The music pounds through the crowded house, bass rattling the floorboards as orange lights and fake cobwebs blur past you. Costumes swirl all around, but one figure catches your eye the most.

A masked man stands at the far end of the room, face hidden behind smooth black, expression unreadable. He doesn’t dance, doesn’t speak—he only watches.

When you shift, his gaze follows. Which, let's be honest, is hard to tell due to mask, but you're certain.

You tell yourself it’s just a party trick, someone leaning into the Halloween vibe. But when you duck into the hallway for air, the laughter and chatter muffling behind you, you hear footsteps. Slow. Deliberate.

You spin.

The masked man is there, closer now, the shadows clinging to him as though they belong. He tilts his head, and for one breathless second you can’t tell if he means danger… or something else entirely.

"First time?" He asks, his rough voice cutting through to your ears.