Morning came without bringing any relief.
Nara woke on the floor of Room 13, her back aching. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating the room that had been filled with an impossible hallway the night before.
She slowly sat up.
The doll named Nara was still beside her.
Nara picked it up and looked around.
There was no long hallway.
No dozens of doors.
No sound of children.
The room had returned to the way it was before.
A small bed.
A wooden table.
An old wardrobe.
Toys scattered everywhere.
Nara let out a relieved breath.
“So everything’s back to normal,” she murmured, touching the doll’s face.
But when she stood and opened the door, she stopped in her tracks.
The door to Room 13 was still open.
Nara stared down the hallway.
Then her eyes moved toward the other doors.
One.
Two.
Three.
She didn’t count any farther.
She had learned from experience.
But something was different.
Beside Room 13 stood a new door.
The door was dark brown.
A metal number was mounted above it.
14.
Nara stood perfectly still.
Her hand slowly dropped.
“That wasn’t there last night,” she whispered, frowning.
She was sure of it.
Before 3:13 a.m., that door hadn’t been there.
Even when the entire house changed, she had only seen as far as Room 13.
Now the house had a fourteenth room.
Nara moved a few steps closer.
There was no sound from inside.
She raised her hand, but stopped before touching the doorknob.
“Later.”
Nara pulled her hand back and swallowed.
She didn’t want to repeat her previous mistake.
Throughout the afternoon, the door to Room 14 remained closed.
Nara tried to do ordinary things.
Clean the living room.
Make coffee.
Check her phone.
But every few minutes, her eyes returned to the staircase.
Two in the afternoon.
The door to Room 14 was still closed.
Four o’clock.
Still the same.
Six o’clock.
The sun began to set.
The house felt cold again.
Nara was in the kitchen when a sound came from the second floor.
Crash!
She turned at once.
The cup in her hand nearly slipped.
“What was that?” she asked, setting the cup down slowly.
There was no answer.
Nara picked up a flashlight.
She walked toward the stairs.
Every step felt heavy.
When she reached the second floor, she saw the door to Room 14.
The door was still closed.
But from inside came the sound of something scraping across the floor.
Scrrrk...
Nara stopped several feet in front of it.
“Who’s in there?” she asked, aiming the flashlight at the door.
Silence.
Nara waited.
Then a child’s voice spoke.
“I’ve been waiting.”
Nara froze.
It was a girl’s voice.
Soft.
But perfectly clear.
Nara tightened her grip on the flashlight.
“Waiting for whom?” she asked, her voice trembling.
There was no answer.
Nara took one step closer.
“Who are you?” she asked again, staring at the gap beneath the door.
There was no shadow of feet.
No sound of breathing.
Nara stepped back.
“If you want to come out, tell me who you are.”
Several seconds passed.
Then the voice answered.
“I’m not the one who has to come out.”
Nara furrowed her brow.
“What do you mean?”
The child’s voice didn’t answer.
Instead, there came a small sound, like someone laughing.
The hair on the back of Nara’s neck stood on end.
She decided to leave.
But before she turned around, her eyes accidentally fell on the number above the door.
14.
Nara blinked.
The number changed.
15.
Her breath caught.
She rubbed her eyes.
The number was still 15.
Then a few seconds later...
14.
Nara backed away.
“No...”
She stared at the number, slowly shaking her head.
This house didn’t merely add rooms.
It could change them.
Nara turned and ran toward the stairs.
But after only three steps, the child’s voice sounded again.
This time, it came from directly behind the door.
“Nara...”
She stopped.
Don’t answer.
Nara closed her eyes.
Then the voice whispered:
“The next room will appear for someone else.”
Nara slowly opened her eyes.
She turned around.
The door to Room 14 was still closed.
But beneath the gap in the door...
there was a pair of small feet.
Standing perfectly still.
Nara held her breath.
Then the feet slowly vanished into the darkness.
And the number 14 above the door...
changed to 15 once again.