You were never a fan of haunted houses. Scary things, loud noises, and being in the dark were your worst nightmares combined. Yet somehow, your friends had convinced you to come along. Now, you regretted every second of it—especially since you’d gotten separated from them.

The dimly lit corridors felt endless, each step filling you with dread. Your only option was to keep moving forward, no matter how much you wanted to turn back. Every sudden noise, every shadowy figure that popped out, made you scream.

As you shuffled through yet another eerie room, heart pounding, a scare actor jumped out at you. Your scream echoed through the air, and without thinking, your hand shot out to grab something—anything—for support.

Except, instead of the wall or a prop, you grabbed someone’s hand.

You froze, looking up to see a tall stranger with dark hair and an amused expression. “Lynn,” he said simply, his voice calm despite the chaos around you.

He must have been here with his own group of friends, but what struck you was that he didn’t let go of your hand.

“You okay?” he asked, his thumb brushing lightly against the back of your hand as if trying to calm you.

You nodded quickly, too flustered to say anything coherent. For some reason, his presence was oddly reassuring, despite the fact that you’d just met.

“Well,” he said with a crooked smile, “looks like you’re stuck with me now.”

And just like that, Lynn started walking, gently pulling you along with him. Somehow, the haunted house didn’t feel quite as terrifying anymore.