The morning air was tense with whispers and speculation. The recent disappearances had shaken Ashford University, and the students were on edge. The fear was no longer subtle—it was raw, creeping into every conversation and every cautious glance toward the abandoned west wing.
Jason, however, wasn't just afraid. He was furious.
Jason had never been one to believe in ghosts, curses, or anything remotely supernatural. But that belief shattered the moment he saw the third student disappear right before his eyes.
It had happened near the library, in the middle of the evening when most students had already retreated to their dorms. Jason had been on his way back after borrowing some notes from a classmate when he spotted a familiar face—a student from one of his classes—walking ahead of him. The boy moved sluggishly as if in a daze, his steps unnaturally slow.
Jason frowned, about to call out when the student reached the shadowed corridor leading to the west wing. The moment his foot crossed the threshold, his entire body wavered—like a reflection on the surface of disturbed water. Then, without a sound, he was gone.
Jason's breath hitched. His feet locked in place as his brain scrambled to make sense of what he had just witnessed. He blinked rapidly, but the corridor remained empty. The student had vanished—no flash of light, no dramatic portal—just a silent erasure from reality.
Panic surged through his veins, and before he could think, he turned on his heel and sprinted.
He needed to talk to someone. And there were only a few people he trusted enough to go to.
Jason found Selwyn and Raven outside one of the quieter sections of campus, away from the gossiping students. Sofia was already with them. Without hesitation, he approached.
"I saw it happen," Jason said, his voice laced with urgency. "I saw them disappear."
Selwyn and Raven exchanged glances. Raven crossed her arms. "What exactly did you see?"
Jason exhaled sharply. "They walked right into the shadows, and then... they were gone. No scream, no struggle, nothing. It was like they just faded out of existence."
Raven frowned, deep in thought. "You're sure?"
Jason shot her a look. "Of course I'm sure. You think I'd make this up?"
Sofia, who had been silent for a moment, finally spoke up. "I think you guys might have an idea about what's going on."
Raven blinked. "Why would you say that?"
Sofia's gaze sharpened. "Because of what happened yesterday."
Flashback - The Previous Day
The cafeteria had been buzzing with conversation, students nervously speculating about the disappearances. Selwyn, Raven, Jason, and Sofia had been sitting together, trying to process the events unfolding around them.
Then, something strange had happened.
A sudden gust of wind—inside the cafeteria—had rattled the trays and knocked over a few drinks. It was brief, barely noticeable to most. But to Sofia, something else had stood out.
Raven had reacted instantly, her hand moving before the gust even hit. It was subtle, but unnatural—too fast, too precise. As if she had sensed it coming before it even happened.
Sofia had met Raven's eyes then, suspicion flickering in her expression. But before she could say anything, Raven had quickly looked away, avoiding her gaze.
Back in the present, Sofia narrowed her eyes. "You mean when you reacted too fast in the cafeteria?"
Raven didn't deny it. Instead, she sighed. "I think we need to be honest with each other."
Selwyn, sensing where this was going, shifted uncomfortably. But he knew Raven was right. They had avoided talking about the supernatural elements of what was happening, but after last night, after what Jason had seen, there was no point in pretending anymore.
Sofia crossed her arms. "So? What are you not telling us?"
That night, long after the conversation with Jason and Sofia, Selwyn found himself lying awake in the college dorms. The whispers had returned, threading through the air like a haunting melody.
The voices led them toward the west wing again and suddenly he encountered raven who herself was following the weird noises, but this time, something new called to them—a faint, pulsing energy beneath their feet. The deeper they followed the sensation, the more certain they became that it was guiding them somewhere specific.
A hidden entrance, concealed behind a loose panel in the wall, led them to an old underground tunnel system. Dust choked the air as they moved carefully through the dimly lit passageways, their footsteps echoing softly against stone walls that had long been forgotten.
As they ventured deeper, Raven ran her fingers along the faded markings carved into the stone. "These are mana inscriptions," she whispered. "This place… it wasn't just part of the academy."
Selwyn's eyes followed the patterns, realization dawning. "It was a Rogue battleground."
The weight of the discovery settled between them. If the academy had been built over an old Rogue battlefield, then the energy lingering here wasn't just ancient—it was restless.
Before they could process further, a sudden chill filled the air. The torches along the tunnel flickered violently, and an eerie silence pressed against their ears. Then, without warning, a shadowy figure lunged at them from the darkness.
Selwyn barely had time to react before a voice—low, desperate, and filled with urgency—whispered directly into his mind.
"Find me before it's too late."
The world around him twisted, and then—darkness."