The words echoed in Aarav's mind— "This is only the beginning."
His room was silent again, but it didn't feel empty. The faceless figure still stood in the doorway, unmoving. Its presence pressed against Aarav's chest like a weight.
The veins on his arm pulsed harder. He clutched at them, but they spread faster, reaching toward his heart. His skin felt cold, as if the life was being drained out of him.
A faint scratching sound started. At first, Aarav thought it came from the window. But then he realized—
It was coming from inside the walls.
Scratch. Scratch. Scratch.
He backed away, his breath shallow. The sound followed him, crawling behind the walls wherever he moved. He pressed his ear against the wall—and froze.
He could hear voices. Dozens of them. Whispering. Laughing. Crying. All at once.
"…We see you…"
"…You can't hide…"
"…One of us… one of us…"
Aarav jerked back, his hand trembling. The wall behind him bulged outward, like something was pushing from inside. A dark handprint appeared on the surface, long fingers stretching unnaturally. Another hand followed. Then another.
The whispers grew louder, filling his skull until his vision blurred. He collapsed to the floor, clutching his head.
The faceless figure finally moved. Slowly, it stepped into the room. Its body bent unnaturally, like its bones didn't fit inside its skin. The walls throbbed with whispers, and the hands inside pressed harder, leaving deep cracks.
Aarav crawled backward until he hit the mirror. His reflection stared at him with black eyes and a smile too wide for his face.
Then, the reflection spoke—his own voice, but twisted:
"You can't fight it, Aarav. The walls are hungry. And soon… so will you."
The mirror shattered completely, shards flying across the floor. Aarav screamed as the largest piece lodged into his hand—right where the veins had started. The blood mixed with the black mist, and for a terrifying moment, the shard pulsed in his hand like a living thing.
When Aarav looked up again, the faceless figure was gone.
But the whispers in the walls didn't stop.