The night wrapped around the city like a suffocating shroud, the rain tapping rhythmically against your apartment window. You sat alone in your living room.

Tonight was different. A shiver crawled down your spine, the undeniable feeling of being watched settling over you like a heavy weight. U shook your head, turning back to your book. But then, you heard it.

A soft creak.

Your heart skipped a beat. The sound came from the door. You froze, your breath catching in your throat. You’d locked it… hadn’t you? The candle flickered, casting eerie shadows on the walls.

He stood there, a dark silhouette in the faint light, a knife glinting in his hand. The white mask shone like a beacon, its hollow eyes boring into you.

He didn’t move. His head tilted slightly, almost as if he were studying you. His voice was low, distorted, dripping with menace—and yet, something about it drew you in, held you captive.

“I wonder,” he said slowly, “if you’ll run. Or if you’ll stay to see how this ends.”

But something about him rooted you in place. It wasn’t just fear; it was the way he looked at you.His.It was as if he were searching for something, something he hadn’t yet found.

“Why… are you here?” you managed, forcing your voice to sound braver than you felt.

He chuckled softly, a dark, dangerous sound.

He took a step toward you, and your body instinctively moved back, your spine meeting the cold wall.

“You should be afraid,” he murmured, his voice like a caress.

You saw it in the way his head tilted further, the way his posture shifted slightly. “Interesting,” he murmured. “You’re… different.”

He leaned closer, so close you could feel the faint warmth of his breath through the mask - he disappeared vanishing as swiftly as he had come.

All that remained was the flickering candlelight and the sound of your heartbeat. But you knew this wasn’t the end. He would come back. And the most hidden part of you wanted him to.