THE DARK

Tasha blinked against the morning light streaming through the dormitory window. The golden glow bathed the room in warmth, making the dust particles in the air dance lazily. For a moment, she lay still, listening. No eerie whispers. No distant scratching against the floorboards. Just the soft, steady breathing of her roommates and the occasional rustling of fabric as someone shifted in their sleep.

The air smelled of dust and lavender, the faint scent lingering from the old wooden furniture and the sachets Naomi always stuffed into her drawers. It was... normal.

She exhaled.

Maybe she had overthought everything last night.

The bed creaked as she stretched, her arms reaching above her head. Across the room, Lina was sprawled on her stomach, one leg hanging off the bed, her cheek smashed against her pillow, while Naomi was curled up like a cat, her blanket half-draped over her. The sight was almost comical—if not for the fact that Tasha knew they'd be grumpy the moment she woke them up.

Still, there was no avoiding it.

Tasha sat up, rubbing her face before reaching for a pillow. "Alright, ladies. Rise and shine."

Lina groaned. "Five more minutes."

"Yeah, sure," Tasha said sweetly—before launching the pillow straight at her.

A loud whump echoed through the room. Lina flinched, then groaned louder. "Ugh! That's it, you menace!" She grabbed the same pillow and chucked it back, missing by an embarrassing margin. Naomi stirred, mumbling something incoherent before rolling onto her side.

Tasha laughed. "Come on, we have classes."

Naomi peeked through one eye. "I vote we skip."

"Absolutely not," Tasha scolded. "You know Grimshaw will have our heads."

That was enough to get Naomi and Lina moving, albeit reluctantly. They stretched and grumbled, dragging themselves out of bed. The usual morning routine followed—quick showers, complaints about stiff uniforms, and the struggle of taming their messy hair.

By the time they were done, the school was already alive with chatter. Students poured into the hallways, some still looking half-asleep, others energized and ready for the day.

Everything felt normal.

But was it?

The dining hall was buzzing with conversation. The long wooden tables were packed, the air thick with the smell of toast, eggs, and questionable cafeteria coffee. Tasha grabbed a tray, scanning the room.

No signs of Celeste or Alexander.

Odd. Usually, Celeste would be flaunting her latest drama by now.

She shook off the thought and focused on her food—until Naomi nudged her.

"So…" Naomi smirked. "When are you confessing to Collins?"

Tasha choked on her drink. "Excuse me?"

"Oh, come on," Lina teased. "The way he came to your rescue? If that's not knight-in-shining-armor behavior, I don't know what is."

Tasha rolled her eyes. "He was just messing around."

"Sure, sure." Naomi wiggled her eyebrows. "Or maybe, deep down, he's secretly in love with you."

Tasha shot her a deadpan look. "Please stop."

Lina grinned. "Nope."

Naomi and Lina kept up their relentless teasing as they ate, making exaggerated swooning faces whenever Collins passed by. Tasha did her best to ignore them, though the heat rising to her cheeks betrayed her.

Across the room, Collins—completely oblivious to their antics—was casually chatting with a group of guys, laughing at some joke. He looked as unbothered as ever.

Tasha sighed in relief. At least he wasn't acting weird.

Or maybe he was just good at hiding it.

The day carried on like any other.

Their history teacher droned on about past wars, the librarian gave them a withering glare when Lina whispered too loudly, and students groaned when the math teacher announced a pop quiz. It was the kind of normalcy that should have been comforting.

But for some reason, it wasn't.

Something gnawed at the back of Tasha's mind. Maybe it was the eerie calm after everything that had happened. Maybe it was the fact that Celeste still hadn't shown up. Or maybe—

A soft thud made her turn.

She was in the library, reaching for a book when one from a higher shelf suddenly fell.

Tasha frowned. She was sure no one else was in this aisle.

She hesitated before bending down, picking up the book. The cover was old, the title faded, but what unsettled her was the way the pages flipped on their own, landing on a passage in the middle.

"The dead do not rest where their name is spoken."

A chill ran down her spine.

She snapped the book shut and placed it back on the shelf. It's just a coincidence, she told herself. Just an old book. Stop overthinking.

With a shake of her head, she left the aisle and joined her friends.

The rest of the day passed without incident.

By evening, the students were scattered across the school grounds, enjoying the brief free time before curfew. Some played basketball, others sat under the oak tree, chatting.

Tasha stood by the courtyard with Lina and Naomi, watching the sunset paint the sky in hues of orange and pink.

"This is nice," Lina said, stretching. "Peaceful."

Naomi snorted. "You say that now, but just wait. Celeste is probably plotting some grand revenge scheme."

Tasha hummed in agreement. "Probably."

Their laughter filled the air. For the first time in a while, Tasha felt genuinely at ease. No weird dreams. No disturbing thoughts. Just a normal school day.

But from the far end of the courtyard, a figure watched.

They stood in the fading light, partially hidden in the shadows. Their face wasn't visible, but the curve of their lips was unmistakable.

A smile.

Not forced. Not cheerful.

Just… there.

As if they were amused. Or waiting.

And then, as the sun dipped below the horizon, they disappeared into the darkness.