At the far end of a narrow, broken road stood a house no one in the village dared to enter. It was known simply as The Mysterious House. The paint had peeled away long ago, the windows were cracked like spider webs, and the iron gate screamed whenever the wind pushed against it.
People said the house had been empty for over thirty years.
But every night at exactly 12:07 a.m., a faint yellow light glowed from the top window.
Four friends—Arjun, Riya, Kabir, and Meera—had grown up hearing stories about the place. Some said a family had vanished there. Others claimed they heard whispers drifting from its walls. Of course, none of them believed the rumors.
"It's just an old building," Arjun laughed. "Ghosts don't exist."
One Saturday night, armed with flashlights and nervous excitement, they decided to prove everyone wrong.
The gate creaked open as if warning them to turn back.
Inside, the air was thick with dust and something else—something damp and cold. Their footsteps echoed unnaturally loud, even though they tried to walk softly. The wooden floor groaned under their weight.
Suddenly—
Thud.
A sound came from upstairs.
They froze.
"It's probably a rat," Kabir whispered, though his voice trembled.
The staircase stood in the center of the hall, dark and narrow. As they climbed, each step let out a long, tired creak. Halfway up, Meera felt something brush against her ankle.
She gasped.
There was nothing there.
At the top of the stairs was the door to the room where the light was often seen. It was slightly open. A faint yellow glow spilled into the hallway.
Riya slowly pushed the door.
The room was empty.
No lamp. No bulb. No candle.
Yet the light remained—coming from the mirror hanging on the wall.
All four of them stared.
In the mirror, they could see themselves standing in the room.
But behind them…
There was someone else.
A tall, shadowy figure with hollow eyes and a long, twisted smile stood silently just inches behind them.
They turned around instantly.
The room was empty.
When they looked back at the mirror—
The figure was closer.
Its head tilted unnaturally to one side. Its smile widened.
Kabir screamed and rushed toward the door, but it slammed shut before he could reach it. The temperature dropped sharply. Their breath turned visible in the air.
The mirror began to crack.
A voice, low and whispering, filled the room:
"You came… like the others…"
The walls started to shake. The light flickered wildly. Meera covered her ears as the whispering grew louder and louder, repeating the same words over and over.
Then—
Darkness.
Complete silence.
The next morning, villagers noticed the gate of the mysterious house was slightly open.
They also noticed something else.
In the upstairs window, four new shadows stood beside the tall one.
And at exactly 12:07 a.m. that night, the yellow light glowed brighter than ever before.
Some say if you walk past the house very quietly, you can hear faint knocking from inside.
As if someone is still trying to get out.
But no one has been brave enough to check.
And maybe… that's for the best.