"Man, I can't believe they postponed graduation for next week," Tsagi complained, kicking up dust as we walked. "I knew this school was run by lames," Tsagi and I were walking down the neighborhood on our way to my house. The streets were mostly quiet—just a few parked cars, a sprinkler hissing in someone’s yard, the distant hum of a lawnmower. It was the kind of place where every house looked the same, each one a copy-paste version of the last, with neatly trimmed lawns and driveways that rarely saw more than two cars at a time. The sky above us was still choked with dark clouds, the heaviest ones sinking lower, almost swallowing the rooftops. The air felt thick, like the whole neighborhood was waiting for something to happen. Maybe it was just the storm rolling in. Or maybe it was something else. I rolled my shoulders, trying to shake the weird feeling. It had been creeping up on me all day—the sense that something was off, like a word on the tip of my tongue that I couldn't quite place. *SNAP!* I snapped out my thoughts and looked up to see Tsagi looking at me with a concerned look. "You good, man?" Tsagi asked, glancing at me. "You've been out of it all day," I forced a shrug. "Y-Yeah, sorry! I probably didn't get enough sleep last night," Tsagi flashed me a playful grin. "Up all night thinking about me, huh? Don't worry, I have that effect on people," I scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself," We turned the corner onto my street, the houses growing more familiar. The sun had dipped lower, barely visible behind the thick storm clouds, casting everything in a strange, reddish hue. The wind had picked up, rustling the trees lining the sidewalks, carrying with it the faint scent of something... burnt. I paused for half a second, sniffing the air. Was someone grilling? "Yo, c’mon, slowpoke," Tsagi called, already a few steps ahead. "Or do you need me to carry you home, princess?" "Shut up," I muttered, brushing off the weird feeling and following him up my driveway. My house was nothing special—just another cookie-cutter suburban home with beige walls and a red front door that had seen better days. The porch light flickered as we stepped onto the front steps, its bulb dim and buzzing like it was struggling to stay alive. I pulled out my keys, but before I could unlock the door, Tsagi grabbed the handle and waggled his fingers with a sly smile. "Ezra, I've known you since we were both in diapers, and I am your very, very, best friend, right?~" I squinted in hesitation. What's he getting at? "Yeah, sure, but can I just-" "No need, because I already know you didn't lock the door," In one quick motion, Tsagi grabbed the handle and yanked it down dramatically. “Unlocked. Classic Ezra move,” he teased, rushing inside. I sighed. Had I really forgotten to lock it this morning? Maybe I was more out of it than I thought. “Yeah, yeah, welcome to my humble abode,” I muttered, shutting the door behind me. The house was quiet, save for the distant hum of the fridge and the faint ticking of the clock in the living room. The air smelled faintly of lavender from one of Mom’s obsessive candle collections, though there was still a lingering scent of something smoky. I kicked off my shoes while Tsagi strolled ahead like he owned the place. “Damn, it’s warm in here,” he said, tugging at the collar of his shirt. Now that he mentioned it… he wasn’t wrong. The AC was on—I could hear the vents running—but the air **felt thick**, like the house had been holding onto heat all day. The uneasy feeling from earlier returned, clawing at my gut. “Yo, Emma!” I called out, shaking it off. “We’re home.” No response. “Yo, Emma!” I called out, shaking it off. “We’re home.” No response. “Guess we have the whole house to ourselves,” Tsagi joked, plopping onto the couch. "So, what are you trying to get into?" I rolled my eyes and made my way toward the hallway. “Emma?” Then, from upstairs— ***THUMP.*** I stopped mid-step. Tsagi sat up straight, glancing toward the ceiling. "The hell was that?" A second later, Emma came sprinting down the stairs, nearly tripping over her own feet. "Ezra!" she huffed, her eyes wide. "Why didn't you tell me you were bringing over _your boyfriend_?" I groaned. “Not this again.” Tsagi grinned, wiggling his eyebrows. “Aww, babe, you didn’t tell your family about us?” "Don't encourage her," I muttered, rubbing my temple. Emma smirked. "Too late." She was still dressed in her school uniform—a frilly black skirt and a white blouse with a tiny rose pin near the collar—but her socks were mismatched, and her hair was slightly disheveled like she'd been running around. "You okay?" I asked. She blinked, like she hadn't expected the question. "Yeah. Why?" "I dunno. You kinda _stormed_ down the stairs like you were about to announce the world was ending." Emma hesitated for half a second before rolling her eyes. "I was in the middle of changing my clothes when I heard the noise coming from down here," She shot a pointed look at Tsagi. “Guilty,” he said, not looking guilty at all. I shook my head. "Well, if you’re done being nosy, I'm gonna go change." Tsagi stretched with the TV remote in hand. "Cool, cool. I’ll just be here making myself at home." Emma gasped dramatically. "Are you _sleeping over_?" “Yeah, he is,” I said, already going up the stairs. “Oh my God, I have to prepare the guest room—” "You literally _don’t,_" I yelled from upstairs. I headed