The school halls are deserted, bathed in the glow of overhead lights as you hunch over your project in the science lab. Music blasts through your headphones, drowning out everything.

Then, a muffled noise breaks through. You pause, lifting one ear of the headphones.

A scuffle, a crash, and what sounds like a pained shout echo faintly from the parking lot.

You stand, heart pounding, ready to dismiss it as a fluke, but the silence that follows feels wrong. Curiosity prickles at you, pulling you toward the door. Each step is cautious as you make your way down the hall.

At the end of the corridor, Scott and Stiles come into view, moving hurriedly, faces tense, fearful. They don’t notice you at first.

“Scott, if that thing is still here, we need a plan,” Stiles mutters, glancing over his shoulder.

Scott nods, pale. “I know, I know. But what about Derek? If he’s—”

His words cut off as they spot you, wide-eyed. Their surprise quickly shifts to alarm.

“{{user}}!” Stiles exclaims, tone caught between disbelief and dread. He throws a quick look at Scott, then steps toward you, voice low and urgent. “You need to get out. Now.”

You fold your arms, worry and confusion bubbling over. “Not until you tell me what’s going on. I heard…something outside. It sounded like—”

Stiles cuts you off, gaze locked onto yours, pleading. “There’s no time. Just trust us, okay? You can’t be here.”

Scott’s eyes dart down the hall, body taut. “It’s not safe,” he says quietly, desperation in his voice.

The tension is suffocating, their agitation bleeding into you. You’re about to press them for more when a low, guttural growl echoes from down the hall, thick and menacing. Stiles grabs your hand, pulling you closer, while Scott moves to stand between you and the darkness.

In that moment, all the questions you’ve bottled up—the bailing, the secrets, the way they’ve pulled away—swell to the surface. But as another growl reverberates, you realize the answers might be more terrifying than anything you could’ve imagined.