A desolate roadside, veiled in fog, stretched across a small rural neighborhood. The air was thick, heavy with an unnatural stillness. Everything felt wrong. The most glaring sign was the sky—a deep crimson hue with a bright yellow moon looming above, casting an eerie glow on the surroundings. It was dark, not just from the absence of light, but from the presence of something far more sinister.

The atmosphere seemed abandoned, as though life had drained from this place. It was unnerving, to say the least. Nothing like this had ever happened before. Who could imagine such a mystery, such stillness? Only silence reigned, filling every inch of the area with its oppressive weight.

But not entirely abandoned.

Through the fog-covered trees, a group of teens bolted, running as though their lives depended on it. And they did.

Seven of them, clutching weapons in their hands, feet pounding the earth beneath them as they tore through the forest. Their heavy breaths and the frantic rustle of leaves were the only sounds breaking the unnatural silence. Something pursued them—fast, relentless, deadly.

Y/N knew better than to look back. She didn't dare—because if she did, it might be over. The fear of losing focus, of faltering even for a second, kept her gaze fixed forward, her heart pounding in her chest.

The others were just as panicked, their faces a mixture of terror and determination. They knew it too—whatever was after them was getting closer.

"Time!" Ashlyn shouted over her shoulder, her voice sharp with urgency.

"Eight minutes!" Logan replied, glancing at his watch while gripping a shotgun in his other hand.

"Just a bit longer," Ashlyn thought, eyes wide with fear. "It's close!" She dared a glance over her shoulder, her heart skipping a beat as the sweat rolled down her face. She could feel it—it was too close.

The entire group was on edge, their nerves frayed as they pushed themselves harder, running faster despite the exhaustion settling in. Y/N could hear their labored breathing, feel the rising panic that threatened to overwhelm them all. But none of them slowed down. They couldn't. Not with death breathing down their necks.

They sprinted even faster, desperation driving them forward. And then, like a beacon of hope, Y/N spotted it in the distance.

"The graveyard!" someone shouted.

It was like a lifeline. Without wasting a second, they funneled all their remaining energy into a final, desperate sprint toward the gate.

Ashlyn was the first to reach it, skidding to a stop by the red button. Y/N arrived moments later, followed by Ben and Taylor. Tyler was bringing up the rear, and as Y/N glanced back, she saw it—right behind him.

"Close the gate! Close the gate!" Tyler yelled as he raced toward them.

Ashlyn's hand slammed down on the button, and the gate began to close, agonizingly slow. Behind Tyler, the figure that had been chasing them finally became visible.

It was... horrifying.

Tall and human-like in shape, its entire body was cloaked in darkness. Its skin seemed stretched tight over its skeletal frame, as if starved. Long, sharp claws extended from its fingers, glinting menacingly in the dim light. But its face was the worst part. Sunken white eyes glowed faintly, giving off a ghostly light, while a bright, permanent white smile was plastered across its face—a twisted, unnatural grin that never faded.

The creature didn't seem to care about the gate, its hunger-driven instincts pushing it forward. But just as it reached the entrance, the gate slammed shut, cutting it off. The phantom began banging on the barrier, its long claws scraping against the metal. It recoiled slightly, as if the minimal light from the gate irritated it.

Y/N leaned back, gasping for breath, her chest heaving. "H-How... are we still alive at this point..."

Her heart still raced as she took in their surroundings. This was their new reality. The world they once knew had crumbled, and in its place were these creatures—Phantoms. Unpredictable, dangerous, and shrouded in mystery. The group had no real understanding of them, only that they killed. And they were relentless.

No matter who or what you were, these creatures would stop at nothing to claim their prey.

"Alright, let's head to the bus," Ashlyn's voice broke through the eerie stillness, and the group, still catching their breath, moved toward the vehicle as the incessant banging of the creature echoed behind them.

"Ugh, that sucked," Tyler groaned loudly as he slumped into a seat, his voice laced with frustration and fatigue.

"Yeah, Tyler... you don't say..." Y/N muttered, still breathing heavily.

She slid into a seat beside Logan, her eyes wandering out the window, though her body was too exhausted to focus on anything. The others were equally spent, collapsing into their seats, still shaking from the ordeal. The bus was silent except for the sounds of their ragged breathing.

For a moment, Y/N allowed herself to believe they were safe. That they had escaped. But as she stared out the window, something in the distance caught her eye.

She squinted, trying to make sense of it, but whatever it was disappeared before she could be sure of what she saw.



"W-what... what was that?" Y/N thought, her heartbeat quickening as she scanned the dark, gloomy scene outside. The landscape seemed eerily normal, but her instincts screamed otherwise. She knew something was lurking out there. She tried to call out to the others, but her throat was sore, her voice barely a whisper.

"Guys..." she rasped, but no one heard her. The panic built up inside her as her voice cracked, too weak to alert them.

Luckily, Logan was close by. He noticed her distress, turning to face her with concern. "Y/N, everything okay?" he whispered, his voice soft but attentive.

Y/N shook her head, clutching her throat, "No—you have to... warn them. It's here!" she strained to speak, her voice hoarse and trembling.

Logan's face shifted, confusion giving way to alarm as the urgency in her words sank in.

"It probably gave up or... someth..." Tyler's voice trailed off, his eyes suddenly locking on the entrance.

Ashlyn gasped, sensing the danger before she could fully comprehend it. The group's collective attention snapped toward the source of Tyler's unfinished sentence.

A long, jagged claw—a nightmare made real—emerged from the entrance of the bus. The phantom. Its black, skeletal hand stretched forward, talons scraping the metal floor, the sound chilling them to the core.

"How!?"

The group froze, their bodies stiff with fear as they stared at the creature. It moved slowly, methodically, its white, glowing eyes fixed on them, its grotesque smile spread unnaturally wide across its blackened face.

Y/N's eyes darted to the weapons lying uselessly out of reach. She clenched her fists in frustration. They had no time, no chance to grab them before the phantom closed in. Her breath quickened, the reality of the situation hitting her hard. They were cornered.

They stepped back instinctively, but their retreat was soon halted as their backs pressed against the rear of the bus. Nowhere left to go. They were trapped, and the phantom's glowing eyes seemed to savor their helplessness.

Y/N could feel her heart pounding, her mind racing for a solution, but all she could think was, "We're screwed..."