The night had fallen heavy over St. Ivy High, shrouding its towering buildings in a suffocating darkness. The storm from earlier had left puddles scattered across the grounds, and the moon was veiled by thick, unyielding clouds. The air reeked of damp grass and something else—something metallic, like the scent of blood lingering in the shadows.
Eira trudged down the empty hallway of the east wing, her heartbeat thundering against her ribcage. The message she'd received an hour ago still echoed in her mind.
Meet me at the old gym before midnight. Come alone. Don't tell anyone. Or she dies.
The words had sent a jolt of dread through her, but she didn't hesitate. If there was even the slightest chance of saving Selena, she'd do it. No matter the danger. No matter who she had to face.
She gripped the handle of her father's old switchblade hidden in her jacket pocket. It wasn't much, but it made her feel less helpless.
Her phone buzzed in her back pocket. Pulling it out, she saw another anonymous message flash across the screen.
You're late. One more step and she bleeds.
Eira's stomach dropped. A sick sense of urgency shot through her veins as she quickened her pace, her footsteps silent against the water-slicked floor. The old gym was at the farthest end of campus — an abandoned building they'd closed off years ago after a roof collapse. It was the perfect place for a trap.
She pushed through the decaying double doors and was immediately hit with the scent of mildew and dust. The darkness inside was thick, but faint moonlight leaked in through the shattered windows.
"Selena?" Eira called, her voice sharp and shaky.
No answer.
She took a cautious step forward, scanning the shadows. The room was empty — or so it seemed.
Then a figure moved.
A girl stepped out from behind one of the old bleachers, her face pale and streaked with dried blood. It was Selena.
Her wrists were bound in front of her with rough, frayed rope, and her lower lip was split open.
"Eira—" she croaked, her voice hoarse.
"Selena!" Eira rushed forward, but a voice cut through the room, stopping her dead in her tracks.
"Not another step, Carter."
From the darkness, another figure emerged. A tall, lean silhouette Eira recognized immediately.
Jaxon.
Her breath hitched. The traitorous ache in her chest flared.
"You?" Eira's voice was barely a whisper. "You did this?"
Jaxon's expression was unreadable in the low light, but his voice was cold. "Took you long enough to figure it out."
Eira clenched her fists. "Why?"
Jaxon chuckled bitterly. "Because you took everything from me. From the moment you showed up, it's been the Eira Carter show. Everyone fell in line behind you, even those who promised me loyalty. Selena, Kade, even my own brother. And you? You acted like you were innocent. Like you were better than us."
"I never—"
"Save it," he snapped. "You humiliated me, Carter. And now you're going to pay for it."
Eira's grip on the switchblade tightened. "Let her go."
"Or what? You'll stab me?" Jaxon's lips curled into a sneer. "You don't have it in you."
He stepped closer to Selena and pressed a blade of his own against her throat, the thin edge glinting in the dim light. Selena whimpered but held Jaxon's gaze, defiant despite her fear.
"You won't get away with this," Eira said, her voice shaking but firm.
Jaxon laughed. "I already have. And when they find your body here next to hers, it'll look like another one of your jealous breakdowns. Tragic, really."
Eira's mind raced. She needed a way out — a distraction, anything.
Then a sound behind her made them both turn.
Footsteps.
Heavy. Fast.
A new figure appeared in the doorway. It was Baron.
Eira's heart jumped.
"I told you to come alone!" Jaxon shouted.
But Baron didn't stop. In one fluid motion, he tackled Jaxon to the floor. The two boys grappled, the blades clattering against the ground.
"Eira, get Selena out of here!" Baron yelled between gritted teeth.
Without wasting a second, Eira ran to Selena and started working on the ropes. They were rough and tight, biting into Selena's skin.
"I've got you," she whispered.
"Eira—" Selena's eyes widened in horror as she looked past her.
Eira turned just in time to see Jaxon break free and grab his knife. He lunged for Baron, slicing a gash across his shoulder.
Baron grunted in pain but retaliated with a fierce punch that sent Jaxon stumbling back.
"Go!" Baron shouted.
But Eira hesitated. She couldn't leave him.
"Now!" he barked.
Tears blurred Eira's vision as she finished untying Selena's hands. They both bolted for the door, Selena leaning heavily on Eira for support.
Baron held Jaxon off, giving them just enough time to slip into the hallway.
"Selena, can you run?" Eira asked.
"I'll try."
But they didn't get far.
A voice crackled over the school's old PA system — a voice that made Eira's blood turn ice cold.
"Attention, students. This is Principal Morgan. All doors are now locked. No one leaves the premises tonight."
It wasn't possible. Principal Morgan was dead.
Eira had seen his body weeks ago. She and Selena buried him in the woods behind campus.
And yet… his voice was unmistakable.
The hallway lights flickered violently.
Eira clutched Selena's hand.
"What the hell is going on?" Selena whispered.
Before Eira could answer, a shadow moved at the end of the corridor. A tall, gaunt figure stepped into view. Pale, bloodless skin. Empty black eyes.
