Valen and Alex entered the staircase.
The Stone walls were narrow and shadowed, stone slick with years of damp. The air smelled old, and dust clung to every surface.
Their footsteps echoed softly as they descended, past rows of portraits of Nevermore's famous alumni. Some looked proud, others smug, and a few wore expressions serious as if they decided the fate of the world. There were names they'd heard in passing, legendary outcasts who'd shaped history.
Halfway down, Valen slowed, his eyes caught a familiar set of faces. His parents. Younger, but still unmistakable. Beside them, a framed photo of the Circle in their student days, their postures full of a confidence like they ruled the world... Maybe they do.
Neither boy said a word. They just kept walking.
At the bottom, the staircase opened into the Dark circular hall, which was a Library.
It was huge, shelves packed floor to ceiling, ladders leaning against the rows, piles of old tomes stacked wherever space allowed. The society's crest stretched across the center of the floor, gold and black tiles glinting under lantern light. The air smelled of ink, wax, and wood polished long ago but left to gather dust.
(Image of the Library)
Alex stepped across the emblem slowly, eyes roaming the room. "So," he said, brushing his fingers over the floor design. "How exactly did you come to know about this place?"
But Valen didn't answer... Instead, his head turned slightly, gaze shifting to one of the far shelves.
Alex followed his line of sight and felt it too... Someone was already here.
It seems they weren't the only ones on a nightly stroll.
They exchanged a look, and Valen gave him the faintest nod.
Alex moved first. He crept around the shelves until he spotted them, a boy and a girl, half-hidden in the shadows, lips swollen, makeup smeared.
Clearly, they hadn't been studying.
The boy's head jerked up, annoyance flashing instantly across his face. At first he thought the other Nightshades had caught him, but when he realized it was only two juniors, his irritation turned into anger.
"Who let you in here?" he snapped, shoving to his feet. He stormed toward Alex, hand out like he planned to grab him by the collar.
Alex shifted just enough to dodge. With a quick movement, he knocked the boy flat on his back, and knocked him unconscious.
The girl stood sharply, voice rising. "What is wrong with you?!"
Valen stepped forward, his calm tone cutting through. "Relax, he is just asleep... and we're not here to start anything." He studied her face for a moment. "But, Do you know anything about these books? Anything at all?"
She scoffed. "No. Nobody actually reads them. And! You're not supposed to be here, okay? Only members are allowed." She crossed her arms, still glaring.
Alex sighed. "Great." Without much ceremony, he pushed her back into the corner, knocking her down too. She softly the floor with a sharp exhale.
"Start searching," Valen told him, eyes scanning the rows of shelves. "About supernatural dreams or the past Headmasters... Anything useful."
And so they split up.
The collection was endless. Ancient spell books, histories of old outcasts, dusty novels, even handwritten journals with broken seals.
Alex raised an eyebrow when he came across a small section of romance and of all things erotic novels. He muttered, "Seriously, who keeps this in a secret library?" before shoving one aside. Must have been a girl.
After some digging, he found a book on Eidolons. Thin, with faded lettering on the spine. He flipped through the pages before carrying it over to Valen. Valen glanced at it, nodded once, and kept searching.
Hours passed. Finally, they came across a thick ledger, the records of Nevermore's headmasters. They dragged it to the long table near the emblem, dust puffing into the air as they opened it.
They turned page after page until they found the one they were looking for.
Silas Sane. Headmaster from 1976 to 1990. A psychic, remembered as one of the strictest but also most supportive of outcasts. But his attitude toward normies was another matter.
The entry also told the story of his death.
In 1990, Silas's dog was killed by a normie named Lurn. The boy had tried to assault the animal, but the dog fought back and was killed. Silas had loved that dog more than anything, it was the last gift, the last memory of his late wife. When it was taken from him, his hatred peaked.
He swore vengeance and that same night, blinded by rage, he got in his car and drove toward town. But he never made it. A car accident ended his life before he could carry out his vow.
Turns out he was buried in Nevermore cemetery, and an unholy artifact of his had been buried along with him in the coffin. Students were cautioned never to disturb his grave. If the coffin cracked, the curse would fall on whoever was near.
Alex's chest tightened as he read the line. His eyes flicked up to Valen. Both of them were thinking the same thing.
This couldn't be it... right? Or it could be one hell of a damn bad coincidence!
Their dare night. The dare with the girls. Sneaking into the cemetery. Knocking on a coffin.
But if this damn coincidence really happened, and the curse was real… why had it only followed them? The others had been there too.
It didn't make sense.
Alex shut the book with a sharp thud. "Well… whatever," he muttered.
On the way out, Alex glanced at the unconscious couple. "What about them?"
"Leave them be," Valen said. "They are seniors and they always wake up eventually."
The two slipped back outside and made their way across the grounds toward the cemetery.
*
The iron gate groaned as it moved in the wind. The graveyard was silent, moonlight stretching shadows across the crooked stones.
"Holy Fuck."
"Holy Shit."
Before them the tomb lay broken. The same tomb they had knocked on. The plaster cracked, chunks scattered across the dirt and the coffin lid had been pried open.
They walked closer, phone flashlights cutting through the dark. Inside, there was nothing but bones and the outline of rotted clothing. No artifact. No ring or anything liken an accessory.
On the ground beside it lay a sledgehammer, fresh marks along the head.
Valen leaned over the coffin, scanning carefully. "There's nothing like an artifact here... It's gone," he said. "Looks like that special someone had already taken it."
But what does that artifact actually do?
Alex picked up the hammer, turning it over. "Now what?"
Valen looked around the graveyard, then back at him. "Not much we can do... and this looks like it came from a storeroom... so we got no lead..." He sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "For now, we wait... let's go back."
And then they headed back to the dorms, unsettled.
Valen dropped onto his bed, staring at the ceiling. "I just hope no one dies…"
Alex lay down across from him, face unreadable. "As you obviously know, Hope doesn't usually help," he said, "and please, don't Jinx it."
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Milestone : Every 400 powerstones = +1 bonus chapter!
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