The night didn't feel normal.
It wasn't the kind of darkness that simply arrived when the sun disappeared.This one felt… present. Like it had weight. Like it was watching.
Vesper lay in her bed, staring at the ceiling. The fan spun lazily above her, its rhythmic whir usually enough to lull her to sleep. But tonight, even that familiar sound felt distant, muffled—like she was underwater.
Her fingers tightened around the bedsheet.
She didn't want to sleep.
Because she knew what would happen if she did.
A faint creak echoed somewhere in the house.
Vesper froze.
Her eyes shifted slowly toward the half-open door of her room. The corridor outside was dark, but not entirely. A thin strip of yellow light from a distant bulb cut across the floor like a warning.
"Mom?" she called softly.
No answer.
She swallowed.
It was just her imagination. It had to be. She told herself that every night.
Still… her heart wouldn't slow down.
She turned onto her side, pulling the blanket closer, as if it could shield her from something she couldn't even name.Her eyelids felt heavy now, despite her resistance.
And then—
Sleep took her.
________________________________
The Dream
At first, there was nothing.
Just silence.
Then came the sound of water.
Drip.
…Drip.
…Drip.
Vesper opened her eyes.
She wasn't in her room anymore.
She stood barefoot on cold ground. The air was damp, thick with a strange metallic smell. Darkness surrounded her, but it wasn't complete—there was a dim green glow somewhere ahead.
Her breath quickened.
"Hello?" she whispered.
Her voice echoed unnaturally, stretching longer than it should have.
No response.
The dripping grew louder.
Drawn by something she didn't understand, Vesper began to walk. Each step felt heavier than the last, like the ground itself didn't want her to move forward.
The green light flickered.
And then she saw it.
A figure.
Standing perfectly still.
Her body locked.
It was a man.
Tall. Thin. His posture unnaturally straight, almost rigid. His face was hidden in shadow, but his eyes—
His eyes glowed.
Green.
Not softly. Not gently. But sharp, piercing, like they were cutting through the darkness—and through her.
Through her.
Vesper tried to move back.
She couldn't.
Her feet wouldn't listen.
The man tilted his head slightly, as if studying her.
A slow, deliberate movement.
And then—
He took a step forward.The sound echoed like a thunderclap.
Vesper's chest tightened.
"No…" she whispered.
Another step.
Closer.
The dripping stopped.
Everything stopped.
Except him.
He raised his hand.
Long fingers. Pale. Almost unnatural.
And then he spoke.
But the voice didn't sound like it came from him.
It came from everywhere.
"You see me now."
Vesper screamed.
________________________________
Morning
She woke up gasping.
Her body jerked upright, breath coming in sharp bursts. Sweat clung to her skin, her hair sticking to her face.
For a moment, she didn't know where she was.
Then the familiar walls of her room came into focus.
Morning light spilled through the window.
Safe.
She was safe.
Or at least… that's what she told herself.
Vesper pressed her hand against her chest, feeling her heart race. The dream—it felt too real.
Too vivid.
Too consistent.
Because this wasn't the first time.
Not even close.
She looked toward her door again.
Closed.
Normal.
Everything looked normal.
But the feeling lingered.
That she wasn't alone.
________________________________
School
The world outside didn't care about her nightmares.
It moved on, as it always did.
Students laughed in the corridors. Teachers called out instructions. Life continued, loud and ordinary.
Vesper sat in her classroom, staring at her notebook.
Blank.
Her pen hovered over the page, unmoving.
"Vesper?"
She blinked.
Her friend leaned closer, frowning.
"You okay? You've been weird since morning."
Vesper forced a small smile. "I'm fine."
A lie.
But an easy one.
"How many hours did you even sleep?" her friend pressed.
Vesper hesitated.
"…Enough."
Another lie.
The teacher's voice droned in the background, explaining something that didn't stick.
Vesper's gaze drifted toward the window.
For a second—
Just a second—
She thought she saw something.
A figure.
Standing near the edge of the school grounds.
Watching.
Her breath caught.
She blinked.
Gone.
Nothing was there.
Her fingers tightened around her pen.
It's just your mind.
It had to be.
Right?
________________________________
Home
Evening came too quickly.
Vesper didn't like evenings anymore.
Because evenings meant night was coming.
And night meant dreams.
She sat at the dining table, pushing her food around her plate.
Her mother noticed.
"You're not eating properly these days."
"I'm just not hungry."
Her mother sighed. "You need to stop using your phone late at night. That's why you're tired."
If only it were that simple.
Vesper nodded anyway.
Easier than explaining something she didn't understand herself.
After dinner, she retreated to her room.
Closed the door.
Locked it.
Just in case.
________________________________
The Pattern
She tried to distract herself.
Music.
Scrolling.
Homework.
Nothing worked.
Because the thought was always there.
Waiting.
Like a shadow behind her thoughts.
What if it happens again?
What if he comes back?
Or worse—
What if he doesn't stay in the dream anymore?
Vesper shook her head, trying to push the idea away.
Ridiculous.
Impossible.
Dreams don't cross into reality.
That's not how the world works.
…Right?
Night Again
The room felt colder.
Or maybe it was just her.
Vesper lay down slowly, her body tense.
She kept the lights on this time.
A small rebellion against the darkness.
Her eyes stayed open for as long as possible.
Minutes passed.
Then more.
But sleep is patient.
And eventually—
It claimed her again.
________________________________
The Dream Returns
This time, it began differently.
No darkness.
No silence.
Just a corridor.
Long.
Endless.
Dimly lit with flickering lights.
Vesper stood at one end.
She knew what was coming.
Her breath came faster.
"No…" she whispered.
From the other end—
A figure emerged.
The same man.
The same glowing green eyes.
Closer now.
Clearer.
Realer.
He didn't walk this time.
He was just… there.
Suddenly closer.
Too close.
Vesper stumbled back.
"How—?"
Her voice shook.
The man smiled.
A slow, unnatural smile.
"You can't wake up from this," the voice echoed.
Her heart dropped.
"What do you want?" she asked,
barely able to speak.
The man leaned slightly forward.
As if sharing a secret.
"You already know."
Vesper shook her head violently.
"No—I don't!"
The lights flickered violently.
The corridor twisted.
And then—
Everything went dark.
Except his eyes.
Closer.
Closer—
________________________________
Reality Cracks
Vesper woke up again.
But something was wrong.
Very wrong.
The room was dark.
The lights—
They were off.
Her breath hitched.
She was sure she had left them on.
Slowly…
Very slowly…
She turned her head toward the door.
It was open.
Just a little.
A thin strip of darkness beyond.
Her heart pounded in her ears.
"No…" she whispered.
A faint sound echoed from the corridor.
Drip.
…Drip.
…Drip.
Her eyes widened.
That sound—
It wasn't just in her dream anymore.
And then—
From the gap in the door—
A faint green glow appeared.
Vesper stopped breathing.
A shadow moved.
Just beyond the door.
Watching.
Waiting.
The boundary between dream and reality—
Had begun to blur..