PART 1

In the morning,

I sat on the terrace, aiming to climb mountains.

The birds were chirping, the seas roaring like a lion in the jungle, and the breeze whispering like ancestral spirits. The early morning rays prickled into my eyes, forcing me to struggle out of my bed.

I stood up, battling with internal conflict, yet I was overwhelmed with joy. I stepped out, opened my curtains and windows, and stood for a minute to enjoy the morning sunrise. The breeze was so sharp, like the tip of glass, but guess what? I loved it.

Minutes later, I went to have my bath and brush my teeth because there was a long day ahead. I sat for a while, looking at myself in the mirror and asking questions about life. I thought about the superstitious beliefs people often talk about. Deep in my mind, I just wanted to experience them… but at the same time, I didn’t really care.

I shrugged, stood up, and prepared to leave. After all, I had to go to school. Mind you, I’m in the university.

When I got to school, I was glad to see my friends. We hugged, gisted, and laughed. It was a new semester. But at some point, I had to leave them. Suddenly, I felt uneasy.

I ran to the rooftop crying.

I felt invisible… like I was about to leave the planet. All I could do was cry.

While I was squatting there, still crying, I remembered a dream I had. It felt so real — almost like it was about to come true. The thought made me cry even more.

While I was still squatting, I felt a soft touch on my skin.

I was reluctant to raise my head, but when I felt it again, I quickly lifted my head.

A man was standing there.

A “Grim Reaper.”

I was shocked.

I stood up and asked, “Who are you?”

I couldn’t see his face. He was dressed completely in black, standing like a shadow behind me.

“Who are you?” I asked again.

No response.

“Who are you?” I asked for the third time.

Still nothing.

I turned to leave, but as I began walking away, I heard a voice behind me. It sounded like a solemn instrumental whisper.

“You were born to die,” the voice said. “And you will be a fugitive here. But there is a mission. A boy will come into your life and fall in love with you. If you truly want to avoid your fate… you must suck his blood.”

“It starts now.”

Then he disappeared.

I turned back quickly to ask why, but he had vanished into the air.

All I could do was scream.

“Why me?! Why me?!”

I immediately wiped my tears, ran to the toilet to wash my face, and went back to class like nothing had happened. I sat down and waited for my boring lecturer.

When he started lecturing, my mind felt like a divided log of wood. I kept thinking about everything the Grim Reaper had said.

It was terrifying.

It felt like it was going to start that very day.

My classes ended by five in the evening. I trekked to the shuttle ground only to meet a long queue. At that moment, I felt like the trumpet should just sound already, but I had no choice but to wait.

I finally got to the hostel past eight.

As I stepped down from the bus, the breeze felt wild, harsh, and mysterious. It was like bees and mosquitoes perching on spoiled food.

At a point, I stopped walking.

Students passed beside me, heading to their various hostels, but I couldn’t move.

The lights began flickering like a generator without an engine. I could feel a heavy presence around me.

The gates banged against each other. Spoiled doors opened and closed on their own. The sound echoed like a stainless plate falling on the floor.

The security light blinked rapidly.

I could hear whispers… voices… like barbarians speaking in the distance. I couldn’t understand them, but they were getting louder.

Then I heard mysterious laughter.

My face turned in every direction.

I wanted to cry, but no tears came out. The fear was too intense.

Then I heard footsteps approaching.

“Who are you?” I said, trembling. “What do you want from me?”

Suddenly everything stopped.

For a moment, it felt like a weight had been lifted from my body.

I took two steps forward, trying to continue my journey to the hostel.

Then I felt a touch.

Looking back in the dark was terrifying. I hesitated, but I had no choice.

I turned around.

No one was there.

My pace increased.

But suddenly…

It appeared right in front of me.

A "ghost." I could barely swallow standing still like a street light 

Her long hair covered her face. Two teeth protruded from her mouth. One side of her eye was dark, with blood dripping from it. I could barely see the other eye.

She smelled like the Grim Reaper. That alone told me they were from the same world.

I was shivering badly. I could barely stand.

She moved closer. I stepped backward.

She moved two steps forward.

I screamed and ran.

She kept appearing everywhere.

I ran into a broken bus at the shuttle ground, but she smashed the door open and came inside.

She grabbed my neck tightly with nails like a tiger’s claws.

Her teeth pierced my skin.

Blood began dripping from my neck as she grinned. It was like she was salivating.

In my mind, I kept asking myself: “Does she want to eat me?”

I struggled to fight her, but I could hardly breathe.

Suddenly, she dropped me.

I ran into another bus.

But the ghost was already there, sitting and laughing mysteriously.

With my teary and shaking voice, I begged her.

“Please… leave me alone.”

Then she spoke.

“The boy.”

My heart skipped. “How did she know about the boy?”

“Ethan,” she said.

She laughed again.

“I know what you’re thinking,” she whispered. “If you want to avoid your fate… you must suck him dry.”

She moved closer to me.

Inside, I was completely frozen.

Like a frozen chicken.

Then the ghost smiled and said:

“I’m coming back for you.” And she disappeared.

But what terrified me the most wasn’t the ghost…

It was the fact that I already knew Ethan.

(To be continued.....)

Part 2 coming soon