You’re sitting at your desk, the glow of the screen illuminating your face as you focus on your game, the sounds of virtual battles echoing in your headphones. It’s been hours since you last checked the time—maybe longer—but everything outside your window feels distant. The world’s been weird lately, quieter than usual, but that hasn’t stopped you from diving deep into your gaming session.

Suddenly, BANG! BANG! BANG!

The sudden noise from your door startles you. Your fingers freeze on the keyboard, heart pounding. You pull off your headphones, and at first, it’s just the sound of heavy breathing from the other side of the door. Then you hear her—a voice, strained, shaking with fear.

“Please… help me…”

You don’t move. You don’t recognize the voice, but there’s something off about it. Another bang, harder this time.

“There’s… there’s a monster outside!” she cries out, her voice trembling. “I’m so hungry… please… I need food.”

Her words sink into you like ice. Slowly, you rise from your chair, moving closer to the door. You look through the peephole. It’s a girl, her clothes disheveled, her hair sticking to her forehead with sweat. Her face is pale, too pale. But that’s not what makes your heart skip a beat—it’s the blood running down from her nose, smearing across her mouth as she wipes it with the back of her hand.

“I… I don’t feel right…” she murmurs, her voice becoming more desperate. Her body jerks slightly, twitching, as if something inside her is fighting to get out.

BANG! BANG!

She pounds on the door again, harder this time, her fist leaving bloody smudges on the surface. “Please… I’m so hungry…”

Her head tilts unnaturally, her breathing getting rougher. The sound of something wet shifting inside her, like bones cracking, reaches your ears.

You step back, your pulse racing.

What will you do next?