Arya woke up in a rush. His phone alarm had long been silenced, and the sun was already high. He immediately realized one thing: he was late for his morning class. Without much thought, he grabbed his backpack, slipped on whatever shoes he could find, and dashed out of his boarding house. His breath quickened, his heartbeat raced alongside his fear of getting scolded by his professor.
But something was different that morning. The streets, usually bustling with students and morning activities, were eerily empty. Silent. Even the chirping of birds was absent. The trees lining the road stood still, as if lifeless. Arya felt a chilling sensation in the air, even though the sun was shining brightly in the sky. He brushed off the strange feeling, thinking he was just too focused on his anxiety about being late.
The campus building finally came into view. Arya hurried inside, climbing the stairs to the fifth floor. He passed floor after floor with heavy steps. For some reason, the atmosphere inside the building felt quieter than usual. He didn't encounter any other students along the way.
Reaching the fifth floor, Arya paused for a moment to catch his breath. The long corridor leading to his classroom felt cold, and each step he took echoed faintly in the air. He approached the classroom door at the end of the hallway. Without much thought, Arya opened the door and stepped inside.
The room was empty. None of the students who usually chatted or prepared their notes were there. The classroom lights were on, but there was no sign of life. Arya walked further in and closed the door behind him. At that moment, the voice of a middle-aged man broke the silence.
"You're late. Sit down," the voice was firm and commanding.
Arya jumped in surprise. He turned and saw a professor standing at the front of the class. The man appeared to be in his fifties, wearing a white shirt that had yellowed in some spots and shabby black trousers. His face was expressionless, without a smile, but his eyes radiated an aura that was hard to describe.
Without much thought, Arya walked to the backmost seat and sat down, though his heart was full of questions. He took out a notebook from his backpack to pretend he was taking notes, though his mind kept questioning why the room felt so strange.
The class went on for thirty minutes. The professor taught as usual, writing something on the board while discussing material unfamiliar to Arya. All the other students seemed focused on taking notes, but none of them spoke or joked like they usually would. The atmosphere was too quiet, too silent.
Suddenly, Arya's phone vibrated. He glanced at the screen under the desk. A message had arrived in the group chat:
"Morning class is canceled today because the professor has an event out of town. Class is dismissed."
Arya read the message over and over. At first, he thought it was just a joke from his friends. But something inside him began to feel uneasy. He slowly raised his head and looked around the room. That's when he noticed something odd. The students in the room were wearing outdated clothing from the 1990s. Some wore plaid shirts with slicked-back hair, while others donned blouses and long skirts in styles that were clearly out of date.
Arya's heart started pounding faster. His body grew cold. Sweat trickled down his temples as he tried to find a rational explanation for all this. But before he could think of anything, the professor's voice rang out again.
"You've realized it, haven't you?" The voice was deeper and softer this time, yet it pierced Arya's ears like a death knell.
Arya slowly turned his head. The professor was now walking toward him, his steps slow but heavy with pressure. His piercing gaze felt as though it bore into Arya's soul. "Before the class ends, no one is allowed to leave this room," he continued with a menacing tone.
Panic began to set in. Arya's entire body felt stiff, as if something was holding him in place. A chilling sensation spread from his feet to his head. He wanted to scream, but his voice seemed stuck in his throat. His eyes darted around, looking for an escape, but the door behind him seemed impossibly far away and firmly shut.
Suddenly, a woman's scream echoed from outside the classroom. The scream was so loud that it reverberated through the room. Arya squeezed his eyes shut, hoping this was just a nightmare that would soon end. But the more he tried to ignore it, the more the atmosphere grew oppressive. Arya could only hope that it would all end quickly.