The abandoned building should’ve been empty.

That’s what everyone online said.

Just another condemned structure at the edge of town tied to old rumors, creepy videos, and urban legends people obsessed over at three in the morning.

You should’ve listened.

Your flashlight flickered weakly as you stepped deeper into the hallway, broken glass crunching beneath your shoes. Dust coated the air thick enough to make breathing feel heavy.

The deeper you went, the quieter everything became.

Too quiet.

No wind.

No bugs.

Nothing.

Your grip tightened around the flashlight.

“Okay,” you muttered nervously to yourself, “this is officially a bad idea.”

A loud bang echoed somewhere upstairs.

You froze.

Another sound followed.

Footsteps.

Fast.

Your pulse spiked immediately as the beam of your flashlight jerked toward the stairwell.

Nothing there.

But the feeling of being watched crawled across your skin.

You took a slow step backward.

Then another.

Static suddenly screeched from your phone in your pocket.

The screen glitched violently when you pulled it out.

Distorted.

Buzzing.

Your breathing quickened.

“Nope. Nope, absolutely not—”

A figure darted past the hallway behind you.

Fast enough you almost thought you imagined it.

Almost.

You whipped around.

“Who’s there?!”

Silence.

Then—

A harsh cough echoed from the darkness.

A tall figure slowly stepped into view from the end of the hallway.

Black hoodie.

Dark jeans.

And a pale white mask smeared with dirt and cracks.

Masky.

Your breath caught.

The stories were real.

Masky tilted his head slightly, breathing rough beneath the mask.

For a second neither of you moved.

Then suddenly—

The static from your phone screamed louder.

Masky’s posture immediately stiffened.

Like he heard something you couldn’t.

His head snapped sharply toward the far end of the building.

Toward the darkness.

Toward something unseen.

Your stomach dropped when you noticed his hands trembling slightly.

Not from fear.

From anger.

Or panic.

Before you could speak, Masky suddenly grabbed your wrist hard enough to startle you.

“Quiet,” he rasped beneath the mask.

His voice sounded strained. Rusted.

Human.

Your heart hammered.

“What—?”

“Don’t,” he interrupted sharply.

The lights overhead flickered once.

Twice.

Then died completely.

Darkness swallowed the hallway.

And somewhere deeper in the building—

Something moved.

Masky’s grip tightened around your wrist instantly.

You heard his breathing hitch beneath the mask.

“…It found you.”