Page 1
It began with a smell. Not a normal school smell like sweaty socks after P.E. or jollof rice someone smuggled into class. No—this was different. It was rich, powerful, suspicious. It crept down the hallway like it had legs, tiptoeing past lockers and slipping under classroom doors. Tobi sniffed the air like a detective dog. The source of the mysterious aroma was obvious: the teachers' lounge. Nobody ever saw what happened inside that place. Students only knew three things. One: the door was always locked. Two: teachers entered looking grumpy and came out looking even grumpier. Three: whatever they were hiding in there, it smelled like pure evil—or mayonnaise. And so, Tobi decided he had no choice. He would uncover the Secret Life of Teachers, even if it killed him. Or worse—got him extra homework.
Page 2
Tobi had been suspicious for months. He was sure teachers had a double life. Why else would they spend ten whole minutes in there during break, only to come out muttering things like, "I need more chalk," or "The projector is still cursed"? Normal humans don't say things like that. Ibrahim, his best friend, thought he was overthinking. "Bro," Ibrahim said, biting into a meat pie that smelled suspiciously like heaven, "maybe they just sit in there and complain about us." "No," Tobi whispered dramatically, leaning across the desk. "That's what they want us to think. But what if they're plotting world domination? What if they turn into vampires at noon and drink leftover zobo instead of blood? What if… what if the lounge is a portal to another dimension?" Ibrahim rolled his eyes. "Or maybe… hear me out… they're just eating." Tobi ignored him. Heroes never listened to the voice of reason.
Page 3
The door was guarded by the scariest man in school—Mr. Bello, the janitor. He didn't just guard it; he patrolled it like a lion protecting its den. With his mop in one hand and a suspicious bucket in the other, he could appear out of nowhere, glaring at anyone who came too close. Rumor had it that once, a JSS1 boy tried to sneak a look inside. The next day, the boy mysteriously started mopping the corridors, muttering, "The lounge… the lounge…" like a broken radio. Nobody had seen him since. If Tobi wanted to succeed, he had to outsmart Mr. Bello. And so he spent the entire Mathematics period drawing blueprints of the teachers' lounge on the back of his exercise book. While Mrs. Ebele wrote equations on the board, Tobi scribbled "Operation Lounge Raid." Step 1: distract the janitor. Step 2: sneak inside. Step 3: discover the truth. Step 4: become legendary. "Tobi!" Mrs. Ebele shouted. "What is the square root of 81?" Tobi froze. "Uh… Teachers are hiding something?"
Page 4
When the bell rang for break, Tobi dragged Ibrahim behind the water tank. "This is it. Today's the day," he whispered. Ibrahim frowned. "Today's the day for what? Getting expelled?" "No," Tobi said, puffing out his chest. "Today's the day we discover the secrets teachers have hidden from humanity since the dawn of time." Ibrahim stared at him, unimpressed. "Bro, you're thirteen. You can't even keep your shoe laces tied." But Tobi wasn't discouraged. Heroes had to take risks. He crouched behind a potted plant near the lounge door, peeking out like a secret agent. Ibrahim crouched too, holding his lunchbox like a shield. "What's in there?" Tobi asked. "Meat pie," Ibrahim replied. "If we die, I want to die full." The lounge door creaked open. A teacher stepped out carrying a steaming mug. She sipped, frowned, and muttered, "Needs more chalk." Tobi gasped. "Did you hear that? They're drinking chalk tea!"
Page 5
Tobi couldn't focus for the rest of the day. While everyone copied notes about the government, he filled his notebook with spy sketches: arrows, maps, and the phrase "Trust no one except chin-chin." He was sure the lounge wasn't just a room. It was a headquarters. Maybe a lab. Maybe a secret bunker where teachers recharged their brain batteries by inhaling chalk dust. He pictured Mr. Bello in a white lab coat, swirling green liquid in a beaker. "Today," he would cackle, "we add zobo to the potion!" His seatmate, Chika, leaned over. "Are you drawing cartoons again?" she whispered. "No," Tobi replied proudly. "I'm planning a mission." Chika squinted at the words 'Step 2: break in'. Her eyebrows shot up. "Are you planning to rob a bank?" "No," Tobi hissed. "Worse. I'm planning to rob knowledge."
