The Whisper Behind the Wall

Aarav's pulse pounded in his ears.

The knock had come from the other side.

A deep, hollow sound. Not like stone, but like something inside was knocking back.

The girl took a sharp step back. "This… this isn't possible."

Aarav swallowed hard. "You mean the knocking, or the fact that we're trapped?"

She didn't answer. Instead, she pressed her ear to the wall.

A moment passed.

Then her body stiffened.

She jerked away so fast that she stumbled backward.

"What?" Aarav grabbed her arms to steady her. "What did you hear?"

Her face was pale. Her breathing, shaky.

Then, in a voice barely above a whisper, she said,

"It's not knocking anymore."

Aarav frowned. "What do you mean?"

She looked up at him, her eyes full of something dark.

"It's whispering."

---

The Words That Shouldn't Exist

Aarav's skin turned ice cold.

He took a cautious step closer to the wall, pressing his palm against it.

At first—nothing.

Then, so softly it was almost inside his head,

Aarav…

He stumbled back, his breath catching in his throat.

The voice was wrong.

Not human. Not entirely. It was like a thousand voices layered together, all saying his name at once.

The girl grabbed his wrist, pulling him back. "We need to go. Now."

Aarav's head was spinning. "Go where? We're trapped."

Her grip tightened. "We are not staying here."

But the moment she turned, the whispering grew louder.

"You can't leave. We see you."

The torches flickered. The air thickened.

And then—

A door appeared.

Right where there had been only stone a second ago.

---

The Path No One Should Take

Neither of them spoke.

The door was old, made of dark wood that looked like it had been rotting for centuries. A single, rusted handle jutted out from its side.

Aarav's instincts screamed at him. This isn't right. This isn't how things work.

The girl stared at the door, her lips parted. "It wasn't here before."

Aarav inhaled sharply. "It wants us to go inside."

The torches flickered again. The air felt... expectant.

The whispering had stopped.

Silence.

But somehow, that was worse.

The girl reached for the handle.

"Aarav," she whispered. "Are you coming?"

Aarav's throat felt dry.

Every nerve in his body told him no.

But his legs moved forward anyway.

And as she twisted the handle, the door creaked open—

To darkness.