They ran.
Footsteps echoed too loudly, like the hallway was repeating every step back at them.
"Why is this corridor so long?!" Felix shouted, nearly tripping.
"It shouldn't be," Kai replied, breathing fast. "The building layout doesn't make sense."
"Great," Lara said. "So now we're trapped in a non-Euclidean nightmare school. Love that for us."
"Focus!" Sarah snapped. "Just keep moving!"
The hallway lights flickered above them.
One by one.
Like something was following—
Switching them off.
Mira suddenly stopped.
"Wait."
Sarah turned. "Mira, we don't have time—"
"It's not chasing us," Mira said quietly.
Everyone froze.
"…What?" Felix whispered.
Mira looked back into the darkness.
"It's herding us."
Before anyone could respond—
The lights ahead turned on.
All at once.
Blinding white.
At the end of the hallway stood something.
Tall.
Too tall.
Its body bent unnaturally, like its bones were wrong.
Its arms dragged along the floor—
Too long.
Too thin.
And its face…
Wasn't a face.
Just a smooth surface.
With a wide, carved smile.
Lara blinked. "Okay. Nope. That's illegal. That thing should not exist."
Felix grabbed Kai. "WHAT IS THAT?!"
Kai's voice shook. "I… I don't know."
The creature tilted its head.
Slowly.
Like it was studying them.
Then it spoke.
But not with its own voice.
"Sarah…"
It sounded exactly like Sarah's voice.
She froze.
"…What?"
The creature took a step forward.
"Why did you leave me?"
Sarah's face went pale. "That's not real."
Lara whispered, "Okay yeah, that's definitely targeting trauma now."
The creature turned its head toward Felix.
And spoke again.
"Felix… you always run."
Felix stepped back. "Nope. Nope. I don't like this. I don't like this at all."
Kai clenched his fists. "It's mimicking us. Don't listen to it!"
The creature's smile stretched wider.
Then—
It started running.
Fast.
Too fast.
Its limbs snapping and bending as it moved.
Closing the distance in seconds.
"RUN!" Sarah screamed.
They turned and sprinted.
The lights behind them burst one by one—
POP! POP! POP!
As the creature chased them.
"WHY IS IT SO FAST?!" Felix cried.
"Because horror logic!" Lara yelled back.
Suddenly—
A door appeared on the side of the hallway.
It wasn't there before.
"INSIDE!" Kai shouted.
They didn't question it.
They threw the door open and rushed in.
Sarah slammed it shut.
The creature hit the door hard—
BOOM!
The entire room shook.
Silence.
No footsteps.
No movement.
Felix collapsed to the floor. "I'm done. I quit. I resign from this friendship."
Lara sat beside him. "Same. We had a good run."
But Mira was staring at the door.
Her expression dark.
"…It's learning faster now," she whispered.
Sarah turned to her slowly.
"What do you mean… now?"
Mira didn't answer.