On a beautiful moonlit night, the air was thick with the scent of rain-soaked dirt and desperation. Arsene sprinted through the shadows, his bare feet burning as they pounded against the wet pavement. His breath came in ragged gasps, his eyes darting wildly in search of the "hitmen" he knew were close behind. The doctors and nurses weren’t human, no he was sure of it. Their vacant stares had been a dead giveaway, just like the countless ghosts hovering around them.

  A soft, hysterical laugh escaped his lips. "No one believed me," he muttered, hopping over a puddle. "They kept saying I was crazy. Me. Crazy! But I’m not. They’re the crazy ones for not seeing something so obvious."

  Behind him, another figure dashed through the night. A woman, her hospital gown torn and covered in dirt, branches, and leaves, fluttered like a tattered banner. Aria clutched her head as she ran, her face contorted in a mix of fear and frustration. Voices screamed in her ears–"sisters," as she called them, overlapping in a chaotic symphony.

  "Run, Aria! They’re coming!"

  "Faster! Don’t let them catch you!"

  "Stand your ground and fight!"

  "Quiet! You’re all making this harder for me!"

  She stumbled, nearly falling, her legs still aching from her earlier stunt. But the urgency in her sisters’ cries drove her forward. She didn’t know how she’d ended up running alongside Arsene, but it wasn’t by choice. He’d appeared out of nowhere, muttering about ghosts and shadowy figures. A madman, clearly.

  "Could you please stay away from me, you weirdo?" she hissed as he veered too close.

  Arsene shot her a glare, then burst into laughter. "Stay away from you? Pfft. Which one of you? In case you haven’t noticed, you’re the lunatic—talking to yourself like some kind of deranged—"

  "I am not talking to myself!" she snapped, her voice rising with each word. "They’re my sisters!"

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  He rolled his eyes, nearly tripping on a broken section of pavement. "Oh, sure. And I suppose everyone has 'sisters' talking in their heads. Do you honestly believe you’re sane?"

  "That’s rich coming from the idiot who keeps babbling nonsense about ghosts."

  A shrill whistle pierced the air, cutting through their argument. Both froze, their eyes locking for a heartbeat. Then, as one, they took off again, their mutual disdain momentarily forgotten in the face of a greater threat.

  The staff from the mental institute were relentless, their silhouettes cutting through the fog with unnatural precision. Flashlights sliced the darkness, probing for the two escapees.

  "We can’t keep running like this," Arsene said, his voice low and urgent.

  "I know that!" Aria snapped.

  The two ducked into an alley, pressing themselves against the cold concrete wall. Arsene peeked around the corner, his fingers twitching.

  "Honestly, there’s no way out of this. They’ll probably catch us again soon."

  Aria’s hands trembled, but she steadied herself, closing her eyes. Her sisters’ voices filled her head again, each one offering conflicting advice.

  "Fight them!"

  "Hide!"

  "Make a run for it!"

  "Girls, please quiet down," she whispered, barely audible.

  "What’d you say?" Arsene asked.

  "Not you," Aria sighed, her expression weary. "Just... stay quiet."

  Before they could decide their next move, the alley flooded with light.

  "There they are!"

  Panic surged through them. Arsene grabbed Aria’s arm without thinking. "Run!"

  They bolted, hearts pounding, the sound of boots and shouts closing in. They didn’t stop to think, didn’t stop to argue, didn’t stop for anything.

  But fate was a cruel mistress, and she was on neither of their sides.

  A pair of headlights appeared at the end of the street, blindingly bright against the gloom. The truck’s horn blared, but it was too late. Arsene and Aria barely had time to register the impending collision before everything went white.

  When the light faded, the street was eerily silent. The truck driver stumbled out, his face pale as he stared at the two lifeless bodies sprawled on the ground. The hospital staff arrived moments later, their expressions unreadable as they surveyed the scene.

  Unnoticed by all, two faint wisps of light hovered above the broken forms of Arsene and Aria, flickering like dying embers before vanishing into the night.

  Their escape had ended in tragedy. But their journey was far from over. Perhaps it had only just begun.