The Curse of the Midnight Equation

In the university mathematics department, Simon was always the shining star. Consistently excelling and conquering challenges with ease, he had grown accustomed to being at the top. But his brilliance also cultivated an air of arrogance; he began to view his peers as beneath him.

One fateful lecture, the professor introduced an exceptionally complex problem, challenging the students to solve it in thirty minutes. The room filled with hushed murmurs of doubt. Even Simon found himself baffled. But within ten minutes, Suzy—a quiet, unassuming girl—stood up confidently and said,

"This is simple. May I solve it on the board?"

The entire class, including Simon, was left stunned as she effortlessly worked through the problem. While the students marveled at her skill, Simon seethed. His pride wounded, he resolved to uncover the secret behind Suzy’s talent and reclaim his position as the undisputed genius.

The next day, Simon spotted Suzy reading on the stairs, the book in her hands unrelated to mathematics. He approached her with a rehearsed smile, congratulating her on her brilliant solution. Suzy responded with a polite but distant acknowledgment. Determined to learn more, Simon asked for her phone number. To his surprise, she obliged without hesitation, leaving him both intrigued and unnerved by her aloof demeanor.

That night, as the clock struck midnight, Simon found himself unable to sleep. Against his better judgment, he decided to call Suzy. The phone barely rang once before her voice came through, calm and chilling:

"Hello, Simon. What do you need?"

Caught off guard, Simon stammered an apology before asking if she could help him with a particularly tricky equation. Suzy laughed, a low, unsettling sound that sent shivers down Simon’s spine.

"Why wait until tomorrow?"

she said. "Come to my house now. I’ll help you."

The address she sent led Simon to a decrepit, shadowy house at the edge of town. The air was thick with an unnatural chill, and the faint scent of decay lingered. Reluctantly, Simon knocked. Suzy opened the door, her expression unreadable, and beckoned him inside.

The house was a nightmare. Broken furniture lay scattered across the room, and an oppressive silence filled the air. Simon’s unease grew as Suzy locked the door behind him and threw the key out the window. Her eyes glinted with a sinister light as she stepped closer. Desperately, Simon tried to retreat, but there was no escape.

In an instant, Suzy’s form twisted and contorted into that of a hideous witch, her eyes glowing with malevolence. Simon fell to the ground, paralyzed with fear, as she let out a piercing, otherworldly scream. The next morning, Simon’s lifeless body was discovered in the abandoned house, his face frozen in terror. Suzy was never seen again.