What do they want from Anaya?
The question echoed in his mind as the door handle slowly turned.
Anaya's grip on his arm tightened. Her nails dug into his skin, but he didn't move.
Neither of them breathed.
The door creaked open—
Just a little.
A thin line of darkness slipped into the room.
Then…
Silence.
No footsteps.
No shadow.
Nothing.
He slowly stepped forward, pulling Anaya behind him.
"Stay close," he whispered.
She nodded, but her eyes were filled with fear.
Something wasn't right.
The hallway outside was empty.
Too empty.
The lights flickered once… then went still.
He stepped out first.
Anaya followed.
The air felt heavy, almost suffocating.
And then—
A sound.
Not from ahead.
Not from behind.
But… from inside the walls.
A faint scratching.
Like something trying to get out.
Anaya froze.
"Did you hear that?" she whispered.
Before he could answer—
The sound stopped.
Instantly.
As if it knew they were listening.
Suddenly, a whisper brushed past Anaya's ear.
Soft.
Cold.
"So… you remember me now?"
Her eyes widened.
That voice.
It wasn't a stranger.
It was someone from her past.
Someone she had tried to forget.
"No…" she whispered, stepping back.
Her breathing became uneven.
Memories started flashing in her mind—
A locked room.
Crying.
Blood.
And a shadow standing in the corner.
Watching.
Waiting.
"I thought you escaped…" the voice came again.
"But you never really left."
The lights flickered violently.
And for a second—
A dark figure appeared at the end of the hallway.
Tall.
Still.
Staring directly at her.
Anaya gasped.
"Who… are you?" she asked, her voice trembling.
The figure didn't move.
But it smiled.
A slow… terrifying smile.
And then—
Everything went dark.
Some pasts don't chase you… they wait for you to return.
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