The Midnight Steps Mystery

Every night at 11:17, Liam’s phone lit up with a notification. “Steps detected.” That made no sense. He lived alone. No smart watch. No fitness app open. He deleted the notification the first time it happened. The next night, 11:17 again. “Steps detected: 14.” He laughed it off. Probably a glitch. On the third night, the notification stayed longer. Under it, a small gray line appeared: Location: Bedroom. Liam sat up in bed, heart pounding. He hadn’t moved. He was wide awake. He checked the app permissions—nothing should have access to motion sensors. At 11:16 the next night, he turned on every light and sat staring at his phone. 11:17. “Steps detected: 6.” Then another notification popped up immediately after. “User is not holding device.” His phone was in his hands. The steps counter began to climb. 7… 8… 9… Each number appeared slower than the last. Liam whispered, “Stop.” The steps froze at 13. Then one final message appeared. “Steps detected: 1.” Location: Behind you. His phone screen went black. The lights went out. And something breathed softly in the dark.