Its not a Hallucination

"Welcome back~" she greeted us, her eyes lighting up as she saw my father. "Did you buy what I asked for, hun?"

My father walked over to her, a gentle smile on his face. "Yes, dear. Here are your snacks."

"Hehe, thank you~"

She looked at me with a warm smile. "Xian, if you're hungry, I made your favorite chicken leg soup."

I nodded gratefully. "Thanks, Mom."

She returned to her book and her chips, a contented sigh escaping her lips.

I walked to the dining room, the aroma of the soup drawing me in. As I sat down and took a sip of the warm broth, the events of the evening replayed in my mind. The eerie silhouette, the chilling voice, the overwhelming sense of dread...

I shivered, despite the warmth of the soup.

Was I truly losing my grip on reality?

"Geez... I should take my meds immediately." I muttered to myself, a shiver running down my spine.

The unsettling events of the evening had stirred up a familiar unease, a creeping doubt that gnawed at the edges of my sanity.

I spooned the soup into my mouth, the warmth a stark contrast to the chill that had settled within me. Each swallow felt like a desperate attempt to regain control, to anchor myself in the mundane reality of chicken broth and familiar surroundings.

Finishing my meal, I started up the stairs, pausing halfway to glance back at the living room. My parents were nestled together on the couch, the flickering television light casting a warm glow on their faces.

At least they're happy.

I thought, a bittersweet pang of envy washing over me.

I continued to my room, closing the door behind me with a soft click.

"Sigh... meds taken... now what?" I muttered, walking over to my desk and picking up my phone, which had been charging.

The screen lit up, revealing a flood of notifications.

[25 notifications on InstingConnection]

[99+ unread messages]

Hmm... who could be texting me so much?

I opened the messaging app, my eyes drawn to a group chat for my class. I tapped on it, a sense of unease growing within me.

[Marcel: Haha! We were right! Xian Ying would never tell us about that!]

[Dinda: Of course he wouldn't...]

What are they talking about?

I quickly typed a response:

[Me: What are you guys talking about?]

few moments later, a reply from Marcel popped up.

[Marcel: Dude, you were trending on Bwritter today! Remember that girl who screamed and fainted in the hallway yesterday? She said she saw a ghost, a tall figure with long hair. Sound familiar?]

[Me: What about her?] I typed, my brow furrowing in confusion.

[Marcel: Dude, just look at Bwritter. Here's the link.]

[Marcel: https://Bwritter.com/...]

I clicked on the link, my heart starting to pound. The video that loaded was from the school's CCTV camera.

"Oh, there I am..." I muttered, leaning closer to the screen. It showed me standing in the hallway near the stairs, my long hair obscuring my face.

A girl approached, her steps quickening as she neared the staircase. When she glanced up, her eyes locked on my figure. A bloodcurdling scream ripped from her throat.

"Aaaaa!" She collapsed to the floor, unconscious.

"I remember this... it was just yesterday..." I scrolled through the comments, a mix of amusement and disbelief.

[Anon: Lol, she screamed over a boy just standing there!]

[Anon: Wait, isn't that at school? Why does that student have such long hair?]

[Anon: 😂😂😂😂]

[Anon: Bro fainted for nothing!]

[Anon: Bro just standing there and random girl scream at him!]

Was the girl's reaction just a coincidence, or was there something more sinister at play?

A cold dread washed over me.

"This video's getting a lot of views..." I murmured, scrolling through the comments with a mix of amusement and unease.

[Me: Yeah, I saw it. It's kinda funny.]

[Marcel: See! Haha! Also, that girl is a year younger than us. She's supposedly a genius. You know her, right?]

Know her...? I don't think so.

[Me: Nah, never heard of her.]

[Dinda: See? He doesn't even know her.]

[Marcel: No way! You're a handsome dude, you're supposed to know every girl in school!]

[Monic: Marcel... your brain is nothing but women and more women. You should really stop obsessing over it.]

I scratched the back of my head, a wry smile on my face.

"What are they even fighting about..." I mumbled, getting up from the desk and flopping onto my bed.

As I lay on my bed, I opened the video again, zooming in and out, scrutinizing every detail.

"Wait a minute..." I muttered, my eyes narrowing. "The girl wasn't actually looking at me. She was looking at something behind me..."

I zoomed in further, my breath catching in my throat. Behind me, a shadowy figure flickered on the edge of the frame. It was the same silhouette I'd seen earlier at the minimarket, the same one that had vanished into the warehouse.

A cold sweat broke out on my skin. My heart pounded in my chest like a drumbeat of dread.

"You finally recognize me," a voice whispered in my ear, sending a shiver down my spine.

I froze, unable to move or speak. My body was paralyzed, yet my mind raced, frantically trying to make sense of the impossible.

"W-Wha..." I managed, my voice barely a croak.

I turned my head slowly, my gaze falling upon the familiar silhouette standing beside my bed. Its form was clearer now, more defined, yet still ethereal, a dark apparition from the depths of my nightmares.

I forced my eyes to focus on the face, a swirling mass of shadows beneath a dark hood. The only discernible feature was a mouth stretched into a grotesque, unnervingly wide smile.

"You think your meds are working?" it rasped, its voice a chilling echo in the silence of my room. "Huwah..."

A strangled sound escaped my throat, but no words followed. I tried to speak, to scream, but my vocal cords refused to cooperate.

"Relax," the figure continued, its tone softening slightly. "I am not your enemy, Xian Ying. I am simply... someone you belong to. Have belonged to, since birth."

< Chapter 003 > Fin.