Chris tried to look everywhere for him — behind the curtains, near the pool, around the speakers, even in the crowd of dancing teenagers — but that masked guy was nowhere. For a moment she thought her eyes were tricking her. Maybe she was too tired… maybe the match had drained her too much… maybe she was imagining things again.
But then, after a few minutes, she saw him.
The same man.
The same black mask, the same dark cloak, the same cold stillness.
He wasn't dancing, wasn't talking, wasn't drinking.
He was just standing near the back door of Henry's large house… and staring directly at her.
Chris froze.
The masked guy slowly turned and walked outside.
He didn't rush.
He moved like he knew she would follow.
And she did.
Without thinking, Chris pushed through the crowd and hurried toward the door. Her heart thumped so loud she felt it in her ears. Lily saw her leaving and shouted,
"Chris! Hey, where are you going?!"
But Chris didn't stop. She just followed that figure, almost hypnotized.
Lily cursed under her breath and ran after her. Henry noticed Lily running and called after her,
"Lily? What happened? Where's Chris?"
But Lily didn't answer. She pushed past the guests, out into the garden.
For a moment she expected to see Chris standing on the grass or near the trees.
But she wasn't there.
"Chris?" Lily called again, louder. "Chris! Stop scaring me!"
No answer.
Henry came running. "Lily, what's going on?"
Lily's voice broke a little. "I… I–I can't find her. She was following someone. Someone weird. A guy with a mask… and now she's just gone."
Henry's face tightened. He didn't waste a second. He ran inside and grabbed the mic of the DJ stand.
"EVERYONE!" his voice echoed through the hall, "If anyone has seen Chris, please tell us immediately! She went outside a few minutes ago!"
The music stopped. People started whispering. Some looked confused, others scared. But after a few minutes of asking around, one thing became clear:
Nobody had seen Chris.
They only saw her walk out.
Not a single person saw her after that.
Slowly the party broke apart. Guests left in groups, murmuring about the missing girl, the rumors, the woods behind Henry's house, and the strange murders happening in the town. But Lily stayed. She refused to leave without Chris.
She walked around the yard for the 20th time, her eyes wet but stubborn.
"Chris, come on… don't do this to me…"
Henry joined her again. "We'll keep looking. She couldn't have gone too far."
But even he didn't believe it fully. Something felt wrong. Very wrong.
Meanwhile—
CHRIS – IN THE WOODS
Far away from the laughter and music, Chris found herself deep inside the dark woods behind Henry's house.
She didn't even know how far she had walked. Every step she took, the masked man walked a little ahead, as if guiding her but keeping distance.
"HEY!" Chris shouted. "Stop! Why are you following me?! Who are you?!"
But the guy didn't turn.
He didn't talk.
He simply continued walking. Silent. Calm.
Chris felt anger bubbling in her chest. "STOP IGNORING ME!"
She jogged faster, but every time she closed the distance, he stepped into a patch of shadows — and somehow appeared farther away.
"What the hell…" she whispered.
Chris looked back for a second.
Henry's house lights were gone.
The party noise was gone.
Everything was just… forest. Black trees, cold air, and the crunch of dead leaves under her shoes.
"Where… am I?"
Suddenly, her legs felt heavy.
Then heavier.
Her breath became uneven.
Her chest tightened painfully.
Why am I… so tired?
I was fine just a minute ago…
Her knees buckled. She caught herself on a tree trunk.
"Wait… hold on… I–I can't…"
The masked guy had finally stopped walking.
He stood still.
Not looking back.
Not helping her.
Not moving.
Just standing like a shadow carved out of the night.
Chris tried to take one more step toward him, but her vision blurred.
Her head felt too light.
Her legs burned.
"W-wait…" her voice trembled. "Stop… don't… leave…"
For the first time, the guy slightly turned his head, just enough for her to see the edge of his glowing red eye behind the mask.
The same red glow…
The same shine…
Just like the monster-killing guy she saw a month ago.
Chris's pupils widened.
"It's… you…?" she whispered.
But before she could say more, the masked guy took one last step forward — deeper into darkness.
And vanished.
Like smoke dissolving.
All alone now, Chris groaned.
Her body felt like it was shutting down.
The wind howled around her.
Her ears rang.
Her heartbeat slowed.
"Someone…"
"Help…"
But no one heard her.
Her legs finally gave out.
Her body collapsed onto the cold forest floor.
Her eyes fluttered, fighting to stay open.
Just before losing consciousness, Chris heard a voice — a very low, deep voice — whisper right next to her ear:
"Found you."
And then everything went black.