The ghost walker's presence sent a chilling wave through the air. Its hollow, glowing eyes bore into Stella, and for a moment, the world around them seemed to still. Time itself hung in the balance, every breath, every heartbeat, slower, heavier.
Stella gripped Josh's arm tighter, feeling the tension in his body as he stood beside her, both of them frozen in place by the apparition's gaze. The figure, shrouded in darkness and smoke, moved with an unnatural silence, the air seeming to bend around it.
"Run," Stella whispered, her voice barely audible.
Josh nodded, his eyes wide with the same fear coursing through her. They turned, ready to bolt, but the ghost walker lunged. In a split second, the shadowy figure closed the distance between them, moving faster than they could react.
