In that split second of eye contact, a primal sense of mortal dread shot through John’s veins.

  This thing was pure, unadulterated evil.

  “So it’s true…”

  His heart skipped a beat as his gaze darted down to his chest.

  At first, he hadn’t sensed anything off about the entity—but the moment the taxi drew near, a faint, warm tingle had spread across his sternum, jolting him to full alert.

  “Guess you’re good for something after all…”

  The ghostly mark etched there wouldn’t help him fight, but damn if it wasn’t a top-tier early warning system.

  “Y’know, buddy,” the cab driver spoke up again, trying to break the awkward silence, “sometimes we do shared rides not for the cash.

  “Mostly just wanna make things easier for folks, y’know?”

  John’s expression stayed calm as he met the driver’s eyes in the rearview mirror. “Word of advice—nights haven’t been safe lately. Watch who you pick up.”

  The driver’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. “Huh? What d’you mean?”

  “Let’s just say…” John’s lips curved into a cryptic smile. “You never know if the person getting in your car is actually a person.”

  The driver nodded slowly, his eyes flicking to John in the mirror every few seconds.

  “…” John blinked, then groaned. “I’m not talking about me!”

  “Sure, sure, buddy.” The driver let out a nervous chuckle, clearly not buying it.

  John just shook his head, tossed the fare on the seat, and climbed out.

  Thank God it didn’t force its way in…

  As he unlocked his front door, he let out a shaky breath of relief. That faceless woman had been wandering the streets in plain sight—nothing like the weak, pathetic specter he’d dealt with the other day.

  And without a vial of black dog’s blood on him? If it had gotten in the taxi, he would’ve bolted faster than a scared rabbit.

  Note to self: Always carry black dog’s blood from now on.

  He leaned against the door, lost in thought. Had the world gotten weirder lately? Or was he just some kind of supernatural magnet? Either way, his ghost encounters had skyrocketed to an absurd frequency.

  The next morning, John stepped into school to be immediately ambushed by William.

  “Boss! What’d Old Luke say? Am I gonna die?!” William grabbed his arm, eyes wide with panic.

  John pried himself free, rolling his eyes. “Relax—Luke says it’s just stress messing with your head. Nothin’ serious.”

  This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.

  William’s shoulders sagged with relief—then tensed right back up when John’s tone turned grave. “But—if you start noticing anything weird? Shadows moving when they shouldn’t, things scratching at your door, a feeling like someone’s under your bed? You tell me immediately.”

  William’s face went pale. “Dude, it’s 8 a.m. Don’t hit me with the creepy stuff!”

  “You think I’m joking?” John raised an eyebrow.

  William stared at him, then fell silent. For all John’s dumb jokes and chaotic energy, the serious look in his eyes wasn’t faking.

  “…But hey, don’t sweat it too much.” John clapped him on the shoulder, trying to lighten the mood. “It’s no big deal.”

  “No big deal?!” William’s voice squeaked. “Dude, you just described the opening scene of every horror movie ever!”

  He suddenly latched onto John’s arm, voice turning dramatic as he sniffled. “C’mon, man—we’ve been brothers since we were kids! You gotta save me! I’m an only child—if I kick the bucket, my parents’ fortune’ll go to waste!”

  John patted his back reassuringly. “Don’t worry about it.”

  William perked up. “Really?! You can fight ghosts?!”

  “Nah.” John grinned. “I meant—if there’s no one else to inherit your parents’ money? I’ll gladly take one for the team.”

  “?!” William froze, jaw dropping. He’s already planning to steal my inheritance?!

  “Chill out, drama queen.” John laughed, shoving him away. “You’re fine—you’re at school all day. What’s the worst that could happen?”

  He paused, then added, “Also—I’m applying for a dorm room. Senior year’s gonna be hell, might as well live on campus to save time.”

  William’s eyes lit up. “No way! I’m joining you! Our class has a dorm with two empty beds—it’s meant to be!”

  John sighed, but didn’t argue. Truth be told, living in a dorm had two perks: more study time, and safety in numbers.

  Even with the ghostly warning on his chest, facing that faceless woman alone had scared him senseless. He’d taken his chances with some sketchy occult pills, but against something that powerful? Caution was smarter than courage.

  By the end of the day, their dorm applications were approved without a hitch—school administrators practically begged seniors to live on campus to focus on exams.

  William, however, spent the entire day jumpy and distracted. John’s words had him paranoid enough to start researching “anti-ghost home remedies” on his hidden phone.

  “Quit overthinking it.” John clapped him on the shoulder as the dorm curfew bell rang at 10 p.m. “C’mon—back to the room. I’ll keep an eye out tonight. If there’s anything weird, I’ll sense it.”

  William’s eyes lit up. “For real?!”

  “Promise.” John nodded. “But I gotta warn you—I can detect the creepy stuff. Can’t exactly fight it.”

  “Just knowing is good enough!” William pumped his fist, then slung an arm around John’s shoulders. “Dude, I’ll buy you all the late-night snacks you want!”

  That night, John flopped onto his top bunk, stomach stuffed with pizza and soda, feeling more content than he had in weeks.

  “Yo, John?” William’s head popped up from the bottom bunk, voice barely a whisper. “You’ll really watch over me tonight, right?”

  “’Course I will.” John yawned, stretching lazily. “But stay on your own bed. We’re not having a sleepover.”

  “C’mon, it’d be safer—”

  “Absolutely not.” John cut him off, then called out to the room. “James! You’re the dorm rep—tell this weirdo to stay in his own bed!”

  The other six guys in the room snickered. Since they were all classmates from senior year, no one held back with the teasing.

  James, a lanky guy with glasses, grinned from his bunk across the room. “Sorry, Will—can’t help you there. If you climb into John’s bed, that’s on you.”

  Another guy, Mike, chimed in. “C’mon, James—someone’s gotta sacrifice themselves for Will’s sake!”

  “Not it!” James yelled, throwing his hands up.

  The room erupted in laughter, and soon everyone was joking around— a rare moment of relaxation amid the stress of senior year.

  But when the laughter died down and the room fell quiet, a voice cut through the silence.

  “Yo, guys—any of you been on the internet lately?”

  It was Tom, who was notorious for hiding his phone in a textbook to sneak online after curfew.

  The others groaned. “Tom, we don’t have phones—remember? School rules?”

  “Exactly why you’re all out of the loop!” Tom hissed, scrambling off his bed and pulling out his phone. He held it up to James, who was closest. “Dude—check this thread. It’s viral.”

  James squinted at the screen, then read the title out loud, his voice slowly rising with disbelief.

  “‘My Real-Life Encounter with the Supernatural—Viewer Discretion Advised’…”