CHAPTER TWO

Chapter Two

Emilia was fast asleep when a loud banging jolted her awake. The dormitory door rattled as if someone were trying to break in. She quickly realized she wasn't alone; her roommates stirred groggily, faces scrunched in annoyance, yet no one seemed willing to risk their fragile sleep to answer the door. With a reluctant sigh, Emilia swung her legs over the side of the bed, padded to the door, and opened it.

Cynthia burst into the room, breathless and drenched in sweat, slamming the door behind her.

"Cynthia, what on earth happened? You look like you've seen a ghost," Emilia exclaimed, her American accent thick with concern.

"There was a man! I saw the man in black picking pads!" Cynthia stammered, visibly shaken.

"A man picking pads? What are you talking about?" Emilia asked, her brow furrowing in confusion.

"What's there to understand? I saw PAPA NINJA!" Cynthia insisted, her eyes wide with fear.

"Okay, okay, take a deep breath. Just explain what happened," Emilia urged, trying to calm her friend.

Cynthia inhaled deeply, gathering her thoughts. "I woke up needing to pee, so I rushed downstairs. While I was in the bathroom, I saw PAPA NINJA picking pads. I ran, but he chased me back here!"

Emilia stepped outside to investigate, but the corridor was empty. "Cynthia, there's no one out here. You can go back to your room now," she said, but Cynthia shook her head defiantly.

"Didn't you hear me? I'm sleeping here! I don't care if I have to sleep on the floor!" she declared. So, Cynthia settled on the floor for the night, determined to stay close to Emilia.

The next day Kelvin sat in class, trying to focus on Mrs. Harriet's lecture about polynomials. The lively chatter behind him, however, was impossible to ignore. He leaned in, drawn to the captivating story unfolding among the girls.

Emilia was recounting the night's events to Jessica. "You can't possibly believe Cynthia... do you?" Jessica asked, scepticism etched on her face.

"What I believe doesn't matter; it's what's real that counts," Emilia replied, her eyes gleaming with excitement.

"So, are you saying it's real?" Kelvin interjected, much to Mrs. Harriet's dismay.

"HELLO!!!" Miss Harriet shouted in frustration, preparing to reprimand the class when the bell rang, much to their relief.

"This school is weird, way weirder than I expected. I want to hear more," Kelvin remarked.

"Then you should talk to Cynthia. Hear it straight from the horse's mouth," Emilia suggested.

"Okay," Kelvin replied, heading straight to the canteen to find Cynthia.

"Cynthia, can I talk to you?" he asked as he approached her.

"About what?" she replied, her disinterest apparent.

"About what you saw," he pressed, ignoring her lack of enthusiasm.

"People think I'm crazy. You think I'm crazy too," she accused, suspicion flashing in her eyes.

"No, I believe your story," he insisted, sincerity evident in his expression.

"It isn't a story; it's real," she insisted.

"Okay, can you tell me exactly what you saw?" Kelvin asked.

"I've told everyone the same thing: he was dressed in black, like the outfit was part of his skin," Cynthia explained.

"What!!!" Victor, who had been eavesdropping, chimed in.

"Sorry to interrupt, but did you say the outfit was part of his skin? My sister told similar stories about this school two years ago, but I never believed it—until I had my own experience. One night, while we were in the bathroom, we noticed an extra shadow that didn't belong to any of us. Without a word, we took off running," he recounted, fear creeping into his voice.

"A shadow? That's creepy," Jessica interjected.

"I know, right?" Victor replied, relieved someone else shared his concern.

"Jessica, have you seen anything weird?" Kelvin asked.

"Oh, I've had my share," she said with a nod.

"Why haven't I seen anything?" Kelvin wondered aloud.

"Well…" Victor hesitated, weighing his words.

"Well… what?" everyone urged him to continue.

"I was thinking we could go on some kind of witch hunt…" Victor suggested, feeling a bit reckless.

"I'm in," Kelvin declared.

"Me too," Jessica added.

"And me," Cynthia said, surprising everyone

"what? I like adventures and I've seen things" Cynthia said again in her defense

"Guys, don't forget we're in a boarding school with strict rules. How can we focus on our studies and hunt ghosts? They only come out at night, and we're not allowed out after dark—doing so leads to punishment," Emilia reminded them, bringing them back to reality.

"Okay, Kelvin and I will sneak out tonight around midnight to see what we can find," Victor proposed.

"Alright, and we'll report back. If it's interesting, it's worth the risk; if not, well, we'll know what to do," Kelvin agreed, and the plan was set.

Later that night, Victor found himself in an unfamiliar place, engulfed in darkness. He heard a voice calling to him. As the figure drew closer, he gasped, "Dad?" Disbelief washed over him as he recognized the face of his father, who had been missing for two years.

"Victor, come home," his father said, blood trickling from his nose and leaves sprouting from his body. Fear gripped Victor, and he jolted awake, drenched in sweat. Checking his watch, he muttered, "Shit, I'm late," and hurried out of bed, heart racing.