The door didn't creak.
It sighed.
Like it had been waiting.
The moment Ethan pushed it open, a warm, damp breath rushed out, hitting his face. It smelled like decay… and something sweet underneath. Rot and sugar.
Wrong.
So wrong.
The whispers stopped.
Completely.
That was worse.
Ethan hesitated at the threshold, his hand still pressed against the door.
"Lina…" he called softly.
No answer.
Only darkness beyond.
But not empty darkness.
This one moved.
Slowly.
Like something inside it was shifting.
Watching.
Waiting.
Then—
A sound.
Drip.
Ethan looked down.
Something wet touched his foot.
He stepped back quickly, heart racing.
A thick, dark liquid was seeping out from under the doorway.
It wasn't water.
Too heavy.
Too slow.
Too dark.
Blood.
Fresh.
Warm.
"No…" his voice cracked.
Another drip.
Then another.
Then—
A hand shot out from the darkness and grabbed his ankle.
Ethan screamed, falling backward as the grip tightened—cold, impossibly strong.
"HELP ME—!"
It was Lina's voice.
But distorted.
Broken.
Like something else was speaking through her.
Ethan twisted, kicking hard until the hand loosened for just a second—
Enough for him to yank himself free.
He scrambled back, breathing wildly.
"Lina?! Lina, is that you?!"
Silence.
Then—
A soft giggle.
Not Lina.
Not human.
Ethan's blood ran cold.
Slowly, something began to crawl out of the doorway.
At first, it looked like Lina.
Her hair.
Her clothes.
Her size.
But then—
Her arms bent the wrong way.
Too many joints.
Her head tilted… too far.
Until it snapped sideways with a sickening crack.
Her face—
Ethan's stomach dropped.
It was Lina.
And not.
Her eyes were too wide.
Her smile too stretched.
Like her skin didn't fit properly anymore.
"Ethan…" it whispered sweetly.
He shook his head, backing away.
"No… you're not her…"
The thing crawled closer, dragging itself in jerky, unnatural movements.
"But I sound like her…" it said, voice glitching between Lina's tone and something deeper.
Then suddenly—
Its expression dropped.
Empty.
Dead.
"She's still inside."
Ethan froze.
"What…?"
The thing's smile slowly returned.
Wider.
Wider.
Too wide.
"But she's not alone."
The lights flickered.
For a split second—
Ethan saw behind it.
Inside the room.
Shapes.
Dozens.
People.
Pressed into the walls.
Faces stretching under the surface like they were trapped beneath skin.
Mouths open in silent screams.
Hands reaching.
Scratching.
Begging.
Then darkness snapped back.
Ethan stumbled, nearly falling.
"No… no… this isn't real…"
The creature tilted its head again.
"Do you want to see her?"
It began to rise.
Bones cracking loudly as it forced itself upright.
Too tall now.
Too long.
Its limbs stretched unnaturally, scraping the ceiling.
Ethan couldn't move.
Couldn't breathe.
"Come inside…" it whispered.
Behind it—
A new sound.
Faint.
Weak.
"E… Ethan…"
His heart stopped.
Lina.
Real this time.
Crying.
"Please… it hurts…"
Tears filled his eyes.
She was alive.
Still alive.
"Lina!" he shouted, taking a step forward.
The creature didn't move.
Just watched.
Smiling.
Waiting.
"Just a little closer…" it murmured.
Ethan stepped again.
The air inside the room felt thicker.
Heavier.
Like walking into something alive.
"Ethan… don't…" Lina's voice suddenly changed—urgent, terrified.
"IT'S LYING!"
Everything froze.
The creature's smile twitched.
Just for a second.
And in that second—
Ethan noticed something.
Its shadow.
It didn't match.
The body stood still.
But the shadow…
Was still crawling toward him.
Fast.
Too fast.
Ethan's eyes widened.
"Oh God—"
The shadow lunged.
To be continued…