Page 6
Break time the next day was the perfect opportunity. The hallway was unusually quiet. Tobi and Ibrahim tiptoed down the corridor, their sneakers squeaking like alarm bells. The golden letters on the door gleamed: TEACHERS' LOUNGE. It was like the gates of destiny calling his name. "Okay," Tobi whispered. "Plan A: I knock, pretend to deliver a message, and peek inside." Ibrahim frowned. "And if they catch you?" Tobi puffed his chest. "Then I'll tell them the truth—that destiny sent me. Or hunger. Same thing." Ibrahim sighed. "If we get expelled, I'm blaming you."
Page 7
Tobi knocked. Nothing. He knocked again. Still nothing. Slowly, he twisted the doorknob. To his surprise, it wasn't locked. The door creaked open, and a wave of strange air escaped—like coffee mixed with chalk powder and mystery stew. Tobi's nose twitched. Ibrahim's eyes widened. "This is a bad idea," Ibrahim muttered. But Tobi stepped inside anyway. Heroes didn't back down just because of bad smells. Heroes pressed forward, even when their eyes watered like onions were attacking them.
Page 8
Inside, the lounge looked… ordinary. A couch sagged in the corner. Papers were scattered across a table. A fridge hummed loudly like it was hiding state secrets. But then Tobi spotted something that made his blood turn to fufu. On the fridge was a sticky note that read: REMINDER: MEETING WITH THE KING OF TEACHERS – MIDNIGHT. He nearly screamed. Teachers had a king?! Did that mean Mrs. Ebele was just a soldier? Was Mr. Okafor a knight? "We've uncovered a conspiracy," Tobi whispered dramatically. Ibrahim slapped his arm. "Stop talking like a Nollywood villain before someone hears you!"
Page 9
Suddenly, footsteps echoed in the corridor. Tobi and Ibrahim dove under the table just as the door creaked open. Mr. Bello entered, carrying his mop and a bucket filled with… glowing green liquid. It shimmered in the dim light like radioactive zobo. Tobi's jaw dropped. "What kind of mop juice is that?" he whispered. Mr. Bello set the bucket down and muttered, "If the students ever find out the truth…" Then he paused, looked around suspiciously, and sat on the couch, opening a packet of groundnuts. Tobi and Ibrahim held their breath. This was no ordinary janitor. This was a man guarding secrets that could destroy the world—or at least the school.
Page 10
For ten agonizing minutes, the boys crouched under the table, staring at the glowing bucket. Ibrahim's stomach growled so loudly that Tobi thought Mr. Bello would hear. But instead, the janitor stood, stretched, and mumbled, "Time to feed it." Feed what?! Tobi's eyes bulged. Mr. Bello picked up the bucket and headed for a small door at the back of the lounge that neither of them had noticed before. He unlocked it with a rusty key and disappeared inside. The boys exchanged horrified looks. "Feed it?" Ibrahim mouthed silently. "Feed WHAT?" Tobi mouthed back. They had no choice. They had to follow.
Page 11
The secret door creaked shut behind Mr. Bello, and silence returned to the lounge. Tobi's heartbeat was louder than the ticking clock on the wall. Ibrahim grabbed his sleeve, eyes wide. "No. Nope. We're not following him. End of story. I like my life. I like my lungs breathing air that isn't radioactive." Tobi frowned. "Don't you want to know what he's feeding? What if it's… the King of Teachers himself?" Ibrahim groaned. "Or what if it's a giant cockroach that drinks mop water?" But curiosity had already tied Tobi's shoelaces into a knot of destiny. He wasn't turning back. "If I die," he whispered, "tell my mum I fought bravely." "If you die," Ibrahim hissed, "I'll just tell her you were an idiot."
