I squinted down the long, dark hallway, trying to make out what was lurking in the shadows. “You know… we could still turn back,” I muttered, my voice barely above a whisper.

Gabby shot me an incredulous look. “Sure. I’m sure L’ Boh would just love that.”

I shrugged, though something about the thick shadows ahead made my stomach twist. The hallway stretched forward like an endless void, and as we moved cautiously toward it, a pair of sharp yellow eyes appeared, glowing like embers against the darkness. The eyes narrowed, and a low, sinister hiss echoed through the air. I took a step back as a dark shape materialized—a hulking, muscular body, low to the ground, slinking closer. A panther.

“Oh, come on,” Gabby muttered, her voice barely audible over the creature’s deep, rhythmic growl. She backed up instinctively, pressing against the wall. “This has to be payback. I knew we shouldn’t have messed with him. L’ Boh probably thinks this is hilarious.”

I swallowed hard, stepping between her and the panther’s gaze. “Gabby,” I said, voice tense, “try to find a way back inside. Now.”

She spun around, fingers fumbling along the wall as she searched frantically for any sort of handle or switch. “It’s locked! There’s no way to open it from this side!” Her voice cracked with panic.

The panther prowled closer, its massive paws landing silently on the cold floor, each step somehow amplifying the chill running down my spine. Its eyes were locked on me now, intense and unblinking. Then, with a low, snarling growl, it lowered its head and prepared to strike.

The panther lunged, a powerful, terrifying leap, jaws open wide, aiming right for my neck. I jumped forward, planting myself between it and Gabby, hands raised instinctively as if I could somehow stop it. I barely had time to breathe as its gaping maw rushed toward me—

And then… it passed right through.

I staggered, blinking in disbelief. The hallway was empty. The panther, the glowing eyes, the teeth—gone. My face burned with embarrassment as I realized what had happened. “You’ve got to be kidding me…”

Gabby’s expression morphed from shock to fury in record time. “A hologram? Seriously? You—” She punched my arm, and I winced. “You gave me a heart attack for a hologram!”

“Hey, I didn’t know either!” I protested, rubbing my arm. “How was I supposed to know it wasn’t real?”

She glared at me, arms crossed tightly over her chest. “I can only imagine L’ Boh sitting in some control room, laughing his head off.”

I gritted my teeth, picturing it too. “Oh, he’s probably loving this. But if it’s the last thing I do, I’m punching him.”

We both stood there in a huff, and after a moment, Gabby let out a reluctant chuckle. I couldn’t help but laugh too. We were a mess.

We continued down the hallway, sticking close together, both of us still on edge. When we reached a new door at the end, I gestured toward it, giving her a grin. “Ladies first.”

She raised an eyebrow, folding her arms. “Why do I have to go first?”

I tried to look smug. “Uh, maybe because I just saved your life?”

She rolled her eyes. “It was a hologram. There was nothing to ‘save’ me from.”

“Yeah, but we didn’t know that,” I countered. “So technically, I still risked my life. So… you owe me.”

She sighed, shaking her head. “Fine,” she muttered, reluctantly reaching for the door.

She twisted the handle, and together we took a deep breath as we stepped inside.

To both of our surprise, the door revealed another hallway.

“Great,” Gabby said sarcastically. “Just awesome!”

We reluctantly made our way inside. As we walked, the quiet of the hallway amplified our footsteps. The walls were lined with identical doors, each one shut tight, with small, brass numbers that gave no hint of what lay behind them. It was eerily silent, and I couldn’t shake the feeling that we were being watched—or maybe even judged.

“You think this is still part of our ‘cooperation’ test?” Gabby asked, echoing my thoughts.

“Could be,” I replied. “Or it could just be L’ Boh messing with us. He seems like the type who enjoys watching people squirm.”

She didn’t respond, and we kept moving, the hallway stretching on longer than seemed possible. There was no sign of an end, no windows, no doors that looked any different from the others.

And then, without warning, the lights flickered and went out.

