Dark_Heart8441Aya

When Rose, Kayla, Caston, Marina, and Laura uncover a dark secret about their school, they embark on a thrilling journey to discover its eerie past. Built over an abandoned graveyard, the school hides centuries-old mysteries, whispers of unrest, and a chilling curse. As the teens dig deeper, their own secrets and rivalries threaten to tear the group apart—especially the simmering hatred between Caston and Kayla. But the further they venture into the haunted grounds, the more they realize that some truths were meant to stay buried. Will they uncover the graveyard’s secrets before it’s too late, or will they become part of its sinister history?

Grave lessons

Chapter 17: The Haunting Never Left

Kayla tried to convince herself that everything was normal. That she wasn't overthinking her last conversation with Caston. That she wasn't looking for him every time she walked into a room.

That she wasn't waiting for him to call her bluff.

But none of that mattered now. Because something else was happening.

Laura's whisper barely cut through the silence of the library basement.

Kayla's grip on her flashlight tightened. "Yeah, I heard it."

It had started a week ago—faint whispers in the hallways when no one was there. Strange shadows stretching too long against the walls. The unmistakable feeling of being watched.

But now? Now it wasn't just a feeling.

Marina shivered, pressing closer to Rose. "Tell me again why we thought breaking into the locked archives was a good idea?"

"Because," Rose whispered, "this school is hiding something. And if we don't figure it out, we're next."

Laura flipped through an old yearbook they had found buried in the archives. The pages were yellowed, some stuck together with something that Kayla didn't want to think about.

"Look at this," Laura said, pointing.

A black-and-white picture of a girl. Hazel eyes. A solemn expression. But it wasn't just the picture—it was the caption.

"She was the first," Laura murmured. "The first reported disappearance from Ridgewood High."

Kayla frowned. "You're saying there were more?"

More pictures. More names. More missing students.

"Why isn't this in the school records?" Marina asked.

"Because someone doesn't want us to know," Rose said.

A loud crash from the back of the basement.

Kayla spun, flashlight beam shaking.

But she knew—knew they weren't alone.

Laura swallowed hard. "We should go."

But as they turned, something whispered—low and rasping, a voice that didn't belong to anyone.

The lights flickered—once, twice—then died completely.

Kayla didn't know how she was supposed to act like nothing happened.

She barely remembered how they got out of the basement. Just that the shadows moved, that the air had pressed in around them like a living thing, that something whispered in her ear as she ran—

He stood beside her, hands shoved into his pockets, eyes scanning her face. And for the first time in forever, he didn't look cocky. Or smug. Or like he was waiting to get under her skin.

And Kayla hated that it made her chest tighten.

She scowled. "None of your business."

Caston sighed, rubbing a hand down his face. "You are exhausting."

He leaned in just enough to make her breath hitch. "Not happening."

Kayla hated how warm his presence felt. How steady. How safe.

She did not need Caston Wright to protect her.