Red light

CHAPTER 7

As Anna and I stepped into the classroom, I noticed someone standing at the front.

He was already writing on the whiteboard.

I checked the clock.

Two minutes before class.

He was early.

Anna quietly motioned for us to take our seats.

We had barely taken a step when a deep, commanding voice stopped us.

"Wait."

The man slowly turned around.

My breath caught in my throat.

"...Zay?"

NIA'S POV

Anna leaned closer, keeping her voice barely above a whisper.

"You know him?"

I swallowed.

Of course I did.

Or... at least I thought I did.

Before I could answer, Zay's cold, professional voice cut through the classroom.

"If you two ladies are done staring, I'd appreciate it if you took your seats. Class is about to begin."

Heat rushed to my cheeks.

Without another word, Anna and I hurried to our seats.

The lecture began.

Or at least... I think it did.

I didn't hear a single thing.

My mind was somewhere else.

Zay is a lecturer?

Why didn't he tell me?

And why is he acting as if we've never met before?

The more I thought about it, the less it made sense.

"Nia."

His voice snapped me out of my thoughts.

I looked up.

Every pair of eyes in the classroom was on me.

My heart nearly stopped.

"Can you tell me the last thing I just explained?" Zay asked, his expression unreadable.

I opened my mouth.

Nothing came out.

The room remained silent.

After a few seconds, Zay let out a quiet sigh.

"Pay attention next time."

Then he turned back to the whiteboard and continued teaching as though nothing had happened.

I wished the floor would open up and swallow me whole.

The moment class ended, the room erupted into chatter.

"I seriously thought he was another student," one girl said excitedly.

"He's way too handsome to be a lecturer," another giggled.

"I wonder if he has a girlfriend."

A third girl laughed.

"Have you seen how cold he is? Even ice has more warmth than him."

I rolled my eyes.

If only you knew what a jerk he could be...

Anna and I left the lecture hall together.

She had been unusually quiet ever since class ended.

I glanced at her.

"You okay?"

She blinked, as though returning from deep thought.

"Yeah... It's just..."

She hesitated.

"That lecturer..."

I sighed inwardly.

Here we go.

I was expecting another speech about how handsome he was.

Instead, she frowned.

"He looks... familiar."

"I feel like I've seen him somewhere before, but I can't remember where."

I stopped walking.

That was exactly how I'd felt the first time I met him.

"You know..." I said slowly.

"I thought the same thing when I first saw him."

Anna looked at me.

"Really?"

I nodded.

"Maybe we've seen him at a supermarket... or somewhere around the city."

"Maybe..."

Neither of us sounded convinced.

A few seconds later, something suddenly clicked.

"Oh!"

Anna looked at me.

"What?"

"Weren't we supposed to visit Professor Sam?"

Her eyes widened.

"You're right!"

Without wasting another second, we hurried toward the university parking lot, hoping we weren't too late.

Anna and I hailed a taxi and headed straight for St. Gabriel Medical Center, where Professor Sam had been admitted after the accident.

By the time we arrived at St. Gabriel Medical Center, the afternoon sun had begun to fade behind thick clouds.

Anna and I stopped at the reception desk and asked for Professor Sam's room.

After thanking the nurse, we made our way down the long, quiet hallway.

The closer we got, the heavier my chest felt.

I didn't know what I was expecting...

But it certainly wasn't this.

Anna knocked gently on the door.

A weak voice answered from inside.

"Come in."

We exchanged a quick glance before stepping into the room.

The sight before us made my heart sink.

Professor Sam lay quietly on the hospital bed. One of his legs was wrapped in a thick white cast, while bruises covered parts of his face and arms. The cheerful smile he always wore during lectures had faded, replaced by exhaustion.

Still...

He smiled when he saw us.

"Nia... Anna..."

His voice was weak but warm.

"I knew you two would come."

I forced a smile, trying not to let him see how worried I was.

"Professor..."

"...Are you okay?"

The question escaped my lips before I could think.

He chuckled softly.

"I've been better."

"But I'll survive."

Anna walked over and gently hugged him.

"We've missed you."

"The new lecturer is so cold."

Professor Sam laughed.

"Really?"

"Really."

Anna folded her arms.

"He looks like he's twenty-five, yet he's already a professor."

Professor Sam's smile faded slightly.

"A professor?"

I frowned.

"Wait..."

"Zay is a professor?"

Anna looked at me, surprised by my reaction.

"Didn't you know?"

Professor Sam nodded.

"I heard about him before the accident."

"They say he's exceptionally talented."

He smiled faintly.

"I didn't become a professor until I was forty-five."

"If someone achieved it at such a young age..."

"He must be brilliant."

Anna nodded.

"He is."

"His teaching style is amazing."

"It actually reminds me of yours."

She paused.

"...Except he's so cold."

"It's like someone forced him into becoming a lecturer."

Professor Sam laughed again.

"I suppose every teacher has their own personality."

The conversation drifted naturally after that.

We talked about university life, assignments, funny moments from previous semesters, and the students Professor Sam missed teasing during lectures.

For the first time since entering the room...

It almost felt normal again.

Nearly thirty minutes later, Anna stood.

"I should head home."

"I'll stay for a little while."

She smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow."

After she left, silence settled over the room.

The steady beeping of the heart monitor filled the space between us.

For several minutes, neither of us spoke.

I finally broke the silence.

"Professor..."

"You really need to be more careful."

"You scared all of us."

He let out a slow breath.

"Nia..."

"You know me."

"I've been driving for years."