I stopped, straining to see anything in the sudden darkness. “Gabby?”

“I’m here,” she said, her voice tense. “Did you—?”

Before she could finish, a soft, ambient glow began to fill the hallway. It wasn’t coming from the lights above us, but from the doors themselves, as if they were somehow alive, pulsing with a faint, otherworldly energy.

One door, a few feet ahead of us, glowed brighter than the others. It stood out, beckoning, and as we approached, the number on it became clearer: Room 13.

“Well, that’s not ominous at all,” Gabby said, trying to sound flippant, but I could hear the edge in her voice.

We both stood there for a moment, and as I turned, to ask if she would kindly open this door as well, as if reading my mind she said—

“No way. It’s your turn.”

I released a defeated sigh. I stepped closer, my hand reaching for the knob. “Ready?”

“As ready as I’ll ever be.”

The door opened smoothly, revealing a room bathed in a soft, golden light. It was a stark contrast to the cold, impersonal spaces we’d seen so far. The room was small but cozy, with a plush armchair in the corner, a coffee table with a steaming cup on it, and a large, ornate mirror on the wall opposite the door.

We exchanged a glance, and I stepped inside first, half-expecting something to leap out at us. But nothing did. The room was quiet, peaceful even. The only sound was the faint hum of some unseen mechanism.

Gabby followed, her eyes scanning the room warily. “This is… nice? I don’t get it.”

I shrugged, equally puzzled. “Maybe it’s part of the test. Like a safe room or something.”

I walked over to the coffee table, the cup’s steam curling lazily in the air. “Oh, that’s my favorite coffee.” Gabby muttered, a smile creeping onto her face. She walked over, picking up the cup. She took in a deep whiff of the fragrance.

I watched her, confused momentarily. As she lifted to take a sip I lunged, slapping it out of her hand. The cup fell, crashing against the ground; its darkneed contents spilling onto the carpet.

“What was that for?” She hissed, flustered.

“You trying to drink that! You don’t know if that’s safe.” I replied, not backing down.

“What are you…” Gabby paused. For a moment, her expression told of anger, but the next it was vague confusion. It was as if she’d just realized the error she had made.

However, I had the impression she didn’t realize it until now; as if she’d been in a daze.

“Why did I blindly try to drink that…?” It seemed even she thought it was strange.

I let out a sigh, running my hand through my hair as I scanned the room. “It’s fine… Just be more aware, next time.

“...Okay.” She relented.

With that handled, I scanned the room myself. I couldn’t find anything of note inside the room. The only thing that seemed remotely interesting was the ornate mirror attached to the wall. So, I walked over to it; Gabby followed from behind.

Gabby approached the mirror, peering into it. “There’s something weird about this mirror…”

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

I joined her, looking into the glass. Our reflections stared back at us, but the room in the reflection was different—darker, with shadows pooling in the corners. And behind us, in the mirror, the door we had just entered through was gone.

“What the—” I spun around, but the door was still there, solid and real.

Gabby’s breath hitched. “This doesn’t make sense. In the mirror… look.”

I turned back to the mirror, and my blood ran cold. Our reflections were no longer mimicking our movements. Instead, they were staring directly at us, their eyes dark and unblinking. And then, slowly, my reflection grinned—a wide, unnatural smile that sent a chill down my spine.

“What the hell is this?” I whispered, backing away from the mirror.

Gabby’s reflection followed suit, her mirrored self stepping closer, pressing its hands against the glass as if trying to break through.

“We need to get out of here,” Gabby said, her voice trembling.

But before we could move, the mirror rippled like water, distorting the images until they were barely recognizable. The reflections wavered, and then the glass went black, leaving us staring at our own pale, terrified faces once more.

Silence hung in the air as we both stood there, rooted to the spot. Finally, Gabby spoke, her voice barely above a whisper.

“What do you think it means?”

I shook my head, feeling a deep unease settling in my chest. “I don’t know.”

