Liam walked toward the hallway where the red door loomed, still knobless, still sealed shut. But something new caught his eye—scratches on the wall near the door frame.
Claw marks. Three long, jagged lines, like from fingernails or… something worse.
His phone buzzed. A text.
Unknown Number:
"STOP READING THE JOURNAL."
He dropped the phone. How did they know?
The air around him shifted, colder, heavier. He turned and saw… someone—or something—standing at the end of the hallway. A figure, pale and silent, watching.
When he blinked, it was gone.