"I don't speed."

"I don't drink."

"And I never take unnecessary risks."

He looked toward the window.

"That's why I know..."

His voice became quieter.

"...This wasn't an accident."

A chill ran down my spine.

"What do you mean?"

He looked back at me.

"Someone caused it."

I stared at him in disbelief.

"But..."

"Who would want to hurt you?"

Professor Sam shook his head.

"I don't know."

He fell silent for a moment before continuing.

"That night, I stayed late marking papers."

"I was exhausted."

"I knew my wife would be worried because I was running late."

"So I decided to take a shortcut."

He swallowed.

"At first..."

"Everything was normal."

"The road was empty."

"No traffic."

"No strange sounds."

"Just silence."

His fingers tightened around the bedsheet.

"Then..."

"...I saw it."

I unconsciously leaned forward.

"A traffic light."

His eyes darkened.

"But it wasn't supposed to be there."

"There wasn't even an intersection."

"It just..."

"...appeared."

I felt goosebumps spread across my arms.

"It glowed..."

"A deep crimson red."

"The brightest red I've ever seen."

"I remember staring at it for only a second."

His breathing became uneven.

"And then..."

"It felt like something hit my car."

"Not another vehicle."

"...Something."

"Something powerful."

"It shoved my car sideways."

"I lost control."

"There wasn't enough time to react."

"The next thing I remember..."

"My car was flying off the cliff."

The room fell silent.

Even the heart monitor seemed louder now.

Professor Sam looked down at his trembling hands.

"I told the police exactly what happened."

"They checked every security camera along the route."

His laugh was hollow.

"But according to the footage..."

He looked me in the eyes.

"...I calmly drove straight toward the edge of the cliff..."

"...and threw myself over."

My heart pounded.

"No..."

He nodded slowly.

"That's what everyone believes."

"The police."

"The insurance company."

"...Even my wife."

His shoulders slumped.

"They all think I tried to end my own life."

"But I know what I saw."

His voice was barely a whisper.

"It wasn't just an accident..."

"...Something was there."

I couldn't explain why...

But for the first time...

I believed him.

The ride back to my apartment was unusually quiet.

Well...

At least for me.

The Uber driver spent most of the journey talking about his family-his wife, his two little daughters, and how the youngest had just started kindergarten.

Normally, I would've listened.

I probably would've asked questions and laughed along with him.

That was just who I was.

I enjoyed talking to people.

But tonight...

His words sounded distant.

My thoughts kept drifting back to Professor Sam.

A traffic light that appeared out of nowhere...

A force that pushed his car off a cliff...

It sounded impossible.

Ridiculous, even.

Yet...

I knew Professor Sam.

He wasn't the kind of man who lied.

In fact, he was terrible at it.

Whenever he tried, his face gave him away almost immediately.

No...

He genuinely believed every word he'd told me.

The thought sent a shiver down my spine.

Before I knew it, the car slowed to a stop.

"We're here."

The driver's voice pulled me back to reality.

I blinked and looked out the window.

My apartment building stood quietly beneath the fading evening sky.

"Oh..."

"I didn't even realize we'd arrived."

I smiled apologetically, paid the fare, thanked him, and stepped out.

The hallway outside my apartment was strangely silent.

Too silent.

I unlocked the door and stepped inside.

Click.

The door closed behind me.

For a moment, I simply stood there.

The apartment felt...

Different.

A cold breeze brushed against my skin.

I frowned.

"Did I leave a window open?"

I locked the door and walked farther inside.

The silence pressed against my ears.

Even the usual sounds from neighboring apartments were gone.

I glanced toward the living room.

Everything looked normal.

The couch.

The coffee table.

The television.

Nothing seemed out of place.

Still...

That strange feeling refused to leave.

I switched on the lamp beside the couch.

Warm light filled the room.

I let out a quiet breath.

"Get a grip, Nia."

I shook my head.

You're letting today's events get to you.

Trying to distract myself, I headed toward the kitchen to grab a glass of water.

Then...

I stopped.

Every muscle in my body locked in place.

Something was standing at the end of the hallway.

A shadow.

Not the shadow cast by furniture.

Not a trick of the light.

This...

Was watching me.

It had no face.

No clear shape.

Only two crimson eyes burned through the darkness.

Staring directly at me.

My heart slammed against my ribs.

I couldn't breathe.

Move.

My body refused.

Run.

Nothing.

The shadow tilted its head.

Then-

It lunged.

Everything happened in an instant.

The creature shot toward me with terrifying speed.

I squeezed my eyes shut.

This is it...

A deafening burst echoed through the apartment.

BOOM!

A violent gust of wind swept past me.

I staggered backward.

When I opened my eyes...

The creature was gone.

Only thick black smoke drifted through the air before slowly fading away.

Silence.

Complete silence.

Then...

Click.

The sound came from behind me.

The front door.

Slowly...

It had just closed on its own.

I stared at it, unable to move.

My breathing became uneven.

"What..."

My voice trembled.

"...What just happened?"

The room began to spin.

My vision blurred.

My legs gave out beneath me.

Everything then went black.

Outside the apartment...

A young man stood on the rooftop across the street.

His hands rested in the pockets of his dark coat as he watched the lights inside Nia's apartment go out. He stared for a moment before disappearing into the night.

*THANK YOU GUYS AGAIN FOR READING MY STORY. PLEASE FORGIVE ME FOR ANY MISTAKE, DON'T FORGET TO VOTE PLEASE. LOVE Y'ALL ♥️♥️🌹🌹*