Chapter five
552 Words
Chapter Five: The Return
The street plunged into darkness.
The whispering swelled, curling through the air like unseen hands reaching for them.
Milo’s breath came fast and uneven. He couldn’t see the figure anymore, but he felt it—close, watching, waiting.
Daniel grabbed his wrist. “Run.”
They took off down the sidewalk, their footsteps slamming against the pavement. The streetlights around them flickered erratically, buzzing like dying insects.
Milo didn’t dare look back.
Daniel moved with urgency, but his body was tense—like something inside him was fighting.
They cut through an alleyway, the buildings pressing in on either side. Trash cans rattled as they passed. The shadows twisted, stretching unnaturally across the brick walls.
Then—the whispering stopped.
Milo’s heart pounded. The alley was silent now. Too silent.
Daniel halted abruptly. His grip on Milo’s wrist tightened.
Milo swallowed. “Daniel?”
Daniel was staring at something.
Milo turned—and his stomach dropped.
At the end of the alley, a door stood slightly open. A faint, unnatural blue light seeped through the crack.
It looked… wrong.
Like it didn’t belong there.
Daniel’s breathing became shallow. His free hand twitched, fingers curling and uncurling. “This is it,” he whispered.
Milo tensed. “What?”
Daniel’s pupils were blown wide, his expression distant. “This is where I was.”
Milo’s skin went cold.
Daniel took a slow step toward the door.
Milo grabbed his arm. “No. Don’t.”
Daniel didn’t respond. He was staring at the blue light like it was calling to him. Like something inside him recognized it.
Milo shook him. “Daniel, snap out of it!”
Daniel blinked—his eyes flickered with inky blackness for a split second.
Then he sucked in a sharp breath and staggered backward. His entire body trembled, and for a moment, he looked terrified.
Milo steadied him. “Are you okay?”
Daniel’s voice came out hoarse. “It’s still open.”
Milo frowned. “What?”
Daniel turned to him, eyes dark with something unreadable. “The place I went—it’s still open.”
A chill ran down Milo’s spine. “You mean that door?”
Daniel shook his head. “No. Not the door. The space itself.”
Milo stared at him. “I don’t understand—”
Daniel ran a shaky hand through his hair. “When I disappeared, I wasn’t just gone. I was… somewhere else. A place between here and—” He exhaled sharply. “Something ancient. Something we weren’t supposed to find.”
Milo’s skin prickled. “You mean the scientists?”
Daniel gave a hollow laugh. “They thought they were cheating death. But they woke up something older than any of us.” His fingers twitched. “And now… it’s watching.”
Milo’s pulse hammered in his ears. “Watching who?”
Daniel met his gaze.
“All of us.”
A gust of wind howled through the alley, slamming the door shut.
The blue light vanished.
The alley was dark once more.
Milo shuddered.
Daniel exhaled, his body still shaking. “We need to find out how to close it.”
Milo hesitated. “And if we don’t?”
Daniel’s voice was quiet.
“Then more people are going to vanish.”
- Writer
