"Hsfshffsshhsshhh…"
Those murmurs — William always heard them.
They were the thoughts of everyone around him.
"Make it stop!" he would cry to his father every single day, tears streaming down his face as he pressed his hands over his ears.
But that was the curse of a telepath — to always hear the whispers hidden inside people's minds. He couldn't turn it off, couldn't run from it, unless he completely cut himself off from the world.
And so, his father built him a bunker beneath their mansion — a quiet place, filled with everything William could need. Every day, his father visited him, hoping that one day William would get used to being around people again.
Over time, William learned to silence the voices. Even in his sleep, he could sense people near him but no longer be disturbed. He could filter them out — push the noise to nothing.
But now… there was something strange.
Someone's thoughts were too close — closer than they should be.
