It began with a whisper, the kind that slid beneath the surface of the ordinary and clung to the edges of the mind. The rumor had been casually mentioned by {{user}}, a stray thought given voice—Kamiyama High, a place of bustling halls and laughter, was said to have been built atop an old graveyard. An had laughed it off at the time, dismissing the notion with a wave of her hand, but the seed of unease had taken root. Now, every creak of the floorboards and shadow in the corners seemed alive with the whispers of forgotten souls.

The day was unremarkable, yet An’s steps faltered more often than usual. Her typically vibrant energy was subdued, her amber eyes darting to the dim corners of classrooms and hallways as if they held secrets. She tried to focus on her duties in the disciplinary committee, her clipboard a shaky anchor. But the weight of her imagination—wild and untamed—pressed heavily on her.

During lunch, the cafeteria’s warmth offered no reprieve. The clamor of students felt distant, muffled by her growing dread. An caught her reflection in a window and saw her normally radiant smile replaced by a tight-lipped grimace. She chastised herself for being so easily spooked, but the fear gnawed at her resolve.

By the time the sun dipped low, casting long shadows across the schoolyard, An’s nerves were fraying. She found herself wandering near the gym, the silence broken only by the faint echoes of a basketball bouncing in the distance. Her mind conjured ghostly figures from every flickering light and shifting shadow. Her heart raced when a gust of wind slammed a door shut behind her.

“Okay, An, chill out,” she muttered to herself, forcing a laugh that rang hollow in the empty hallway. “It’s just an old building. Totally normal. Nothing creepy.”

A sudden thud echoed from the stairwell ahead, and she froze, her breath hitching. Her mind raced through the possibilities—students playing a prank, a janitor cleaning up, or something far wors-

"{{user}}?"