Nyctophobia: Fear of Darkness

What do you see when the lights go out?

In Nyctophobia: Fear of Darkness, step into a world where shadows move on their own, silence hums with whispers, and the dark isn't empty—it's alive. Inspired by the disturbing brilliance of Junji Ito and the slow-burning dread of PTSD Radio, this collection of horror short stories drags you deep into the blackest corners of the human mind.

Each tale explores the primal fear of darkness—both outside and within. From cursed objects that whisper when the sun sets, to forgotten rooms that don’t exist in the daylight, and bodies that remember what the mind forgets—these stories will make you question what’s real once the lights go out.

But be warned: some fears don’t fade with the morning light.

Sometimes, darkness follows.

No one knew the name of the man who moved into Apartment 13C.


But the neighborhood called him The Smiler.


He never spoke. Never blinked. Just walked around with that same expression—a perfect, painted-on grin, stretched too wide. Lips pale. Teeth white as porcelain. A grin that made your skin crawl.


Children said he stared at them through the mail slot.


One morning, an elderly woman was found dead in her apartment.


But her lips were frozen into a twisted, permanent smile.


Muscles pulled back. Skin torn at the edges.


Like her joy had been ripped into place.


No cause of death. No signs of struggle. Just that impossible smile.


The police noticed something strange in the CCTV footage. In every building camera, during the exact minute each victim died, a blurry figure stood in the corner.


An artist named Callie, who lived one floor below 13C, became obsessed. She started drawing the victims. Their stretched, smiling faces. Each new sketch made her hands tremble more. Her dreams turned black and white.


Until one night, she drew someone alive.


That night, her lips started to ache. Like something inside was pulling them upward.


No furniture. No dust. No windows. Just one wall, covered with faces.


Stretched and nailed, skin preserved perfectly in eternal smiles.


And in the center of the room: a chair.


"FOR THOSE WHO'VE FORGOTTEN HOW TO SMILE."


She turned to run—but he was already there.


> *He wears your smile when he takes you.


And leaves your soul behind, grinning in the dark.*


If you see a man who never stops smiling—


Chapter 7 - The Smile Collector