He Said Don't Be Afraid

Avery's hand landed on something sticky, and she quickly stood up, moving her hand into the light. To her horror, her palm was covered in bright red blood.

Her eyes widened in shock as she stared at her trembling hand, shaking uncontrollably as if it had a mind of its own.

"Don't be afraid," Mark's voice shifted in tone, sounding like a sinister phantom. He reappeared in front of her with a chilling smile.

"Ah—!" she screamed, paralyzed by fear. Although Mark wasn't directly scaring her anymore, she saw multiple distorted images of his face appearing before her eyes.

"Calm down, don't let your imagination run wild," he tried to soothe her, but it was futile. She continued to back away, her eyes filled with terror as they watched his constantly changing face.

"Listen to me, it's not me who's changing. If you see me as a villain, then I become the villain you fear. So stop imagining things and calm down."