_Mia stood in front of the cramped mirror, the dim apartment lights catching the awkward angles of her face. Twenty-eight today. No parties planned, just the quiet hum of her small studio, and the creeping feeling that something was off._
_She'd spent the morning sketching, as she often did when unsure what else to do. Swirls of dark lines, like twisted vines, filled the pages. No clear shape, just a mood. The shadows in her corners seemed to deepen as the clock inched toward midnight. Her phone buzzed—a text from her best friend, Leah._
_"Happy birthday, M! Drinks at The Annex later? Hit 8?"_
_Mia smiled weakly, fingers hovering over a reply. She didn't feel like celebrating. Not when the weirdness had started a week ago—objects moving on their own, whispers in the wind, like the apartment itself was watching. And then there was Mr. Elian's comment in history class yesterday._
_"Some powers don't wait for permission, Mia," he'd said, eyes locking hers with a hint of something unsaid._
_The clock struck midnight. The lights flickered. A chill crawled up her spine. _This is it_, a voice in her head whispered. The shadows pooled into shapes, swirling like smoke. A low hum filled the air._
_And then, the knock. Three sharp raps. No one knew she was here._
_Mia froze, breath caught. Who? The Annex was hours away. No one came to her door at midnight._
_The knock came again, insistent. She didn't move. A shiver ran through her, like the air thinned. Suddenly, her phone buzzed again—Leah._
_"Mia, something's wrong. The others… they're gone. Get out."_
_A jolt. _The others_. Leah, Jake, Sam. Her friends. Gone?_
_Mia's heart pounded. The knock turned into a pound. She backed away, eyes on the door, as the shadows began to twist into something alive…_