The Shadow in the Mirror

Every night at exactly 2:17 AM, Adam woke up without fail.

At first, he blamed stress, overthinking, and endless scrolling.

But then, something strange began to happen.

His mirror… started showing him differently.

Not instantly—just for a second longer than it should.

A delay that felt wrong.

One night, he waved at his reflection.

The reflection didn’t wave back… immediately.

It smiled first.

A cold, knowing smile Adam had never made.

His heart pounded as silence filled the room.

“Just imagination,” he whispered to himself.

But deep down, he knew it wasn’t.

The next night, he avoided the mirror completely.

Still, he felt watched… studied.

As if something had learned him.

At 2:17 AM, the mirror cracked loudly.

Adam rushed to look—forgetting his fear.

This time, the reflection moved first.

And Adam… followed.