The bell rang, hollow and distant, blending into the chaotic hum of the hallway. Faces blurred and twisted at the edges, shadows moving where they shouldn't. Soren kept his head down, pretending to scroll through his phone, but his vision refused to stay normal. A pressure behind his eyes made him stagger slightly, each blink sending shards of pain through his skull.
"Careful," the Monster whispered. "Too much… you're pushing it."
He gritted his teeth. I know, he muttered under his breath. He needed somewhere safe, somewhere to breathe. The nurse's office door was slightly ajar, a quiet oasis in the chaos.
Inside, she sat behind the desk, calm, poised. Her hair was perfect, her posture immaculate. She looked young, maybe early twenties, yet there was something off—too precise, too controlled. She noticed him immediately, her smile slow, knowing.
"You're struggling," she said softly, as if stating a simple fact.
Soren froze. How did she—? The edges of the room seemed to bend subtly, shadows twisting toward her but stopping short. He felt something pressing at the corners of his mind, a force he couldn't name.
"It's… overwhelming, isn't it?" she asked, voice smooth, teasing.
He nodded, too exhausted to argue. Every blink sent pressure tearing across his vision, his senses screaming at him to stop. The Monster hissed silently: "Step back! Don't let her notice too much!"
Then she offered him a small plate of cookies.
Soren recoiled. "I… I don't want them."
Her eyes softened in that same unnerving, knowing way. "Just one. You need something to steady yourself, don't you?"
He hesitated, then reached for one. It was warm, sweet, comforting—but not entirely natural. She smiled, and it felt like she had won some small, invisible victory.
When he finally gathered enough courage, he asked quietly, "How old are you… really?"
She laughed softly, melodic and teasing. "Old enough to remember everything you think you know. Young enough to keep you guessing."
Soren swallowed, then forced another question. "And… your name?"
Her smile deepened, and she leaned back in her chair, tilting her head just slightly.
"Lysandra Vale. You may call me Nurse Vale."
The Monster hissed again. "She's playing with you. Don't let her."
Before he could respond, a flicker of motion caught his eye—a shadow , more defined this time, creeping just outside the doorway. Its face was jagged, like a broken mask, tilting as it studied him.
Soren froze. Panic clawed at his chest. His vision blurred, his body tensed, but Lysandra didn't move. She didn't even flinch.
"Ignore it," she whispered, almost a command. "It won't touch you if you don't give it reason."
The Shade hesitated, then slowly retreated into the shadows, leaving nothing but a faint ripple in the air.
Soren exhaled shakily. "What… was that?"
"Just a test," Lysandra said, smiling. "And you passed… for now."
He pressed a hand to his forehead. The pressure behind his eyes hadn't lessened. He didn't know how long he could keep it together, or what would happen if he broke completely. And yet… he couldn't look away from her.
Something about her was wrong. Subtle, almost invisible… but Soren knew she wasn't human. And now he knew her name.