Chapter 160 The expulsion and the brutal accident

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Jeremy stepped out of the principal's office, walking alongside Rowan. Thanks to his parents' influence, they had somehow managed to manipulate the principal's decision. It was unclear how they did it—divine intervention, perhaps—but the blame had shifted entirely to Jimmy. Seeing Rowan's brutal injuries only solidified the principal's decision to expel Jimmy, and the incident was immediately added to his school record.

Jimmy wandered through the corridors like a ghost, sorrow and trauma etched into his face. The news of Ezekiel's death hadn't reached him yet, but being expelled from school had left him looking lifeless. His future now seemed ruined.

As if drawn by fate, Jimmy collided with Nadine, who had been lost in her own thoughts.

Nadine's face brightened upon seeing him but quickly darkened when she noticed the dried tears around his eyes.

"Jimmy, what's wrong? Was the punishment bad? What did the principal decide?"

Jimmy broke down, his legs giving way as he collapsed into a heap.

"I'm finished, Nadine. I've barely spent any time in this school, and now I've been expelled. No school will take me now. I'm… ruined."

Nadine's face went pale. "No, that can't be true. Maybe you heard wrong. The situation wasn't that bad, was it?"

Before either could say more, Kai and Simon walked past, and Kai was openly sobbing. Nadine's confusion deepened at the sight of his tears.

"What's going on?" she whispered, but her phone vibrated with a notification before Jimmy could answer. Both of them glanced at their screens and froze. The school vlog headline blazed across their screens:

"EZEKIEL SAWYER HAS BEEN CONFIRMED DEAD."

The world around them seemed to freeze. Nadine and Jimmy stared at the screen in stunned silence, unable to process the words.

Nadine's voice broke into a desperate wail. "No! Not Ezekiel… oh my gosh, Jimmy. I need to see him. I can't believe this!"

Without waiting for a response, Nadine took off toward the school clinic, with Jimmy stumbling after her. When they arrived, the sight before them was heart-wrenching. Ezekiel lay motionless on a stretcher, his face pale and peaceful as if he were merely sleeping.

Nadine broke down, her cries echoing through the room. "No, Zeke! This can't be real. You can't be gone! Someone tell me this isn't true!"

Her anguish drew the attention of the other students, but it was Kai who seemed most affected. He remained beside Ezekiel's body, crying silently. The scene was interrupted when Rose stormed into the clinic, with Slyvia following closely behind.

Slyvia's eyes widened as she caught sight of Ezekiel. Her gaze shifted, and her heart skipped a beat. She could have sworn she saw faint, shadowy marks on Ezekiel's body—and they were disappearing. Blinking rapidly, she tried to steady herself and nudged Nadine.

"Look closer," Slyvia whispered urgently. "Tell me what you see."

Nadine hesitated, wiping her tears, then leaned closer. Her breath hitched.

"Oh my gosh, Slyvia. There's… there's a shadow. It's moving toward him!"

Before either could react, the shadow plunged into Ezekiel's body, making Nadine let out a blood-curdling scream that caused everyone to flinch.

Rose frowned, clearly oblivious to what they were witnessing. "What's wrong with you two? Please calm down. What's done is done."

Slyvia stared at Rose, realizing she hadn't seen the shadow. Her instincts screamed that something unnatural was happening, and she couldn't handle it any longer. "I'm leaving," she muttered, rushing out of the clinic. Rose followed after her.

Nadine, however, remained rooted to the spot, trembling. Jimmy bombarded her with questions about her scream, but she refused to answer. Deep down, she feared being dismissed as crazy.

"Please, Jimmy, let's go," she finally said, her voice shaking. "I can't stay here any longer."

The two hurried out of the clinic. The school grounds were eerily quiet, and the darkness seemed to close in around them. As they approached the hall, a sudden snap of a twig made Nadine freeze.

"Did you hear that?" she whispered, her voice barely audible.

Jimmy scanned their surroundings, fear etched into his features. "Let's just walk faster," he urged.

But Nadine's trembling hand pointed toward the abandoned building nearby. "Jimmy… behind you…"

Jimmy turned slowly, his blood running cold. A grotesque, twitching figure stood in the shadows, its movements inhuman and beastly. With a sickening crack, the figure shifted, growing larger until it morphed into a massive wolf with glowing red eyes.

"Run, Nadine!" Jimmy shouted, his voice shaking. "Don't look back. Just run!"

Nadine obeyed, sprinting toward the dormitory with all her might. Jimmy followed close behind, but the wolf was relentless. Nadine ducked into a corner of the building, pressing herself against the wall as she whispered desperate prayers.

The wolf growled, sniffing the air as it stalked the area. Nadine held her breath, her heart hammering in her chest. The creature lingered for a moment longer before retreating, its heavy footsteps fading into the distance.

It was a miracle, Nadine realized, but she had no time to dwell on it. She ran straight to her dormitory, refusing to look back.

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Meanwhile…

Rose and Slyvia were walking through the school corridors when they both slipped, falling in opposite directions. Rose hit her head against the wall, dazed, while Slyvia stood up, unscathed.

Unbeknownst to them, the wire holding a massive chandelier above Slyvia had begun to fray. When she looked up, she screamed in terror.

"Slyvia, move!" Rose shouted, but it was too late.

The chandelier came crashing down, shattering on impact and crushing Slyvia's body. Rose let out an ear-piercing scream as blood pooled around her friend.

"Slyvia! No, no! Someone help! Please!" Rose sobbed as she knelt beside Slyvia, shaking her unresponsive body.

A shadow passed by, pausing briefly to smirk cruelly. Its whisper echoed through the corridor:

"Rest in peace."