Halloween night came with a chill that crept beneath the skin — the kind that whispered of old ghosts and half-remembered fears.
Velithra pulled her jacket tighter as she walked down the dim street, the sound of laughter and rustling candy bags echoing around her. Houses flickered with orange lights, and fake cobwebs swayed in the wind.
It should've been comforting — normal — but something about tonight felt different.Maybe it was the moon — swollen and pale.Or maybe it was the boy walking silently beside her.
Kai's black hoodie blended with the night, his hands deep in his pockets. His dark eyes seemed to catch every passing shadow.
"You don't strike me as the Halloween type," Velithra said finally, trying to break the quiet.
"I'm not," Kai said. His voice was low, dry. "You made me come."
Velithra smirked. "I said you should come. You didn't have to listen."
He glanced at her, the corner of his mouth twitching. "Yeah, well… I guess I don't listen very well."
They stopped in front of an old, abandoned-looking house at the end of the block. Its windows were dark, the porch creaking with every gust of wind. A crooked sign in front read 'ENTER IF YOU DARE' in dripping red paint.
"Please tell me this is fake blood," Velithra muttered.
"Want me to check?" Kai asked, deadpan.
"Absolutely not."
She turned toward him — and realized he was holding two cheap plastic masks. One was a cracked ghost face; the other, a black fox.
He handed her the fox mask. "This one suits you."
She raised an eyebrow. "Because it's sneaky?"
"Because it's the one that looks like it's pretending not to care," he said, slipping his own mask on before she could answer.
Velithra blinked. "You know, that's disturbingly accurate."
"Mm," he murmured, his voice muffled through the mask. "I've been told I'm observant."
They entered the house together.
Inside, the air was colder — too cold. Dust floated in the air, catching the faint orange light from the jack-o'-lanterns lining the hall. Somewhere upstairs, a floorboard creaked.
"This is fake," Velithra whispered, gripping Kai's sleeve.
He didn't move. "Maybe."
"You're supposed to tell me it's fake."
"I don't lie well."
"Clearly."
Something moved in the corner — a flicker of shadow that didn't match the flickering light. Velithra tensed, her grip on his sleeve tightening.
"Kai—"
"I saw it," he murmured. His tone didn't change, but his hand brushed hers — subtle, grounding. "It's just part of the setup."
But when the whisper came — soft, slow, brushing the back of her neck — she wasn't so sure.
"You shouldn't be here…"
Velithra froze. Her breath hitched. "Kai?"
He looked around sharply, mask tilted toward the dark hallway. "That wasn't me."
The whisper came again.Closer.
They turned together — and the hallway was empty.
For a long, quiet moment, neither moved. Then Kai exhaled, almost laughing. "Guess Halloween's not completely dead."
Velithra swallowed hard. "You think that was a recording?"
He looked at her for a second — really looked — and then smiled faintly. "Sure. Let's go with that."
When they stepped back out into the cold night, the street felt alive again — kids laughing, pumpkins glowing, the world normal once more.
Velithra looked back at the old house. Its windows gleamed faintly in the dark — and for just a second, she thought she saw someone standing behind the curtain, watching them leave.
Kai followed her gaze, expression unreadable. "See something?"
She shook her head. "Nothing."
He smiled slightly. "Liar."
The two of them walked off together, their shadows stretching long under the orange streetlights — two ghosts among ghosts, pretending not to be haunted.