The night had reached its peak, the silence of the city accompanied it until dawn. The streets in the middle of the city were deserted, and the sounds of nocturnal creatures only deepened the night's stillness. The clock showed 00:30, and the man's work was done. He left his office and walked down the dark, quiet streets.
"Finally, I can go home," the man muttered to himself in the middle of the city.
His name was Zhurra. He kept walking that night with his head bowed in exhaustion. All the creatures along the city streets watched Zhurra, but Zhurra could not see them.
"Vyura tve bylona," one of the creatures said, which meant, "Poor soul." The creatures kept talking about Zhurra, even though he could neither see nor hear them.
"Yera tyus nai e wafh, fres svila moi ghin," said the creature, meaning, "He will die tonight, they're following him and obsessed."
Zhurra arrived in front of his apartment. He quickly took the elevator up to the third floor. He glanced at his watch—01:02. The elevator doors opened, and Zhurra stepped out. The dark hallway on the third floor stretched before him. He didn't care about the darkness; all he wanted was to reach his room and sleep. He walked down the hallway—his room was at the end. With his first step, scratches appeared along the walls beside him. The lights flickered as the scratches formed, but Zhurra ignored everything around him, his eyes fixed straight ahead. Soon, he stood before his door, pulled the key from his pocket, and unlocked it.
"Yaaawn... What a long day," Zhurra muttered and fell asleep.
The night continued, the moon still casting its glow. The entire city remained quiet and dark; everyone was asleep in peaceful silence. But tonight wasn't entirely quiet—creatures accompanied the night, moving through the shadows of Zhurra's apartment.
"Ugh, I forgot to lock the door," Zhurra grumbled, waking up annoyed.
He got up and walked to the door. Just as he was about to turn the lock, the door slammed open, knocking Zhurra to the ground.
"Ugh! Who the hell just barges in like that?!" he snapped angrily.
Zhurra looked up and saw a pair of feet. His eyes followed them upward and—
"Who are y—" he didn't finish. His head was cleanly severed.
His head rolled away as blood poured out. With the last flicker of consciousness, Zhurra caught a glimpse of the figure's face.
"Bylona," the figure said, meaning, "Dead."
"Aaah! My neck—my neck is cut!" Zhurra screamed in terror.
He reached for his neck—and found it intact. Zhurra realized it had all been a nightmare. Yet the door was still unlocked, just like in the dream. He tried to convince himself again that it was all just a bad dream. To be sure, he carefully approached the door. He peeked through the peephole—no one there. Gathering courage, Zhurra slowly opened the door, ready for a sudden attack.
"One... two... three..." he whispered.
No one was outside. He looked left and right—still no one.
"I knew it was just a dream," Zhurra sighed in relief.
He returned to his room and locked the door. He lay down again, still haunted by the nightmare. As he rested on the edge of his bed, a knife embedded in the mattress pierced his heart. Blood seeped through the bed and spilled onto the floor.
Zhurra woke up again, clutching his chest in panic. There was no wound. Still, the pain lingered. This time, Zhurra knew it wasn't just a dream. He jumped up and opened his laptop, searching the internet for explanations. The time showed 01:56—he had been searching for nearly half an hour with no results. He kept digging until he stumbled upon a forbidden website. There, Zhurra learned about the creature haunting him.
Its name was Balash, a creature known to be friendly and harmless. Confused by the description, Zhurra reread the page. It stated that Balash can become dangerously obsessed with someone. Such obsession could only be stopped in three ways: death (suicide), help from another Balash, or replacing the obsession with something else.
"This is crazy. These can't be the only options!" Zhurra shouted in frustration.
He didn't know what to do, but he definitely wouldn't choose the first option. Zhurra looked around and saw no sign of danger. He convinced himself again that it was all in his head. He fell asleep once more—for about ten minutes. Then, he was awakened by a faint voice calling to him.
He followed the voice, searching for its source. When he reached the spot, there was no one.
"Hey! Whoever it is, come out!" Zhurra shouted.
Suddenly, the lights flickered off, then back on. A figure appeared before Zhurra—it looked human, except its face and eyes were different. Its face kept shifting, sometimes male, sometimes female.
"Who are you? Why are you disturbing me?" Zhurra asked the figure.
Silence. Then, a beautiful voice emerged, almost hypnotic.
"I am Balash. I am not disturbing you," the figure said, mesmerizingly.
Zhurra didn't understand. The creature said it wasn't bothering him.
"Then what were all those things earlier if not harassment?" Zhurra demanded.
The creature raised one hand and spoke a spell.
"Clova dinata," it said.
A screen appeared, displaying an unfamiliar person.
"I'm here to save you from my friend's obsession," Balash said.
Zhurra was stunned. He never expected help from another Balash.
"How will you stop this obsession?" Zhurra asked curiously.
He stared at the creature, waiting for a response.
"Just stay here and don't even think about sleeping again. I'll take care of everything," Balash replied.
Zhurra nodded and returned to his room, watching and waiting. More than an hour passed with no sign from Balash. Hungry, Zhurra went to his meat storage. The place was soaked in blood—on the floor, the walls, everywhere. A moment later, Balash called out to him. Zhurra approached.
"What happened with that Balash?" Zhurra asked eagerly.
"The obsession is gone. You are safe now," Balash said.
Zhurra smiled, walking closer with the knife he had used earlier to cut meat. He sincerely thanked Balash.
"Thank you... and goodbye, fool," Zhurra whispered before stabbing Balash from behind.
Though Balash was a supernatural being, he could still be killed like a human. He was shocked by Zhurra's actions. Zhurra laughed maniacally—his plan had worked.
Zhurra was, in fact, a serial killer. That night, he had just murdered a late-working office employee. Unfortunately, Balash had witnessed it and became obsessed. Zhurra once again thanked the kind Balash who saved him from the one obsessed with him.
"Truly, thank you for everything," Zhurra said with a wide smile.
The night continued until dawn, and no one ever knew where Zhurra had gone.