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The first time Kara heard the story, she thought it was an exaggeration.
Midvale wasn’t exactly known for hauntings. It was small, predictable—the kind of town where the biggest mystery usually involved who forgot to pay the public building’s electric bill. But in recent weeks, strange reports had begun to surface: voices in empty buildings, footsteps in deserted hallways, things calling out people's names.
And then, Winn vanished.
"He didn’t ‘disappear’," Alex had said, crossing her arms in the kitchen. "He’s investigating something and didn’t tell anyone. Classic."
"He sent weird texts," Kara insisted, pacing back and forth. "Talking about voices. About someone following him. This isn’t normal."
"Winn is anxious, Kara."
"Exactly! He wouldn't handle this well on his own."
Alex sighed, grabbing her phone. "His last location?"
Kara showed her the screen. "Old City Hall."
Alex grimaced. "That building has been abandoned for years."
"Which only makes the situation much better," Kara replied, devoid of any enthusiasm. "Did you know that abandoned buildings have a higher incidence of structural accidents and are also the ones most associated with paranormal reports? Like—"
"Go," Alex interrupted. "But not alone."
"I’m not going alone."
"Good."
"I’m going with Lena."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Lena Luthor?"
"She’s investigating too."
"Of course she is."
Lena wasn't investigating because of "mysterious voices."
She was investigating because systems don't fail without a reason.
L-Corp had acquired the old City Hall building months prior, intending to renovate it into a research center. But from the start, everything went wrong: unexplained power outages, equipment failures, data simply vanishing.
And now, an employee—Winn Schott—had gone missing after insisting on investigating alone.
"This isn't supernatural," Lena said, walking toward the building's entrance, her heels echoing on the concrete floor. "It’s a poorly identified technical glitch."
"Sure," Kara replied beside her, peering at the dark windows. "Because technical glitches usually mimic human voices."
"The human brain is extremely susceptible to patterns."
"Including patterns that call you by name?"
Lena shot her a quick glance. "Do you always assume the worst-case scenario?"
"I call it emotional preparedness."
Lena let out a soft sigh, pulling the heavy door open. It groaned loudly. The interior was dark, far too silent.
"After you," Lena said.
Kara narrowed her eyes. "You literally want me to go first into a possibly haunted building?"
"You seem more... motivated."
"I seem more expendable."
"That, too."
Kara stared at her for a second. "I don't like you."
"The feeling is mutual."
Silence.
A creak came from inside the building.
Kara took a deep breath. "Did you know that in many historical accounts—"
"Kara."
"Fine, fine. Going."
She stepped in first. And that was the exact moment the light flickered. Three times. Before going out completely.
Kara stopped in the middle of the hallway, clutching a file folder to her chest as if it could somehow protect her. The old Midvale City Hall smelled of dust, old paper, and... something far too damp to be comfortable. The silence followed the darkness—heavy, almost physical.
"This is great," she muttered, mostly to herself. "Classic trope. Old building, failing lights, probable supernatural presence. Did you know that over 70% of haunting narratives start like this? It doesn’t help. Doesn't help at all."
A sound cut through the hall. Footsteps. Slow. Shuffling.
Kara froze.
"Okay. It’s fine." She took a deep breath. "Could just be the plumbing. Old houses make noises. In fact, in the 19th century, many 'hauntings' were explained by the thermal expansion of wooden structures. Totally normal. Scientific. Chill."
The footsteps stopped. Right behind her.
Kara spun around so fast she almost dropped the folder. Nothing. The hallway was empty, doors closed, dust stationary in the air. She swallowed hard.
"Or... not."
On the other side of the building, Lena Luthor didn't seem the least bit impressed.
"Fascinating," she said, looking at the open electrical panel, illuminated by her phone's flashlight. "An electrical system that decides to fail exactly when someone chooses to dramatize an investigation. A coincidence, obviously."
She turned a screwdriver with precision, analyzing the wires.
