She was awakened by a loud, insistent banging on the door. Blinking sleep from her eyes, she pushed herself up on her elbows and scanned the dark room in confusion. Fumbling along the nightstand, her fingers found the lamp switch, and a soft light flared to life, casting shadows across the walls.
Sliding her feet into her slippers, she shuffled across the floor, the sound of fabric scuffing against wooden panels filling the quiet. As she reached the door, her eyes caught a small slip of paper lying on the floor, just inside the threshold. Someone had pushed it under the crack.
She picked it up with sleepy fingers, but her drowsiness evaporated when she read the words printed in bold black letters:
"Stay a day longer, and you'll die a rag."
Her stomach twisted. A surge of panic rose in her throat, and the paper slipped from her trembling hand, fluttering to the floor like a dead leaf.
Without thinking, Hannah tore open the door and rushed into the hallway, her eyes darting left and right, searching for any sign of the person responsible. But the corridor was deserted. Her heart was still pounding when she suddenly stepped on something soft and wet. She looked down—and froze.
A large black raven lay sprawled at the threshold, its feathers slick with blood.
Her breath hitched violently, and she stumbled backward, leaving a trail of red footprints behind her. Her mind screamed at her to run, to flee, but she was rooted to the spot. The urge to scream bubbled up inside her—she tried to hold it back, not wanting to wake the entire school.
But then the bird twitched.
Its wing shifted slightly, just enough to show it was still alive. That was all it took. A high-pitched scream burst from her throat, raw with horror. Within moments, doors along the hallway burst open. Groggy girls emerged from their rooms, followed by the supervising matron. Curious boys arrived as well, drawn by the commotion.
All eyes landed on Hannah.
She crouched on the floor, her knees buckling beneath her as she pulled them to her chest. Her arms wrapped around her legs tightly as she stared in shock at the suffering creature before her. Her face was pale, her lips trembling.
Joseph stepped out from the crowd. He paused, studying her with narrowed eyes. She looked eerily similar to someone from his memory—someone else who had once sat shaking on this floor, eyes wide with fear, muttering about something unnatural that had tried to kill her.
Halsey.
She had sat right there, claiming the room itself was cursed. She'd begged to leave. Joseph remembered hugging her tightly, pleading with her to calm down and forget what she'd seen.
But now it was different.
This time, Jin was the one who moved. Without hesitation, he pushed past the onlookers and entered the room. He dropped to her side and wrapped her in his arms, shielding her from the others. She buried her face against his chest, her body trembling. Something in his presence soothed her, and for a moment, the panic ebbed.
"Back to your rooms, all of you!" the matron barked. "Someone thought it would be funny to play a cruel joke, but enough is enough. You have classes in the morning. Off with you!"
The crowd began to disperse, buzzing with whispered theories and fresh gossip.
"Why are you still here?" the supervisor asked sharply, turning to Joseph, who hadn't moved.
He blinked at her, as if waking from a trance. "Just wanted to make sure my friend was all right," he said with a faint smirk.
The male supervisor stepped forward, arms crossed. "That includes you too. Move along."
"Yeah, yeah, I'm going," Joseph replied, raising his hands in mock surrender. He cast one last glance at Hannah, then turned and descended the stairs.
The woman rubbed her forehead, visibly distressed. "What is going on in this place?" she muttered. Her gaze flicked toward the bloodied bird. "Can you deal with that?" she asked the male supervisor.
He arched a brow. "Me?"
"I'm not leaving her alone with a male student," she snapped, motioning toward Jin, who still sat with Hannah, holding her hand.
"Fine, fine. I'll take care of it," the man relented.
The matron stepped into the room and immediately addressed Jin. "Back to your room. Now."
He hesitated but complied, casting a lingering look at Hannah before slipping out and shutting the door quietly behind him.
"I'm better now," Hannah whispered, offering a faint smile. "The first moment… that was the worst. I think it wasn't just the shock, but the idea that someone could do something so cruel. That bird—someone hurt it on purpose and left it for me to find."
