No one moved.
The classroom felt… alive.
The child stood in the center, smiling too wide, eyes locked on them like it had been waiting for years.
Felix whispered, "Tell me that's just a normal kid."
Kai shook his head slowly. "That's not normal anything."
Lara forced a laugh. "Okay, tiny ghost child, very funny. You win. We'll leave now."
They turned—
The door was gone.
Just a wall.
"…Nope," Felix said immediately. "Absolutely not. I reject this reality."
Sarah stepped forward. "Who are you?"
The child tilted its head.
"You don't remember me?" it asked.
Silence.
Then Lara leaned toward Kai. "Do you remember adopting a creepy child? Because I don't."
Kai ignored her. "We've never been here before."
The child's smile twitched.
"That's not true."
The lights flickered again.
For a second—
Just a second—
The classroom changed.
The walls looked clean.
Bright.
Full of drawings.
Children laughing.
Normal.
Then—
Everything snapped back to dark and rotten.
Felix grabbed his head. "Did anyone else just see that?!"
"Yes," Sarah said quietly.
Mira didn't speak.
She was staring at the child like she'd seen a ghost before.
"You came here," the child said softly. "All of you."
"That's impossible," Kai replied. "We would remember."
The child took a slow step closer.
"Not if you forgot."
Suddenly—
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Something slammed against the walls from the outside.
Heavy.
Fast.
Like something was running around them.
Felix nearly collapsed. "WHAT IS THAT?!"
Lara whispered, "Please don't say 'it's coming'… please don't say 'it's coming'…"
The child smiled wider.
"It's coming."
"OF COURSE YOU SAID IT!" Lara yelled.
The walls started to crack.
Dark shadows leaked through.
Moving.
Twisting.
Watching.
"Everyone, back!" Sarah shouted.
They grouped together.
Even Mira stepped closer now.
For the first time—
She looked scared.
The child pointed at them.
"They don't like visitors," it said.
Kai clenched his fists. "Who doesn't?!"
The shadows stopped moving.
For one terrifying second—
Everything went silent.
Then all the desks lifted off the ground.
At once.
Floating.
Shaking violently.
Felix screamed, "WE ARE GOING TO DIE IN A SCHOOL! MY MOM WAS RIGHT!"
"RUN!" Sarah yelled.
"But WHERE?!" Lara shouted.
Before anyone could answer—
The wall behind them suddenly shattered open—
Revealing a long, dark hallway.
"MOVE!" Kai pushed Felix forward.
They ran.
Fast.
Not looking back.
Because something behind them—
Was finally free.
As they sprinted down the hallway, they heard it.
Not footsteps.
Not breathing.
Laughter.
But this time—
It wasn't children.
Mira glanced back for a split second.
Her face turned pale.
"…It found us."