Mated to Four Alphas-Chapter 26: Ghost at the door

Silas’s POV

"I had 50 or 56 followers, right? But now I have 1,000 followers—it’s a miracle!" My eyes widened, and my heart thumped calmly. This feeling was so different. I turned onto my back and started checking the list of followers.

"Umm... there are so many new people I don’t even know."

I put my phone down, spread my arms wide, and let them rest on the bed. My back ached, but there was nothing I could do about it. So, I quickly sat up and grabbed the cookie box. As I bit into the chocolate cookies, the crunch echoed in the room, and crumbs fell onto my lap—not that I cared. I just kept eating.

I finished half the box, then drank some water. Thank goodness there was already a water purifier beside the bed on the table. It wasn’t big, but it did the job. I filled a glass, drank it in one go, then filled another. After that, I took out my meds from their packets.

"Thank God they’re just capsules in different colors. I really hate taking medicine—it’s so bitter. But capsules? At least they have no taste, so it’s fine."

I popped three different-colored capsules into my mouth, took a sip of water, and swallowed them. Then, I downed the entire glass.

Sitting on the bed, I turned off the lights and placed the cookie box on the table. Wrapping myself in the blanket, I set my alarm on my phone before lying down. The room was cold since the AC was on, and the chilly air made my eyelids feel heavy. Still, I kept staring at the ceiling for no reason. It was eerily silent, and for the first time, I was sleeping in a different room, away from my own.

I pulled the blanket up to my neck, gripping it tightly as if to keep it from slipping away. Then, I closed my eyes.

Suddenly, I heard a vibration beside me. My eyes snapped open, darting around the room.

"What was that?"

I quickly sat up, my heart pounding so hard it felt like it would burst from my chest. When I glanced at my phone, I realized it was just my alarm ringing.

"Wait... 3 AM? But it was 11 PM when I went to sleep and set the alarm. Did I really sleep that long without realizing it? And why the hell did I set the wrong alarm?"

Yawning, I grabbed my phone and turned off the alarm. Surprisingly, I wasn’t sleepy at all—it felt like I had already slept enough. Rubbing my eyes, I got up and went to the bathroom.

When I came out, a sudden knock on the door startled me. My eyes flickered toward it.

Who could it be in the middle of the night?

I’d once heard that 1 AM to 3 AM was a paranormal hour when ghosts roamed around. If someone woke up during this time, it supposedly meant a ghost had been staring at them.

"Wait..."

The room suddenly felt haunted, and the knocking grew louder with each passing second. I hesitated before stepping off the bed, gripping my phone tightly. I wasn’t sure who was on the other side.

"Who’s there?"

No answer.

I pressed my ear against the door, trying to listen, but there was only silence. Slowly, I cracked the door open and peeked outside, hesitating.

My eyes widened.

A mini heart attack hit me as I saw a man standing outside, a dark aura surrounding him. Rope marks circled his neck, his head tilted downward.

"I died when I was just a newbie like you... now it’s your turn, Silas."

He looked up, and blood-red tears streamed from his eyes. His face was inhuman. Suddenly, his arms stretched unnaturally long, grabbing my throat and strangling me.

"Aaaaaaaa—Nooooo!"

My eyes flew open.

Panting, I glanced around and realized—it was a dream. Sweat drenched my body, and my heart pounded as if I had really experienced it.

The alarm was ringing again.

I turned to my phone. 8 AM.

"Great. What a horror-filled start to my first night in the dorm. I really shouldn’t have watched so many horror movies as a kid—now I feel hella scared."

After taking a bath and getting ready, I noticed my back wasn’t hurting as much as last night. That was a relief. Stepping out of my room, I glanced both ways down the corridor before heading toward the main company building. Of course, my goal was food.

I took the elevator up to the rooftop cafeteria.

The moment I stepped inside, the room fell silent. People started murmuring, their eyes locking onto me.

I let out a deep sigh and ignored them. At the food counter, even the chef was staring at me, which made me uncomfortable. But I shoved my pride aside, quickly filled my plate, and turned to find an empty seat.

I spotted one and walked toward it, but just as I was about to sit, someone slid into the chair.

"That’s my seat," I insisted.

"Does your name happen to be written on this damn chair?"

I clenched my jaw. There was nothing I could do—every other seat was taken. So, I leaned against the wall and started eating, holding my plate in one hand. I blurred out the people around me, ignoring their stares and whispers.

It was suffocating.

I finished my food quickly and left the cafeteria.

"Phew~" I sighed in relief once I was out.

I knew why everyone was acting like this.

What I did yesterday... that’s the reason.

This was just like middle school. On my first day, I had beaten up some bullies, and after that, everyone outcasted me. No one talked to me.

Looks like history is repeating itself.

But honestly? I don’t care if they talk to me or not.

Just then, I got a call from Nekol, so I quickly answered it.

Silas: Hello?

Nekol: Oh, you’re already up, Silas! I called to wake you because Keri has agreed to take online lessons. So get ready—I’m coming over. We’ll eat something first, and then you’ll attend the lesson.