Nancy’s eyes flashed with disbelief, her words trembling between frustration and a shadow of fear. “Elena, you’re losing your grip. There was no one there. I saw nothing but shadows.” Elena’s reply was taut, her voice low and haunted, a flicker of something wild in her gaze. “That’s not possible. I saw someone slip through the darkness with my own eyes.” Nancy’s sigh was sharp and weary, her concern veiled by impatience. “Look at yourself… You haven’t eaten in days. You barely sleep. The night plays cruel tricks on the mind. If anyone had been there, someone would have seen. You’re letting the darkness get inside you.”
For a moment, Elena’s certainty faltered. She deflated, the tension draining from her posture, as if the weight of the night itself pressed down on her shoulders. “Maybe… I was mistaken. Maybe the shadows are all that’s left. Maybe we should just try to sleep now.” But the hush was shattered—a piercing, unnatural chorus of screams erupted from the depths below, slicing through the gloom like a blade. Elena’s head jerked up, her breath catching. “What was that?” Nancy paled, her mouth tightening into a grim line. “Let’s go see. As Elena and Nancy reached the ground floor, they found a crowd of students clustered together, panic tightening the air. Panic roiled through the hall—a storm of frantic whispers and wild eyes, pale faces flickering in the torch-lit dark. Principal Winley swept in, her silhouette slicing through the chaos, her voice cold and commanding as winter steel. “What happened here?” she demanded, her words echoing down the corridor, heavy with warning.
Students parted, shrinking away like mist before a gathering storm. Nancy and Elena forced their way through the frightened throng. “Please, move aside and give us some space!” Nancy’s voice shook, her breath a ghost in the icy air. She gasped as the grisly truth revealed itself: a life snuffed out, hope curdled to horror. Winley’s command sliced through the terror, calm and glacial. “There is no need to panic.” But already, whispers slithered through the crowd like venom, infecting every heart—the race, once a promise of light, extinguished by sudden darkness.
Her tone dropped, grave and final, each word echoing with dread. “Listen to me. Because of this tragedy, the school will be closed for four days. Tomorrow’s race is cancelled. Inform Riyan’s parents.” Her gaze lingered on the shifting gloom, as if waiting for the shadows themselves to speak. “What is happening in Riverstrom?”
***
A short while later, Orthox stood outside the office, visibly shaken, pleading with the receptionist to let him see the principal. But Winley was nowhere to be found. Moments later, Principal Winley emerged, speaking in urgent tones to her staff. “Call an ambulance. Have Riyan’s body taken away.” Her eyes caught Orthox, and she paused. “Orthox, what are you doing here?” Orthox stepped closer, his voice dropping to a chilling whisper. “It has opened.” Winley’s composure faltered. “Calm yourself. Let’s discuss this in the office.” But Orthox shook his head, urgency mounting in his eyes. “There’s no time. The gate has opened.”
Winley’s voice was barely more than a gasp. “That’s impossible. It’s been sealed for twenty-one years.” Orthox’s stare was feverish, prophetic. “The one who opens it has come. The signs are clear.” After a tense moment, Winley turned to her staff. “Inform the students—the school is closed for four or five days. Everyone must go home.” Orthox’s panic spiked, his voice cracking under invisible pressure. “No, you mustn’t allow it! The last one who left was killed. I warned you. The second act is upon us.” Winley’s words trembled, thin as a dying flame. “What can we do now?” Orthox answered, his tone heavy. “Whoever it is, we’ll know soon enough. For now, all we can do is wait.” Fear thickened in the air, ancient and suffocating. Students huddled in tight clusters, whispers weaving a tapestry of dread that seemed to crawl along the walls. Nancy’s voice quivered, her eyes darting through the gloom. “What is happening here? I don’t understand any of it.” Elena seemed far away, her voice hollow and lost, as if echoing from beneath the earth. “Riyan’s body was found near the library. So the one who went to the library… killed him. Maybe it was Riyan himself who was in the library…” The accident had cast a funereal shadow—tomorrow’s race was lost to the dark. Elena stared into the void, dread coiling inside her.
Next Morning - Saturday
It is true that every new day brings change. But when new things bring only darkness, sometimes we must surrender to them—because even pain can teach what joy never will. All that happened at Riverstrom led Elena to one grim certainty: the one who killed her brother, and the others, is a single, unseen shadow. Now, the only thing left is survival. But who is that shadow among us?
