Nara stood frozen in the middle of Room 13.
The sentence still rang clearly in her head.
"The one waiting... is inside with you."
She slowly turned to look around the room.
The room was empty.
Mira was nowhere to be seen.
There was no one there.
And yet, the feeling that someone was watching her only grew stronger.
Nara gripped both dolls in her hands.
The doll named Nara.
And the faceless doll named Mira.
She backed toward the wall.
"I have to stay calm."
Her voice trembled.
Then came a knock at the door.
Knock... knock... knock...
Nara fell silent at once.
Three knocks.
Exactly as Grandma Sari had warned her.
She didn't answer.
Several seconds passed.
Then a little child's voice came from the other side of the door.
"Nara..."
Nara closed her eyes.
The voice sounded like Mira.
"Nara, open the door."
Nara covered her mouth.
Don't answer.
She remembered Grandma Sari's message.
If someone calls your name, don't answer.
The voice came again.
"Nara..."
This time, it sounded closer.
As if the child were standing right outside the door.
"I'm scared."
Nara held her breath.
"Mira?"
The word nearly escaped her lips.
But she managed to hold it back.
The voice beyond the door changed.
"Help me."
Nara stared at the door.
"Don't..."
Her whisper was barely audible.
Then the voice laughed.
It wasn't a child's laughter.
It sounded like several people laughing at once.
"Nara..."
Nara backed away.
The wall behind her felt cold.
Suddenly, the Mira doll in her hand moved.
Its head turned slightly.
Nara flinched.
"Don't..."
The doll slowly raised its hand.
Pointing at the door.
Nara followed the direction of its finger.
A shadow of feet was visible beneath the gap under the door.
Small.
Like a child's feet.
Nara held her breath.
The shadow didn't move.
Then the little voice sounded again.
"Nara, I know you're in there."
Nara didn't answer.
"Do you still remember our game?"
Nara's head began to ache.
A memory flashed into view.
Two little girls were sitting on the floor.
They were playing with dolls.
Mira laughed.
Little Nara hugged the doll named Nara.
Then Mira said,
"If I call your name three times, you have to answer."
Nara flinched.
The memory vanished.
"The game..."
She stared at the door.
The voice outside sounded again.
"Nara."
Once.
Nara covered her ears.
"Nara."
Twice.
Her heart began beating faster.
"Nara."
Three times.
The room suddenly grew ice-cold.
The light flickered.
Once.
Twice.
Then it went out.
Click.
Darkness.
Nara stifled a scream.
In the darkness, she heard footsteps.
Not from outside.
From inside the room.
Tap.
Nara froze.
Tap.
The sound drew closer.
Tap.
Nara raised her phone and turned on the flashlight.
White light swept across the room.
Empty.
There was no one there.
But something had changed.
The doll named Nara, which she had been holding just moments ago...
was now sitting on the bed.
Nara stared at her hand.
The doll was gone.
"How..."
She approached the bed.
The doll sat upright.
Its cloth face was turned toward the door.
Then the little child's voice sounded again.
This time, it wasn't coming from outside.
The voice came from behind Nara.
"Nara."
Nara slowly turned around.
There was no one there.
She aimed the flashlight at the corner of the room.
Empty.
At the wardrobe.
Empty.
Under the table.
Empty.
Then the voice sounded again.
"Nara..."
Nara stared at the old mirror on the wall.
In the mirror's reflection...
she saw a little girl standing directly behind her.
Long hair.
A white dress.
A pale face.
Nara froze.
She didn't dare turn around.
The girl smiled in the mirror.
Then raised one finger to her lips.
Ssst...
Nara held her breath.
That girl wasn't Mira.
Her face was different.
She was younger, too.
Then she pointed toward the door.
Nara looked at the door's reflection in the mirror.
The door to Room 13 was now open.
Even though it had still been closed a few seconds ago.
Mira was standing beyond the door.
But Mira was crying.
Her lips moved without a sound.
Nara tried to read them.
Don't answer.
Nara nodded slowly.
Then a voice sounded from outside.
"Nara..."
The voice changed into Grandma Sari's voice.
"Sweetie, open the door."
Nara covered her mouth.
"Grandma knows you're in there."
Tears began to flow.
The voice sounded so real.
So familiar.
But Nara didn't answer.
Then Grandma Sari's voice changed into her father's.
"Nara."
Nara sobbed.
Then it became her mother's voice.
"Nara, kid."
Nara covered both her ears.
The voice kept changing.
Everyone she had ever known.
All of them called her name.
Until finally, she heard the voice she feared most.
Her own voice.
"Nara..."
She opened her eyes.
The little girl from before was gone from the mirror.
But behind her reflection...
another figure stood.
A tall woman whose face could not be seen.
And the woman was whispering directly into Nara's ear.
"Why didn't you answer?"
Nara closed her eyes.
She didn't answer.
Several seconds later, every voice stopped.
The room fell silent again.
Nara slowly opened her eyes.
The mirror was empty.
But writing had appeared on its surface, like scratches made by fingernails.
DON'T ANSWER.
A second sentence appeared beneath it.
BECAUSE ONCE YOU ANSWER, SHE'LL KNOW WHERE YOUR SOUL IS.