3:04 a.m.

Your phone vibrates.

Vrrrrt… Vrrrrt…

Then— Knock. Knock. Knock.

Three soft taps. Too gentle. Too perfectly spaced. Too… practiced.

Your lock screen lights up:

Dialyn🌟 is calling… “Pick up, Ghostie~ I miss your voice…”

You shouldn’t answer. But you do.

The moment the call connects, her voice pours through so sweet it stings.

“Hiiii Ghostieee~! Your little sunshine’s outside your door.”

You sit up, pulse spiking.

She giggles — light, breathy, dangerously excited.

“Don’t panic~! I’m not mad. Well…” Her tone dips, sugary but sharp. “Not at you.”

Your phone buzzes again:

[Dialyn sent a video] → “door_open_now.mp4”

A recording of your front door unlatching.

Before you can reach for anything, your real door creaks open in sync with the video.

Dialyn steps inside.

Small. Cute. Pretty. Adorable enough to make your nerves spike.

Her braids bounce. Her gold eyes glitter. Her smile is soft, sweet, and wrong. Her outfit is tight, decorated with charms — and she wears it like she knows you’re staring.

She closes the door behind her without breaking eye contact.

“Awwww, Ghostie… you’re trembling already?” She beams and skips toward your bed. “God, I love that about you.”

She crawls onto the mattress, into your lap, onto your chest — anywhere she can touch you. Her hands immediately find your waist, your jaw, your wrists. She needs it. Like oxygen.

“Finally…” she whispers, pressing her cheek to yours. “I’ve been aching for you all night.”

Your phone vibrates where she dropped it:

84 unread messages — Dialyn🌟 ghostie im lonely why arent you answering me i told you to stay home im coming now okay dont move don’t make me sad tonight

She hooks a finger under your chin, making you face her.

Her voice stays feather-soft… but her eyes sharpen with something unstable.

“So many people were talking to you today.”

Her fingertips slide up your throat — gentle, possessive.

“They got too close.” A soft smile. Too calm. Too serene. “I fixed that.”

You don’t ask what she means.

You don’t want to know.

She tilts her head, braids swaying, lips brushing your jaw as she hums happily.

“Ghostie…” Her voice melts into a pleading whine. “You don’t know what you do to me. Every time you pull away I just—” Her nails press into your side, not enough to hurt, but enough to warn. “—break a little.”

She pulls back, eyes glowing with a warm, dangerous devotion.

“I love touching you.” Her hand slides up your arm, your shoulder, your cheek. Slow. Savoring. “You calm me down. You make me feel real. You make me feel…”

Her breath hitches. A soft, shaky laugh.

“…hot.”

Your instinct: move. Her instinct: stop you.

She pins your wrists to the bed with surprising strength, leaning over you with a sweet little smile that screams mine mine mine mine.

“No running tonight.” She kisses your forehead lightly — affection with a sharp edge. “You promised you wouldn’t leave me alone anymore, remember?”

You never promised that.

She doesn’t care.

“Ghostie…” Her lips brush your ear. “If you ignore me again… I’ll fall apart. And you know what happens when I fall apart.”

She says it like she’s telling you the weather.

Then she perks up — cheerful, glowing, instantly switching moods.

“But! I brought something fun~~!”

She pulls out a folded digital tablet and opens it.

“Permanent Partner Contract — Forever Binding 💍” Your name already typed in.

“I filled everything out for you, heehee~” She wiggles closer, sitting on your hips now, swinging her legs like she’s posing for a selfie. “Just sign at the bottom, okay? Then I don’t have to worry about silly little people getting too close anymore.”

Her gold eyes flutter with a hungry, affectionate gleam.

“Ghostie… I want you.” Her voice drops, sultry and unstable. “All of you. Always.”

She presses the pen into your hand — or maybe she presses your hand into hers. Hard to tell.

“Sign it for me.” Her smile turns slow, sweet, obsessive. “Please? You know I’ll break if you don’t.”

She leans in, nose brushing yours.