The 18th Floor of the Elevator

Jamie and Sandra exchanged a glance. The air seemed to freeze.

The man in black remained at the end of the corridor, his lips curled into an unsettling smile, completely motionless.

"Is he… alive?" Jamie's throat was dry.

Sandra narrowed her eyes slightly and whispered, "Whatever he is, don't let him get close."

She took a subtle step back, her fingers brushing against the dagger in her tool bag. Jamie tensed, ready for anything.

Creak… creak…

The man in black moved.

His body swayed slightly before he started walking toward them in a grotesquely unnatural manner—his knees bent at odd angles, as if devoid of bones. Every step produced a sickening sound, like bones grinding against each other.

Jamie felt her stomach churn. She stared at his face—and suddenly realized—

—his mouth was stretching wider and wider, the grin splitting all the way to his ears.

"Run!"

Sandra grabbed Jamie's wrist and bolted toward the elevator.

Jamie snapped back to reality and sprinted alongside her.

Behind them, the black-clad figure suddenly accelerated—his limbs twisted as he skittered forward like a monstrous spider!

Thud! Thud! Thud!

His footsteps grew faster and louder, sharp like nails scraping against glass, sending shivers down Jamie's spine.

Sandra reached the elevator first and slammed the button repeatedly, but nothing happened!

Jamie pounded on the doors. "Damn it! Open! Open!"

The shadow of the black-clad man loomed over them.

Rip!

A chilling gust of wind surged forward—Jamie felt a force tug sharply at her collar!

She instinctively lashed out, kicking straight at the man's knee.

His leg bent backward at an impossible angle, as if it had snapped—but he showed no sign of pain. Instead, his grin widened further, and his eyes bulged grotesquely from their sockets.

"Jamie!"

Sandra yanked her back, shielding her as she pulled a silver blade from her bag and slashed at the man's arm!

But—

The blade passed through him as if slicing through smoke.

Jamie's heart pounded violently. A terrifying realization struck her.

This man wasn't real.

He was a ghost from the 18th floor.

Sandra's expression darkened as if she had reached the same conclusion.

Ding—

At that moment, the elevator doors finally slid open!

Without hesitation, Jamie grabbed Sandra and dove inside. Sandra reacted instantly, slamming the close button.

The black-clad man's smile stretched into the narrowing gap. His eyes locked onto Jamie's, his mouth slowly opening—revealing rows of rotting black teeth. A chilling whisper escaped his lips:

"Welcome back…"

Bang!

The doors shut completely.

Jamie and Sandra leaned against the walls, gasping for breath, sweat trickling down their foreheads.

The elevator was silent once more.

The floor indicator flickered—18… 17… 16… 15…

Their frantic heartbeats gradually steadied.

"…Did we make it back?" Jamie panted.

Sandra didn't answer. Her sharp gaze was fixed on the elevator mirror.

Jamie followed her line of sight—and her blood ran cold.

—In the mirror, the black-clad man still stood behind them, grinning.

"Shit!"

Sandra whipped out her dagger and drove it straight into the glass.

Crash!

The mirror shattered. The black figure twisted and warped within the shards before being violently pulled into the void—vanishing without a trace.

The elevator continued its descent.

Ding—

The doors opened on the first floor.

Bright lights flooded in, revealing the familiar shopping mall lobby. Everything looked normal. The eerie presence of the 18th floor was gone.

Jamie and Sandra exchanged glances, neither speaking. Only when they stepped out did they finally exhale.

Behind them, the elevator doors slowly slid shut. The floor indicator displayed: 1.

As if nothing had ever happened.

Jamie's fingers were still ice-cold. She took a deep breath and murmured, "We made it back."

Sandra rubbed her temples. "But the 18th floor still exists."

They both knew it—somewhere within this mall, the 18th floor still lurked in the shadows, waiting for the next midnight… for the next unfortunate soul to step inside.

Behind them, the elevator doors fully closed.

The floor indicator flickered for a split second—

—jumping briefly to 18 before resetting to zero.