The rent was too cheap. That should've been my first warning.
Mira stood outside the building for a few seconds longer than necessary, staring up at it like it might suddenly explain itself.
It didn't look dangerous or anything.
Just… old.
The kind of old where the paint had given up years ago and no one bothered fixing it. One of the lights near the entrance kept flickering, buzzing softly like it was struggling to stay alive.
She adjusted her grip on her suitcase.
"It's fine," she muttered. "You've seen worse."
And she had.
Still, something about the place made her hesitate.
Only for a second though.
Then she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
The first thing she noticed was the smell.
Not horrible. Just… damp. Like the walls had been holding onto moisture for too long. There was also something faintly metallic underneath, but she couldn't place it.
The hallway lights flickered once.
Mira paused, then immediately shook her head.
"Relax. It's just bad wiring."
Her footsteps echoed as she walked further in, the sound feeling louder than it should've been. The whole place felt too quiet.
At the end of the hallway, someone was standing there.
Waiting.
He was tall, dressed neatly in black, like he actually cared about how he looked even in a place like this. His expression was hard to read. Not unfriendly… just blank.
"You're late," he said.
No greeting. No smile.
Mira blinked. "Sorry. I had trouble finding the place."
He didn't react.
Just reached into his pocket and pulled out a key.
"302."
She stepped forward to take it. Their fingers brushed for a second.
Cold.
Way colder than it should've been.
She pulled her hand back without thinking.
"Follow me," he said.
The walk to the apartment felt longer than it actually was.
Mira glanced around as they moved. Doors lined both sides of the hallway, but none of them made a sound. No voices, no movement. It didn't feel like people lived here.
"Is it always this quiet?" she asked.
"Yes."
That was all he said.
"…Right."
She didn't ask anything else after that.
They stopped in front of a door marked 302.
He unlocked it and stepped aside.
"Your room."
Mira walked in slowly.
It was small, but not terrible. A bed, a table, a chair. Basic. The window faced another building, so not much of a view, but she wasn't expecting one anyway.
It should've felt like a relief.
Instead, there was this weird feeling sitting in her chest.
Like something wasn't right.
"You'll get used to it," he said behind her.
Mira turned. "Used to what?"
He didn't answer.
Instead, he pulled out a folded piece of paper and handed it to her.
"Read it."
She frowned slightly. "What is it?"
"Rules."
She almost laughed. "Rules? For what—keeping the place clean or—"
"No."
The way he said it made her stop.
"Rules you need to follow if you're staying here."
Something about his tone made it hard to joke anymore.
Mira looked down at the paper.
Apartment Rules
1.Do not open your door after midnight.
2.If you hear someone running in the hallway at 3:13 AM, stay inside.
3.Never respond if someone knocks three times slowly.
4.Do not look through the peephole after 2 AM.
5.If the elevator stops at floor 7, get out immediately.
6.If the lights flicker twice, leave the corridor.
7.Never accept food from Apartment 305.
8.If you hear crying in the ventilation, ignore it.
9.Avoid the stairwell between 1–2 AM.
10.If the security camera screen turns black, return to your room immediately.
11.Never enter Apartment 407.
12.If you break a rule, inform the landlord immediately.
She read it twice.
Then looked back up at him.
"…This is a joke, right?"
"No."
No hesitation. No change in expression.
Mira let out a small breath. "Okay… you've got a weird sense of humor."
"I'm not joking."
There it was again.
That tone.
Flat. Serious. Almost warning her.
"Just follow them," he added.
There was a pause before he said the next part.
"…if you want to stay here."
After he left, the room felt even quieter.
Mira set the paper down on the table and stared at it for a bit.
Rules.
It was ridiculous.
Probably just some weird landlord thing to mess with tenants. Or maybe previous tenants made it up. Either way, she wasn't about to take it seriously.
Still…
She didn't throw it away.
By the time she finished unpacking, it was already late.
Her phone read 12:07 AM.
She stretched and sat down on the bed, letting out a small sigh.
"First day done," she murmured.
Knock.
She froze.
Knock.
Her eyes slowly moved toward the door.
Knock.
Three times.
Slow.
Her chest tightened slightly.
Rule 3.
Never respond if someone knocks three times slowly.
Mira let out a quiet laugh, trying to shake the feeling off.
"This is so stupid."
It was probably just someone from another apartment.
Or someone messing around.
She stood up anyway.
Walked to the door.
Her hand hovered over the handle for a second.
Then she opened it.
The hallway was empty.
No one.
No footsteps. No movement.
"…Hello?" she called out.
Nothing.
She frowned slightly.
And then—
A voice.
Right next to her ear.
Soft. Almost like a breath.
"Mira…"
Her body went completely still.
How did—
Suddenly, something grabbed her arm and pulled her back.
The door slammed shut.
Mira stumbled, her heart racing.
The landlord was standing there.
Too close.
His grip on her wrist was tight.
"Didn't you read the rules?"
His voice was low, but there was something else under it now.
Something sharp.
"I—there was no one there—" she said quickly.
"That's the point."
Silence.
Mira's breathing felt too loud in the room.
She looked at the door.
"…What was that?"
He didn't answer immediately.
Just stared at the door like he was waiting for something.
Then, quietly—
"It knows your name now."