IT was just past midnight when Lance heard the strange bell.
He sat alone in the school library, finishing his homework. The sound wasn't loud, but it felt like it echoed in his bones. Soft, slow… like a whisper.
He raised his hand, and a small ball of light appeared in his palm. It floated above his notebook, glowing gently.
Ansha stepped in from the hallway. She was smart, brave, and always calm. Her sword hung at her side, glowing slightly. "Did you hear that?" she asked.
Lance nodded. "Yeah. What was it?"
She looked around. "The Crowbell. I think it's real."
People at school whispered about a secret group—a society full of puzzles, riddles, and strange powers. Lance never believed it… until now.
Suddenly, a book fell off a shelf on its own. It opened to a page with a black crow and a sentence: Do you remember your name?
They turned—and saw a figure in a red robe watching them.
Something big was beginning.
[2. The Mark Of Crow!]
The figure in red stood still. A silver crow pin shone on their robe.
Ansha stepped forward, her sword glowing. "Who are you?" she demanded.
The figure didn't answer. Instead, they dropped a black envelope on the floor and vanished into the shadows.
Lance picked it up. Inside was a card with only one sentence: Find the next bell before the full moon.
"There's more than one?" Lance asked.
Ansha nodded. "It's a test. The Society watches those who follow clues."
The next day at school, everything felt different. Professor Thorne gave them a strange look during class. Faye, the librarian, left a book open to a page about secret tunnels. Even Toby noticed Lance acting weird.
That night, Lance and Ansha met in the courtyard. They followed a path of crow feathers leading behind the school. There, hidden under vines, they found a stone door with symbols.
Ansha touched it with her sword. It opened with a low hum.
They stepped inside—into the world of the Crowbell Society.
[3. The Room of Echoes!]
The stone door closed behind them with a soft *click*.
Inside, the air was cool and smelled like old paper and rain. The hallway was lit by floating glass orbs. Every wall was covered in carvings—crows, clocks, and strange symbols.
Lance raised his hand, lighting the path with his glow. Ansha's sword hummed with energy.
They stepped into a round chamber where the floor was shaped like a giant puzzle. In the center stood a tall clock with no hands. Around it were twelve doors.
A soft voice echoed through the room. "Solve the riddle. Time listens."
Letters appeared in the air:
**"I never speak but answer all. I rise with silence, fall with a call. What am I?"**
Ansha whispered, "An echo."
One door creaked open.
Inside was a girl with silver hair and violet eyes—**Velma Rhun**. She held a note: *"They're watching. Trust no one with a key."*
Before they could ask more, the floor shifted.
They were no longer in the same room.
The Society had just begun testing them.
[4.The False Key!]
Lance landed hard on a stone floor. His light flickered. "Ansha?" he called.
"I'm here," she replied, helping him up. They were in a narrow hall, walls lined with old portraits. Each face had eyes scratched out.
At the end stood a tall boy—**Cade Briar**. His long coat hid something at his side. "You're not supposed to be here yet," he said.
"We solved the echo riddle," Ansha said firmly.
Cade smirked. "Then you're moving fast. Too fast." He tossed them a small, black key. "Use it only when the clock forgets time."
He walked away before they could ask anything else.
Back in the main chamber, the others began to arrive: **Bran**, **Junia**, **Esra**, and **Ketta**. All had followed different riddles.
Above them, the clock finally moved—its hands spinning wildly.
Then, one by one, the twelve doors slammed shut.
A symbol glowed on the wall: a crow holding a broken key.
Lance checked his pocket.
The key Cade gave them was melting.
Not all clues were meant to be trusted.
[5.The Final Bell!]
The room was heavy with silence. The key Cade gave them was now a pile of ash, but the strange symbol on the wall pulsed with an eerie light. Lance and Ansha exchanged a look.
"We need to find the true key," Ansha said, gripping her sword. "But the riddle said the clock forgets time. What does that mean?"
Lance stepped closer to the wall, his light flickering as he examined the glowing symbol. "The key… it's not something we can hold." His voice was barely a whisper. "It's knowledge."
Suddenly, the clock's hands stopped spinning. A new door appeared—this one made of pure light. Behind it, a figure stepped through: **Professor Thorne**, his face more tired than ever. "You're here at last," he said, his voice heavy.
Ansha raised her sword. "What is this? What have we been doing all this time?"
"The Crowbell Society tests those who are ready for power," Thorne explained. "But not everyone passes. Some of you may never leave this place."
The room shuddered as the air grew colder.
Lance looked around. "And the key?"
"Knowledge," Thorne repeated. "The key is the knowledge of what you're willing to sacrifice to unlock your true power. The next trial… will begin soon."
Ansha and Lance stood together. "What does that mean for us?" Lance asked.
Thorne smiled grimly. "You'll find out soon enough."
As the door to the chamber slammed shut behind them, a faint bell rang in the distance, echoing through the darkness.