A week ago,
The corridor was in darkness. The sound of dripping water echoed from somewhere, making the atmosphere feel creepy and heavy.
Drip… drip…
A faint beam of light shone from a room, stretching out into the corridor.
"Yes… just a little more…" A voice came from within,on't let you go this time."
A boy appeared to be doing something, though it was unclear from behind the door.
"Gulp… yeah… last one… please… ple…" The boy murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
He carefully placed a coin at the center of a strange formation, five candles surrounding it, flickering in the stillness of the room.
[ Note : Hantu Roh / Spirit of Coin
Info: It is a mystical game or "ritual" that aims to communicate with supernatural beings such as demons, spirits, and ghosts. People play it to uncover secrets or to get answers of any supernatural questions. It requires a dark room with at least one window.
Warning: Rumor has it that sometimes it becomes dangerous, and in extreme cases, even causes death. ]
Crack!
Suddenly, a sound came from the window.
"Ah… ah… ha…" He instantly looked toward the window, his heart racing with terror.
"Thank God… it was just the wind, nothing else," he muttered, trying to convince himself.
"Now then, what should I do next?" He glanced at the paper in his hand. "So, I need to read the script."
"Spirits around, respond to my call," he whispered, trying to focus, though fear crept into his voice,"Spirits live in the darkness… blah… blah…"
"With the sacrifice of blood, our souls are connected." He dropped a drop of his blood onto the coin, wincing from the sting of pain.
"Soul… con…" His thoughts scattered as he hesitated. The last words… it'll be fine… no need to be afraid… right?!
Suddenly, his phone rang.
"SOUL CONTRACT!!!" he shouted, while he jumped backward in shock, falling off his chair.
"Ouch! That hurts!" He rubbed his head, groaning. "Who the hell is calling at this hour?"
He glanced at his phone.
"Eh… it's Almus?" He picked up the call, irritated. "Why the hell are you calling now? You almost scared me to death!"
"Why are you so scared?" Almus's voice came through, teasing. "Don't tell me you're playing that game! … ha-ha…"
"Yes, I'm playing that stupid game of yours!" he shot back, irritated. "If you guys hadn't cheated, I wouldn't have lost the bet!"
"Scared?" Almus chuckled. "Didn't you say you weren't afraid of ghosts?"
"Gosh!! I'm not scared of ghosts!" he snapped, his frustration rising.
"Are you sure about that?" Almus teased again. "Aha…"
"Damn!! Cut it already!" He gritted his teeth, annoyed. "Why the hell are you calling me now?"
"Oh. I almost forgot!" Almus's voice came through, suddenly sounding serious. "Do you know what day tomorrow is?"
"Huh? You called me just to ask that?" he replied, his voice laced with annoyance. "February 14th, I think. Why?"
"Wait… don't tell me you've already forgotten!" Almus sounded genuinely surprised.
"Forgot what?" He blinked in confusion, then paused. "Okay, let me think."
He thinking aloud.
"It's not a holiday or anything special, as far as I can remember…" His eyes suddenly widened. "Wait… wait… wait…!! Tomorrow is Valentine's Day!"
"Finally!" Almus sighed, relieved but still disappointed. "You didn't even remember? Didn't you say you were going to ask her out?! What are your plans now?"
"I don't have any plans yet," he muttered, slightly panicked.
"What do you mean, you have no plans?" Almus shot back. "If you don't ask her out now, it'll be too late! She might fall for someone else!"
"What should I do? If I ask her out, she might think I'm creepy and hate me…"
"So, you're giving up?" Almus asked, unimpressed. "Answer me honestly—do you have feelings for her?"
"…Yes, I do," he admitted, his voice quiet.
"But I'm just a loser…" His gaze dropped to the floor. "Yet… I still want to tell her how I feel."
"Hah! I knew this would happen, so I already made a plan in advance." Almus smirked. "Just do as I say."
"But if—"
"No buts. You'll do exactly as I say," Almus cut him off, his tone menacing. "Am I clear?"
"…Yes," he answered, feeling cornered.
"Good. Then listen carefully…" Almus leaned in.
Whisper… whisper… whisper…
A moment of silence. Then—
"WHAT?!" He practically jumped,"That's impossible! I can't do that!"
"And how do you even plan to arrange it?!" He added, his voice full of doubt.
"No need to worry about that." Almus chuckled. "I already talked it over with the others."
"…Wait. WHAT?! YOU TOLD THE OTHERS?!" His face turned red,"They're totally going to make fun of me!!"
"Oops~! Too late now. Get ready for tomorrow."
Click.
The call ended.
"…DAMN YOU, ALMUS!!!"
He groaned, gripping his hair in frustration.
"That bastard…" His chest tightened as reality sank in. "Tomorrow is the day…"
Outside the window, someone had been listening the whole time… Or maybe, just maybe, it was his imagination.