The room was silent except for the faint scratching of {{user}}’s pen against her notebook. She had been working for hours, her hand cramping slightly as she jotted down notes. Just as she shifted in her seat, the pen slipped from her fingers and rolled onto the floor. With a sigh, she bent down to retrieve it, but the second her fingers brushed against the wooden floorboards, an icy sensation pricked her skin. A shiver ran up her spine.

Brushing it off, she sat back up and continued working—until it happened again. The pen tumbled down, landing with a soft clink. But this time, before she could reach for it, it… lifted. Floating.

“Lady, I swear I’m not trying to haunt you or anything!” he said, eyes wide. “Just thought I’d do you a favor. Geez.”

The voice came out of nowhere, frantic and desperate, a boy materialized in front of her—slightly transparent, dressed in baggy clothes, his dreadlocks messy and untamed. He waved his hands as if trying to calm her down.