.
Rina pressed harder, her tone fierce. "Wh… who are you? How are you mimicking my friend's voice?"
"I asked who the fuck are you!" Rina shouted, her frustration boiling over into a desperate, irritated heat. She reached out, her fingers trembling as if she wanted to tear the door down herself just to see the face of the liar.
Suddenly, a cold, firm hand clamped onto her shoulder.
It was Seraphine.
"Ri..Rina, calm down first," Seraphine said, trying to soothe her anger.
"What am I supposed to do then, huh?" Rina asked in frustration, her voice started to crack.
"Calm down first, Rina!" This time Seraphine raised her voice, the authority in her tone finally making Rina flinch and go quiet.
After a long moment, Rina slumped her shoulders. "S-sorry... I was just a little emotional."
"It's okay, I understand," Seraphine said, though her eyes were already scanning the room.
The voice outside had gone silent, but Seraphine's sharp eyes caught a small ventilation gap near the door. She walked over, crouched, and tried to peek through.
But no matter how much she adjusted her angle, she couldn't find anyone. The area directly in front of the door was a blind spot from the gap.
"Tch..." Seraphine pulled back, annoyed.
"Did you find anything?" Rina asked.
"No."
"D..do we need to go outside to check?" Rina suggested, but her voice was trembling at the thought.
Seraphine shook her head immediately. "No. Let's wait here until it's day. I don't think it's a good idea to go outside now."
"Haa... okay," Rina replied softly, sliding back down to the floor.
As they sat there, paralyzed, the sound started again.
Knock... knock...
It was the same pattern, but the weight behind it had changed.
The sound was more heavier and more forceful.
Seraphine instantly scrambled away from the door, her heart hammering against her ribs.
The rhythm shifted. The polite tapping vanished, replaced by aggressive, meat-heavy strikes.
Thud... thud... thud... thud...
It sounded like someone was slamming their open palms against the wood with unnatural strength.
thud.. thud.. thud...
thud.. thud..
thud..
Both girls recoiled, the sudden change in violence making their skin crawl.
Rina instinctively lunged for Seraphine, clutching her hand so hard her nails dug into the skin.
The noise escalated. It wasn't just a palm anymore; it was a full-body assault now.
Bump... BUMP... BUMP... BUMP...
The door began to shake, trembling under the relentless assault.
Rina hugged Seraphine tightly, her voice breaking. "S… Sera… wh… what is that…?"
But Seraphine didn't answer. She wasn't in a state to speak. Her mind raced, and her heart thumped violently.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM! BOOM!
BOOM!
The pounding intensified.
The door rattled violently, as if it would crumble at any moment.
Was Seraphine was strong?
Yes.
Was she was courageous?
Yes.
Was she was fearless?
Yes.
But this brand of hell, this supernatural horror..
Wasn't something she had ever imagined in her wildest dreams.
She was scared. Truly scared.
but she was holding it together. Anyone else in her shoes would have likely lost control of their bladder by now.
Except for Rina, somehow despite trembling, she bore it, clinging to Seraphine like a doll, her small body pressed tightly against her friend.
"Rina! Rina, we need to do something!" Seraphine hissed, her voice was barely audible over the deafening violence at the door.
"W… what… do we do?" Rina stammered, barely able to speak.
"Come to your senses, Rina! We need to act!" Seraphine shook her friend's shoulder, snapping her out of her frozen state.
"Huh... ahh... o-okay," Rina gasped, her eyes finally focusing as she snapped back to reality.
"Help me push this cupboard! We have to pin it against the door!"
Without hesitation, she ran to the cupboard and shoved it forward, pressing it hard against the shaking door. Rina stumbled after her, her knees trembling, but she helped, her hands shaking as she pushed with all her strength.
The assault on the other side didn't stop. If anything, it grew more frenzied. It now sounded like someone was swinging a heavy metal rod against the wood.
BOOM! BOOM!
The door was about to shatter.
Seraphine bit her lip so hard she tasted blood.
Her muscles burning and her strength faltered under the weight of the fear. But she didn't let go.
The battle dragged on-two girls pressing desperately against the cupboard, fighting against something unknown. Minutes blurred into hours. Sweat drenched their bodies, their arms shook violently, but they clung to the cupboard as if it were their lifeline.
Then, slowly, the pounding began to fade.
Boom… Boom…
…
Boom…
…
Silence.
Seraphine gasped for air, her chest was heaving. as her body was drenched in sweat, her arms were trembling from exhaustion.
She glanced toward the ventilation gaps, and there, faint but undeniable, the first rays of sunlight pierced through.
The night had ended...
With the arrival of dawn, the sound outside stopped completely.
Seraphine and Rina no longer had the strength to think, let alone act. Their bodies gave out, and both collapsed unconscious onto the cold floor.
The room fell into silence, broken only by the faint sound of their shallow breathing.
Outside, the world was changing.
The sun began to rise, its rays slowly piercing through the ventilation gaps and spilling across their exhausted faces. The golden light touched them gently, but they were already far beyond awareness.