Khalid had grown accustomed to the long, silent hours of his night shifts as a content moderator at one of the world’s largest social media companies. He had developed a routine that kept him focused and efficient, even when the rest of the city was asleep. But tonight was different. There was an eerie vibe in the air that he couldn’t shake, a feeling that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand up.
He glanced around at his colleagues, Liana, Amir, Boon, and Michelle, hoping to find a shared sense of unease. “Do you guys feel that?” he asked.
Liana looked up from her screen, puzzled. “Feel what?”
“Like…something’s not right,” Khalid said, but they all shook their heads, dismissing his concern.
Shrugging it off, Khalid turned back to his monitor. Suddenly, his screen went blank, and a dark figure with tall horns appeared in the reflection. Startled, he nearly jumped out of his seat. Liana and Boon noticed his abrupt movement.
“Khalid, are you okay?” Liana asked, concern etched on her face.
“I…I think I’m just tired,” he muttered, standing up. “I’m going to wash my face.”
In the bathroom, Khalid splashed cold water on his face, hoping to clear his mind. As he looked up, the same dark figure loomed behind him in the mirror. Before he could react, everything went dark.
Back at the office, Liana noticed Khalid had been gone for a while. “Boon, can you check on Khalid?” she asked.
Boon was engrossed in his work. “Amir, can you go?”
Amir shook his head. “Busy here. Michelle, can you?”
“Sure,” Michelle said, heading towards the bathroom. Moments later, a blood-curdling scream echoed through the office. The team sprinted towards the source, finding Michelle unconscious on the floor and Khalid standing over her with red eyes.
“What happened?” Liana demanded as they helped Michelle back to her seat.
“I don’t know,” Khalid said, his voice trembling. “I heard a scream and found her like this.”
Curiosity and fear mingled in the air as they resumed their work. Boon stumbled upon a video promoting black magic services. Jokingly, he asked Liana if she’d ever consider using such a service.
“Of course not, it’s against my religion,” Liana replied.
Khalid’s voice, now deep and menacing, cut through the conversation. “Are you sure, Liana?”
Liana stared at Khalid, unnerved. “What do you mean by that?”
Khalid just smiled, a creepy, unsettling smile that sent shivers down her spine.
The rest of the night dragged on in a tense silence. Boon, passing by the lounge where Michelle rested, saw her awake but dazed. When he approached her, she whispered about the figure she’d seen in the bathroom. Together, they peeked out and saw the dark figure behind Khalid.
Boon quickly texted Liana and Amir to join them in the lounge without alerting Khalid. Once they were all together, Michelle and Boon explained what they’d seen. As they spoke, Michelle noticed another set of feet behind Amir. Looking up, she saw Khalid standing there, eyes glowing red.
“Are you guys talking about me?” Khalid asked in his sinister voice.
Panic ensued as they bolted from the room, desperate to escape. Amid the chaos, the truth emerged. Liana, driven by her feelings for Khalid, had contacted the black magic service days before, casting a spell to make him fall for her. Unbeknownst to her, Amir had done the same, driven by jealousy.
The conflicting spells had summoned two demons, each fighting to fulfill their twisted purpose. Khalid, caught in the middle, was left to endure their battle for control over him.
In the aftermath, the office returned to a fragile calm. The truth about Liana and Amir’s actions came to light, and they faced the consequences of their desperate choices. But for Khalid, the nightmare was far from over. The shadows that haunted him that night remained, a chilling reminder of the darkness that can lurk behind seemingly innocent desires.
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