CHAPTER EIGHT

CHAPTER EIGHT

It was nearly midnight when Stephen slipped into Kelvin's room, only to find him sitting on his bed, studying with a flashlight. The dim glow barely illuminated the pages of his book, but Kelvin remained focused, his expression unreadable.

"Kelvin, come with me," Stephen whispered, his voice barely audible but carrying a firm, commanding tone.

Kelvin flinched slightly at the unexpected presence, but he quickly masked his surprise and adopted his usual bravado.

"Have you guys made up your minds?" he asked without looking up, flipping a page as if uninterested.

Stephen's patience was wearing thin. "Just get your ass out here," he whispered more harshly, his voice rising enough to make a few people stir in their beds.

Kelvin smirked. "Is it that you're simply too arrogant, or do you just like being a dick?" he asked, still pretending to be engrossed in his book.

Stephen exhaled sharply. "Okay, fine. Deal. Now will you come?"

Kelvin tapped his chin as if deep in thought. "Hmm… let me think about it. Ehhh, no. We'll talk in the morning."

That was it. Stephen snapped. In an instant, he grabbed Kelvin's arm and yanked him off the bed.

"Let go of me!" Kelvin shouted, his voice echoing through the room.

Ryan, who had been fast asleep, jolted awake. "Where are you taking him?" he demanded, rubbing his eyes.

"None of your damn business. Go back to sleep," Stephen shot back, irritation evident in his voice.

Ryan, however, wasn't one to back down. He sat up straighter. "Wait a minute—you think you can just barge into our room and drag one of our guys out because what? You're in third year? Nah, not on my watch."

Stephen's patience had officially run out. With a swift push, he shoved Ryan back onto his bed. The impact was enough to rattle the others awake, and within seconds, murmurs of discontent spread through the room.

In Haloville, first years had their dorms separate from the second and third years. Tensions between the groups ran high, and bullying was a frequent issue. Fights weren't uncommon, and Stephen knew that if things escalated, he could be outnumbered.

"Listen up, you disrespectful fools," Stephen snapped. "This has nothing to do with you. If you involve yourselves, none of you will sleep again tonight."

Before the situation could spiral out of control, the head boy appeared at the doorway. He took one look at the scene and immediately assessed the tension.

"What's going on here?" he asked, his tone neutral but firm.

The student in charge of the room stepped forward, his voice laced with spite. "We woke up to find this senior trying to take one of our mates."

The head boy narrowed his eyes at Stephen and pulled him aside. "It's the middle of the night, and I don't want to disgrace you in front of them," he said in a low voice. "Let him go. In the morning, you deal with him."

Stephen clenched his jaw but ultimately obeyed. Without another word, he turned and left.

Kelvin exhaled, relieved. "Thanks," he said, looking over at Ryan.

Ryan shrugged. "Now I get what you meant when you said you need someone at your side. From now on, you can count on me."

Kelvin raised a brow. "He looked desperate, didn't he?"

Ryan nodded. "Yeah. I wonder why."

Kelvin smirked. "What do you say we go and find out?"

They waited until everyone had settled back to sleep, then slipped out of the room, their footsteps silent against the cold floor.

"Wow," Ryan whispered, grinning. "I haven't been out this late in a while."

"Let's go. I know where he'll be heading," Kelvin said, leading the way toward the library.

---

Inside the Library

"Where the fuck is he?" Emilia hissed the moment Stephen walked in.

"He's not coming," Stephen muttered, frustration clear in his tone.

"Let me guess," Nora said, arms crossed. "You either didn't tell him we accepted his proposal, or you scared him away."

"He's an asshole," Stephen grumbled.

Emilia's eyes blazed with fury. "But he's our best hope. She's dying, you idiot! Lay aside your pride and drag his ass here if you have to!"

At the back of the library, Jessica lay sprawled on a table, her breathing labored. Victor sat beside her, worry etched into his face.

"Do something," Ryan whispered to Kelvin as they peered through the window.

Kelvin hesitated. "How do I know they won't kill me—or you—for finding out?"

"Okay, fair point," Ryan admitted. "But think about it. If you can save her, we gain their trust. Wait—you can save her, right?"

"How am I supposed to save her if I don't even know what's wrong with her?"

Ryan's voice dropped. "She'll die."

Kelvin clenched his jaw. "Fine."

The two stepped inside. The moment they entered, all eyes locked onto them. The room fell into an eerie silence, as if time itself had frozen.

Kelvin finally broke it. "You wanted me here? Well, here I am."

Stephen crossed his arms. "Right. Yes. But I'm guessing you already know why." He nodded toward Jessica.

Kelvin frowned. "What happened?"

Stephen scoffed. "You seem to know everything, so why don't you tell us?"

"Stephen!" Emilia warned, shooting him a glare.

Victor cut in. "We don't know. She was searching through the books, and then… this happened."

Kelvin's eyes darkened. "What books? And why was she looking through them?"

The room fell silent.

Kelvin shouted. "Which books was she going through!!!"

"The ones in the room we locked you in," Nora admitted.

Something clicked in Kelvin's mind. Without hesitation, he rushed into the room and scanned the shelves. His eyes darted around until they landed on something behind the books. As he reached for it, the lights began to flicker.

Then, suddenly, a blackout.

The air grew heavy. A wave of fear crashed over Kelvin, paralyzing him in place. His breath hitched.

Then, the lights flickered back on.

A faceless girl stood before him, holding the very book he had been searching for.

Kelvin's blood ran cold. His lips refused to move. His legs felt like lead.

The girl silently handed him the book.

Then, as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone.

Kelvin barely had time to process what had happened before screams erupted from the library.

He sprinted back inside—only to freeze in horror.

In the middle of the room stood the most terrifying thing he had ever seen.

Dzetro, the siezing spirit—a towering, emaciated creature with rotting, grayish flesh stretched tight over jagged bones—stood in the library. Its hollow eyes oozed black sludge, and its mouth, filled with needle-like teeth, gaped unnaturally wide. Long, clawed fingers twitched as it exhaled a rancid breath, its body pulsing with eerie, crimson veins.

Jessica, still writhing in pain, suddenly let out a piercing cry. Her voice twisted into something unnatural.

"This can be the end," she shrieked, "or the beginning! You have overstepped your boundaries, and now there's no going back!"

In an instant, the monstrous entity grabbed Jessica by the throat.

Kelvin's necklace—the one his father had given him—began to glow.

He had never believed his father's words when he said it contained a thorn from the crown placed on Jesus' head.

But now…

Now, the necklace shone brighter, pulsing with power.

Kelvin ripped it off.

Before his eyes, it grew—morphing into a sword.

And with it, he knew…

The real battle had just begun.