The campus was still quiet that morning, with only a handful of students wandering through the corridors. On the railing of the second floor, Rika sat swinging her legs—though they didn't quite touch the ground—staring out at the silent campus buildings with a look of boredom.
"How long has it been since something fun happened to me?" she muttered to herself, her own voice sounding sulky. The spirit world should've been full of things to do, yet lately she felt like a traveler who'd run out of destinations.
Somewhere inside, a little voice whispered: Come on, you need a new adventure, Rika. Try something… risky!
Her gaze wandered until it landed on a slightly open door at the end of the hall. The boys' bathroom. A place that had always piqued her curiosity, though she'd never actually stepped inside.
"Why do guys always keep their bathrooms such a mystery?" she wondered aloud, half intrigued, half tempted. "Could there be some kind of ghost that only lives in there? Or maybe a secret chamber where they hide their superpowers?"
A mischievous grin spread across her face. "Well, I'll never know unless I check, right?" She stretched her arms in excitement. Being a ghost had its perks—no locks, no rules, no limits. She could go wherever she pleased.
Floating closer, she pushed the door open with the gentlest touch. It swung wide without a sound. She stepped inside. The air was damp, the mirror fogged, the tiles slick with water. The smell of soap mingled with something she couldn't quite place.Nothing unusual. "Huh… pretty normal," she thought.
But her relief didn't last long. From the farthest stall came the sound of trickling water. Rika froze mid-step. "Who's there?" she whispered, though she knew nobody could hear her.
Cautiously, she crept forward, eyes locked on the stall door cracked just slightly open. Through the gap, she caught sight of a leaking pipe. She exhaled in relief. "Oh, just a busted pipe."
She turned to leave—when suddenly, footsteps echoed. Heavy. Too heavy. And far too close.
Rika's body stiffened. "Wait… what? How didn't I sense anyone before?" Her panic rose as the sound grew louder. The stall door creaked open slowly, painfully, like in some nightmare. The air turned icy, suffocating.
Then it appeared. A tall figure stepped out. Bald, with skin pale as stone, and eyes nothing but pits of bottomless black. Its mouth stretched wide into a grin far too large to be human, lined with sharp, oversized teeth. Its voice was raspy, guttural."What are you doing here… little ghost?"
Rika screamed—but no sound came out. Terror choked her voice. Instinct took over, and she bolted. Her ghostly form shot out of the bathroom in a blur, racing down the corridor until she found a deserted corner where she collapsed, curling up tightly.
She hugged her knees, trembling. Ghosts didn't need to breathe, yet she panted as if she were suffocating. Her heart—or whatever remained of it—thundered inside her chest.
Moments later, Arya happened to be walking along the second floor. He stopped when he saw her huddled in the corner. Rika—usually lively, playful, and annoyingly energetic—was shaking, her face paler than ever, both hands clamped over her eyes as if trying to block out something unbearable.
"Rika? What are you doing here?" Arya asked, hurrying toward her, his voice laced with worry.
"I…" Rika lowered her hands slowly, her face flushed red like a tomato. "I… went into the boys' bathroom…" she admitted in a tiny, guilty voice. "I was curious!"
Arya blinked, confused. "You… what? Why would you go in there?"
"Because I was curious!" she snapped, embarrassed, her voice jumping a pitch higher. "I thought no one was there, but… I saw something terrifying!"
Arya frowned, his concern deepening. "Terrifying? You mean… another ghost?"
Rika nodded, trembling. "It wasn't a ghost… not like any I've seen. It was black… and scarier than anything I've ever encountered."
Arya almost chuckled—part of him wanted to laugh at her for being so scared over what might've been nothing. But seeing her like this—truly frightened, vulnerable—made him swallow it down. Instead, he placed a hand gently on her shoulder.
"Forget it, alright? The important thing is you're safe. Next time, don't go poking around in places you don't understand." His voice was soft, steady, trying to reassure her.
Rika nodded quickly, cheeks still red, shame and fear mixed on her face. Deep down, she swore never to touch the boys' bathroom door again—a mystery, she now realized, better left unsolved.