It was Morgan.
But it wasn't him.
He was…wrong.
Dead men didn't walk.
And as he raised a skeletal finger and pointed straight at them, his voice rasped through the speakers again.
The darkness swallowed Eira whole. The air felt heavy, suffocating, as though invisible hands were wrapping around her throat. She blinked, trying to adjust, but it was pitch black. Somewhere to her right, Selena clung to her arm, her fingers trembling like leaves in a storm.
"Eira," Selena's voice cracked. "Where—where did he go?"
"I don't know," Eira whispered. She reached into her pocket, her fingers brushing against the handle of the switchblade. A tiny comfort in a nightmare.
A loud clang echoed through the hallway — something metal falling to the ground. Footsteps followed, slow and deliberate. Whoever… whatever Morgan had become, it was coming for them.
"We have to move," Eira hissed, pulling Selena along the wall.
"But where? The doors are locked!"
"There's the basement entrance behind the science lab. Remember?"
Selena's eyes widened in realization. "You think it's still open?"
"It's our only shot."
They moved quickly but quietly, shoes squelching against the damp floor. Every flicker of the dying lights above felt like a warning. Eira's pulse pounded in her ears, but she forced her focus ahead. They had no choice.
As they turned a corner, a flash of movement made them both freeze. It was Baron — blood trickling down the side of his face, a deep gash across his arm, but alive.
"Baron!" Selena whispered desperately.
He gritted his teeth, motioning them to hurry. "This way — now."
They slipped into a narrow corridor behind the old locker rooms, ducking beneath broken pipes and decaying ceiling panels. The basement entrance lay ahead — an ancient, rusted door nearly hidden behind a fallen shelf.
Baron shoved it open, and the three slipped inside, pulling it shut behind them. The basement smelled of mold and rot, the air damp and cold. Faint emergency lights hummed, casting a sickly green glow.
"Did you see him?" Baron asked, his voice rough.
"It was Morgan," Eira whispered. "But it wasn't—he's dead, Baron. We buried him."
Baron's jaw clenched. "I know what I saw."
Selena shuddered. "This isn't just some twisted prank, is it?"
"No," Eira said firmly. "There's something else going on here. Jaxon knew too much. He wasn't acting alone."
They moved deeper into the basement, past rusted filing cabinets and forgotten equipment. Eira's mind reeled. If Morgan was alive — or something like him — what else had been hidden at St. Ivy High?
"Where does this go?" Selena asked, pointing to an old set of stone steps.
"I don't know," Eira admitted. "But it beats staying here."
They descended cautiously, the ancient stairs creaking under their weight. The deeper they went, the colder it became. A low, almost mechanical hum filled the air.
Finally, they reached a chamber — a circular room lined with old photographs, most of them water-damaged or torn. In the center, a strange device sat atop a pedestal. It looked ancient, something out of a horror movie — a tarnished metal cube with odd markings.
"What the hell is that?" Baron asked.
Eira stepped closer. "Looks like…a lockbox?"
Selena picked up a decayed photo from the floor. Her face drained of color. "Eira… look."
Eira took the photo, brushing away grime. It showed a group of students — from decades ago — standing in front of the school. But one face stood out.
Jaxon.
He looked exactly the same.
"That's impossible," Baron said, his voice breaking.
Eira's stomach twisted. "No way. That photo has to be fake."
But then they noticed something else. Another familiar face.
Principal Morgan.
Same face. Same cold, dead eyes.
"How… how are they in a photo from the 1960s?" Selena stammered.
A voice spoke from the shadows.
"Because St. Ivy High was never just a school."
They spun around. A woman stepped forward — tall, severe, dressed in a dark coat. Her eyes glinted like wet obsidian.
"I knew you kids would end up here," she said softly. "You've been poking where you shouldn't."
"Who the hell are you?" Baron demanded.
She smiled faintly. "The last of the Thorn Society. Or what's left of it."
Eira's pulse skyrocketed. The Thorn Society was an old legend — a secret cult of students and faculty who'd made a pact for power and immortality decades ago. But no one ever proved it was real.
Until now.
"Jaxon is one of them, isn't he?" Eira whispered.
The woman nodded. "And Morgan. And several others. They've kept this school in their grasp for generations. Feeding off the innocent. Using betrayal as currency."
"Then we'll stop them," Baron growled.
The woman's expression darkened. "You can try. But the pact won't break until the debt is paid."
"What debt?"
She stepped closer, placing a cold hand on Eira's shoulder. "Your family's debt. Your mother tried to escape it years ago. And it cost her life."
Eira froze.
"What did you say?" she choked out.
The woman's eyes bore into hers. "You didn't really think she died in that car accident, did you?"
Eira's world shattered. The old wounds, the unanswered questions — it all made sense now.
Selena grabbed her arm. "Eira, we need to leave. Now."
But before they could move, t
he woman raised her hand, and the device on the pedestal began to hum, a blinding light spilling from its seams.
"You've all been very bad."
Selena screamed.
Eira froze.
And then the world went black.