Page 12
They tiptoed across the lounge, every creak of the wooden floor sounding like thunder in their ears. Tobi's knees wobbled like jelly. He reached the hidden door and pressed his ear against it. Strange noises drifted out: slurping, chewing, and something that sounded like burping in Latin. Tobi shivered. "What if teachers have a pet monster?" he whispered. "What if that's how they get energy to shout at us all day?" Ibrahim shook his head. "If that's true, I'm transferring schools tomorrow. I'll tell my parents I want to study in the village where teachers don't keep monsters in cupboards." Tobi reached for the rusty knob. "Ready?" Ibrahim shook his head. "Nope. But since you'll open it anyway, fine."
Page 13
The door creaked open, revealing a narrow staircase spiraling down into darkness. The glowing green bucket had left a slimy trail on the steps, like breadcrumbs for lunatics. Tobi's heart hammered against his ribs. "Downstairs," he whispered. "Why does every horror movie mistake start with 'let's go downstairs'?" Ibrahim muttered. "Because idiots like you keep saying it." They crept down, step by step, the air growing colder and damper. At the bottom, they entered a chamber that looked nothing like a school. The walls were stone, dripping with water. The floor was carved with strange chalk symbols. And in the center… was a cage.
Page 14
Inside the cage sat something huge, slimy, and covered in chalk dust. It growled softly, its glowing eyes fixed on the bucket of green water that Mr. Bello was setting down. The monster slurped greedily, burping out bubbles of chalk powder that floated into the air like toxic balloons. Ibrahim clutched Tobi's arm so tightly his fingernails dug in. "What… what is that thing?" Tobi's jaw dropped. "That… is what teachers do with all the confiscated snacks. They feed it to THIS!" He pointed at the creature. On the floor around the cage were hundreds of empty Gala wrappers, chin-chin packets, and Coke bottles. "So that's where my plantain chips went last term!" Ibrahim whispered angrily.
Page 15
Mr. Bello patted the creature's slimy head like it was a puppy. "Good boy. Drink up. We need you strong for exam season." Tobi almost fainted. Exam season?! Did that mean the monster had something to do with tests? Maybe it controlled the questions. Maybe it WAS WAEC in monster form! The thought was too much. Tobi swayed, knocked over a broom, and froze. The sound echoed like a thunderclap. Mr. Bello spun around, eyes narrowing. "Who's there?" he barked. Tobi and Ibrahim ducked behind a barrel, holding their breath until their lungs screamed for air.
Page 16
Seconds crawled by. Mr. Bello peered into the shadows, frowning. The creature slurped noisily, distracting him. "Probably rats," he muttered. Then he grabbed the empty bucket and stomped back upstairs. The hidden door slammed shut. Silence. Tobi and Ibrahim slowly peeked out from behind the barrel. The monster belched so loudly that dust fell from the ceiling. "We should leave," Ibrahim whispered. "We've seen enough. Teachers have a chalk monster. Boom. Case closed." But Tobi shook his head, eyes glowing with curiosity. "No. We need to know WHY they keep it. What's its purpose? If I figure this out, I'll go down in school history as a legend." Ibrahim sighed. "Or as a ghost."
Page 17
The boys crept closer to the cage. The monster was massive, like a lumpy ball of slime mixed with leftover akara. Its eyes glowed yellow, and its teeth looked suspiciously like pieces of broken chalk. Tobi squinted. "It doesn't look that dangerous," he whispered. The creature snorted, sending a puff of chalk dust straight into his face. Tobi coughed violently, collapsing to his knees. "It's attacking me!" he wheezed. Ibrahim smacked his back. "No, idiot, you just inhaled powdered chalk. Teachers do that every day and they're still alive." The monster tilted its head, watching them with surprising intelligence. Then, in a deep gravelly voice, it spoke. "Students."