***
“Did you hear that?” Nancy breathed, her voice a trembling filament in the gloom, as though she feared the darkness itself might answer. Elena’s voice cut through the tension. “What is it? Why are you shouting?” The words teetered between irritation and unease, hinting at the turmoil beneath her calm surface. Nancy’s answer came in a hurried whisper, panic thick in her tone. “All the students are being sent to Nightmare Hollow. Principal Winley announced the school is closing... Oh, how am I supposed to carry all my things there?” In a cold, sterile office elsewhere, Orthox and Winley spoke in hushed, urgent tones.
“We need to search the school thoroughly,” Winley insisted, every muscle in her face drawn tight with urgency. “Comb the entire building, leave nothing unchecked. But how will we know which gate it is?” she pressed, her eyes darting over the labyrinthine map. Orthox pointed at a barely visible mark. “It’s labelled ‘BCS’.” Winley’s breath caught. “What could that mean?” A chill settled between them as Orthox shook his head. “I’m not sure. But there’s a riddle attached.” His voice dropped, low and grave:
The pretender is at his house.
He doesn’t understand.
The words lingered, heavy and ominous. “I don’t know anything else beyond that,” Orthox confessed with a sigh. Outside, Elena listened, her brow furrowed as she repeated the riddle under her breath. The phrase circled in her mind, sharp and insistent. She entered, fixing Winley with a cold, unwavering gaze. “I believe someone has broken into the school, haven’t they, Miss Winley?” Winley’s expression hardened. “Why are you here? All the students have gone to Nightmare Hollow. Why have you stayed behind?” Elena’s face was unreadable. “I overheard everything. Maybe you’d prefer I tell everyone. But if you don’t want that, then you’ll tell me the truth about what’s happening here.” A spark of challenge lit her eyes. “You know I’m perfectly capable of doing so.”
If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.
A suffocating silence fell. At last, Elena turned towards the door, her voice devoid of emotion. “Very well. I’ll go and tell everyone.”
“No, wait!” Winley’s voice broke, desperate. She stepped forward, pleading in her eyes. “But you must promise you won’t tell anyone about this.” A slow, dangerous smile crossed Elena’s lips as she met Winley’s gaze. “You know I keep my promises.” Winley looked to Orthox, who nodded solemnly. “We should tell her.” Winley’s voice trembled under the weight of the past. “There was a time when this place wasn’t an academy. It was the very gate to hell itself. Evil came and went as it pleased.” She continued, words heavy as stone. “When the darkness grew too strong, our ancestors resolved to seal the gate. They succeeded, but the evil was so powerful that Gala Barbus had to give his life to make it happen.”
“In exchange for his sacrifice, the gate was sealed forever. Riverstrom Academy was built atop it. No one here knows where the gate truly lies.” Her voice dropped to a whisper. “But to open the gate, four magical doors must be unlocked. They’re hidden within the school, charmed to conceal themselves. The key was split in two. The second half is here in Riverstrom.” Abruptly, Elena cut in, her voice sharp. “And the first is in Bridgelay.” “Yes,” Winley whispered, her confession barely audible. “Everything that’s happened was caused by the one seeking the second piece. He’s the person we’ve been searching for.” Elena’s eyes narrowed, her voice cold and calculating. “So… have you found the location of the gate?”
“Only Jerif knows,” Winley replied, urgency thick in her tone. “He’s in Whilewillow. But the first gate has already been opened…” Elena raised her hand, resolve blazing in her eyes. “Don’t worry. I’ll do whatever it takes to help you find him.” A voice from outside shattered the tension, loud and impatient. “Elena! Hurry up, we’re going to be late! Where are you?” As Elena left, a chilling smile played on her lips. She whispered into the darkness, “I need not journey far. The game of destiny has just begun, and my prey is already here.”
***
Nightmare Hollow welcomed Riverstrom’s students with breathless and watchful silence. Max, unable to contain his excitement, shouted, “Hey, everyone! Since we’re here for a few days, let’s make the most of it. Tonight, everyone meets outside the hostel. Don’t miss it!” Nancy exhaled, relief washing over her features as a genuine smile—rare and fragile—emerged from behind her usual mask of worry. For a fleeting moment, it seemed as if the darkness hanging over them had lifted. “Finally, something good is happening,” she murmured, her voice soft and hopeful. But as she turned, her gaze found Elena already slipping quietly into the hostel, her figure half-swallowed by the dimly lit corridor. “Where are you off to now?” Nancy called after her, trying to inject warmth into her voice, desperate to bridge the growing gap between them. Elena didn’t slow. She paused only long enough to glance over her shoulder, her eyes cold and unreadable. “To my room,” she replied, her tone flat, stripped of any emotion.
