CHAPTER 4: SHADOWS FROM THE TUNNEL.

"Goodbye! See you tomorrow!" I waved to Leah as I clocked out of my library shift, slinging my bag over my shoulder. The night air hit colder than usual—autumn was slowly crawling into the city. It had been two months since Campbell's opening ceremony, and I had just started to feel like I belonged. Between lectures, late-night shifts, and casual ramen hangouts with friends, life had finally found a rhythm.

But tonight felt… different.

I checked my wristwatch. 9:32 PM. Later than usual. My stomach growled loudly in protest. Most restaurants nearby had already pulled down their shutters. I managed to snag the last cup ramen and a couple of onigiri from the Supermart before they closed.

Sitting at a bench just outside the shop, I peeled open the ramen lid. The rising steam kissed my cold cheeks. It was a modest dinner, but tonight, it tasted like heaven.

As I ate, my phone buzzed. A message from Hanabi lit up the screen.

"She did it again. That new girl. I swear, Nee-san, she's insane."

I sighed and wiped my fingers before tapping out a quick reply.

"Hang on. Let me call you."

The line connected in two rings.

"I swear, I've never met someone so obsessed with making enemies out of thin air," Hanabi vented before I even said hello. Her voice was sharp, frustrated—but underneath, I sensed unease.

"Still the new transfer student?" I asked, slurping noodles between sentences.

"Yup. It's like she's playing a character in some horror movie. One minute she's acting high and mighty, the next she's whispering weird stuff about souls and devils. It creeps me out."

"Souls and devils? That's next-level drama. Sounds like she's just trying to mess with your head."

"That's what I thought too," Hanabi murmured. "But she's getting worse. Today, she said I was 'too pure' and it made her sick. What does that even mean?"

"Probably nothing. People like her just want attention. Don't give her what she wants."

"She's also been bragging—gold, money, some currency from 'another state' or whatever. Now she's invited us all to her house this Friday. Claims she lives in the castle near the abandoned river."

"The one Mom warned us about?" I asked, eyebrows raised.

"Yeah, but apparently her family bought it and renovated the whole thing. Everyone's curious, so… we're going."

I hesitated. "Just be careful, okay? Tell Mom and Dad."

"I already did. They said to have fun." She snorted.

"Well… don't trust everything you see. And definitely don't wander off alone."

We said our goodbyes and hung up. The ramen cup was empty now, but a heavy feeling sat in my chest. I didn't know why, but Hanabi's story stuck with me in the worst way.

I threw away my trash and headed toward the station.

It was quieter than usual—eerily so.

The kind of quiet that makes your skin crawl.

The neon lights flickered over the platform, casting long shadows across the tiles. I sat down on one of the cold metal benches and checked the train board.

Arrival in 5 minutes.

I pulled my hoodie tighter and slipped on my headphones. Music would help calm the rising unease.

Or so I hoped.

Then I heard it—scraping. Faint, irregular.

I froze. Removed one earbud.

Nothing.

Probably rats.

But the sound came again. This time clearer. Footsteps. Light, rapid, and approaching.

I looked toward the gate, waiting for someone to scan in. But there was no one.

My heart pounded.

I remembered the gym room from secondary school—how they locked me in there as a cruel prank. How the darkness swallowed me whole. How it whispered things I didn't want to hear.

"Calm down," I whispered. "You're fine. There's no one there."

Then came the voice.

"Where's my kitty… here, kitty…"

It echoed through the tunnel. Soft. Sickening.

A chill gripped my spine.

From the edge of the track, I saw it—first, a finger. Pale, clawed, curling onto the platform.

I stopped breathing.

Then a cat padded into view, a black cat with a dangling, bloody eye. It looked at me, blinked, and meowed softly.

A soft chuckle followed.

My gaze shifted—and locked eyes with it.

A face. Half human. Half… something else. Crimson eyes stared at me, unblinking. Hungry.

"There's my kitty…" it cooed.

The cat walked toward the thing. In one motion, it swallowed the cat whole. Blood gushed from its mouth. Its jagged teeth glistened in the station light.

Then it turned to me.

And smiled.

"…You be my new kitty…"

I screamed—but no sound came. My knees gave out. Darkness took me.

I woke up in a hospital room with an IV in my arm and a fever so high I could barely move.

They said I had hallucinated—stress, overwork, no rest.

But I knew what I saw.

I wasn't crazy.

That thing was real.

A week passed before I gathered enough courage to apply through The Helper to move into the campus dorms. I offered to pay the same as my current rent—I didn't care about the cost. I just couldn't take the train again. Not alone. Not at night.

While I waited for the application to be reviewed, I commuted by bus. It took nearly two hours each way. Tokyo traffic was merciless. But at least I could breathe.

I told no one the truth—only that the doctor recommended I move closer for health reasons.

"You requested the Campbell dorm?" Nanako blinked at me.

We were sitting in Ayumi's room. Jasmin raised an eyebrow, clearly surprised.

I nodded. "Yeah. Stress, exhaustion, all that. The doctor thinks it'll help if I cut down on travel time."

"If it helps, I think it's a smart move," Jasmin said gently. "But how will you cover the dorm costs?"

"I applied through The Helper. If that doesn't work, I might talk to the library about extra hours."

"Or…" Ayumi leaned forward, her tone soft. "You could stay here. At my place. Just until things settle down."

I stared at her. "You're serious?"

"Of course. You'd have your own room. The place is too big for me anyway."

"I… I don't want to be a burden."

"Then help with house chores. We'll call it even," she smiled.

Tears stung the corners of my eyes. I had no words. Just a silent, grateful nod.

Maybe—just maybe—I wasn't as alone as I thought.