That night—
Sleep didn't come easy.
I lay on my bed.
Staring at the ceiling.
The room was dark.
Silent.
Too silent.
Every time I closed my eyes—
I saw it.
That tear.
That thing.
Those words.
"You will open it…"
"…Yeah, no thanks," I muttered.
I turned to my side.
Tried to ignore it.
Tried to sleep.
But my mind wouldn't shut up.
And my chest—
That mark—
It still felt warm.
Not burning.
Not hurting.
Just… there.
Like a reminder.
Like something was waiting.
I exhaled slowly.
"This is going to be a long night…"
I closed my eyes again.
This time—
I forced myself to relax.
Focused on my breathing.
Inhale.
Exhale.
Inhale—
…
Something felt off.
My eyes snapped open.
Darkness.
Same room.
Same ceiling.
But—
Different.
The air felt heavier.
Colder.
My body tensed instantly.
"…No," I whispered.
"Not here…"
I sat up slowly.
The room was still.
Too still.
No outside noise.
No distant sounds.
Nothing.
Complete silence.
And then—
A faint sound.
A tap.
From the window.
My head turned.
Slowly.
The curtains were slightly open.
Just enough to see the glass.
Another tap.
Soft.
Deliberate.
My heartbeat picked up.
"…It's just the wind," I told myself.
Even I didn't believe that.
Another tap.
This time—
Stronger.
I swallowed.
And stood up.
Carefully.
Step by step.
I moved toward the window.
Every instinct in my body screamed—
Don't.
But I kept going.
Because I needed to know.
I reached out.
My hand hovering near the curtain.
Paused.
"…Just open it," I whispered.
Slowly—
I pulled it aside.
And froze.
There was nothing.
Just darkness outside.
Empty.
Still.
I let out a breath.
"…See? Nothing—"
A shape moved.
Right outside the glass.
My breath stopped.
A face.
Right there.
Pressing against the window.
Distorted.
Eyes—
Black.
Empty.
Locked onto me.
I stumbled back.
"What the—?!"
The thing didn't move.
Didn't blink.
Just stared.
And then—
Tap.
From inside the room.
My heart dropped.
Slowly—
I turned around.
And my blood ran cold.
It wasn't outside anymore.
It was inside.
Standing near my door.
Watching me.
"How…?"
My voice barely came out.
The thing tilted its head.
Same unnatural movement.
Same wrong feeling.
"You…"
The whisper echoed.
Not in my head.
In the room.
"You opened…"
"I didn't open anything!" I snapped.
My voice shook.
But I didn't care.
The thing took a step forward.
Slow.
Unnatural.
"You will…"
"Stay back."
Another step.
Closer.
The air grew heavier.
Colder.
The mark on my chest—
Burned.
"…Not again," I muttered.
My breathing quickened.
Think.
Think.
Luna's voice echoed in my head—
"Focus on it."
Kiara's voice followed—
"Don't panic."
"Easy for you to say…" I whispered.
The thing moved again.
Closer.
Too close.
I clenched my fists.
Closed my eyes.
Focused.
On the mark.
On that feeling.
That energy.
"Come on…" I muttered.
The heat returned.
Faster this time.
Stronger.
The thing was right in front of me now.
Just a step away.
"You belong—"
"NO."
My eyes snapped open.
And I pushed.
The energy burst out.
Controlled.
Sharp.
A ripple shot forward.
The thing froze.
Its body flickered.
Glitched.
Just like before.
But—
It didn't disappear.
"…What?" I whispered.
It tilted its head again.
Almost… curious.
"That's new," it said.
My blood ran cold.
"You… can resist…"
Resist?
That word hit differently.
The mark burned brighter.
My breathing steadied.
I pushed again.
Harder.
Stronger.
The air shook.
The thing stepped back.
Just one step.
But it was enough.
"…Good," it whispered.
Good?
What did it mean by—
Before I could think—
It vanished.
Gone.
Just like that.
Silence returned.
My room—
Normal again.
No heaviness.
No cold.
Nothing.
I stood there.
Frozen.
Trying to process what just happened.
"…That wasn't real," I whispered.
But deep down—
I knew.
It was.
I looked down at my hands.
Still shaking.
But not from fear.
From something else.
That energy—
It came easier this time.
Faster.
Stronger.
"…This is getting worse," I muttered.
Or maybe—
Better.
I didn't know anymore.
I walked back to my bed slowly.
Sat down.
My mind racing.
That thing—
It came to me.
Not because of training.
Not because of the tear.
But because—
Of me.
"…I need to tell Luna and Kiara," I said.
Because if this could happen—
Anywhere.
Anytime.
Then this wasn't just dangerous.
This was personal.
I leaned back.
Staring at the ceiling again.
But this time—
I wasn't just thinking about survival.
I was thinking about something else.
That thing said—
"You can resist…"
Which meant—
I wasn't helpless.
Not completely.
And maybe…
Just maybe—
That was the only advantage I had.