CHAPTER FIVE

Boarding life was... a cycle. Wake up, clean up, go to school, come back, enjoy siesta, supper, prep, sleep—then repeat. For some, it was a maddening monotony. For others, it was the structure they needed to keep their lives together.

Kelvin had been transferred in the middle of the school year and he had no trouble making friends. But after what he'd witnessed in his vision, terror shadowed his every move.

As Kelvin adjusted his shirt on his bunk bed, his bedmate, Ryan, struck up a conversation. They hadn't spoken much, and Kelvin had always seen him as one of those egotistical brats who thrived on their own reflection.

"Here," Ryan said, tossing a small bottle to Kelvin. "Use this for your face. It'll clear up the pimples and... whatever else is going on there."

Kelvin caught it, narrowing his eyes. "...Okay. Thanks?"

"My mom's a beauty therapist," Ryan said smugly. "She always says beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but let's be honest—some things no beholder could ever call beautiful."

Kelvin smirked, the conversation pulling him in despite himself. "Beauty's subjective. What's normal to you isn't normal to someone else. We call things 'normal' because we're used to them. But someone else's normal? Could be your abnormal."

Ryan raised an eyebrow. "Well, damn. Didn't know you were philosophical."

"And I didn't know your mom was a beauty therapist. Guess we're both learning. Isn't that what life's about?"

"Fair point. You done yet?"

Before Kelvin could answer, a voice bellowed from the doorway. "One... two... THREE!"

Kelvin's heart sank. The dreaded morning countdown had begun. At precisely 6:45 a.m., the house captain locked the dormitories. If you were still inside, the consequences were brutal.

Kelvin scrambled, shoving his belongings into his trunk. With one hand holding his shirt and sandals, the other gripping his trousers and belt, he bolted for the door—then froze. His bag. He'd left it behind.

The door slammed shut behind him, locking others inside. No one dared plead with the house captain; those trapped within would face whatever punishment awaited in dread silence. Kelvin glanced around, realizing Ryan wasn't with him. He peered through the window and saw his bedmate inside.

"Damn it, Ryan!" Kelvin shouted. "Can you grab my bag when they open the door?"

Ryan smirked lazily. "Sure. But you'll have to come to my class to get it."

Kelvin groaned and made his way to class. He sat down just as the chatter filled the room. Suddenly, Emilia appeared beside him.

"Jesus Christ!" Kelvin yelped, clutching his chest.

The rest of the girls swarmed around him. "How did it go? Did you see anything?" one of them asked.

Kelvin's face paled as the memory of the previous night surged back. "No, we didn't see anything," he stammered, beads of sweat forming on his brow.

Victor, seated nearby, chimed in. "We didn't even go anywhere—"

Kelvin shot him a desperate look, silently pleading. Victor stopped mid-sentence.

"Why are you sweating?" Cynthia asked, raising an eyebrow. "And where's your bag?"

"It's locked in the dorm. Ryan's bringing it," Kelvin muttered, regaining his composure.

"You saw something, didn't you?" Jessica pressed.

But before Kelvin could answer, the teacher walked in, saving him.

When the bell rang for break, Kelvin bolted for the door, desperate to avoid further questions. But the teacher intercepted him.

"Why the rush?" she asked.

"I... I need to pee," Kelvin lied.

"You went five minutes ago."

"Well, I—"

"Clean the board first, then you can go."

Kelvin sighed, his escape plan ruined. As the room emptied, he shivered, afraid to glance over his shoulder. Then Stephen appeared.

"Oh, for crying out loud," Kelvin muttered under his breath.

Victor and the girls stayed behind, watching him nervously.

"What's going on with you?" Victor asked.

"Nothing! Why are you asking?" Kelvin stammered.

Stephen stepped closer. "Whatever you saw, you can tell us."

"I didn't see anything! Leave me alone!" Kelvin snapped. He turned to leave, but Stephen blocked his path.

"Let me show you something," Stephen said.

"What if I don't want to see it?" Kelvin challenged.

"You will."

"I won't."

"I insist."

With that, Kelvin begrudgingly followed Stephen, trailed by the others. They arrived at the library and slipped into a back room filled with towering piles of dusty books.

"There was a girl," Stephen began. "She came here just like you. She was the first to challenge the school's darkest secrets. But she paid the price. Now we carry on her legacy, seeking the truth. Only with the truth can we defeat Mr. Smile."

Kelvin's stomach churned. "If you knew what was out there, why did you send me last night?"

"We needed you to see it for yourself," Victor explained. "When someone new arrives, the spirits react differently."

"I was bait?" Kelvin asked, horrified.

Stephen shrugged. "Call it... initiation."

"Why me?" Kelvin whispered.

"That's what we're here to find out," Victor said. "There's a way to reveal the truth about someone."

Kelvin's breath hitched. "A ritual?"

Victor nodded. "Don't you want to know who you really are?"

"I know who I am!" Kelvin protested. "I'm Kelvin!"

Victor smirked. "Then you'll stay here until we get back. Cynthia will answer your questions."

"This is kidnapping!" Kelvin shouted, but the door clicked shut behind them.