"If this is another one of those 'mysterious voices' stories, I’m going to be deeply disappointed with the quality standards of the supernatural in Midvale."
A sharp crack echoed above her. Lena looked up. Silence. She returned to the panel. Another sound. This time, clearly footsteps.
Lena sighed. "If someone is trying to scare me, I suggest some creativity. This is predictable."
The footsteps grew closer. She snapped the panel shut and turned around—
"AH!"
Kara jumped. Lena didn't even blink. The two stared at each other for a beat too long.
"You..." Kara pointed, still breathless. "Did you do that on purpose?"
"Yes, I shut down the entire city's power just to scare you," Lena replied drily. "It was part of my evil plan for the week."
Kara narrowed her eyes. "You’re Lena Luthor."
"And you’re extremely loud for someone trying not to be seen."
"I wasn't trying not to be seen; I was trying not to be... killed by an invisible entity."
"Right."
Silence. A creak traveled across the ceiling. Both looked up at the same time.
"That’s the structure settling," Kara said too quickly. "Normal. Common. Frequent in old buildings. In fact—"
"Do you always talk like this when you’re scared?" Lena interrupted.
Kara crossed her arms. "I’m not scared."
Another footstep echoed from the floor above. Kara immediately shifted half a centimeter closer to Lena.
"I’m just... aware of historical possibilities and mortality statistics."
Lena arched an eyebrow. "Charming."
Lena's comment hung in the air, almost as palpable as the silence that reclaimed the hallway. Kara slowly uncrossed her arms.
"We could be doing anything else right now," Kara whispered. "Like... sleeping. Or watching a movie. Or... anything that doesn't involve possible invisible entities."
"Agreed," Lena replied, adjusting her flashlight. "But here we are."
Kara glanced at her. "With you."
"With you," Lena shot back in the same tone.
They began walking down the corridor side by side, their footsteps echoing louder than they should. It was strange—not just the building, but the situation itself. Of all people to be stuck with...
Kara looked away, focusing on the peeling wallpaper. Great, she thought. Perfect. Trapped in a possibly haunted building with the person I have a completely inconvenient crush on.
Beside her, Lena kept her expression neutral, but her thoughts weren't much different. Of course, she thought. If I were to develop an interest in someone, it had to be the person who panics by citing historical trivia in a dark building.
A groan interrupted the thought process. They stopped simultaneously.
"That came from the room on the left," Kara whispered.
"Or the ceiling," Lena replied. "Or the entire structure."
"Do you always minimize everything?"
"I call it maintaining control."
Kara took a deep breath. "I call it sophisticated denial."
Lena almost smiled. "Let's go."
They pushed the door open slowly. The room was empty—old desks, stacked chairs, papers strewn across the floor. Lena’s flashlight swept the room, illuminating corners where the light seemed reluctant to stay.
Kara stepped forward. And then she saw it. In the back of the room. Near the window. A figure. Standing. Motionless. Its head tilted slightly, as if observing.
Kara froze. "Lena," she said, her voice cracking. "There’s someone there."
Lena looked immediately. "Where?"
"There," Kara pointed, her eyes locked on the figure. "Near the window."
Lena focused the light on the spot. Nothing. Only dust and grimy glass.
"Kara, there’s no one there."
"Yes, there is," Kara insisted, stepping back. "I can see them."
The figure didn't move. But it was... wrong. As if it weren't entirely solid. As if it were... mimicking the shape of a person.
Lena stepped a bit closer. "Kara, look at me."
"I’m looking at them."
"Kara."
The firmness in Lena's voice made Kara hesitate. She looked away for a second. When she looked back—nothing. The figure was gone.
"That wasn't normal," Kara said softly.
"No," Lena replied with controlled calm. "It was perception under stress."
"I saw it, Lena."
"I know you think you saw it."
Kara turned to her, irritated. "I don't 'think'."
Lena met her gaze. "The human brain is extremely efficient at filling in gaps, especially in low-visibility, high-tension environments. You were already expecting something strange. Your brain delivered."
