The weight of exhaustion clung heavily to Wei Yun's feet as he dragged himself slowly into the university hall. The bright lights and the noise were a welcome change for Yun.

Ah, normal life. Just what I need, Yun thought to himself as he tried to drive the events of last night out of his mind. A student leader caught his eye as she was welcoming the new arrivals onto campus at the welcome desk.

Lin Xue, her name tag said. So, this is Lin Xue. Yun recognised her from the student welcome emails he was reading this morning. She looks way better in person.

There was something steady in the way she carried herself, showing the necessary maturity of a senior in university. Not overly cheerful like the other volunteers, but calm, collected and efficient, like she had done this a hundred times before.

When Yun gave his name, she glanced up, eyebrows raised. "Oh? Wei Yun. You just moved into Swanston Central, correct?

Yun was taken aback. "Yeah, hang on, how did you...?"

"I live there too. I saw you moving in across the corridor," she replied. "You're my new neighbour."

"Ah, makes sense." Yun said with a sigh of relief. A neighbour...that's...good, right?

"Welcome to the building," Lin Xue said as she studied him. She paused briefly, before asking, "You like Chinese Opera?"

"Uh, no not really. Why?"

Lin Xue shrugged. "Well, I was watching last night's Song Stage late into the night. I didn't want to watch it alone, so I was watching it together with my family over a video call."

Yun nodded, half uncertain where the conversation was going. He knew what the Song Stage was, an offering to the spirits by way of performance. His family would force him to attend, usually without much success, with them in person if he was back home. The loud colours weren't for the living but meant to entertain ghosts during the Hungry Ghost festival.

She continued, "We could hear your singing during the finale. It was good, but I'm not sure if you should sing along."

Yun slowly frowned. "What? Why? What's wrong with singing?"

Lin Xue hesitated, looking around to make sure there wasn't anyone eavesdropped before replying in a hushed whisper, "because my grandmother says that we should never sing, as the ghostly audience watching may get attached to your voice and follow you home."

Yun's mouth felt strangely dry. "Definitely not me," he muttered. "I don't sing. I went to bed early."

Lin Xue's gaze lingered, sceptical. "Sure."

Her tone was neutral, but Yun had noticed a slight pause. It was subtle, but something about it made his skin crawl. He followed her gaze, and his breath caught in his throat.

The mirror. Had she seen it? More importantly, why did she react?

He had hastily stuffed it in his bag on the way out this morning, talisman and everything. Greed had insisted that on coming along, just in case.

Yun shifted his bag slightly nervously, awkwardly playing it off as first day jitters. A look crossed Lin Xue's face, almost as if she had something more to add, but decided against in at the last minute.

"Welcome to Uni, I hope you have a great day." She finally turned, greeting another student, her expression unreadable as Yun shuffled along with the crowed.

Later that night, Yun stared at the ceiling as lay in bed in the dark. For some reason, he felt drained. The air felt thick, heavier than usual.

There's nothing wrong. It's all in your head.

Somewhere outside his window, the faint sound of opera music drifted through the night air. Lin Xue again? He frowned, shifting in bed. But something was different. The music was…off.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

A faint warble was present in the music, as if the singer was forgetting the words or singing in the wrong order. The pitch dipped and wavered, stretching unnaturally at times, as if a second voice was trying to harmonize but kept missing the beat.

Yun rubbed his arms as he felt the fine hairs rise. He shrank further into his blanket, straining his ears ever so slightly. The more he listened, the more he felt the music was unnatural. It was too close. It felt as if the sound was coming from right beside him.

A deep hum slowly seeped through the walls, blending slightly with the distorted music. At this point, Yun could feel the sound more than he could hear it, as it seemed to resonate within his skull, shaking his very being.

And then, the music disappeared. Just as suddenly as it had started, silence now filled the room.

A soft knock suddenly filled the void, echoing through the apartment. Someone was at the door.

What now...

Yun paused, trying to see if he was mistaken. Was there someone at the door? Was it Alex? Probably forgot his key again. His housemate had gone out for a run, so perhaps he left his key at home.

