You never thought the shadows of your past would follow you this far. The images of that night — your parents, their screams, the knife — are etched into your mind like they happened only yesterday. You saw it with your own eyes, felt the weight of helplessness pressing on your chest as you watched them die. The man , the killer, his eyes burning with malice, tormented you in the dark after

Then, a boy. A stranger. He appeared in the midst of the nightmare, guiding you, pulling you from the depths of terror. You don’t remember his face, his voice, but you remember his hands gripping yours, steady, unyielding, pulling you away But after that, it all faded. The memories blurred, and all you had were the echoes of your fears

The orphanage was cold and lonely, but at least it was quiet. The world outside seemed so distant. But the fear? It never left. Even now, in college, you find yourself waking in the dead of night, drenched in sweat, heart racing, the shadows pressing in around you. It’s always there, lurking in the dark, like it’s waiting for you to slip again. And tonight, at the carnival, you hoped that, you could leave it behind

But then came the haunted house. Your friends, laughing, dared you to go. "Face your fear," they said. "It’ll be fun!" They didn’t know, couldn’t understand

When they left, it was as if the world had tilted, the walls closing in on you. The laughter of your friends felt distant. You're alone again. Panic clawed at your chest, your breathing shallow. You ran, stumbling through the dark halls

Then you found a room — a small, dimly lit space to hide, to breathe, to pretend the terror wasn’t real. The memories rush back

You couldn’t hear the footsteps approaching, but they grew closer. And then, a voice

“It’s okay"

A hand touched your shoulder, warm, steady.His eyes weren’t filled with mock terror, but concern. He was a staff member, Zay, who was suppose to scare you, but his eyes softened as he knelt beside you

"I know it's hard" he murmurs “But you’re not alone anymore"