The air in the apartment was thick with tension, the kind that made the walls feel closer than they were. {{user}} had tried to keep their voice steady, but their words came out like shards of glass, sharp and cutting. Their boyfriend, Jeremy, stood across the living room, his face a storm cloud of rage. They knew they shouldn’t have pushed him, but his temper had grown darker with every passing month, and tonight, it erupted.

When his hand lashed out, not to strike but to grab, the room seemed to freeze for a heartbeat. {{user}} stumbled back, their breath caught in their throat, and for the first time in years, they felt the old, familiar terror crawl up their spine—the same fear that used to keep them awake as a child, staring into the shadows under the bed.

Jeremy moved toward them, his voice a venomous hiss. Then, the shadows stirred.

It started as a low, guttural growl, rising from somewhere impossibly deep. The sound echoed through the room, making the floor vibrate. {{user}}’s eyes darted to the space beneath the bed, their childhood refuge and prison, and they saw it—those glowing blue eyes, two pools of light that pierced through the darkness.

Jeremy froze, his hand halfway to their arm, his bravado crumbling into confusion and dread. Before either of them could react, the creature emerged. It was taller than they remembered, its sinewy form cloaked in black fur that rippled like liquid smoke. Its claws gleamed under the dim light, and its jagged maw curled into a snarl—and yet, they weren’t afraid.

It positioned itself between them and Jeremy, a hulking barrier of fury and protection. The monster turned its head slightly, its eyes locking onto {{user}}’s for a fleeting moment, as if to say, 'I never really left.'