Ashcroft University

The rain came down in relentless sheets, pounding against the ancient stone walls of Ashcroft University. Thunder rolled across the black sky as lightning illuminated the towering Gothic buildings for a split second before plunging everything back into darkness. A young man sprinted across the deserted campus. His breathing was ragged. His shoes splashed through puddles as he stumbled over cracked cobblestones, glancing over his shoulder every few seconds. Something was following him. He couldn’t see it. He could only hear it. Tap… Tap… Tap… Footsteps. Slow. Deliberate. Always behind him. “No… no… no…” he whispered, his voice breaking. His name was Ethan Carter, a second-year student. Twenty minutes earlier, he had laughed at the stories about Dormitory 13. Now he was running for his life. His phone buzzed violently in his trembling hand. 3:13 A.M. The screen flickered. Then the time disappeared. Instead, three words appeared in bright red letters. DON’T LOOK BACK. Ethan’s heart nearly stopped. He threw the phone to the ground. The screen shattered. But the message remained. The footsteps suddenly stopped. Silence. An unbearable silence. For a moment, Ethan thought he had escaped. Then… A whisper drifted through the rain. “…Ethan…” He froze. The voice sounded exactly like his mother’s. Impossible. She lived hundreds of miles away. “…Please help me…” His eyes filled with tears. “No…” “…I’m cold…” He squeezed his eyes shut. “It isn’t real.” “…Turn around…” He covered his ears. “It isn’t real!” The whisper became a scream. TURN AROUND! Ethan bolted forward. Ahead of him stood a rusted iron gate. Behind it rose a building he had never seen before. Its windows glowed faintly despite the storm. A weathered sign leaned crookedly beside the entrance. DORMITORY 13 “I’ve never… seen this building before…” The university map didn’t have a Dormitory 13. Everyone knew that. It didn’t exist. Lightning flashed. For a split second, dozens of pale faces appeared in the windows. Watching him. Then they vanished. The front door creaked open on its own. Warm golden light spilled onto the rain-soaked steps. A voice echoed from inside. “Come in, Ethan.” He backed away. “I don’t know you.” “You’ve always known us.” The iron gate slammed shut behind him. He spun around. No one. Only darkness. Then… The footsteps returned. This time… They were right behind him. Ethan’s entire body trembled. Slowly… Against every instinct… He turned around. His scream tore through the night. Then… Silence. ⸻ Three Days Later… A black taxi rolled through the fog toward the gates of Ashcroft University. Inside sat Amara Hayes, clutching her acceptance letter with a mixture of excitement and nervousness. She smiled as the towering university came into view. “This is going to be the best four years of my life,” she whispered. She had no idea… She had just arrived at the most dangerous university in the world.