Tap. Tap. Tap.
The knocking was slow, deliberate. Three soft taps. As if something knew they were there. As if it was waiting.
No one moved.
Veer's grip tightened around his flashlight, though it was still dead. Karan's hand hovered near his knife. Zayan's jaw clenched, his fingers flexing as if itching to grab his gun—but against what?
Then, the knocking came again.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
But this time… it wasn't just one door.
The sound spread—one knock, then another, and another. The doors along the entire hallway, left and right, began knocking on their own.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
Faster now. Louder.
Something was inside the rooms. Many somethings.
Rudra took a slow step back. "We are not opening any of those doors."
Veer nodded once. "Move. Now."
The four of them started walking, slowly, carefully, keeping their backs to each other. But with each step, the knocking followed.
Tap. Tap. Tap.
The sound chased them down the hallway. Some knocks were light, like small fingers. Others were harder, desperate.
Then—
One door burst open.
The force of it slammed against the wall, making them freeze. Dust exploded into the air. The room beyond was nothing but darkness.
And from within that darkness…
Something breathed.
Slow. Deep. Not human.
Karan took a step back. "Oh, hell no."
Zayan narrowed his eyes at the open doorway. "Whatever's in there, it—"
A hand slammed against the doorframe.
Pale. Small. Too thin. A child's hand.
But the fingers were wrong.
Too long. Too many joints. Too… twisted.
The fingers curled, gripping the wood. And then, ever so slowly—something pulled itself into view.
It wasn't a child.
It had been, once. But now…
Its eyes were gone. Black holes stared back at them. Its mouth was stitched shut with crude, jagged thread. And yet—it was still breathing.
Then, in a voice that should not have been possible, it spoke.
"You shouldn't have come."
The flashlight flickered back on.
For one second—just one—they saw the hallway behind them in the glow of the beam.
And it was full of figures standing in the dark.
Dozens. All staring.
The flashlight flickered out again.
And the whispering returned.