The Halloween celebration lasted far longer than I expected. Even after I had changed out of my costume and crawled into bed, the noise outside refused to die down. Music echoed faintly through the walls, mixed with laughter, footsteps, and distant shouts. My body was tired, but my mind refused to rest.
I was half asleep when I heard it.
A sound in the corridor.
My eyes opened slowly, my heart tightening as I listened. I reached for my phone and checked the time. It was already past midnight.
12:07 a.m.
I sat up on the bed and listened again. The noise was faint but deliberate, like footsteps slowing down near my door. I stood up quietly and walked to the window. Outside, the school grounds were still lively. People were everywhere, still celebrating, still dancing, still laughing as if the night had just begun.
Nothing looked wrong.
I moved away from the window and walked toward my door, pressing my ear gently against it, trying to understand where the sound was coming from.
Silence.
I straightened up, telling myself I was just overthinking things. Just as I turned to go back to my bed, the sound came again—clearer this time.
A knock.
My heart flipped violently in my chest.
"Yes… who's there?" I asked, my voice barely steady.
No response.
The hallway fell into a strange silence, as if even the distant party noise had been swallowed up. I stood still, staring at the door, waiting for another sound.
Nothing.
Slowly, I stepped back and returned to my bed, forcing myself to lie down. I had just pulled the blanket over my shoulders when the knock came again—harder this time, louder, more deliberate.
My heart began to race.
"Who's there?" I asked again, my voice now shaky.
No answer.
The silence felt heavy, unnatural. Panic crawled up my spine. I jumped out of bed and rushed to the window again. Outside, everything was still lively. Music blasted. People moved in groups. No one seemed to notice anything unusual.
If something was wrong, no one would hear me.
Suddenly, I heard the sound of metal against wood.
My door.
Someone was opening it—slowly—like they were using a key.
Fear gripped me completely.
I ran to the bathroom and locked myself inside, my hands trembling as I turned the lock. My breath came fast and shallow. I pressed my palm over my mouth to stop myself from screaming.
Then I heard it.
Crack.
Something hit the bathroom door.
Crack.
Again.
My whole body froze.
The door suddenly flew open with force, slamming against the wall, followed by loud, careless laughter that echoed in the small space.
I looked up in terror—and froze.
It was Jan.
"Jan!" I screamed.
She laughed even harder, bending slightly as she clutched her stomach, clearly enjoying my terrified expression. She walked past me, still laughing, and flopped onto my bed as if nothing had happened.
Looking at her, I didn't even know whether to scream or cry.
"Jan," I said breathlessly, walking toward her. "You almost killed me."
She laughed again. "So you can actually be this scared?"
Then she mocked me in a dramatic voice, "I have power," before bursting into laughter again. "Miss Power."
I grabbed a pillow and threw it at her. "You're crazy."
She caught it and laughed, sitting up. "So you left the party and didn't even look for me?"
"I did," I replied honestly. "I really did. I just couldn't find you."
She narrowed her eyes slightly, studying my face. "Hmm. And what's with that look on your face?"
My heart skipped.
"Jan," I said quickly, rushing to close the door and locking it carefully. "I need to tell you something."
Her laughter faded immediately.
"What is it?"
I walked closer to her, lowering my voice instinctively. "I know who's behind the mask. The one who's been protecting me."
Her eyes widened. "Who?"
"It's Minho."
"Minho?" she repeated, disbelief filling her voice. "How is that possible? How do you know?"
"He came again tonight," I explained. "He saved me. I begged him to show me his face, and he did."
Jan went silent. She looked away slowly, her expression unreadable.
For a moment, she didn't say anything.
Then she laughed softly. "That's great," she said. "So it's been Minho all this while."
She smiled, but something about it felt forced.
"Jan," I said, holding her hand. "Please let this stay between us. I haven't told anyone else."
She nodded without meeting my eyes.
After a brief pause, she changed the subject. "Talking about Raven… it's been weeks. This is the longest he's stayed hidden. Don't you find that suspicious?"
"Yes," I admitted. "But what can I do? I don't even have his number. He always calls with different ones, and when I try to call back, none of them connect. He doesn't have friends. I tried, Jan."
She stared at me for a long moment, saying nothing.
"I just hope he's fine," I added softly.
She finally nodded.
Then she looked at me again. "So… the mask man,sorry"Minho. What happened the last time you saw him? Did anything happen?"
"Why are you asking?" I asked.
"Just curious."
"Nothing happened," I said quickly. "He just saved me, like always."
I hesitated, then added, "Minho has incredible power. I think he can heal. The last time he saved me, that woman cut his neck deeply. Today… it was completely healed."
Jan smiled slowly. "That must be a powerful healing ability."
She stood up and stretched. "Well, I should go back to the party. Since you enjoy this boring life."
She walked toward the door, then turned back with a playful smile. "I might come again. You know… to scare you."
"Don't try it again," I warned. "Or I'll kill you."
She laughed and left.
I locked the door immediately and lay back on my bed, staring at the ceiling.
For a few seconds, my mind was blank.
Then, without warning, Minho's face appeared in my thoughts.
This was the first time I truly thought about him—not as my protector, not as the masked figure, but as Minho.
Why was my heart suddenly doing this?
I smiled softly to myself, remembering how he had stood in front of me, how he had taken wounds because of me, how he had carried me, protected me, bandaged my hand while injured himself.
Wow.
I closed my eyes, my heart strangely warm.
And for the first time that night, I slept.