Jihan slowly looked at Imama.
"Can you tell me anything more about this?" he asked quietly, pointing toward the strange mark on her wrist.
Imama stayed silent for a moment. Her eyes looked distant, as if she was trying to remember something but couldn't.
Before she could answer, footsteps suddenly echoed in the corridor.
Both of them turned.
An old man walked toward them.
Jihan looked carefully—and his eyes widened.
It was the old gatekeeper of the school, the one who had been fired years ago.
"Uncle…?" Jihan said in shock.
"How are you here?"
The old man looked at him with calm eyes.
"Beta… do you know me?"
Jihan was confused. How did he get here without a key?
Imama nervously said,
"Maybe we should talk outside… this place doesn't feel right right now."
The old gatekeeper slowly nodded.
"My name is Fahad," he said quietly.
"Children… both of you should leave this place immediately. And don't tell anyone what you saw here."
Jihan's mind was filled with questions, but he knew this was not the right time.
He helped Imama sit on a nearby chair.
But suddenly Imama froze.
There was blood on the seat.
Her eyes widened in horror.
"How… how did this get here?"
Written in the blood were the words—
"We will meet soon."
Imama screamed.
Fahad quickly looked around and then said calmly,
"Jihan… you are the boy from 11th grade, right? The best basketball player in the school."
Jihan nodded.
"Yes… that's me. You remember?"
Fahad gave a small smile.
"Yes, beta. I remember."
Jihan walked closer to Imama and gently held her shoulders.
"Babe… calm down."
Imama suddenly felt dizzy and leaned her head on Jihan's shoulder.
"Uncle," Jihan said quickly,
"I'm taking her with me. She's not feeling well."
But inside his mind, something else was happening.
He had already noticed something strange.
The blood message.
The handwriting.
And one specific detail.
A capital letter "A."
Jihan suddenly understood.
Someone had written that message on purpose to scare them.
And he knew who it was.
Fahad.
Jihan didn't react, because he realized the old man was probably trying to keep students away from the basement.
Maybe others had come here before—and after seeing this, they never came back.
Fahad looked serious.
"Jihan… please leave now."
"Yes… we're going," Jihan replied.
But while helping Imama stand up, he noticed something else.
The blood on the seat looked old, and a piece of cloth was lying on top of it.
Imama had unknowingly lifted the cloth.
Before Fahad noticed, Jihan quickly took the cloth and slipped it into his pocket.
Then he gently held Imama.
"My love… I'm here with you. If you react like this, who's going to give me courage?" he said softly.
Imama looked at him weakly.
Jihan then lifted her in his arms.
"Uncle, bye," he said.
"Please open the door."
Fahad unlocked the door, and they finally stepped outside.
Jihan carried Imama all the way back to his room.
But just when he reached the door—
He heard something behind him.
A strange sound.
Something that made him freeze in shock.
Because the sound was coming from inside his room.
And he was absolutely sure—
No one was supposed to be there.