Unfortunately, that’s all that I could say. That was just too freaky and strange.

“Hello my aliens!”

A voice suddenly rang out. I quickly registered that it belonged to L’ Boh. His voice was very distinct.

In the corner of the room was a speaker. That’s where he must have been talking from.

“What do you want now?” Gabby barked, demanding an answer.

“I think you two are quite entertaining folks. So, I wanted to be upfront with you.” He answered.

As soon as those words left his lips, from vents up above, a red gas-like mist sprayed out.

“You will not have the best time,” L’ Boh finished. “Good luck,” he said, the crackle of the speaker going off.

I instinctively covered my mouth, glancing over at Gabby, who was doing the same. The gas was thick and suffocating, and I could feel it seeping into my lungs. Panic shot through me as I stumbled backward, trying to escape the mist. “What is this?” I gasped, my heart racing.

“I don’t know!” Gabby wheezed, her eyes wide with fear. “We have to get out of here!”

I turned to the door, hoping to escape, but it felt like the gas was closing in on us, pushing against our bodies as if it had a mind of its own. I grabbed a nearby chair, desperate to find a way out, and slammed it against the door with all my strength. The sound echoed in the small room, but the door didn’t budge. I hit it again, adrenaline pumping, my thoughts spiraling into chaos.

“Come on!” I shouted, frustration boiling over. I could feel the gas wrapping around me, heavy and insistent. “We have to—”

Suddenly, the chair broke under the pressure of my assault, splintering against the door. The pieces fell around me, and I stumbled backward, gasping for breath as darkness began to close in. Gabby grabbed my arm, trying to pull me away from the mist, but I could feel my consciousness slipping.

“We need to get out!” she cried, but the words felt far away. My vision blurred, and I felt my knees give out beneath me.

The last thing I remembered was the sound of Gabby’s voice fading into silence, then everything went dark.

I woke up with a start, my heart pounding in my chest. Panic surged through me as I realized I was bound to a chair, unable to move. I was on some kind of massive platform, high above a crowd of people I didn’t recognize. The room was dimly lit, shadows dancing around me, and my stomach twisted with fear. It was impossibly large now, enough to accommodate a number of people that I couldn’t spot the end of.

“Gabby!” I shouted, but my voice echoed back at me in the eerie silence. She wasn’t here. I was alone.

A figure stepped forward from the shadows, wearing a black hood over their face. “Ah, our bad little alien has finally awakened,” they crooned, their voice dripping with mockery. I struggled against my restraints, confused and terrified.

“What’s going on?” I demanded, my voice trembling. “Where is Gabby?”

The executioner leaned closer, their voice a menacing whisper. “You don’t need to worry about her. You’re the star of the show now.”

My heart raced as the crowd began to murmur, their faces shifting in the dim light. I couldn’t see them clearly, but something felt very wrong. “What do you mean?” I asked, panic rising in my throat.

“They’re here to see you pay for your sins,” the executioner said, gesturing toward the people. “Let the bidding begin!”

“I want his left eye!”

“I'll take his femur! Funny to see him struggle to walk!”

“I call dibs on his left rib!”

What? I shook my head in disbelief as the crowd began to chant, their voices rising like a tide, each person calling for a distinct and crucial body part.

A wave of terror crashed over me. “No! You can’t do this!” I screamed, pulling against my restraints, trying to shake the chair. I could feel sweat dripping down my back, the panic clawing at my insides.

As I thrashed, I managed to tip the chair just enough that it fell over, crashing to the ground. The impact jolted through me, and I scrambled to get back on my feet, but my bearings were off. I could hear the footsteps approaching, an impossible number of them, closing in from all sides until they abruptly stopped.

“Don’t try to escape!” the executioner shouted, their voice booming in the chaos. I looked up, terror flooding my veins as I saw the crowd surrounding me, their faces twisted in grotesque expressions.

“What’s happening to me?” I gasped, breathless and afraid.

“The price for your sins,” the executioner said, pointing toward the crowd.

