The Red Room by H.G. Wells

A skeptical narrator visits a supposedly haunted room in a dark, ancient castle to prove that fear is irrational. As the night progresses, he’s overwhelmed not by ghosts, but by a growing sense of dread and disorientation. Shadows, flickering candles, and silence conspire to unsettle his mind. When he finally flees the room in panic, he realizes that fear itself is the haunting force. It’s a tense and psychological ghost story that turns inward rather than supernatural.