The Ominous Bell

That night in Lupenvale was unnaturally quiet, the kind of silence that crawled against the ears and made the smallest sound magnify tenfold. Elara stirred in her sleep, the shadows in the dorm still as death while the pale moonlight filtered through the high, narrow window.

Then, that dreaded sound came.

A deep, resonant toll of a bell rolled through the academy grounds, the vibrations reverberating like a physical force. Elara's eyes snapped open, her chest tight with unease. She sat up, her heart pounding against her ribs.

The bell rang again, its mournful tone shivering through the cold air. Instantly she looked over to her dormmates, each sound asleep.

She threw her legs over the side of the bed, her bare feet meeting the icy floor. The sound seemed to call her. Rising cautiously, she crossed the room and pressed her palms against the frosted glass of the window.