It started as a joke.

Lena, Ava, Jordan, and Mia sat cross-legged in the flickering candlelight, giggling over an old book of rituals they found in Ava’s attic.

"Let’s summon a ghost!" Mia smirked, half-mocking.

Lena traced the strange symbols in the book. “Fine, but if we die, it’s your fault.”

They chanted the words, laughing—until the candles flickered, and a breath of cold air rippled through the room. The laughter stopped.

Then, the whispering began.

Lena heard her father’s voice, the one she hadn’t heard since the accident. It should have been you.

Ava gasped, staring at the walls, where shadowy hands clawed toward her.

Jordan clutched his ears. “Stop! Stop it!” His voice cracked. He had told no one about the thing he feared most—the night his brother never came home.

Mia backed away, but something was behind her. A mirror stood in the corner, and in its reflection, she saw herself. Only, the reflection grinned—a twisted, hollow grin.

The candles went out.

A voice, low and rasping, filled the room.

"You brought me here. Now, let’s play."

The door slammed shut.

And the screaming began.