TY did not sleep.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the words from the note burned into the darkness behind his eyelids.
YOU ARE RUNNING OUT OF TIME, TY.
He sat on the edge of his bed, elbows on his knees, staring at his laptop screen. The email was still open. The cursor blinked slowly in the empty application form, like a ticking bomb.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Thirty minutes.
That was what the second email had said.
He glanced at the clock on his wall.
12:17 PM.
He swallowed hard.
His palms were slick with sweat as he typed his name into the form. Every keystroke felt like a confession. His chest tightened as if invisible hands were squeezing his lungs.
"This is insane," he whispered.
He hit Save Draft instead of Submit.
Instantly, his phone vibrated.
His heart nearly stopped.
A new message notification.
Unknown Sender.
Drafts are for cowards, TY.
You have 9 minutes left.
The phone slipped from his hand and hit the mattress.
His blood turned cold.
"No… no, no, no…" he muttered.
He picked it up again, his fingers trembling violently.
There was no way this was coincidence.
No way.
He rushed to the door and yanked it open.
The hallway was empty.
He ran down the stairs barefoot, bursting into the sunlight outside the building. His eyes scanned the street wildly.
People walked past.
Cars honked.
Life went on.
No one looked suspicious.
No one looked like they were watching him.
But he felt watched.
Deep in his bones.
He stumbled back into the building, heart pounding so loudly he was sure others could hear it.
Back in his apartment, he slammed the door and locked it.
His phone vibrated again.
Running will make it worse.
TY screamed and threw the phone against the wall.
It shattered.
He stood there shaking, gasping for breath.
Then his laptop pinged.
A new email.
He stared at it in horror.
Subject: Final Warning
Slowly, he walked toward the desk like a man walking to his own execution.
He opened it.
You have 90 seconds left.
Submit the application.
Or you will lose something you love.
His knees buckled.
"I don't love anything," he whispered.
Another email arrived instantly.
Lie again.
And I will prove you wrong.
A loud THUD hit his door.
TY jumped back, screaming.
Another THUD.
Then a soft sound.
Something sliding under the door.
A second note.
He didn't want to touch it.
But his body moved on its own.
He picked it up.
Unfolded it.
His breath left his body.
YOUR MOTHER WILL DIE TODAY IF YOU DON'T OBEY.
— N
A strangled sound escaped his throat.
"That's not funny…" he sobbed.
His laptop chimed.
Countdown timer.
00:01:12
He collapsed into the chair, tears blinding him, hands shaking uncontrollably.
"This isn't real… this isn't real…"
His phone buzzed weakly on the floor — still alive.
A call came in.
Mom.
He screamed.
He smashed Submit.
The timer hit zero.
The email vanished.
His phone stopped vibrating.
The call disconnected.
Silence.
Then one final email appeared.
Good.
Lesson One is complete.
Do not test me again.
TY fell to the floor and vomited