"Nightfall Academy is nothing like the old school, so we must be careful when we get there," Kelvin warned, his tone sharp as he settled into the passenger seat of Derek's car.
Alex and Raphael sat in the back, each with their own thoughts. Alex leaned against the window, watching the blur of trees pass by while Raphael sat silently, hands clasped together, his gaze unwavering.
Derek, Kelvin's longtime friend, was the one driving. His sharp features and cold expression made him look like a man who had long abandoned the warmth of emotion, though those who truly knew him understood that beneath the icy mask, there was a softer, far more calculating core.
"Understood!" Alex said firmly, raising his head. Raphael simply nodded, his silence speaking enough for him.
"Kelvin," Derek suddenly interjected, glancing at him from the driver's seat, "you should give them a break. You've been repeating that same line since dawn. At this point, you're scaring them more than preparing them."
Kelvin sighed and rubbed his forehead. "I know. But I can't help it, Derek. Not with the rules and regulations that school enforces. One misstep, and—" He trailed off, shaking his head as if to push away the darker possibilities that hovered in his mind.
"They'll be fine," Derek replied, his lips twitching into something that resembled a smirk. His voice carried a calmness that seemed almost mocking. "And just like you said, Nightfall Academy isn't like your old school. Things are... different there. It'll be fun, especially for him." Derek pointed a finger at Alex through the rearview mirror.
Alex raised a brow. "What do you mean by that?"
Derek chuckled softly. "You'll see soon enough. You'll meet students just like you—some even crazier than you could ever imagine. And I can't wait to see how you survive them."
The smirk unsettled Alex. His stomach tightened as he began to picture what awaited them at this so-called Academy. The thought gnawed at him, but no matter how vivid his imagination became, he knew reality would always outmatch it. Only time will tell, he thought.
---
The hours stretched long, the road winding endlessly through forests that grew thicker with every passing mile. For four hours straight, Derek drove without pause, until finally the car slowed and rolled to a stop before a massive iron gate.
"We're here," Derek announced casually, as if he had just brought them to a playground.
Alex pressed his forehead against the glass and whispered, "This place is creepy."
And it was. Before them stood Nightfall Academy—an enormous, ancient institution surrounded by a dense woodland canopy that blotted out much of the daylight. The forest itself loomed with shadows, whispering with the movement of unseen creatures. Derek had warned earlier that wild beasts prowled within, and that no student was allowed outside the grounds past 9 p.m. Breaking the rule meant punishment—strict, merciless punishment.
"Sure," Kelvin muttered, his eyes narrowing as he studied the eerie black gate and the quiet that seemed to press against them. Raphael's lips curled downward in visible unease, the tension on his face betraying the fear he refused to voice.
"Creepy or not," Derek said as he stepped out of the car, "you can't turn back now."
That made all three of them turn their heads sharply toward him. Derek was smiling faintly as though enjoying a private joke.
"What do you mean?" Kelvin asked, suspicion heavy in his tone.
Derek leaned against the car door and tilted his head. "Anyone who crosses into Nightfall's territory doesn't leave unless they're permitted to. That's the rule."
Kelvin frowned deeply. "What?"
Derek let out a low chuckle. "Relax. I'm only kidding."
But his smirk, his tone—it carried no comfort. If anything, it unsettled them more.
"Derek," Kelvin pressed, his voice rising with restrained anger.
"Fine, fine," Derek relented, lifting his hands. "The truth is simple. Once you enter the Academy, leaving isn't easy. Permission is required, and it's not something handed out freely. For me, it's different—I can go in and out whenever I please, but even I cannot sever ties with the place. That's the way it is."
Kelvin clenched his fists. "You never told me any of this."
"You never asked," Derek shot back with a shrug. "Besides, the school isn't a curse, Kelvin. Everything here will help those boys become stronger than they've ever been. Don't focus on the negative—focus on the opportunities."
"You—" Kelvin began, but Alex quickly cut him off.
"Kelvin, it's fine." Alex placed a hand on Kelvin's shoulder. "It's not like we can leave even if we wanted to, so there's no point wasting energy arguing with him. We'll manage. Trust me."
"But—"
"Trust me," Alex repeated, firmer this time. His lips curved in a grin that masked the unease in his chest. "We can do this. And if we can't, well... we'll find a way to escape."
Derek laughed at that, his eyes narrowing. "Kid, you're right about many things. But escaping? That's where you're wrong. No one has ever escaped Nightfall Academy. Not once. So what makes you think you'll be the first?"
Alex met his gaze without flinching. "Because when the time comes, I will be."
Derek's grin widened. "Then I'll enjoy watching you try."
---
The gate creaked open, and the group began the long walk into the grounds. The path was narrow, littered with dry leaves that crunched beneath their feet. Tall buildings flanked them on both sides, their dark windows staring like empty eyes. The silence was oppressive, the kind that gnawed at nerves until imagination filled the void with terrors.
"This place..." Alex muttered, tightening his fists.
"Don't worry," Derek said lightly. "It feels dead now, but when classes are in session, you'll see the Academy come alive. Until then, it's always... like this."
They eventually reached the main courtyard, where rows upon rows of buildings stretched endlessly in different shapes and sizes. Despite the size of the Academy, not a single student was visible. The place felt abandoned, haunted.
"That's the Dean's office," Derek pointed out, leading them to one of the larger structures.
Inside, Alex braced himself to meet an old, gray-haired man like the Dean from his former school. Instead, he froze in shock.
The Dean of Nightfall Academy was young—no older than Kelvin—with neatly combed dark hair and sharp glasses perched on his nose. But it wasn't his age that made Alex stiffen. It was the way he stared.
"Sir, these are the ones I mentioned to you during our last conversation," Derek said with a bow.
The young Dean's gaze lingered on the papers before him, then slowly lifted to settle on Alex. His eyes did not waver, not even once.
"The three of them don't have good records," the Dean said coldly, his voice like a blade scraping against stone. "Tell me, Derek, do you think they deserve to stain my school's name with their presence?"
"Sir, since when did records matter to you—"
"Are you implying that my school has no standards?" The Dean's tone turned dangerously sharp, cutting off Derek mid-sentence.
"No, of course not," Derek said quickly, lowering his head. His usual smugness vanished under the weight of the Dean's gaze. "I only mean that these boys have potential."
But Alex barely heard their exchange. The Dean's eyes—black and endless—were locked onto him, boring into him as though trying to peel back his skin and see what lay beneath.
"You told them, didn't you?" the Dean asked Derek suddenly. "That they cannot leave unless permitted."
"Yes, sir," Derek answered.
"Good. Then leave their details with me—names, ages. I'll deal with them later. For now, go."
Kelvin, Raphael, and Derek turned to leave, but just as Alex took a step toward the door, the Dean's voice halted him.
"You," the Dean said. "Stay. The rest of you may go."
Kelvin glanced back, worried, but Alex gave a small nod, urging him to leave.
When the door closed behind them, Alex turned. His throat tightened, but he forced himself to speak. "What do you want with me?"
The Dean slowly removed his glasses, revealing eyes as black as void. They gleamed faintly, unnatural, endless.
Alex stumbled back, fear clawing its way into his chest.
The Dean chuckled softly. "Why do you recoil? Are you frightened?"
"I'm not scared," Alex said quickly, though his voice betrayed him. "I'm just... being careful."
"Careful?" The Dean tilted his head. "Don't be. My eyes—" He tapped the side of his temple. "They allow me to see what others cannot. They reveal truths others hide. For instance..." He leaned forward, his smile growing sharper.
"Should I tell you," he whispered, "that there are two souls inside your body?"