Kara opened her mouth to argue, then closed it. She sighed. "Fine. Okay. Scientific explanation. Cool. Wonderful. Love it."
Lena watched her for a moment. "That was sarcasm."
"It was."
Winn’s phone vibrated again. The two exchanged a quick look and followed the sound without a word. They found the room. It was larger, darker, with old files piled against the walls. And in the corner—
"Winn."
He was there. Sitting on the floor. Huddled. His eyes were wide.
"Winn," Kara approached slowly. "Hey. We found you."
He didn't react immediately. His lips moved, but the sound took a moment to emerge.
"It’s... it’s not just..." he whispered. "It’s not just a..."
"A what?" Kara knelt in front of him.
Winn blinked repeatedly, trying to focus. "She... she knows things." His voice trembled. "She speaks as if... as if she were us."
Lena approached cautiously. "Winn, look at me. Are you hurt?"
He shook his head too fast. "Don't touch..." he whispered. "Don't let her touch."
Kara swallowed hard. "Who, Winn?"
He slowly turned his face... toward an empty spot in the room. "Her."
The silence that followed was worse than any noise. Lena reached out. "Let's get out of here."
Winn hesitated, then nodded.
Getting out was... harder than getting in.
The hallway looked different. Longer. Doors that had been open were now shut. And the footsteps—now there were many. Coming from different directions.
"This isn't right," Kara said, looking around.
"No," Lena replied, tense. "This is definitely not right."
They reached the stairs and ran down. The entrance door was right there. But when Lena tried to open it, it wouldn't budge.
"Locked?" Kara asked.
"No." Lena tried again. "It’s as if it’s... stuck."
Winn’s breathing quickened. "I tried," he said. "I tried to leave."
The building wasn't just occupied. It was holding them. Time passed without reference. Hours, perhaps. Fear came in waves, and Kara spoke more with every wave.
"Did you know there are reports of 'non-Euclidean' spaces in folklore—"
"Kara," Lena said, exhausted.
"Sorry."
At some point, Lena stopped trying to explain. She stopped rationalizing every sound, every shadow. Because some things simply didn't fit. And against her own logic, she began to accept it. Not fully, but enough.
When the light changed, it was almost imperceptible. A faint gray filtering through the windows. Morning.
Kara was the first to notice. "Lena."
Lena looked. And then—the door. It opened. No resistance. The three stood frozen for a second. Then, they bolted.
The air outside felt... too light. Too real. Winn sat down on the curb, still in shock. Kara took a deep breath, looking at the sky.
"We made it out."
Lena looked back at the building. Silent. As if nothing had happened. "We made it out," she repeated.
"So," Kara said, turning slightly toward her. "After all that..."
Lena crossed her arms. "No."
"I didn't even finish."
"No."
Kara tried not to smile. "You don't even know what I was going to say."
Lena tilted her head. "You were going to suggest we... repeat the experience in some absurd way."
"I was going to ask you out on a date."
Pause. Lena blinked. Once. "...Oh."
Kara shrugged, trying to look casual. "I figured after the weirdest night of our lives, maybe—"
"It was about time?"
Kara raised an eyebrow. "Exactly."
Silence. Lena looked at her for a second longer than necessary. "Maybe it was," she said finally. "But I have one condition."
"What?"
"Never explore allegedly haunted places again."
Kara grimaced. "That significantly narrows down our options."
"Consider it a survival measure."
Kara thought it over. "Okay. Fair."
Winn made a low sound beside them. Both looked at him. "We need to get him home," Kara said.
"Agreed."
But Lena didn't look away from Kara immediately. And for an instant, she almost said something. Almost. Instead, she turned and started walking. "Let's go."
Kara followed. But before leaving completely, she looked back. At the building. And she swore that there was someone in the second-floor window. Watching. Waiting.
She didn't say anything. She just turned back and went. With the clear feeling that this wasn't over yet.