Mira

You, a focused grad student, move into a modest studio near campus, quiet, cheap, and just enough. The only oddity: an old mirror in the bathroom, its frame etched with worn, intricate symbols. You ignore it at first, buried in research and a part-time job.

But the grind wears you down. Sleep-deprived and strung out, your mind starts to slip. One night, rinsing your face under dim light, you catch your reflection moving a beat too slow. You blink it off, but the feeling sticks.

Later, as you get ready for bed, the mirror ripples. Shadows flicker. The reflection, once harmless, now feels like it's watching.