Night 2 in their new apartment was supposed to be a relaxing evening for Veronica Lodge and Reggie Mantle. They had been adjusting to life outside Riverdale and, so far, the transition had been mostly smooth. Settling into a comfortable routine, they decided to wind down with a binge session of "Selling Sunset" on Netflix, sinking into the soft cushions of their couch, the glowing lights of their apartment casting a cozy ambiance.

"Who knew real estate could be so dramatic?" Veronica commented with a laugh, her eyes glued to the screen.

Reggie, his arm casually around her, chuckled. "Yeah, but it's nothing compared to Riverdale. We've had our fair share of drama."

Veronica smiled but her eyes were slightly distant, as if a shadow of her past lingered just out of reach. "True. At least here, it's just overpriced mansions and backstabbing agents."

But their peaceful evening was suddenly interrupted by a faint tapping sound—delicate at first, almost like the wind brushing against a window. Veronica turned down the volume, narrowing her eyes. "Did you hear that?"

Reggie nodded, sitting up. "Yeah… sounded like it came from the front door."

The tapping resumed, this time louder, more deliberate. Reggie, already on edge from the strange happenings in the apartment, got up, heading toward the door. Veronica watched him with cautious eyes, her body tense as he slowly opened the front door.

Outside, there was nothing. The hallway was eerily silent, the dim overhead lights flickering as if the building itself were unsettled.

"No one's here," Reggie called back, his voice filled with confusion.

Veronica frowned. "Maybe it was someone playing a prank?" But even as she said it, doubt crept into her voice.

Reggie closed the door and walked back into the apartment, but as soon as he sat down, the noise came again—this time, louder, a knocking that seemed more insistent. It wasn't just from the front door. The sound echoed through the hallway and almost seemed to vibrate from within the walls.

"Okay, this is getting weird," Reggie muttered, standing up once more.

Veronica, feeling a knot of anxiety tighten in her stomach, shook her head. "Forget it. There's no one there. It's probably nothing."

Reggie hesitated but sat back down. The knocking, however, persisted, following them like a relentless rhythm they couldn't ignore.

"Let's just go to bed," Veronica suggested, a little more shaken than she let on. She wasn't superstitious, but this new place gave her an odd feeling, one she hadn't been able to shake since the Bluetooth speaker incident.

Later, as they were getting ready for bed, Veronica decided to distract herself by FaceTiming her friends from Riverdale. The familiar faces of Betty Cooper, Archie Andrews, Jughead Jones, Kevin Keller, Tabitha Tate, and others appeared on her phone screen, their voices a comforting reminder of home.

"Hey, guys!" Veronica greeted them, putting on her most confident smile, even though she felt a strange pressure in her chest. "Just wanted to update you on life outside Riverdale."

"How's the new place?" Betty asked with a smile, her warm eyes showing genuine interest.

Veronica glanced at Reggie, who was sitting on the bed behind her, shrugging. "It's… nice. A lot quieter than Riverdale. But," she hesitated for a moment, unsure if she should even bring it up, "some weird things have been happening."

"Define 'weird,'" Jughead said, leaning forward on his side of the screen. "You lived in Riverdale, remember? Weird is relative."

Veronica laughed but quickly explained the strange occurrences—the cold spots, the power outages, the Bluetooth speaker blasting on its own, and now the mysterious tapping and knocking sounds.

Archie frowned. "That doesn't sound right. Did you guys check with the landlord about any history in the building?"

Reggie nodded. "Yeah, we talked to him. He said nothing strange has ever happened here, but it just feels… off, you know?"

"You need to be careful, Ronnie," Kevin said, his voice unusually serious. "Apartments like that sometimes have energy attached to them, especially older buildings."

"We're planning an apartment-warming party tomorrow," Veronica added, trying to lighten the mood. "You guys should come."

"We'd love to," Tabitha chimed in, "but a quick flight to Indiana might be a little tough."

They chatted a bit longer, exchanging life updates and comforting each other with memories of the past. By the time the call ended, Veronica felt a little better. Her friends had a way of making everything seem manageable.

But as they settled into bed, a deep silence fell over the apartment, more oppressive than before. Veronica lay next to Reggie, listening to his soft breathing as he drifted off to sleep. She had just begun to relax when she heard it again.

Knock. Knock. Knock.

This time, the sound was coming from inside the apartment. Her bedroom door.

Veronica sat up in bed, her heart pounding in her chest. She glanced over at Reggie, who was still fast asleep, and slowly got out of bed. She tiptoed to the door, pausing for a moment before reaching for the handle. Her fingers hesitated on the cool metal, the knocking suddenly stopping.

She opened the door cautiously, peering out into the dark hallway. Nothing.

"Hello?" she whispered, her voice barely audible in the eerie stillness. There was no response. The apartment was empty. Trying to convince herself that she was imagining things, Veronica shut the door and returned to bed.

But just as she was about to drift off again, the knocking returned, louder this time. Knock. Knock. Knock. It was insistent, demanding her attention.

Veronica jumped out of bed, her heart racing now. She flung the door open, half-expecting to see something standing there. But again, there was nothing.

"Reggie," she hissed, shaking him awake. "Reggie, wake up!"

Reggie groaned, opening his eyes groggily. "What's wrong?"

"The knocking," Veronica whispered urgently. "It's happening again. Someone's at the door, but there's no one there."

Reggie rubbed his eyes, clearly still half-asleep. "You sure it's not a dream?"

Veronica shook her head, her voice trembling. "I'm not dreaming. I've heard it twice now."

Reggie sat up, running a hand through his hair. "Okay, I'll check."

He got out of bed, heading toward the bedroom door. He opened it slowly, peering out into the dark hallway just as Veronica had. The apartment was completely silent, the air thick with tension.

"There's nothing here," Reggie said, but his voice didn't sound entirely convinced.

Veronica crossed her arms, trying to calm her nerves. "I swear, I heard something."

Reggie nodded, stepping back into the room. "Let's just try to get some sleep, okay? If it happens again, we'll figure it out."

But as they both lay back down, neither of them could shake the feeling that they weren't alone. The apartment, despite its modern comforts, felt charged with something unseen, something watching them just beyond the edge of their vision.

And as the night stretched on, the quiet seemed more like a warning than a reprieve.