Fractured calm

The morning after Liya's chilling encounter, Maya couldn't shake the heaviness in her chest. Despite the warmth of the sun streaming through the window, their dorm room felt colder than usual.

She sat on the edge of her bed, brushing her hair with slow, deliberate strokes. Her eyes kept flicking toward the wardrobe — the same wardrobe that had rattled her with a nightmare... and now had haunted Liya in reality.

It's just a coincidence... right?

"Are you okay?" Liya's voice broke Maya's thoughts. She stood by the window, pulling her hair into a ponytail.

"Yeah," Maya muttered, though her voice wavered. "I'm fine."

Liya raised a brow. "You sure?"

Maya forced a smile. "I'm just tired."

Truthfully, she was exhausted, but not just from lack of sleep. Ever since her nightmare, an uneasy feeling clung to her like a second skin.

The worst part was that she didn't know if she was imagining it... or if something was truly wrong.

---

That evening, Maya couldn't focus on her assignments. The quiet hum of the dorm room's ceiling fan seemed louder than usual. Every creak of the floor or rustle of paper made her flinch.

Liya sat at her desk, her gaze flicking to Maya every few minutes. "You're seriously not okay," she said finally.

"I'm fine," Maya repeated.

"You're not."

"I said I'm fine!" Maya's voice rose sharper than she intended, and both girls froze.

Sana, who had been scrolling through her phone on her bed, sighed loudly.

"Oh my god," Sana muttered. "Can we please not turn this room into a horror movie?"

Maya shot her a look. "I'm sorry, what?"

"You're both acting like something's crawling out of the walls," Sana said. "It's just creaky furniture and weird dreams. Happens in old buildings all the time."

"Sana," Liya said firmly. "You didn't see what I saw."

"Yeah, well, I haven't seen anything at all," Sana shot back. "And honestly? I think you're both overthinking this."

"Overthinking?" Maya's voice wavered. "Sana... I had a nightmare so vivid I could still feel that cold breath on my neck when I woke up." Her fingers clenched tightly around her pen. "And now Liya's hearing tapping sounds and seeing doors move by themselves."

"So what?" Sana shrugged. "Dreams and shadows. That's all this is."

"It's not," Liya said quietly. "I know what I saw."

"Sure," Sana said flatly. "But unless this 'ghost' decides to dance in the middle of the room tonight, I'm not buying it."

Maya's frustration boiled over. "Why can't you just listen for once?" she snapped. "What if something really is wrong here?"

"Then let it come," Sana scoffed. "I'll be waiting."

---

That night, Maya lay in bed with her blanket pulled up to her chin, her eyes locked on the ceiling.

It's fine. It's just your mind playing tricks.

But deep down, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was watching them... waiting.

She turned her head toward the wardrobe, and froze.

The door was closed. Tight shut. But the longer she stared at it, the more uneasy she felt.

What if it opens again? What if I hear those whispers again?

She squeezed her eyes shut and turned her face into her pillow.

Maya didn't know how long she lay like that, minutes? Hours?, but eventually, her mind blurred with exhaustion, and she drifted off.

---

Sometime in the middle of the night, Maya stirred. A faint sound, barely louder than a whisper, reached her ears.

Tap... tap... tap...

Her eyes flew open.

The sound was faint, almost like fingernails on wood... coming from the wardrobe.

Her breath caught. Heart hammering in her chest, Maya strained to listen.

Tap... tap...

It stopped.

Then, just as she was starting to calm herself down...

Tap... tap...

This time, it sounded closer.

Maya clenched her blanket tightly, tears prickling her eyes. She forced herself to stay still, praying it would stop.

But then something far worse happened, a faint, cold breath brushed against her cheek.

Maya's heart nearly stopped. Her pulse roared in her ears, and she swore she heard something, a low, distorted whisper, hissing words she couldn't understand.

Before she could stop herself, Maya shot up in bed.

"Liya... Sana... Wake up!" she gasped.

Both girls jolted awake, their groggy faces quickly turning to confusion.

"What's wrong?" Liya asked, her voice thick with sleep.

"I heard it," Maya stammered. "The tapping... the whispering... I-I swear something was right next to me."

Liya's face drained of color.

Sana, however, let out an exaggerated sigh. "Maya... seriously?"

"I'm not making this up!" Maya cried. "I felt it breathing on me!"

"You were dreaming," Sana muttered, turning back toward her pillow. "Just go back to sleep."

"I know what I felt," Maya said weakly.

Liya placed a hand on her arm, her fingers cold and trembling. "I believe you."

Maya blinked at her. "You do?"

Liya gave a small nod. "I... I don't think this is just in our heads."

Sana's blanket rustled as she flipped over again. "If you two wake me up one more time," she mumbled, "I swear I'm moving out."

Maya didn't say anything.

Because as she lay back down, her gaze instinctively flicked back to the wardrobe.

The door was still shut.

But somehow, Maya couldn't shake the feeling that whatever was inside...

Was getting stronger.