to my room, shutting the door behind me with a sigh. The weird feeling from earlier still clung to my chest, but I pushed it down, yanking off my hoodie and tossing it onto my desk chair. My T-shirt followed, leaving me in just my jeans as I grabbed a clean shirt from my dresser. Just as I was about to pull it on— The door swung open. “Yo, you got any—” Tsagi froze. I froze. For a solid two seconds, we just stared at each other. Me, shirtless. Him, holding an unopened bag of chips he definitely stole from the kitchen. Then, with the most shit-eating grin I’d ever seen in my life, he slowly leaned against the doorframe. “Damn, Ezzy,” he said, his voice way too smooth for my liking. “You been hitting the gym behind my back?” I groaned. “Tsagi, _get out._” He ignored me, stepping into my room like he hadn’t just walked in on me half-naked. “I mean, damn, bro, you’re _kinda_ built. Not as much as me, of course.” He flexed one arm, smug as hell. “You should start bulking a little bit.” I pulled my shirt on as fast as humanly possible. “First of all, shut up. Second of all, why are you even in here?” “Snacks.” He held up the stolen chips. “Also, I got bored. Your house is warm as hell, by the way. Feels like a damn sauna in here.” “Yeah, yeah, my bad. I’ll tell the AC to try harder.” Tsagi plopped onto my bed, unbothered, while I grabbed a pair of sweatpants to change into. He watched me for a second, then casually asked, _“You ever think about cutting your hair?”_ I hesitated mid-motion. “What?” “Your hair.” He popped a chip into his mouth. “I mean, it’s long as hell. Not saying it’s a bad thing—you _rock_ the whole pretty-boy look—but I dunno. Ever thought about switching it up?” I sat down on the edge of my bed, running a hand through my hair. “...Not really.” “Why not?” I exhaled softly. "My dad had long hair like mine, he never cut it," I said. "Plus, I guess… I don’t mind it. People just assume a lot about me because of it.” Tsagi didn’t say anything for a second, then shrugged. “I get that.” I glanced at him. “You do?" “Yeah. People take one look at me and think I’m a meathead jock who can’t spell his own name.” He grinned, but it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Joke’s on them, though. I spell at a _third-grade level_, _minimum._” I huffed out a laugh, shaking my head. “Yeah, okay, fair point.” For a second, we just sat there, eating stolen chips in comfortable silence. Then Tsagi ruined it. “So, what you’re saying is…” He wiggled his eyebrows. “You keep your hair long ‘cause you wanna be _hot_?” I threw the biggest pillow I could find straight at his face. --- After changing into something more comfortable, I headed back to the living room, where Emma was sprawled on the floor in front of the TV, flipping through game options. She was wearing an oversized graphic T-shirt, probably stolen from Mom’s closet, and black athletic shorts that barely reached her knees. Her socks didn’t match—one was plain white, the other had tiny cartoon ghosts on it. Her long brown hair was pulled into a messy ponytail, strands sticking out in every direction like she’d been rolling around all day. The glow from the screen cast a bluish tint across the dim room. Outside, the sky had deepened into a murky shade of navy, the last bit of daylight swallowed by thick clouds. The air inside still felt weirdly warm, despite the AC humming faintly in the background. I dropped onto the couch beside Emma. "What are we playing?" "An old game I found," she said without looking up, clicking through the menu. I raised a brow. "You still play that?" Emma shook her head. "Nah, not really. Tsagi asked me to set it up," Right on cue, Tsagi strolled in, tossing himself onto the couch next to me. "Damn right I did," he said, stretching his arms over the backrest. "You guys ever play _Spirits’ Call_?" I glanced at the TV, where the title screen flickered. A lone swordsman stood on the edge of a misty lake, a glowing blue spirit floating beside them. Soft, orchestral music hummed from the speakers, low and haunting. "You’re kidding," I muttered. "You seriously made us boot up a game from, like, ten years ago?" Tsagi grinned. "It’s a classic, man. Plus, Emma said she never finished it, so I figured we’d relive some childhood trauma together." Emma scoffed. "I was, like, four when this came out. I barely remember it." I sighed, rubbing my temples. "Fine. What’s the goal again?" Emma clicked through the save files. "You’re some chosen warrior, right? And you’ve got this little spirit guide who helps you save the world from some, like, ancient curse." I squinted at the screen as the tiny blue companion flickered in and out of existence beside the main character. _"Hurry, we don’t have much time,"_ Luma’s text-box read. _"The cycle of rebirth is almost complete."_ I frowned. "That… feels ominous." "Yeah," Tsagi said, nudging my arm and giggling. "Kinda like you, dude." I rolled my eyes. "What’s that supposed to mean?" He smirked. "Just saying, if you were in this game, you wouldn’t be the hero. You’d totally be the little floaty guy giving vague life advice." Emma giggled. "Oh my God, you would." I gave them both a deadpan look. "Cool. Glad to know I have the presence of a magic talking lightbulb." Tsagi grinned wider, leaning in slightly. "Hey, don’t be mad. At least you’d be _useful._" I shot him a side-eye. "What, like a glorified tutorial?" "Exactly." I was about to shove him off, but before I could, he grabbed my arm and yanked me into a headlock. "See, this is why you’ll never be the main character," he said, messing up my hair with his free hand. I grunted, elbowing him hard in the ribs until he let go. "Dude, _chill!