Spectra – Chapter 1
"Have you heard what they say about that temple?" Hina asked, her voice low as if she feared the walls might be listening. "They say a jinn lives there. Anyone who enters never returns. I've even heard that people don't dare pass near it at night."
Hina was about to continue when Rosebell suddenly cut in, smirking.
"Oh really? Then let's make a bet! After all, this is our last night in college. A little fun won't hurt."
The other girls—Hina, Aria, Julie, and Scarlett—turned to her with wide eyes.
"A bet? What kind of bet?" they asked.
Rosebell grinned mischievously. "Here's the deal. We'll all eat these Korean spicy noodles. Whoever finishes them first without asking for water wins. Whoever loses…" She rummaged through her bag dramatically before pulling something out.
Zip.
"A… camera?" the girls gasped.
"Yes," Rosebell confirmed proudly. "A night-vision camera. The loser has to take it to that temple at exactly 8 p.m. tomorrow and record everything. What do you say, girls? Doesn't that sound exciting?"
They laughed nervously. Even though Hina had told them frightening stories about the temple, nobody took her words seriously. They teased her instead.
Rosebell turned to each of them. "So, Hina… Aria… Julie… Scarlett. You're all in, right?"
One by one, the girls nodded. "Yes."
"Good," Rosebell said. "Now go grab some blankets."
Aria dashed out and returned with blankets, Julie brought a small heater, and Hina shut the windows tightly. Just then, the room's lights flickered—and went out completely.
"Oh no!" Hina groaned. "Not again! I already told the hostel staff to fix this. Ugh, what a nuisance!"
"Relax," Aria replied cheerfully. "It's fine, we don't need the AC tonight anyway. Right, Rosebell? Julie?"
Rosebell shrugged. "I'll bring some candles."
She returned with candles and struck a match. The moment the flame touched the wick, the room glowed warmly. They turned off their phone flashlights and gathered around the table. But then, a sudden gust of wind blew through the small kitchen window—a place where no air ever passed on normal days. The flame went out instantly, plunging the room into darkness once more.
"Quick, turn the light back on!" Julie shouted nervously.
And then—
Thak! Thak! Thak!
Knocks thundered against their door.
The girls froze. Who could it be at this hour? It was already 12:30 a.m. They exchanged worried glances. Only Hina still had her phone's flashlight on.
"Go check," someone whispered. "Maybe it's just a teacher making sure we're asleep."
Hina swallowed hard, took a deep breath, and walked slowly toward the door. The knocking grew louder—thak, thak, thak turning into dham, dham, dham.
With trembling hands, she gripped the handle and pulled it open.
Click.
Standing before her was a woman. Her hair hung loose and wild, her face pitch black, and her lips stained blood red. When Hina raised her light toward the woman's face—she screamed.
"Aaaaahhhhhh!"
The other girls rushed forward, and when they saw the figure, they screamed too. The woman stepped inside, her presence suffocating the room.
But just then, the power returned. The lights flickered back on, and everyone froze in shock. The terrifying woman… was none other than their own classmate.
Her eyes blazed with anger. "What is wrong with you people? You call me here and then scream as if I'm some monster? Seriously?"
Hina clutched her chest. "You nearly gave me a heart attack! I thought a jinn from the temple had come for us!"
The girl rolled her eyes. "Temple, jinn—nonsense. Ghosts only exist in fairy tales. Believing in them is pointless."
Mina, as she was called, crossed her arms, unimpressed.
The others, relieved, laughed nervously. "Exactly! That's why we asked you to join us, Mina. To chase away our silly fears."
Mina smirked. "Fine. So what's this challenge I've heard about? Just eating spicy noodles? That's nothing—I can finish them in seconds."
Rosebell's grin widened. "Oh, Mina, don't be so confident. Remember last time? We only had regular Korean noodles. These are hot spicy noodles. No water allowed. Plus, you'll have to sit with a blanket over you, the heater on full blast. Trust me—you'll regret it more than any ghost!"
The girls burst into laughter. Mina, however, set her jaw. "Don't underestimate me. I'm not backing down. I'll prove it."
And so, the challenge began. Each girl wrapped herself in a blanket, the heater hummed, and steaming bowls of fiery noodles were placed before them. The heat was unbearable, but they all forced themselves to eat.
Legends of the temple lingered in their minds—stories of invisible women sweeping floors, of a man half-there, half-gone who tore bodies apart to complete himself, of demons who fell in love with young women and never let them go.
The fear made their hands shake, but they laughed it away and kept eating.
Hina, Julie, scarlett and Aria managed to finish their bowls first, tears streaming down their faces. Mina and Rosebell remained. Their eyes met, each determined not to lose. Rosebell suddenly tilted her bowl and began drinking the broth directly.
Mina's pride flared. She copied her, lifting the bowl to her lips. But halfway through, she choked—the burning soup seared her throat and sent her coughing violently. Rosebell seized the chance and finished first.
Mina slammed her empty hand against the table. "Hey! That's not fair! I only stopped because I was choking!"
The others laughed. "A loss is a loss, Mina. You're the one who has to go."
Mina scowled but crossed her arms in surrender. "Fine. I'll go to the temple tomorrow at 8 p.m. I'll record everything and show you there's no such thing as ghosts."
"Don't be mad," Rosebell said gently. "It's just a game."
Mina sighed. "Whatever. I'll do it."
Julie leaned forward, worry clouding her eyes. "Mina… are you really going? My grandmother once went there as a child. She came back scarred all over, like wild animals had clawed her. Please, think twice."
Mina gave a small smile. "I know what you told me. But science says those are just diseases, not curses. Don't worry about me—I'm strong. You'll see."
That night, Mina returned to her room. She tidied up her scattered books, removed her black face mask, and headed for the shower. Warm water ran down her skin, but her thoughts kept returning to the temple.
"Is it true? Is everything they say real? Or just stories meant to scare us?"
Drying her hair, she sat at her laptop and typed into the search bar:
Temple 800 years old – real story – haunted or myth?
She clicked on an article.
"They say this temple is 800 years old, though no one knows its true age. Many believe real spirits dwell there, driving people insane. But years ago, a group of four young men—Jack, Noel, Riyan, and Alex—spent one night inside. Nothing happened to them. Today, all four are wealthy and run a massive company together."
Mina smirked. "See? I knew it. Just superstition. If those guys went in and came out rich, then maybe I'll get lucky too. Imagine… me, successful, giving my parents the life they deserve."
She closed the laptop halfway, hugging her teddy bear. "Goodnight, Luffy," she whispered, pulling the blanket over herself.
She never saw the last line of the article, hidden at the bottom of the page:
Others who entered were never seen again. If you choose to go, it is at your own risk.
The laptop screen faded to black.
To be continue ~