Kade was sleepless
Every time he closed his eyes, he felt it, whatever it is that slow, heavy breathing that seemed to hover around his shoulder. It wasn't consistent. Some nights, it came and went like a shadow moving along a wall. Other nights, it lingered, holding him down so that even when he opened his eyes, the darkness felt too real.
He sat up at, 1:14a.m. The lamp in his dorm cast an unusually weak glow across the room, in such a way that it couldn't illuminate the corners. The walls seemed closer than they had been in the daylight. Every shadow moving as if it were alive, and he felt his heart beating so hard that it felt like it hit his rib cage
Suddenly his phone which was on the bed buzzed, startling him so badly his heart skipped a beat.
An unknown number:
WHY DID YOU GO TO THE WEST WING.
YOU SHOULDN'T HAVE.
Kade's hands trembled as he typed quickly, trying to mask his fear.
Kade: Who is this?
No reply.
He stared at his phone screen, swallowing really hard. The room felt colder now, as if the shadows had thickened and grown bigger. Every creak he heard from the floorboards outside, every whisper of the wind against the window, made him flinch.
He walked in circles in the room, trying to calm himself. He checked the window. The courtyard was empty, dark, silent. There was no movement, no sign of a human.
Then he heard something,
A light shift in the hallway outside his dormitory
A scraping sound. Slow. Intentional, like nails tearing into the woods
He froze,while listening to the sounds.
Then a voice.
"Kade…"
His breath caught in his throat, heart pounding, feet cold, a cold shiver down his spine.
"Come out," it hissed.
Kade stepped back toward the bed, shaking his head. "No no no no," he whispered.
The voice laughed. Low. Rough. Almost inhuman. It carried a weight, a hunger that made his skin cold. It didn't sound like any student he had ever known.
He reached for his phone and typed as fast as his shaking fingers would allow:
Kade: Mira. Are you awake? Something's outside my room.
A moment later, the phone beeped.
Mira: Don't open the door. I'm coming.
The scraping stopped. Silence returned. Thick, heavy, pressing down on him from all sides. He held his breath, afraid even to blink.
Then — a sudden, loud BANG on his door.
BAM.
Kade jumped, stumbling backward. Another bang followed, louder this time.
BAM!
"Kade," the voice sounded directly behind the wooden door, "I'm right here."
His hands shook so badly he almost dropped his phone. Every instinct screamed at him to run, to escape, to fight — but there was nowhere to go.
Another loud BANG. Dust came out of the door frame
Kade's heart thundered. He pressed himself against the far wall, gasping for breath.
Then — silence.
A few seconds passed, heavy and tense.
He heard footsteps coming towards the door.
This time around he was ready for anything
Then he heard a soft knock.
"It's me," Mira's calm voice said.
He bolted to the door and swung it open. She stepped in immediately, her eyes sharp, scanning every shadow. "What happened?"
He told her everything, words coming out in a rush. The whispers, the voice, the banging, the scraping in the hallway. Mira didn't flinch. She listened, silently absorbing every detail.
"Good," she finally said. "You told me everything. That's the most important thing."
Kade exhaled shakily. "I… I don't understand. Why is this happening?"
Mira shook her head. "It's the West Wing. And now… it knows you're paying attention."
"I wasn't supposed to go there," he said.
"You were too curious," she said. "And it kinda noticed."
Kade felt a chill crawl down his spine. "Noticed? Is that supposed to mean something?"
"Nothing good," Mira said. "Whatever's in this academy… it can watch. It can wait. And it can remember."
She glanced at the clock. "You're not sleeping here tonight."
"What?"
"You're sleeping in my room. On the floor."
He hesitated, his mind racing. "I'm not sure..."
Mira rolled her eyes. "Relax. You're not in danger with me here. But alone? Not a chance."
A small laugh escaped him, nervous and surprised. "Fine," he said. "On the floor it is."
She grabbed his wrist gently and led him out of the dorm. For the first time all day, he felt a sliver of relief. Mira's hand was warm, grounding him in a way nothing else could.
-----
Her dorm room was quiet, the only sound heard was the faint hum of the ceiling fan. Books stacked orderly, notes pinned on the wall, and a small lamp casting a soft glow made the room feel safe. For a moment, Kade was breathing fine not heavy just a little bit normal.
"Sit here," Mira said, while pointing to a wooden chair. Let me explain something to you."
Kade listened as she spoke slowly in low tones about what she knew of the academy — about students who had disappeared, about strange noises and about the West Wing. Every word sent shivers down his spine, but at the same time, it made everything clear and understandable.
"You need to be careful," she said finally. "The voice you hear… it's not human. It's older, stronger, and it feeds on fear. And now, it knows your name."
Kade swallowed hard. "Why me?"
"You reacted more differently than everyone else," Mira said. "You listened. You noticed. You didn't ignore it. That makes you… special. But also… a target."
He clenched his fists. "A target for what?"
" You think it's just you?," she said, voice low. "Everyone who steps foot near the West Wing is a target. But it seems really interested in you."
Kade's stomach folded. The whisper in his mind returned: "You can't stop me."
He started to panic again, but with mira's gaze fixed on him kept him in place.
"You're even stronger than you think," she said softly. "But tonight, you'll have to sleep. And I'll do everything in my power to make sure you're safe."
Kade nodded. He wanted to believe her. He had thoughts of trusting her. But the fear in his chest was heavy, thick, and disturbing
---
And for the next few hours, Kade lay on the floor beside Mira's bed, staring at the ceiling. The whispering returned softly, intermittently as if coming from the back of his head.
"Kade come out"
He closed his eyes, trying to block it, but the voice persisted, low and mocking.
Mira's presence beside him was a strange comfort. She hummed softly, a tune he didn't recognize, and it made him feel less alone.
Then, from the corner of the room, a shadow seemed to shift. Kade's heart leapt.
"You see it too," he whispered.
"I see enough," Mira said, her voice calm but strong showing no sign of fear
"Ignore it. Don't give it attention."
Just ignore it, she said
Easier said than done.
Minutes stretched into hours. Every creak, every noise from the old building made him flinch. Every whisper, every scraping noise from the hall outside, sent adrenaline to work on him.
And then, just as he began feeling sleepy the whisper returned, closer, more insistent:
"Kade… I'm right here…"
He bolted upright. Mira's hand caught his arm, holding him steady.
"Quiet," she said. "It's testing you. Don't let it see you afraid."
Kade's mind raced. He had no answers. He had no idea what it wanted. But Mira's presence, her steady voice, her calm behavior, anchored him.
"You're not alone," she whispered. "And we'll figure this out. Together."
Even as the voice whispered again, cold and cruel, he felt something deep inside shift. Something stirring.
He didn't yet understand it. He didn't yet understand the danger. But for the first time, he felt… ready.
Or at least, as ready as he could be