Karl didn't sleep that night.

Every time he closed his eyes, he was back in the tunnels.

The sound of footsteps behind him. The whisper at his ear. The flashlight going dark.

He stared at the ceiling of his dorm, his body heavy with exhaustion, but his mind wouldn't shut up. Every sound outside his window made his pulse spike. Every shift of the shadows in his room made his stomach twist.

At some point, his phone buzzed.

Private Chat – Nick

Nick: You awake?

Karl exhaled sharply.

Karl: Yeah.

Nick: Same.

Nick: That's not normal, right? That wasn't just our imaginations?

 Karl: I don't know.

 Nick: I hate that answer.

 Karl: Me too.

 Nick didn't reply for a while. Karl wondered if he'd fallen asleep. Then— 

 Nick: Wanna come over?

 Karl stared at the message. His gut reaction was yes. Because being alone right now? With his thoughts? His overactive paranoia? It wasn't helping. 

 But... 

 Karl: You good? 

 A pause.

 Nick: Not really.

 Karl didn't hesitate after that.

---

Nick's dorm was pitch dark when Karl arrived. For a split second, his brain glitched. The tunnels. The shadows. The light not working. 

 Then Nick pulled the door open, and Karl breathed again. 

Nick looked wrecked. His hoodie was wrinkled, his hair messier than usual, and the usual sharpness in his eyes was dulled by exhaustion.

 "Hey," Karl said, voice quieter than he meant it to be. 

 Nick stepped aside. "Get in." 

 Karl walked in, and Nick shut the door behind them. For a moment, neither of them spoke. Then Nick exhaled sharply. "I can't turn my lights off."

 Karl blinked. "What?" 

 Nick motioned vaguely to his desk lamp, which was still on despite it being almost five in the morning. "I keep thinking if I turn them off, I'll hear something." 

 Karl swallowed hard. "Same." 

 Nick dragged a hand through his hair, frustrated. "This is so stupid. I know it was probably just—whatever. Our brains messing with us. But I can't—I just can't shake it." 

 Karl hesitated, then admitted, "Me neither." 

 Nick glanced at him. Karl didn't know what he saw in his face, but some of the tension in his shoulders relaxed. Like knowing Karl felt the same way made him feel less crazy.

 Karl hesitated, then moved toward Nick's bed and flopped onto it without asking. Nick gave him an unimpressed look. Karl shrugged. "Shut up. You invited me."

 Nick rolled his eyes, but after a second, he sat down next to him. Not touching, not too close, but close enough that Karl could feel the weight of him there. Neither of them spoke for a long time. The silence wasn't scary this time. 

 Eventually, Karl muttered, "We should quit." 

 Nick let out a humorless laugh. "Yeah." Neither of them meant it. 

---

Karl felt off all morning. Classes were too bright. The chatter of students in the quad was too loud. And every time someone walked past him, he felt like they were watching him.

 Nick didn't look much better. He showed up to class wearing his hoodie pulled up so far he practically looked like a cryptid. He barely spoke, and when Karl caught his eye across the room, his expression said we are not okay. 

 Drista, on the other hand? Perfectly fine. She dropped into the seat next to Karl at lunch, stealing one of his fries without asking. "Soooo. You two look terrible." 

 Karl gave her a deadpan stare. "Thanks." 

 Nick, across the table, muttered, "Glad one of us is thriving." 

 Drista grinned. "What can I say? I have nerves of steel." 

 Karl shook his head, rubbing his temples. "How are you so—normal about all this?" 

 Drista shrugged. "Because nothing actually happened." Karl stared at her.

 Nick narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?" 

 Drista gestured lazily. "Think about it. We didn't see anything. The shadows? Could've been tricks of the light. The footsteps? Probably just echoes. The whispering?Paranoia." 

 Karl swallowed. "But—" 

 Drista cut him off. "It felt terrifying, yeah. But if you strip away the fear? What actually happened?" 

 Nick opened his mouth. Then closed it. Karl hated that she had a point. 

She leaned forward. "Fear makes you see things. Feel things. But that doesn't mean they're real." 

Karl clenched his jaw. "So what, we're just losing our minds?" 

 Drista grinned. "Maybe! But doesn't that make it more fun?" 

 Nick groaned, dropping his head onto the table. "I hate you." 

 Karl, despite everything, laughed. 

---

Karl told himself he was fine. That it was just paranoia. That nothing had followed them. That nothing had changed. 

 But then. 

 Right as he was about to fall asleep. 

 Right as the exhaustion finally started winning. 

Tap. Tap. Tap. 

Karl's eyes snapped open. 

The window. Just like last time. 

 His heart pounded. 

He turned his head slowly. 

The curtains were closed. Just like last time. But the sound was closer this time. 

 Tap. Tap. 

 Karl's chest tightened. He stared at the window. At the fabric moving slightly.

 And then— 

 His phone buzzed. 

 Private Chat – Nick

 Nick: I swear to god, Karl, if you're at my window I'm going to lose it.

 Karl's blood ran cold.

 Karl: Nick, I'm in my room.

 Nick: Then who the hell is tapping at my window?

 Karl bolted upright. His phone buzzed again.

 Nick: I'm coming over. Right now.

 Karl was already unlocking his door.