The dormitory was quiet when Arielle arrived,yet it felt alive,shadows stretched along the walls,curling slightly as if aware of her presence.Kael led her past long rows of beds,each occupied by students who lay perfectly still,their breathing slightly heard,none looked at her directly.
This is your dorm,Kael said softly "You'll sleep here,follow the rules,and stay out of restricted areas,any deviation is… not recommended"....Arielle nodded,scanning the room.Something was odd,she observed no mirrors,no photographs,not even a reflective surface anywhere.She had almost forgotten to look until she tried the polished floor,a hi t of light appeared—then nothing. No reflection,not of her,not even of the shadows moving behind the other students
Kael noticed her glance.He gave nothing away,just a brief,slight pnod, and moved on.
He continued with the rules,his voice low and studying:
Classes are held at night,attendance is mandatory,dorm lights must be off during curfew,certain areas including the underground wing and the university archives,are off limits unless permission is granted,no revealing the school's existence to outsiders....Arielle tried to memorize them,but her attention kept drifting to the subtle oddities around her,a candle flickering without a breeze,a faint whisper brushing past her ear,the soft echo of footsteps where no one walked.
"Follow me" Kael said,and led her to the dining hall for the first meal....The hall was large,with tables arranged neatly in rows,Students moved like shadows,silent as precise food appeared on their plates without anyone serving it.Arielle hesitated, then tried a bite the taste was normal,yet something about the moment felt… unreal.
Any questions?Kael asked quietly.
Arielle shook her head,though one question burned in her mind"Why does no one behave like a normal student"?
After dinner,Kael guided her to the classroom for the first night lesson,the air seemed heavier here,charged with quiet energy,shadows moved along the walls in a subtle,unnatural ways.Arielle felt a prickling sensation in her hands,almost like her body was reacting to the room itself.Her gaze drifted toward a window and froze,for a brief moment,the reflection flickered,not her face,something darker,something watching. Then it vanished.
The whisper returned,soft but urgent...."Pay attention,you are not like the others"…
Arielle swallowed trying to steady her racing heart,the rules were clear,the school seemed safe,but everything about this place insisted otherwise.She realized she had entered a world where ordinary laws no longer applied and that perhaps,she was the one who didn't belong.
As the night class began,Arielle's curiosity outweighed her fear,she was determined to learn,to understand but somewhere deep in the shadows,something waited watching, always watching—and the sense of being observed never left her.