The world had shifted.
One second they were walking into their chemistry class... the next, they were standing in pure darkness.
The floor beneath their feet was stone—cold and ancient.
Above them, no ceiling. Around them, only shadows.
And in front of them…
A long, curved wall, lined with twelve strange doors, each glowing with its own color and energy.
The only things in this strange world that looked real.
Silence.
Not even a breeze. Not even a heartbeat.
Then came the first voice.
"Where are we?" whispered Hooria, her voice almost cracking.
Hijab took a deep breath. She stepped forward, calm but alert. "Listen to me. Don't panic. I think… this might be a test. Maybe the school is checking our powers. We should treat it like one."
"But what kind of test looks like a horror movie?" muttered Gull-e-Amna, trying to stay close to her sister.
Then Hamna raised her arms and said in a bold, cheerful tone, "So let's have fun! Maybe behind one door there's a chocolate fountain!"
A few students laughed nervously.
Noor Fatima narrowed her eyes. "Don't take this lightly," she said seriously. "Something about this place is not right."
Her friend Fizza rolled her eyes dramatically and raised her hands. "Okay okay! Calm down, Miss Sherlock Holmes. We get it—darkness, mystery, blood, doom, danger... but where's the popcorn?"
That broke the tension for a second. A few chuckles rippled through the group.
Still, the fear was real.
Zanib Gulzar closed her eyes, trying to use her telepathy—but all she felt was static. Noise. Like something was blocking her.
Ayesha Rafi looked at the twelve doors in front of them. Some were made of rusted iron. Others were carved with glowing symbols. One looked like glass, but it rippled like water.
She stepped closer. "We need a plan. We can't just stand here forever."
"Yes," said Sadiya, nodding. "We need to go through. But carefully."
No one noticed, but Minha was staring at the doors with an unreadable expression.
Her eyes were focused. Calm. Almost… excited.
Aleena Batool glanced at her and for a moment felt something strange.
A chill.
Then Minha turned to her, voice low and smooth, "These doors… they are waiting. Do you hear them whisper?"
Aleena shivered. "I hear nothing."
Minha smiled—too soft. "That's the problem. Only the cursed ones hear."
Aleena blinked. "What did you say?"
But Minha had already looked away.
Then Ayesgul stepped forward and said firmly, "We can't go through all together. It's smarter if we enter them… one at a time. But no one should go alone."
Everyone nodded in agreement.
They began stepping forward slowly, drawn toward the doors by some unseen force.
The red door flickered.
The black one growled softly.
And somewhere in the dark, something moved—something that wasn't them.
Suddenly, Noor ul Huda's eyes went wide. Her breath caught in her throat.
Another vision. A future. But not one she could understand.
A door drenched in blood. A shadow without form. Screams from the sky.
She grabbed her head, stumbling.
"Are you okay?" asked Zanib Aman, rushing to her.
Noor ul Huda whispered, "I saw something… again."
Zanib held her shoulders. "Can you tell me?"
"I wish I could," Noor ul Huda said quietly. "But I can't. My power won't allow me to speak what I see."
Zanib frowned, then smiled with fake drama. "Well, next time your power allows, tell it to warn me before I walk into another haunted door wearing new shoes!"
That made Noor ul Huda laugh a little.
"Don't worry," Zanib continued, "if a monster shows up, I'll just throw Fizza at it and run."
"HEY!" Fizza shouted from behind. "Why always me?!"
"Because you scream the loudest. It'll distract them."
The group finally cracked a nervous laugh.
But deep down, they all felt it—
Something was inside those doors.
Watching.
Waiting.
And the real test… hadn't even begun.