Tears welled in her eyes. "Who does that? Are there really people without any feelings at all?"
The matron placed a firm hand on her shoulder, her expression softening. "We'll find out who did this. Though I can't promise we'll catch the person, we'll do everything we can."
Hannah nodded slowly and handed her the note. "Someone really wants me gone. The raven wasn't random. It's a warning. They're trying to scare me away."
The matron's face darkened as she took the paper. "I'll give this to the principal first thing in the morning."
"Maybe I should move to a different room?" Hannah's voice wavered. "If that's what it takes to feel safe…"
"We'll talk to the director about it in the morning," the matron reassured her. "Let's see what can be arranged. Try to get some rest now."
Hannah nodded again, but deep down she knew sleep wouldn't come easily.
*
As she walked down the corridor, Hannah could feel eyes boring into her from every direction. Whispers chased her like shadows. The soft rustling of uniforms and the muffled giggles of girls flitted around her, clinging to her like a heavy fog. She knew she was the center of gossip now—the latest object of the school's cruel curiosity.
"She's already losing it, just like poor Halsey," a girl whispered loudly enough to be heard. "Such a shame. Pretty girls turning into ghosts."
Hannah paused mid-step.
Another voice chimed in, theatrically sighing. "Remember how pale and exhausted Halsey looked when her parents came to take her home? She was completely out of her mind, like something had possessed her. Her face twisted from all those creepy visions."
The girls broke into laughter, one of them even sneering directly into Hannah's face.
It was a mistake.
Because leaning silently against the wall a few feet away was Joseph.
The older student's eyes darkened the moment he heard Halsey's name on their lips. His jaw tightened, and his lips thinned into a hard line. A dangerous tension sparked in the air around him.
Girl who had been laughing noticed the change in his expression too late. A flicker of fear passed through her as Joseph pushed off from the wall and stalked toward her, his gaze a storm of rage.
Without a word, he grabbed her by the collar of her uniform and yanked her toward him. His eyes—fierce, smoldering—bored into hers with such fury that Hannah instinctively stepped back, afraid of what might come next.
"Is it funny to you?" he growled, his voice low and venomous. "What happened to Halsey? Is that amusing now?"
The girl's friends panicked. Clutching their notebooks, they turned to run, but Joseph was faster. In a flash, he snatched their books from their hands and threw them to the floor. Papers scattered across the hallway like startled birds. A hush fell over the corridor as hidden onlookers peeked from behind doors and corners.
"Did her face twist?" he repeated, his voice rising. "Did she look like a ghoul to you?"
The girl swallowed hard, eyes glistening with tears. But Joseph wasn't done.
"Let's see who's twisting now!" he snapped, shoving her back. She stumbled, her body slamming into the sharp edge of a windowsill. A gasp of pain escaped her lips as she doubled over.
"You'll regret even letting her name pass through your filthy mouth," he spat, his voice like ice.
Hannah stood frozen, her hand over her mouth. Shock washed over her in waves as she watched Joseph—usually so unreadable—completely lose control.
"Whenever someone talks about his ex," said a quiet voice beside her, "he snaps. But if they insult her... he turns into something else. Something cruel."
She turned her head and blinked in surprise. Jimmy was standing next to her. He never spoke to her—never even acknowledged her existence. And now he was casually sharing secrets about Joseph like they were old friends.
"Why are you telling me this?" she asked, her voice barely audible.
He shrugged, a crooked smile tugging at his lips. "You looked like a lost puppy. Figured I'd throw you a bone."
Hannah bit her lip and lowered her gaze just as Joseph turned toward them. His sharp eyes locked onto hers—but only for a moment. He looked through her, not at her.
And then he turned away.
Not a word. Not a glance more.
He ignored her completely.
"Let's get out of here before that bitch starts barking again and pushes me over the edge," Joseph muttered, his voice cold and scathing.