“What sins?” I shouted, my voice cracking with fear. “What are you talking about?”

The executioner’s voice turned cold. “The crime of killing all of them.”

I looked up, confusion flooding my mind. “What? No! I didn’t—”

But before I could finish my protest, the crowd began to speak, one by one.

“You killed me!” said a woman with a deep gash across her throat.

“I was innocent!” shouted a man missing an arm.

“You took my life!” came the voice of a boy with hollow eyes and a twisted smile.

They all echoed the same accusation, their voices blending into a terrifying chorus.

I shook my head, unable to grasp the reality unfolding before me. “I didn’t do anything! I don’t even remember! I’m not a killer!”

“But you killed me, mister,” a young girl said. In her hands was a torn up teddy doll.

“You killed me too,” an older man with a cane stated. Half of his face was missing, revealing his beating brain.

“And me!” A woman, likely in her late thirties said. She was missing both of her arms and her left eye.

“And me!” Another voice cut in.

At this point, I was surrounded. I couldn’t look at their faces, my chest just hurt too much and there was an impossible ringing in my head. My gaze was lowered to the floor, as I couldn’t look at their faces any longer, but even so I saw endless feet in my vision. I was boxed in.

“Oh, he killed you?”

“Yeah! He killed me as well!”

“Wow!”

“And me!”

“And me!”

“And me!”

“And me!”

The voices sounded like thousands of people, if not millions, as they all chanted together.

“And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me! And me!”

In that moment, instinct took over. I turned and bolted, adrenaline flooding my system. I had to escape. I could hear the sound of footsteps behind me, the crowd's relentless chants morphing into a singular roar, echoing off the walls.

“And me! And me! And me!” The voices were everywhere, a deafening tide pushing me forward. I ran, my feet pounding against the cold, hard floor, desperation fueling my every step. I had to get away from the executioner, from this place of judgment and pain.

I dashed through the dimly lit space, weaving between shadows and fading faces. I could feel their presence closing in behind me, the echo of their cries following me like a shadow. Panic gripped my chest as I pushed myself harder, faster.

“Stop!” they yelled, their voices blending into one terrifying cacophony. “You can’t escape!”

But I couldn’t stop. I couldn’t let them catch me. I ran through corridors that twisted and turned, my breath coming in ragged gasps. Each step felt heavier than the last, yet I pushed on, the darkness consuming me but my will to survive propelling me forward.

The walls blurred as I sprinted, fear clawing at my insides, the whispers of the crowd echoing in my ears. “You killed us! You killed us!” The relentless chants surged, drowning me in guilt, despair, and confusion.

I glanced back, the mass of accusing faces closing in, their eyes filled with the weight of their grief. I turned and ran faster, my heart racing. I was slipping, losing myself in this nightmarish chase.

As I sprinted, I could feel the air growing thicker, almost tangible with their resentment. I had to find an exit, some way to escape this hell. My lungs burned, but I couldn’t stop. I had to keep running.

The corridor ahead suddenly opened up into a vast, endless void. I hesitated for just a moment, uncertainty gripping me, but then I leapt forward into the abyss, the ground falling away beneath me. I was weightless, falling into darkness, the voices trailing behind me, their shouts turning into a distant echo.

Then, with a jolt, I awoke with a start, my heart pounding in my chest. I was back in the room, the familiar walls surrounding me. Sweat soaked my clothes, and I gasped for breath, the remnants of fear still clinging to my mind.

Beside me, Gabby lay unconscious, her chest rising and falling peacefully, blissfully unaware of the torment I had just escaped. I rubbed my eyes, trying to shake off the remnants of the nightmare, the echoes of those accusing voices fading into the quiet of the room.

It was just a dream, I told myself. Just a nightmare. But as I sat there, heart racing, body shaking, the shadows of the crowd lingered in my mind, I couldn’t shake the feeling that something terrible had happened, something I had yet to understand.

And most of all, that it was something that was my fault.