After parting ways with his friends at the gaming club, Evan headed off alone. Despite having walked the route several tis now, he still wasn’t fully familiar with it—so out ca his trusty guide: the map app.
He tapped in his ho address. A route quickly popped up on the screen, showing both his current position and the destination.
“Phew, I’m on ti,” he muttered, noting that he still had a bit of a buffer before reaching ho.
As he continued walking, he pulled out his phone again.“Maybe I should ask Aunt if she needs anything from the store.”
He dialed her number. It rang a few tis before she answered—and as expected, Rossy didn’t wait for him to speak.
“Evan! Are you okay? Are you lost again? Just tell where you are—I’ll co get you!”Her words were rapid-fire, panic clearly setting in before Evan quickly cut in.
“Aunt, I’m fine, really.”“I just wanted to know if you needed anything from the store since I’m close by.”
That stopped her. She cald down, exhaling sharply.
“Oh, thank goodness. I was about to send Jason to pick up a few things, but since you’re offering…”
She listed off what she needed and even transferred the money to his phone, despite Evan’s attempts to decline.
Soon enough, Evan found himself inside a neighborhood convenience store. He gathered the items on the list and walked up to the counter, where a chubby-faced man was helping another custor.
He waited patiently. After the other custor left, Evan placed his items down.
“Hey there. You new around here?” the man asked with a grin.
Evan gave a polite nod.
“Knew it! I’ve got a sharp mory, and I don’t forget faces. First ti here, huh?”
The man’s friendliness caught Evan off guard, but he replied kindly, which seed to please him.
“Tell you what,” the man added, leaning over the counter, “I’ll throw in a small discount. First-ti bonus.”
“Thanks,” Evan smiled.
“So… where do you live, bro?” the man asked casually.
“Oh, I’m staying with Mr. Jason in the building right behind the store. First floor, room 103.”
As soon as Evan said that, the man’s expression dropped.
“Oh no, bro… I hate to say this, but it sounds like you’ve hit a rough patch.”“Oh, by the way, na’s Leo.”
“Rough patch? Why?” Evan asked, confused.
Leo leaned in, lowering his voice like he was about to reveal a juicy secret.
“That room… is cursed.”
Evan blinked.
“What? I’ve been living there for a while, and nothing’s happened.”
Leo shook his head gravely.
“It starts after a week. Trust , you wouldn’t believe what happened to the last two guys who lived in room 103…”
He pulled up a chair and, with a serious tone, began telling the tale.
“First guy was just a regular dude, lived a quiet life… until the girl next door called the cops on him. Accused him of peeping and harassnt. He tried to suppress the news, but it spread like wildfire. His career? Ruined. Social life? Gone. He had to leave the city in sha.”
“The second guy? Sa room. Lived peacefully for a while… then a story broke out that he tried to seduce and—”Leo hesitated.“—well, force himself on the girl next door. He got arrested. Jailed. His family and friends cut him off. He ended up moving to another kingdom to start over, but his life was basically done for.”
Evan clapped slowly.
“You’re quite the storyteller, Leo.”
Leo smirked, but there was still caution in his eyes.
“So say the girl frad them. Others say the room itself is cursed. Either way, bro, you seem like a good kid. Be careful, alright? Don’t trust people too easily—especially her.”
Evan gave a nod of understanding.
The two chatted a bit more before Evan decided it was ti to leave.
“Take care, brother! Hope to see you around again,” Leo said as new custors trickled in.
Evan stepped out, his mind replaying the story Leo had told him.“Could she really be that dangerous?” he wondered.He decided to avoid any unnecessary contact with the girl next door—better safe than sorry.
He arrived back at Rossy’s apartnt and handed over the groceries.
“Thank you, Evan. You’re such a thoughtful boy. Go on, watch so TV while I cook.”
Evan sat down and turned on the television, only to have Jason plop down next to him monts later. Wordlessly, Evan handed over the remote.
“It feels weird letting an elder pick what to watch… but I guess that’s how it works,” Evan thought.
After a while, Rossy called them to dinner. Jason turned off the TV, and they joined her at the table.
The al passed quickly. Once finished, Evan excused himself and returned to his apartnt.
He climbed the stairs, nearing his floor—when he noticed sothing.
The girl next door’s boyfriend was standing outside, knocking. A few seconds later, she opened the door and let him in, glancing around nervously to ensure no one saw. She didn’t spot Evan, who stood quietly in the shadows, observing.
He felt a chill run down his spine.“I should steer clear of them,” he thought, quickly unlocking his door and heading inside.
After finishing a few minor tasks, he lay down on his bed.
Sleep ca easily.
But peace did not.
Half an hour later, Evan’s sleeping face began to twitch. He was dreaming—again.
But this wasn’t like his usual dreams.
It started normally. He was in danger, as usual. On the verge of death. But just as the killing blow was about to land, the dream shifted.
Suddenly, he was standing alone in a vast, surreal place—a sky of endless white above him, and a dark, glassy floor stretching to the horizon. He was suspended between heaven and earth.
Then—He turned.
And froze.
Ten colossal beings stood before him. Towering, 15 to 20 feet tall. Their shapes were vague, shifting. Humanoid, yet not. Their presence defied logic.
Then the world began to shake—cracking, shattering.
And from the tallest one, a voice rumbled like thunder:
“The ti is coming.”
That was all.
Evan shot up in bed, drenched in sweat. The fan whirred overhead at full blast, but it did nothing to cool his fevered body.
He stared out the window.
“Well… today’s dream was very different,” he muttered.
Outside, the horizon glowed orange—the sun was rising.
Author's Note:Hey everyone! Thanks for reading.
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