At first, Hannah thought he meant her, but when she turned slightly, she realized his eyes were still fixed on the girl he'd just confronted. One last glare, a silent warning—and then he was gone.
It was the first time the dark prince had completely, unmistakably, ignored Hannah.
*
Mariah lay on the grass, her head resting gently on her best friend's stomach. This secluded spot had become their safe haven—an escape from the cruelty of their classmates and, most of all, from Jimmy. Ever since she had rejected him and kept her bond with Nick a secret, Jimmy had unleashed a petty, vengeful storm on both of them. He wasn't alone in his torment; an army of foolish followers did his bidding, eager to stay in his favor.
But Mariah no longer cared.
Let him and his mindless minions waste their breath. Though a dull ache still pulsed in her chest whenever she saw him, she refused to let him see her break. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of her pain.
She didn't need him. She had Nick.
With him by her side, she could breathe again. He absorbed her pain like a sponge, dulling its edges, grounding her. When she was with Nick, the shadows of her past faded into the background, and she remembered that she wasn't truly alone.
A soft mutter escaped her lips as a fly landed on her cheek. She lazily waved it away and fluttered her eyelids open, tilting her head just slightly. From this angle, she could only see Nick's chin, still and peaceful. She smiled faintly—he was drifting off again.
Nick always did love sleeping outdoors. Even as kids, they'd sneak off to camp in the woods, despite their parents' protests. The adults insisted on proper hotels, room service, and safety, but the two of them craved the untamed quiet of nature. Those were some of her happiest memories.
"When we graduate from this cursed school, let's go camping the very next day. What do you think?" Nick murmured suddenly.
She only grunted in response.
"Nick!"
"I was finally relaxing, and there you go ruining it with your squeaky voice," he muttered without opening his eyes.
"Squeaky?" she echoed, mock-offended. She lifted her head from his stomach and narrowed her eyes at him. "And there it is again—that stony face of yours!"
He ignored her playful accusation.
"Why do you smile so little?" she asked.
"Because I only smile when I mean it," he replied calmly, scratching his eyelid. "I don't fake anything. You've known me since we were kids and you're still surprised?"
"So you're saying you're not happy right now?" she teased.
"I am relaxing," he clarified.
Mariah puffed out her cheeks, pretending to pout.
"So relaxing is more important to you than I am?" Her eyes sparkled with mischief as she smiled. "I knew that'd get a reaction."
"What does one have to do with the other?" he shot back, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "I'm relaxing with you. I'm just drained from these endless, soul-crushing lessons."
She grinned mischievously.
"Well, let me fix that for you."
Without warning, she launched a tickle attack on his stomach. She knew all his weak spots, and she used them without mercy. Nick burst into laughter, giggling uncontrollably under her relentless fingers.
"That's more like it," she declared triumphantly. "That's the smile I wanted."
When she finally let him go, he sat up beside her, still breathless from laughter, and looked directly into her eyes.
"Sorry I've been such a downer lately," he said softly. "But this place… it gets under my skin. The longer I'm here, the more I just want the year to be over."
"It's only been a month," she reminded him. "We're barely into October, and you're already dreaming of June? We've got a long road ahead, my dear friend. Brace yourself."
She threw an arm around his shoulder in mock solemnity.
"I don't know why," he said after a pause, "but I feel like something's going to happen this year. Like… something big. First year it was that whole thing with Halsey. Now there's something weird going on with that new girl. Doesn't it feel… off?"
Mariah considered his words carefully. She had her suspicions. Whatever was happening to Hannah, it wasn't random.
It wasn't just the cursed room they shared—though that alone was ominous enough.
It was Joseph.
He was connected to both of them. Mariah had noticed the way he looked at the sixteen-year-old—curious, unsettled, fixated. Someone else must have noticed too. Someone who wasn't above using that interest to manipulate and destroy.
And that realization made her blood run cold.