The Wraith Project

Entry 1

Even if I was afraid, I'd do it all over again.

My name is Jaden Hunter, 24, and I work as a security guard at Nexus Corporations. It's now been an entire year of me working at Nexus. There's been a lot happening, which is why I'm reaching out to the world.

I started working here years ago, completely unaware of what Nexus was hiding. I needed the money to survive and, most importantly, to help my mother with her medical bills after she beat cancer.

Let me tell you what Nexus Corporations is hiding from all of you.

It was the 24th of December, 2017—just before Christmas. I was three hours into my night shift, the clock reading 1:25 AM. Even if I was too grown-up for it, Christmas was around the corner, and I was so happy. Who was I kidding? Christmas was for everyone.

I was beginning to feel drowsy. Normally, I'd grab a coffee, but the machine was out of order—again. "Not again," I muttered, slapping the top of the machine lightly. Of course, nothing happened.

The security office was small, equipped with a fridge restocked daily for the guards, a red leather couch, and a digital clock on the table. Four monitors were showing different parts of the building, with only one able to switch between various cameras. The fixed cameras covered the cafeteria, the main hallway, and the courtyard.

The courtyard creeped me out the most. It was pitch black, making me wonder—was something standing there, watching me? The thunderstorms made it worse, occasionally illuminating the area for brief seconds.

Feeling drained, I grabbed an energy drink from the fridge. Out of the corner of my eye, I swore I saw something running in the hallways. I shrugged it off—I was just tired.

Bored out of my mind, I called my best friend, Aiden, knowing he'd be awake since he was a night owl.

"What's up, Jaden?" Aiden chuckled, fully aware that I was bored as hell.

"Oh, you know, the usual—checking cameras, going on occasional patrols."

"I'm going for a walk, and you, Aiden, you're coming with me."

"Sure, why not?" he replied, then howled like a wolf.

"Did you have to do that?" I scoffed jokingly.

"Yes, obviously! Someone has to talk to the moon—Awoo!"

Rolling my eyes, I grabbed my flashlight and clipped my walkie-talkie to my belt. I flipped my camera around, securing it in a holster on my chest before stepping into the dimly lit hallway.

The silence was suffocating. The usual hum of the air conditioning, the occasional creaks of old pipes—it was all absent as if the building was holding its breath. My footsteps echoed unnervingly loud against the tiled floor.

"Damn, it's quiet as hell in there," Aiden remarked.

"Tell me about it," I muttered. "Walking these halls at night always gave me chills."

Then—a noise. Soft, deliberate footsteps.

I froze, my pulse hammering in my ears. The sound came from the hallway ahead, just around the corner. I swallowed hard, my grip tightening around my flashlight.

I should turn around and head back to the security office. Forget it.

Instead, I stepped forward.

Something moved in my peripheral vision—a blur, too fast to be human. My breath hitched as my flashlight flickered, plunging the corridor into brief darkness. When the light steadied, the hallway was empty.

My heart pounded.

"Yo, Jaden? Are you good? You went quiet."

I took a shaky breath. "Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine. Probably just my imagination."

Probably.

But deep down, I knew better.