The knocking persisted, louder this time. "Geez, can't you wait? Just chill and give me a second." Yun swung his legs across the bed as he slowly got up.

It's too dark. Where's my phone? Yun reached for his phone as a notification suddenly popped up: Motion detected at front door.

Strange. Why didn't you text me if you forgot your keys? Yun wondered as he tapped the notification to take a look at the live feed.

The hallway was empty. There was no one there. A well-lit corridor stared back at him. Yun felt his blood freeze. Another knock quickly jolted Yun back into reality. He quickly tapped the footage to loop back to when the recording first started.

The hallway remained the same, but this time he could hear the opera music playing back through the recording. There, he could hear it. A humming.

A chill ran down up his spine. The humming was familiar. It was his own voice, singing along with the music. He clenched his fist. He definitely wasn't singing. His fingers trembled as he tried to quickly rewind the footage again.

The empty hallway seemed distant, but the humming was there. The fragmented melody from last night echoed back in his unmistakable voice. The same music from Lin Xue's apartment was playing.

This can't be her, she's at the welcome dinner tonight for freshies. This is impossible. Panic set in as Yun stared at the screen. He had seen and heard enough. He quickly stopped the recording but strangely, the music didn't stop.

In fact, it seemed to grow closer and louder, as if the humming was coming from inside the apartment.

Suddenly, the music cut out and was interrupted by an angry knock. He could hear the front door creak open.

Yum quickly scrambled to his feet, adrenaline pumping as he flipped the dim lights on in a hurry. His blood pounding in his ears as he fumbled around for a weapon. The mirror, quick! Where's the mirror?

An unnatural chill filled the room. Whether it was a winter draft or something more sinister, Yun didn't have time to worry about that. The opera song and his voice drifted through the air. A figure had darkened the doorway.

Yun felt his stomach twist has he recognised the robe. The figure wore a massive headdress with tassels what swayed gently. She was dressed in a costume embroidered with golden dragons that wove around the waist.

A memory involuntarily surfaced where he recalled an incident not too long ago. An up-and-coming opera singer, Liu Shuang, died just before her final Song Stage performance. Yun recognised her. The incident was memorable as his family was present that particular night it happened, but he hadn't been there.

Liu Shuang's robe started to sway gently as she started to dance, as if re-enacting her last act. She started to drift slowly towards Yun. The painted opera mask wore an expression of muted joy as the singing started again, but this time the mouth didn't move. Because the singing wasn't coming from the mask. It was coming from Yun himself.

Yun stumbled backwards in horror, both his hands clutching at his throat. He screamed with all his might, but his voice was no longer his. All that came out was a sharp empty silence where his voice should have been.

The ghost tiled her head, as if admiring her new voice. The song continued, the fragmented singing now growing smoother and more haunting. Liu Shuang was getting used to her new voice.

"Quick! She's stolen your voice," Greed yelled, waking Yun up from his stupor. "Use the mirror, hurry." Yun grabbed the mirror from his bag and tore away the talismans in a frenzy. Almost, if he could just...

The ghost moved. One moment it was by the door, the next moment it appeared inches from his face.

Too close. Yun jerked back as he tried to distance himself from it. His upper body moved but his feet were locked in place by an invisible force. He could almost feel the ghost brush up against him.

The ghost waved a delicate hand in a theatrical motion, and for some reason Yun felt his hand move awkwardly in the same manner, while holding the mirror. He felt as if he had become a performer, basking in the audience's applause.

His head throbbed as he struggled to breathe. He felt an invisible grip tightening in around him as darkness threatened to close in. The sound of the music grew louder in his ears as the humming persisted.

No! Move! A surge of desperation filled Yun as he willed his arm to move. He fingers gripped the frame as he yanked himself free of the ghost's control. He quickly thrust the mirror in the ghost's face and chanted loudly.

At least he tried to. His mouth moved but no sound emerged. "She's stolen your voice, remember?" Greed reminded him. "The chant ain't going to work."

Liu Shuang froze. The melody faltered. She seemed, disappointed. For the first time, the painted lips seemed to curve downwards. Then, in a stretched, disconnected voice that was his own, she whispered, "I like your voice. I'll think keep it".