The thing at the end of the corridor did not move.
It simply stood there.
Watching.
Andi's entire body locked in place, as if something invisible had wrapped around his limbs and tightened just enough to keep him from running. His heartbeat slammed violently against his ribs, each thud louder than the last, drowning out everything else.
The air grew colder.
Thicker.
Harder to breathe.
He tried to swallow, but his throat had gone dry.
Move, he told himself.
Just move.
But his legs refused.
The figure tilted its head a little further, as though studying him—curious, patient… almost amused.
That smile remained.
Too wide.
Too wrong.
Then—
It took a step forward.
Srrrtt…
The sound wasn't footsteps.
It was dragging.
Like something beneath it wasn't working the way it should.
Andi flinched.
That single movement was enough.
The thing stopped.
Its head snapped slightly—just a fraction—but unnaturally fast.
It had noticed.
A thin, broken sound escaped its mouth. Not quite a voice. Not quite breath.
"…ah…"
Andi's stomach twisted.
It sees me.
Panic surged through him all at once, breaking whatever invisible hold had frozen his body.
He staggered back a step.
Then another.
The thing leaned forward slightly.
Interested.
Srrrtt…
Closer now.
"Stop…" Andi whispered, his voice trembling despite himself. "Don't come any closer…"
The words felt useless the moment they left his mouth.
Of course it wouldn't listen.
It wasn't human.
It didn't understand.
Or worse—
It did.
And simply didn't care.
A sudden sound exploded behind him.
BRAK!
The classroom door slammed shut.
Andi jumped violently, spinning around.
The door that had been hanging loosely just seconds ago was now closed tight, as if it had never been broken at all.
"W-what—?!"
He rushed toward it, grabbing the handle.
Locked.
He pulled harder.
Nothing.
"Open—come on, open!"
The metal was cold. Freezing, even. It bit into his palm like ice.
Behind him—
Srrrtt…
Srrrtt…
Closer.
Andi's breath came faster.
He turned again.
The figure was no longer at the far end of the hallway.
It had moved.
Far too quickly.
Now it stood halfway down the corridor.
Its body looked wrong up close.
Limbs slightly too long.
Joints bending just a little too far.
The torn uniform clung to it like damp cloth, stained with something dark that spread unevenly across the fabric.
And its face—
If it could even be called that—
Was worse.
One side seemed intact, though pale and stretched unnaturally tight.
The other side…
Was missing.
Not torn.
Not damaged.
Just… gone.
Leaving behind a hollow space that swallowed the light around it.
And yet—
It was still smiling.
Andi stumbled back from the door.
There was no way out.
No way back.
Only forward.
Only deeper.
His mind raced.
Think. Think. Think.
But fear drowned out everything else.
Srrrtt…
The thing moved again.
Closer.
Its head dipped slightly lower, as if trying to meet his eyes.
"…ah…"
That sound again.
A broken attempt at speech.
Or something trying to remember how.
Andi shook his head violently.
"No. No—no, no…"
He turned and ran.
His footsteps echoed wildly as he sprinted down the corridor, not even thinking about where he was going. The hallway stretched endlessly ahead of him, the flickering lights barely illuminating his path.
Behind him—
Nothing.
No footsteps.
No dragging sound.
No pursuit.
And somehow—
That was worse.
He didn't dare look back.
His lungs burned, each breath sharp and painful, but he kept running.
Left.
Right.
Another corridor.
Another turn.
Everything looked the same.
Rotting walls.
Broken floors.
Endless doors.
It was like the school had twisted into something else entirely—something that no longer followed the rules of space.
"This isn't possible…" he gasped.
But the walls didn't care.
The silence didn't answer.
Eventually, his legs gave out.
Andi slowed, then stopped, bracing himself against the wall as he tried to catch his breath.
The surface felt wrong under his hand.
Not solid.
Soft.
Slightly… warm.
He jerked his hand away.
"…what the hell…?"
The wall pulsed.
Just once.
Subtle.
Almost unnoticeable.
But enough.
Andi stared at it, his chest tightening.
"No… no, that's not—"
Srrrtt…
The sound came again.
Right behind him.
Andi's blood ran cold.
Slowly—
Slowly—
He turned his head.
The thing was there.
Right at the end of the corridor.
Again.
As if it had never left.
As if distance meant nothing.
As if running had changed nothing at all.
And this time—
It was closer than before.
"HOW—?!" Andi's voice broke.
He stumbled backward, nearly tripping over his own feet.
"This doesn't make sense! I ran—I ran—!"
The thing didn't respond.
Didn't react.
It only stood there.
Watching.
Waiting.
Patient.
Srrrtt…
One step closer.
Andi shook his head frantically.
"No. No, stay away—!"
He grabbed the nearest door and yanked it open.
It gave way with a loud creak.
Without thinking, he rushed inside and slammed it shut behind him.
Darkness swallowed him whole.
For a moment, he couldn't see anything.
Couldn't hear anything.
Couldn't even tell if he was breathing.
Then—
A faint flicker.
Light.
Dim.
Unstable.
The room slowly came into view.
Rows of desks.
Some overturned.
Some broken.
The air was thick here too, but different.
Heavier.
Quieter.
Like the room itself was holding its breath.
Andi pressed his back against the door, listening.
Waiting.
Seconds passed.
Then a minute.
Nothing.
No dragging sound.
No movement outside.
He let out a shaky breath.
"I… I lost it…"
His legs trembled as he slid down to the floor.
For the first time since everything had changed, he allowed himself to believe—just for a second—that he might be safe.
"…Don't move."
The voice came from his right.
Soft.
Close.
Too close.
Andi froze.
Every muscle in his body tensed.
Slowly—
Very slowly—
He turned his head.
A girl stood in the corner of the room.
He hadn't seen her before.
Couldn't have.
There was no way he would've missed someone standing that close.
She looked about his age.
Wearing the same school uniform.
But hers was… different.
Not torn.
Not stained.
Just slightly off.
Like it belonged to another time.
Her face was pale.
Eyes sunken.
Dark circles beneath them, as if she hadn't slept in days.
Or longer.
She raised a finger to her lips.
"Don't move," she repeated, barely above a whisper.
Andi's voice trembled.
"…what?"
Her gaze flicked briefly toward the door behind him.
Then back to him.
"If you move…" she said quietly, "it will see you."
Andi felt his heart stop.
"…what will?"
The girl didn't answer.
Instead, she tilted her head slightly.
Listening.
Andi followed her gaze toward the door.
Silence.
Then—
Srrrtt…
Right outside.
Closer than ever.
Andi's breath caught in his throat.
The girl's expression didn't change.
But her voice dropped even lower.
"Too late," she whispered.