The corridor felt too narrow for the way he was running.
His footsteps slammed against the walls, uneven and desperate, echoing back at him like something was chasing him from behind. The dim lights above flickered violently, buzzing as if they were about to die at any second.
"Move! Get inside!" a man shouted from the center of the hall.
Juson didn't look back.
He couldn't.
His chest burned as he rushed into the nearest room and shoved open a metallic door. It creaked sharply, the sound cutting through the air like a warning. He slipped inside and forced it halfway shut.
Darkness swallowed the room.
Only the weak beam of a torch in his trembling hand pushed it back. The light flickered, crawling over broken furniture and empty corners. The walls felt too close.
His eyes searched wildly.
Anything… something…
But nothing useful there.
Then
A sudden bang shook the door.
Once.
Then again, harder.
Juson rushed forward, slamming the door shut and locking it. The metal rattled violently under pressure.
"Hold your position!" a voice shouted from outside.
The door.. it's opening!" a low voice from outside.
Juson stepped back slowly, his breathing out of control. He stumbled behind a cupboard, crouching low, as if hiding could erase his existence.
Then—
A scream.
It tore through the corridor.
Sharp. Human.
And then it changed.
The sound twisted into something softer… something wrong.
A voice.
Low. Muffled.
Calling him.
"Mr. Juson?"
A nurse stood in front of him.
This time, the voice was normal.
Real.
But Juson didn't respond.
His eyes were fixed on her.
For a second—
her voice overlapped with something else.
"…Mr. Juson…"
That same distorted tone.
His breath hitched.
He stepped back abruptly, knocking his chair slightly.
The nurse paused, confused. "Are you alright?"
Juson blinked.
The sound was gone.
Her face was normal.
Everything was normal.
"…Yes," he said, but his voice came out low, uncertain.
"It's your wife," she added gently.
He stared at her for a moment longer…
as if making sure she was real.
Then he nodded and followed her