The students looked excited as they took seats at the free desks, eager for their first class. The noise they were making irritated Natan, who glanced around with narrowed eyes and pulled his chair away from his roommate.
Nadia looked disappointed when she arrived too late to sit next to her crush. She had no choice but to settle for the seat directly behind him.
The sixteen-year-olds whispered and laughed at the girl who walked in last. They had already come up with several nicknames for her. Maybe Nadia would've felt sorry for her if the girl hadn't behaved so oddly from the start—and landed straight on her blacklist.
"Creepy freak," one of the girls muttered, laughing nastily as the pale-skinned girl took a seat at the back by the wall. "I feel sorry for her mom. Imagine giving birth to something like that and having to raise it all these years…"
"I'd like to say the same to your mom," Natan mumbled under his breath, shooting the girl a frosty glare, though she didn't hear him.
"Maybe she's the ghost of one of the victims who died here? Go touch her and check if she's even alive," another teen chimed in, dramatically covering her mouth with her hand.
"I think that's an inappropriate comment. Show some respect for the people who died here," Nadia said, eyeing her sharply.
"I agree—you crossed a line," Leon added, glancing at the girls who had latched onto the outcast in the back row. "Besides, she didn't do anything to you. Leave her alone."
The teacher entered the classroom. It was remarkable how quickly the chaotic students adopted the demeanor of model pupils. The room fell so silent that the only sound was the clicking of her heels.
"Wow, for a second there, I could've sworn I was at a market. I could hear you from the other side of the building," she began with a slight smile. "And now—perfect little mice."
She stood behind the desk, resting her hands on its surface. Her eyes scanned each student, as if trying to read their personalities from their faces.
"My name is Katarzyna Novak. I'll be your homeroom teacher and guardian. You can come to me with any problem—I'll listen and try to help."
"Does that include heart problems?" one of the boys asked.
"Only the medical kind," she replied seriously. "I believe your focus should be on learning, not dating."
"My heart's already been broken. Can you help me?" Leon said, placing his hands dramatically over his chest.
"I must admit, I've got quite the interesting class this year," the teacher said with a smile. "Why don't we introduce ourselves one by one? Let's start with you," she said, pointing to the girl in the first row.
The students introduced themselves in order, and when it came time for the girl in the last row, the whole class seemed focused solely on her.
"My name is Alicja Kosta," she said quietly, nervously fidgeting with her fingers.
"...and I'm a ghost!" interrupted the girl who had mocked her earlier.
"Silence, please!" the teacher snapped. "You'll speak when it's your turn. Don't interrupt your classmate."
"I'm Alicja… and I live a sad life," the girl added softly, as if talking only to herself.
The teacher looked visibly concerned by her words and made a mental note to keep an eye on her. It was obvious at first glance that she had been rejected by her peers.
When the turn came to the chatty girl, she straightened up proudly and announced:
"My name is Karolina Wiśniewska…"
"…and I'm an idiot," Natan muttered before he could stop himself.
The teacher shot him a reproachful look, and Karolina clenched her jaw in outrage.
"Let's avoid using such words out loud, please," the teacher said calmly.
"My name is Karolina Wiśniewska, and I intend to be the best in the year," the girl finished with exaggerated pride.
"So far, you've proven to be the dumbest," Natan added in a lower voice before biting his tongue.
This time, the teacher didn't react, though the look in her eyes betrayed that she might have shared his opinion.
Leon looked amused as he glanced at his roommate, giving him a pat on the shoulder. He had a feeling Natan would show his claws more than once as time went on.
*
Leon ignored Natan and rushed out of the classroom when he noticed the girl from his dream hastily leaving the room. Although all their lessons took place in that classroom, he wondered where she was going since she bypassed the bathroom and headed toward the main exit.
He wanted to talk to her, ask if she remembered anything from the previous night, if there was a chance they shared the same dream. He was determined to do it, even if it made him look like a lunatic.
He was surprised to find Alicja sitting by the pond. She pulled her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them, staring at a single point.
Leon sat down next to her, wondering how to start the conversation.
"Why are you following me?" the brunette asked, sensing his presence.
"Sorry, I wanted to ask you something."
"Yeah, no one would approach a weirdo publicly. Better to do it here, where no one can see us," she said with a sour tone.
"You didn't give me a chance to talk to you in class. You ran away so fast, I had to catch up," he replied.
Alicja finally looked at him, her expression still gloomy.
"This place sucks, and the people here are even worse."
"So why did you want to study here?" he asked with interest. For the first time, a small smile tugged at the corner of her mouth.
"I didn't want to. My mother sent me here to keep me as far from home as possible. She hates me," she said, staring at the pond. "But never mind. What do you want from me?"
Leon cleared his throat nervously.
"I feel really stupid asking this…" he hesitated, scratching his head.
"You mean the dream from last night?" she asked, locking her gaze on his face. Leon's eyes widened in surprise at her words.
"How do you know?"
"Somehow I ended up in it too. I don't know, maybe because I remember some things, and my enemy was there?"
