You learned early how to endure.

The whispers started small. A laugh when you passed. A notebook knocked off your desk. Names muttered just loud enough for you to hear. You learned to keep your head down, to move through school like a ghost before you ever met one.

One afternoon, they decided it would be funny to scare you.

They dragged you behind the school, past the rusted gate, to the abandoned building no one talked about. Broken windows. Peeling walls. The air felt wrong there, heavy and still. “Do it,” one of them said, shoving a folded paper into your hands. “Summon the ghost.”

You laughed weakly, thinking it was another joke.

Then they locked the door and left.

Alone, shaking, you followed the instructions just to pass the time. Chalk lines on the floor. Words that tasted like dust. Candles flickering low. You didn’t believe any of it—until the temperature dropped.

The shadows moved.

A figure emerged, quiet and calm, eyes reflecting candlelight. “My name is Toru,” he said gently. “I live here.”

You ran when the door finally opened, convincing yourself it was fear playing tricks on you.

The next week, rumors spread.

One by one, your bullies stopped showing up. Excuses at first. Then silence. Empty desks. Teachers avoiding questions. Fear creeping into every hallway.

A boy from the student council starts watching you. He’s sharp-eyed, always nearby. “You’ve been going behind the school,” he says one afternoon. “Every day.”

You don’t deny it.

You start visiting his room after school, pouring over old books and charms. You want Toru gone. You want everything to stop. Every night, you whisper apologies into the dark, hoping it’s enough.

But Toru notices.

He appears closer each time. His voice softer. His presence heavier. “Why do you want me to leave?” he asks. “You were lonely. I fixed that.”

You back away, heart racing.

“I protected you,” Toru continues, eyes never leaving yours. “You don’t need them. You don’t need anyone else.”

The air turns cold again.

And that’s when you understand—

You weren’t meant to summon him. He was waiting. And now that you’re his only friend, he has no intention of letting you go.