Rivenor crouched slowly, careful not to make a sound. The red eyes under his bed didn't blink.
They sat low to the ground, just far enough back that the shadows swallowed everything else. Two pinpoints of dull crimson, steady and unafraid, watching him.
Rivenor's heart thudded painfully against his ribs. His palms were damp, fingers trembling as he slid one foot forward. The webs around his ankles tightened in response, thin strands pulling as if warning him to stop.
He swallowed.
"It's not real," he whispered, more to himself than anything. His voice sounded small in the dark room.
But the eyes didn't move.
They weren't glowing. That scared him more. They looked… natural and real. He leaned down, knees bending, the cold floor seeping through the thin fabric of his pajama pants. His breath came shallow, uneven. He reached out slowly, hand shaking as he extended it toward the space beneath the bed.
Just one look closer, just to be sure. The door slammed open, and light exploded into the room.
Rivenor yelped, stumbling back as the overhead light flicked on, harsh and blinding. His eyes burned instantly, watering as the darkness was ripped away.
The red eyes vanished.
"What the hell—"
Laughter cut him off.
"Oh my god," Kael's voice rang out, loud and delighted. "You should see your face."
Rivenor spun around.
Kael stood in the doorway, one hand still on the light switch, the other holding up his phone. The screen glowed bright, angled toward the room.
Toward the webs. Toward him. Rivenor's stomach dropped.
"Kael," he said, panic rising fast. "Get out."
Kael didn't move. He stepped inside instead, slow and deliberate, his sneakers crunching faintly against dried threads stuck to the floor.
"Damn," Kael muttered, panning his phone around. "It's worse than I thought."
Rivenor followed the phone helplessly with his eyes as Kael tilted it upward, capturing the ceiling where silver webs sagged in thick layers, clinging to the corners like rot.
Voices crackled from the phone. Laughter. Multiple voices.
Rivenor froze.
"What… what is that?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
Kael grinned, flashing his teeth. "Live."
The word hit harder than the rooftop wind had. Live? Rivenor thought.
Rivenor's gaze snapped to the phone screen. Tiny icons floated along the side. Hearts. Emojis. Comments rolling so fast they blurred. He took a step back.
"You're streaming?" His voice cracked. "Turn it off."
Kael laughed louder. "Relax. It's just a few people."
The phone chimed again, another wave of voices overlapping as Kael turned the camera back toward Rivenor.
"Guys," Kael said brightly, "say hi to my brother."
He tilted the phone up, Rivenor stared straight into the lens. For a second, the room felt too small to breathe in.
Then the comments started slowing. Individual words became readable.
WTF is that a room??
Nah this is nasty.
Bro lives in a spider nest
Is that REAL webs??
Ain't no way
Rivenor's ears rang.
"Kael, stop," he said, stepping forward. "Please."
Kael zoomed in instead.
"Oh, they haven't even seen the best part yet."
He angled the camera down, capturing the threads clinging to Rivenor's sleeves, trailing from his wrists to the floor.
"This is Riven," Kael announced. "That's what they call him at school."
The comment section exploded.
RIVEN???
Nickname's crazy man
He looks sick fr
Is he okay??
Why he so skinny
Kael snorted. "He's fine. Just… special."
Rivenor's chest felt tight, like something was squeezing it from the inside. His hands curled into fists at his sides, nails biting into his palms.
"Turn it off," he said again, louder now. "You can't do this."
Kael glanced at him, eyebrows raised. "Why not? You're always like this. I'm just showing people."
"Showing them what?" Rivenor snapped. "How miserable you make me?"
Kael laughed, shaking his head. "God, you're dramatic."
He turned the phone toward himself briefly. "Ignore him. He's always like this."
The voices chimed in again.
He looks like he's gonna cry
Yo this is kinda sad
Nah keep going
Ask him if he can shoot webs
Kael's grin widened.
"Oh, good idea."
He spun back around. "Hey, Riven. Can you do the thing?"
Rivenor stared at him. "What thing?"
"You know," Kael said casually. "The web thing. Show them."
Rivenor shook his head. "No."
"Aww," Kael pouted exaggeratedly. "Come on. Don't be shy."
The phone chimed nonstop.
Do it
Spider-Man wannabe
Bet he can't
This is fake
Something hot flared in Rivenor's chest.
"Stop calling me that," he said, voice shaking. "Stop."
Kael rolled his eyes. "Why? It's accurate."
He stepped closer, phone still raised. Too close to Rivenor.
"You leave trails everywhere," Kael continued, tone almost bored. "School. Home. You're disgusting."
The words landed one after another, sharp and practiced.
"Do you know how embarrassing it is?" Kael added. "People think our house is cursed."
Rivenor's vision blurred.
"Mom cries about you," Kael said softly, leaning in. "Did you know that?"
That did it, something in him snapped. Rivenor moved before he could think. He surged forward, fast and sudden, his hand shooting out. Kael barely had time to react before Rivenor's fingers closed around the phone.
"What the—" Rivenor yanked, hard.
The phone flew from Kael's grip, skidding across the floor before slamming into the wall with a sharp crack. The livestream didn't cut. The screen flickered, camera spinning wildly as it landed face-up.
The comments went insane.
BRO???
WHAT JUST HAPPENED
YO DID HE JUST—
NAH THIS REAL
Kael stared at his empty hand, then at Rivenor. Shock spread across his face, slow and ugly.
Rivenor stood there, chest heaving, his whole body buzzing like he'd been struck by lightning. His hands shook violently, veins standing out against his pale skin.
He didn't know where the strength came from. He only knew it felt good.
Kael took a step back. "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Rivenor's eyes burned.
"I said," he growled, his voice low and unfamiliar, "get out of my room."
The air went instantly cold. The webs along the walls tightened, pulling inward. Threads slid silently across the ceiling, converging toward the center of the room.
Kael noticed, his expression shifted.
"Riven," he said cautiously. "Calm down."
Rivenor took one step forward, Kael took two back.
"You don't call me that," Rivenor said. "Not anymore."
The phone screen lit up again as the livestream continued, voices overlapping, frantic.
His eyes—
Bro why he look like that
This ain't funny anymore
Kael swallowed.
"Look," he said quickly, forcing a laugh. "You're freaking people out."
Rivenor smiled, it scared Kael more than anything else had.
"You should leave," Rivenor repeated. "Before I show you why they call me Riven."
For a second, Kael looked like he might argue, then he bolted. He shoved past Rivenor, nearly tripping over his own feet as he fled the room.
The door slammed behind him, silence crashed down. Rivenor stood there, shaking, breathing hard, staring at the broken phone still streaming on the floor.
Slowly, he bent down. The screen was cracked, spiderwebbed glass spreading from the impact point.
Ironic.
He stared into the camera, the comments slowed.
WTF
…you okay?
This got dark
End the stream
Rivenor reached down and turned it off, the room fell quiet again. He sank to the floor, back against the bed, heart pounding.
Only then did he realize they'd seen everything. Kael had been recording live. Rivenor lifted his head slowly, eyes drifting back toward the space under the bed.
Two red eyes blinked open.