Damian

The cold concrete digs into my shoulder blades. I slide down the wall, pulling my knees to my chest, and I can't hold it back anymore — my shoulders begin to tremble slightly. Tears break free.

"Why on earth did I even come here..." — I exhale into the void, but my voice is drowned out by the ringing silence of the room.

This was supposed to be my birthday. My quiet, cozy celebration. Alex knew that I hate the dark, loud noises, and the touch of strangers. He knew how hard my heart pounds at any sudden movement. But his "perfect gift" turned out to be a hardcore horror quest in an old industrial building.

I tried. I really tried to smile when the manager explained the rules about the infliction of pain and the mandatory orders of the actors. I even stepped inside.

But the actors grabbed Peter and Margo by the arms, dragging them into dark corners, whispering things in their ears. They simply bypassed me, as if I were part of the props. My friends interrupted every sentence I spoke, and Alex spent the entire evening intentionally rubbing up against Margo, laughing at her bravery and completely ignoring my hunted gaze. In the labyrinth, the guide said, "Split up." And absolutely everyone left in pairs. Except for me. Twenty minutes of absolute darkness, a flashing red lamp, my own panicking breath, and the realization of my own uselessness.

The corridor. A turn.

I saw them. Pressed against each other. Alex's hands were under Margo's skirt, and she was laughing softly into his lips. He was kissing her the way he was supposed to kiss me today — with all the tenderness that I had so desperately lacked throughout this cursed evening.

I ran into a dusty room, slammed the door, and collapsed onto the floor. I want to quit the game.

A heavy metallic clang echoes from above. The old wardrobe opposite me shudders, its rusted hinges creaking strainedly. I freeze, afraid to breathe.

The door slowly opens. A tall figure in a torn shirt, stained with thick burgundy paint, heavily climbs out. It's an actor.

You take a step forward, carefully stepping over the shards of a broken mirror on the floor.