Nancy hesitated, feeling the chill of Elena’s detachment. “Wait, I’m coming too!” she called, taking a hurried step forward—only to be interrupted by another voice. Jayson stood nearby, his posture uncertain, hope flickering in his eyes as he spoke. “Nancy, wait.” Startled, Nancy turned to face him. “Oh, Jayson.” The surprise in her voice was genuine—she hadn’t noticed him standing there, half-hidden in the shadows. He shifted awkwardly, searching her face. “Did she see my message?” The question seemed to weigh on Nancy. Slowly, her smile faded, replaced by a shadow of guilt. “I’m sorry, Jayson. I forgot to tell you. She’s not coming. She has something to do. I’m sorry.”
Jayson’s shoulders slumped, disappointment etched across his features. He forced a faint, unconvincing smile. “It’s alright. No problem. Really, it’s fine.” But his voice betrayed him, heavy with a sadness he could not mask. The moment hung between them, awkward and unresolved—a reminder that, even in moments of relief, the shadows were never far behind. Alone in her dimly lit room, Elena paced restlessly, shadows flickering along the walls as the riddle gnawed at her mind. “The pretender is at his house; he doesn’t understand. What could it mean?” she murmured, her voice barely more than a whisper, each repetition growing heavier. The question turned over and over in her head, as if the words themselves were alive, burrowing deeper: “The pretender is at his house…” Suddenly, Nancy’s voice shattered the silence, startling Elena. “The answer is a raven,” she declared, her tone brimming with certainty. Elena spun around, surprise and confusion etched across her face. “A raven?” she echoed, struggling to grasp Nancy’s meaning.
“Yes,” Nancy replied without hesitation. “From what I’ve read, a raven’s nest is often used by a cuckoo to lay its eggs. So, the answer must be a raven.” Elena’s mind raced, trying to connect the dots. “But what could ‘crow’ mean in this context?” she wondered aloud, urgency creeping into her voice. Suddenly, realization flashed in her eyes. “Of course—the library. We need to go to the school library tonight.”
“But everyone’s meeting outside tonight,” Nancy protested quietly, concern clear in her tone. “Then I’ll go alone,” Elena said, her voice flat and resolute. The decision was final.
***
Night had fallen, blanketing the world in velvet darkness that pressed in against the hostel walls. Nancy’s worry gnawed at her as she watched Elena prepare. “Are you really going?” she asked, her voice trembling with anxiety. A sly, knowing smile tugged at Elena’s lips. “I have a feeling I’m about to discover something important,” she replied, her eyes glinting with dangerous excitement. Elena slipped into the jungle, her flashlight carving a narrow path through the dense, suffocating blackness. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and unseen things. Footsteps rustled behind her, but she didn’t turn. “I don’t remember asking you to come along,” she called over her shoulder, her tone edged with both caution and familiarity. “I came only for you,” Nancy answered, her voice a fragile blend of fear and loyalty. “Keep your voice down,” Elena hissed, her posture suddenly tense. “Someone’s nearby.”
“Someone just went into the library,” Nancy whispered, her voice shaking with dread. Elena nodded sharply, her eyes flashing as she urged Nancy forward. They crept to the library door, cautiously pushing it open. The silence inside was thick and unnatural, swallowing every sound. Suddenly, they collided with a shadow—Jayson. “Ouch! Watch where you’re going!” Jayson exclaimed, nearly dropping what he was carrying. “Jayson? What are you doing here?” Nancy blurted out, shock and confusion mingling in her voice. Her eyes darted to the bundle in his hands. “And who’s the food for?”
“What about the two of you?” Jayson shot back, his voice unsteady and defensive. Elena’s eyes narrowed, cold as ice. “Why did you kill John?” she demanded, her words deliberate and unwavering. “What? What are you talking about?” Jayson stammered, his face draining of color, panic rising in his eyes. “Why would I ever hurt John? Who even is John?” “Then why are you here, Jayson?” Elena pressed, her voice razor-sharp. “I... I... well...” Jayson faltered, his words dissolving into the charged silence. Suddenly, a low, guttural growl rumbled from the far corner of the library, where shadows pooled thick and deep. “What was that?” Elena whispered, her tone sharp with curiosity and unease. Jayson’s face turned ashen; fear stole his words. “I-I don’t know...” he barely managed. A slow, predatory smile crept across Elena’s lips, anticipation glittering in her eyes. The night seemed to pulse with secrets. Somewhere beyond the trembling beam of her flashlight, danger—and answers—waited patiently in the darkness.