"Your enemy?" Leon looked at her, mouth open in disbelief. She squinted, watching the spot just over his shoulder.
"Yes, the damn General who has set his sights on you."
Leon gave a nervous smile.
"Why would he target me?"
"Don't you remember the whole dream, idiot?" she asked coldly, piercing him with her gaze. "So why bother me with it?"
"Sorry, I phrased that badly. I guess I'm nervous—I still haven't gotten over waking up."
"If you stay that weak, he'll possess you faster than you realize. You could become his vessel at any moment." Her intense stare made Leon swallow hard in fear. "You probably figure out why, right? You clearly heard him call you Alan."
"Is that the guy who killed him?"
"Yes, he was his grandson, and you're his reincarnation," she replied. A cold shiver ran through his body; it felt like he'd been struck by lightning.
"What… that doesn't make any sense," he said nervously. "Who are you really, Alicja?"
"A damn medium who sees all these weird things…"
*
When Leon returned to the classroom, he looked unusually pale. Nadia glanced at him with a concerned look, guessing he wasn't feeling well.
"Are you okay?" she asked as he sat sideways on his chair. Natan raised his eyebrows, noticing his roommate's strange behavior.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked.
"Nadia... you said your parents were here twenty years ago, right?" Leon addressed the girl, who nodded in confirmation. "Do you know pretty much everything that happened here?"
"Maybe not everything, but I've heard parts of the story from them when I decided to join this school," she replied.
"Did they ever mention someone named Alan?" he asked, and Nadia noticed his lips trembled as she looked at his face.
"No, I've never heard of that guy. Why do you ask about him? Is it about the dream where you were called by that name?"
Leon nodded.
"I think there's something wrong with me."
"If you're going to start talking about possessions, not in front of me," Natan said bluntly.
"We should try to dig up some articles online, right?" Leon suggested, pulling his phone from his pocket.
They watched him with interest as he typed "Gilbert Past" into the search engine. Unfortunately, much of the information was classified — there wasn't even a mention of the supposed Alan.
"That's weird. All the pages refer only to the general tragedy, but nothing detailed," Natan remarked.
"I think the people who lived through it didn't want to reveal the details. If we want firsthand information, the only solution is my parents. They know everything since they experienced it," Nadia claimed.
"For now, don't ask them anything. Just tell me everything you know about the massacre that happened here twenty years ago," Leon asked.
Nadia glanced at the clock and noticed there was one minute left before the break ended.
"Let's meet somewhere this afternoon, after all classes. I'll tell you the whole story, I know."
The boys nodded in agreement.
*
The girl sat on the windowsill in the main corridor, swinging her legs as the boys approached her. Leon sat down beside her, while Natan stood opposite with his arms crossed.
"Twenty years ago, this building was something like a facility for troubled youth," she began, carefully watching their faces. "My mother ended up here, wrongly accused by her step-sister. She was as old as I am now. My father, on the other hand, was locked up here much longer. He came here as a kid. Blackmailed and threatened, he had to do whatever the people from the North told him…"
Nadia told them the whole story she'd heard from her parents. Leon listened intently, while Natan looked terrified as mentions of ghosts her mother had seen surfaced.
"They never said anything about Alan, but they mentioned a boy who sacrificed himself for everyone and helped them escape that hell."
"Do you think they meant him?" Natan asked.
"Possibly."
"I wonder what's worse… being here with the living General or seeing him dead in your dreams," Leon said.
"Definitely seeing him dead," Natan replied nervously, glancing around as if afraid some evil spirit lurked nearby.
For a long moment, Nadia observed Leon's profile, then asked him:
"Why did you want to join here?"
The boy glanced at her for a split second before staring at the wall on the other side.
"I really wanted to study here. I was excited when I first saw this school online."
"That's strange, but I felt the same. I wanted to be here at all costs, like I had unfinished business, like I needed to finish something my parents couldn't," the sixteen-year-old said.
"That's fascinating, because I was forced to come to this hopeless place. My father said he couldn't stand me at home anymore because I was unbearable," Natan announced.
"Too bad he didn't think about us. Now we have to put up with you, especially me," Leon said teasingly.
Natan shot him an offended look.
"No one's forcing you to hang out with me."
His roommate tousled his hair, annoying him even more.
"I know we haven't known each other long, but you'll get used to my jokes quickly."
Nadia kept watching Leon, a slight smile playing at the corner of her lips. She felt more and more captivated by him with every moment.
He worked on her like a drug.
"Do you like football?" she asked suddenly, surprising them.
"What? I'm clearly different from other girls our age. I love playing football."
"Where will you get the ball?" Natan asked.
"What do you mean where? From the storage room in the gym," she answered enthusiastically. "So, what do you say? Let's go have some fun?"
The boys nodded and walked off together, while Alicja, watching them from behind the wall, looked even more downcast. On one hand, she didn't like seeing them together; on the other, it hurt her that they had made friends so quickly while she was all alone in this place.
It was sad that she didn't even have anyone to spend her free time with.