The corridor felt too narrow for the way he was running.
His footsteps slammed against the floor, uneven and desperate, echoing off the walls as if something was chasing him… or closing in from all sides.
The dim lights above flickered violently.
Buzzing.
Struggling.
Dying.
"Move! Get inside!" a man shouted from somewhere ahead.
Juson didn't look back.
He couldn't.
His chest burned as he rushed into the nearest room and shoved open a metallic door. It creaked sharply, the sound cutting through the air like a warning.
He slipped inside and forced it shut behind him.
Darkness swallowed the room whole.
Only the weak beam of a torch in his trembling hand pushed it back. The light crawled across broken furniture, cracked walls, and empty corners that felt… too empty.
Too still.
His eyes searched wildly.
Anything. Something.
Nothing.
A sudden bang hit the door.
Once.
Then again. Harder.
The metal rattled violently.
"Hold your position!" someone shouted from outside.
"The door… it's opening…" a low voice whispered.
Juson stepped back slowly, his breathing breaking apart. He stumbled behind a cupboard and crouched low, as if hiding could erase him completely.
Then—
A scream tore through the corridor.
Sharp.
Human.
And then it changed.
The sound twisted… softened… stretched into something unnatural.
A voice.
Low.
Muffled.
Calling him.
"…Mr. Juson…"
His grip tightened around the torch.
That wasn't right.
That wasn't—
"Mr. Juson?"
The voice came again.
Clear this time.
Normal.
Juson's head snapped up.
A nurse stood in front of him.
He froze.
For a second, her voice overlapped with that same distorted tone.
"…Mr. Juson…"
His breath caught in his throat.
His mind refused to settle.
Was she there the whole time?
He took a step back, his chair scraping loudly against the floor.
The nurse paused, confused. "Are you alright?"
Juson stared at her.
Her face looked normal.
Too normal.
The light above her didn't flicker.
Her shadow didn't move.
Everything… was normal.
"…Yes," he said slowly, though his voice didn't believe it.
"It's your wife," she said gently.
Juson didn't move immediately.
He kept staring at her… as if waiting for something to break again.
Nothing did.
After a long second, he nodded.
And followed her.