The day stretched on—agonizingly normal.
Classes dragged, and lunch conversations felt hollow against the growing weight on everyone's shoulders. No one spoke of the plan out loud, but they all knew. After dark, the school would become more than just a place for lectures and detention; it would become the next battleground.
Night fell, and one by one, the group assembled.
First were Jamie and his sister, Paige. They arrived by the side gate, dressed in dark clothing with backpacks slung low and flashlights secured.
"Tell me again," Paige muttered, "why are we sneaking into a haunted school?"
"Because," Jamie replied, smirking, "no one's done it in style like us."
Paige rolled her eyes. "Moron."
Soon after, Ezra appeared, seemingly unfazed by the whole situation. She wore her confidence like a cloak, leaning against the fence post with her arms folded. "You two look like you're breaking into a movie set," she said.
Jamie saluted. "All part of the charm."
Then came Noah and Leah—quiet and focused. Leah looked unimpressed, but she followed all the same. Noah stared ahead with intensity; tonight mattered.
Finally, Quinn arrived.
But she wasn't alone.
Walking a few paces behind her was someone tall and broad-shouldered, radiating hostility. Quinn's older brother.
The moment Jamie saw him, his usual grin vanished.
"You've got to be kidding me," Jamie muttered.
Ezra raised a brow. "Friend of yours?"
"Far from it."
Quinn hurried toward the group, nervously brushing her hair behind her ear. She had a faint bruise along her cheekbone—subtle, but unmistakable.
Paige noticed first. "What happened to your face?"
Quinn looked down. "It's nothing."
Jamie's fists clenched. "Did he—"
"I said it's nothing," she whispered, her eyes pleading. "Please… not now."
Her brother strolled up without a care, hands in his jacket pockets. "You kids breaking into school, huh? You know that's illegal."
"Get lost," Paige snapped.
He scoffed. "Maybe I'll call the cops. Or better yet… tell Mom what her precious little girl's been up to."
"Back off," Leah warned.
"Or what?"
Before the tension could explode, Ezra stepped in. Calm and casual, she said, "Why don't you come with us, then? You'll have the perfect excuse to keep an eye on your sister."
Everyone blinked.
Even Quinn's brother paused.
Jamie gave Ezra a wild look, mouthing, What the hell?!
Ezra tilted her head slightly. Trust me, her eyes seemed to say.
Noah stepped beside Jamie, laying a hand on his shoulder. "It's better than him following us alone. If he knows what we're doing, we might as well keep him where we can see him."
Jamie hesitated… then sighed. "Fine. But if he touches her again—"
"I'll break his arm," Paige finished flatly.
The brother snorted. "Try it."
He jumped the fence first.
They followed.
**Inside the School**
Night wrapped Grayeridge High in cold silence. The wind made the banners flutter; the windows creaked; shadows stretched too far into the corners.
Ezra's flashlight scanned the hallway. "Is it always this creepy at night?"
"Welcome to budget public education," Jamie said, trying to keep things light.
They crept through the familiar halls—now made unfamiliar by the dark. The sound of their shoes tapping on the tiles echoed too loud.
When they reached the hidden basement door, Paige produced a key. "Had to steal this off the janitor's desk last week. You're welcome."
The metal door creaked open, revealing stale, damp air.
They descended.
**The Basement**
The space was vast—an old wartime shelter turned storage room. Old prom decorations, dusty science fair boards, broken trophies—it was like a graveyard of memories.
"This is creepy," Leah muttered, her flashlight flickering over an old mannequin dressed as a knight.
Quinn stuck close to Noah. Her brother wandered farther off, kicking things unnecessarily and sometimes shoving people "by accident." At one point, he tried grabbing Quinn's shoulder roughly, but Paige slapped his hand away before anyone else could react.
"Touch her again," she said coldly, "and I'll leave you down here."
He even took a step back.
Noah and Jamie moved deeper through the clutter.
Then they found it.
Under a pile of broken desks and rotting banners was a mirror.
Its surface was smudged with grime and dust, but even so, it emitted a faint, unnatural shimmer.
Noah stepped closer. "It's the same as the one in the church," he whispered.
Jamie knelt beside him. "Second shard."
"It looks… dormant," Ezra added, shining her light across the frame. "Maybe because it's covered in so much junk."
Quinn looked pale. "What if it wakes up?"
Everyone stood in a circle, staring at the glass.
A soft, breath-like sound escaped the surface.
A sigh?
Or something more?
Noah's pulse quickened. "I think it knows we're here."
They hadn't touched it yet or said anything strange, but the atmosphere began to shift.
The air felt heavier.
The mirror remained still.
Watching.
Waiting.
And the group stood frozen—realizing they weren't just hunting these shards anymore.
They were being watched.