_" Emma barely glanced at us. "You two are so dramatic." Tsagi, still grinning, nudged my knee with his. "What? Gotta keep Ezzy humble." I scowled, pushing his leg away. "You’re just mad ‘cause I’m better at this game than you." Emma finally looked up, eyes narrowing with mischief. "Hold on. If Ezra's the spirit guide, does that make you the chosen hero?" Tsagi grinned. "Obviously." I snorted. "Right, because if the world was ending, you'd _definitely_ be the guy saving it." “Damn right I would.” He stretched, then shot me a lazy, knowing look. "And you? You’d be my princess." I blinked. Emma choked on a laugh. "...Okay, no." I shoved his arm off the couch, but he barely budged, still grinning like an idiot. "What?" He leaned in slightly, nudging my leg again. "You _did_ claim the title." I scoffed, rubbing the back of my neck. "I was _mocking_ you." "Sure, sure." Tsagi stretched, completely unbothered. "Anyway, I think you’d make a _beautiful_ princess." Emma snorted. "Yeah, real elegant." I groaned, dragging a hand down my face. "I hate both of you." Tsagi just grinned wider, looking way too satisfied with himself. Loud, orchestral music came from the TV screen and Emma gasped, then she began to squeal with joy. "Oooh, everyone shut up! I think I've seen this online before!" For a little while, the **room was loud**—button-mashing, the hum of the TV, the occasional groan of frustration when Emma barely dodged an attack. Tsagi, for once, sat still, watching the screen with his usual lazy amusement, tossing out useless advice while Emma ignored him completely. "Jump left," Tsagi said. "Or else the projectiles would turn you into a kebab," "Shush, you're throwing me off my game," "I'm trying to help you. You have a whole debuff potion in your inventory and you refuse to use it, USE IT!" "Quit talking!" Emma snapped, gripping the controller tighter. Tsagi shook his head. "You're gonna die if you don't take my advice," Emma tilted her controller slightly as she maneuvered her character through a narrow hallway. "And yet, I’m still alive," she said smugly. "For now," Tsagi muttered. The screen cut to a wide stone chamber, the game’s hero stepping cautiously into the room. From the shadows, something shifted. A low growl rumbled from the speakers as a massive, four-legged creature slithered into view, glowing runes along its body illuminating the dark. "Yo," Tsagi said, grinning. "That thing’s sick." Emma didn’t respond. She was completely locked in now, shoulders tense, fingers tightening around the controller. The room fell quiet except for the rhythmic tapping of buttons. Then— The screen flickered. It was quick, barely noticeable. A half-second where the colors on the screen inverted, the music stretched into something warped and garbled, then snapped back to normal. I blinked. The game looked fine. The music played as if nothing had happened. Emma kept going, rolling out of the way of an energy blast, not reacting at all. "Did you see that?" I asked, looking at Tsagi. Tsagi leaned back, stretching his arms. "See what?" "The screen. It glitched for a second." Emma, eyes still locked on the boss fight, muttered, "It's old. Probably just lagging." The overhead light buzzed softly. It dimmed—not fully, just enough for the room to feel slightly darker before stabilizing again. A slow, uncomfortable prickling crept up my arms. The AC was still running, but the air inside felt thick, unmoving, like the entire room had gone still. It was the kind of quiet that didn’t belong, like stepping outside after a storm and realizing there were no birds, no wind, nothing. I rubbed my palms against my jeans, trying to shake the feeling. Why did it still feel so damn warm in here? Tsagi glanced at me out of the corner of his eye. "You good?" I hesitated. "...Yeah," I muttered. "Just need some air." Emma smirked. "That’s code for ‘I suck and need an excuse to leave.’" Tsagi grinned. "That also means you’re about to take the punishment dare." I rolled my eyes and pushed off the couch. "You two are actually unbearable." I grabbed my phone off the coffee table and headed for the back door, shaking off the lingering unease as I stepped outside. The cool air hit me immediately, sharp and crisp against my skin. I hadn’t realized how **stuffy** the house had felt until now. The difference was almost jarring—inside had been thick, **heavy**, like the air itself was pressing down on me. Out here, everything felt **open**, like I could finally breathe again. I let out a slow exhale, rolling my shoulders as I stepped further onto the porch. The backyard was quiet, except for the faint rustling of trees in the distance. The sky overhead was a deep, murky navy, the thick storm clouds from earlier still lingering, swallowing up the stars. Streetlamps from a few houses over cast a dull orange glow along the edges of the yard, but most of it was steeped in darkness. I ran a hand through my hair, glancing around. Everything was still. No wind, no distant sounds of cars, no crickets chirping. Just the faint hum of a streetlamp buzzing somewhere far off. I swallowed, rolling my phone between my fingers. Why did it feel like something was watching me?