Page 18
Tobi nearly fainted. "It talks?! It talks!" Ibrahim slapped his forehead. "Of course it talks. Everything creepy talks." The monster leaned against the bars of its cage. "You shouldn't be here." Tobi's jaw wobbled. "Why not?" "Because," the creature growled, "the teachers don't want you to know their secret." Tobi leaned closer. "What secret?" The monster's glowing eyes bored into him. "The secret… of why teachers give homework." Ibrahim gasped. "You mean… there's a reason?" The creature nodded. "Homework feeds me. Every exercise you write, every note you copy, every test you cry over—it makes me stronger."
Page 19
Tobi's brain exploded like puff-puff in hot oil. "Wait. You're telling me… homework is food?!" The monster growled hungrily. "Yes. Without homework, I would starve. The teachers depend on me, and I depend on them. That is the balance." Ibrahim's face twisted in horror. "So all those nights I stayed awake writing essays about agriculture…" "Delicious," the monster said, licking its chalky lips. "And those fifty math problems last week?" "Exquisite," it rumbled. Tobi staggered backward, clutching his head. "My life is a lie."
Page 20
The monster leaned forward, its chalk teeth glinting. "Now you know the truth. And that makes you dangerous." Tobi squeaked. "Dangerous how?" "If you tell the others, they'll rebel. They'll stop doing homework. And if I starve… the teachers will unleash me." Ibrahim gulped. "Unleash you to do what?" The monster's voice dropped to a whisper that rattled their bones. "To mark the students… permanently." Tobi grabbed Ibrahim's arm. "Okay, new plan. We get out of here alive, pretend we saw nothing, and burn all our homework." Ibrahim nodded quickly. "Best plan you've ever had."
Page 21
But as they turned to leave, the door creaked open again. This time, three teachers walked in—Mrs. Ebele, Mr. Okafor, and the terrifying Vice Principal, Mrs. Nnaji. Tobi and Ibrahim dove back behind the barrel just in time. The teachers surrounded the cage, nodding seriously. "He's growing restless," Mrs. Ebele said. "The students aren't writing enough essays." Mr. Okafor sighed. "We may need to assign surprise tests." Mrs. Nnaji's eyes glowed behind her glasses. "Yes. A full week of pop quizzes should satisfy him." Tobi's stomach dropped. So it was true. Teachers didn't give homework because they cared—they gave it because the monster was hungry.
Page 22
Ibrahim whispered, "We have to warn the others!" Tobi shook his head violently. "No! If we warn them, the teachers will know it was us. And then…" He pointed at the monster, which was currently drooling glowing slime on the floor. Ibrahim gagged. "Fine. But we can't just do nothing. We're sitting on the biggest secret in the world!" Tobi rubbed his temples. "Okay. We'll gather proof. Pictures. Evidence. Then we'll expose them… carefully." Ibrahim pulled out his tiny Nokia torchlight phone. "Good thing I charged it. I'm about to become the first investigative journalist of JSS2."
Page 23
He pointed the phone at the cage, clicked, and the flash went off. KSSSH! The light filled the chamber. The monster blinked, confused. Mrs. Nnaji spun around like a hawk. "Who's there?!" she barked. Tobi and Ibrahim froze. Ibrahim muttered, "We're dead. I hope heaven has meat pie." They tried to crawl backward, but their feet slipped on a chin-chin wrapper. CRUNCH! The sound echoed across the room. "There!" Mr. Okafor shouted, pointing straight at their hiding spot. The teachers advanced like predators.
Page 24
Tobi panicked. He grabbed the nearest object—a dusty chalkboard eraser—and hurled it. It bounced off the monster's cage with a loud thunk. The creature roared, shaking the bars, chalk dust exploding like smoke. Teachers staggered, coughing. "Now!" Tobi shouted, dragging Ibrahim toward the stairs. They sprinted up, wheezing and tripping over each other. Behind them, the monster growled and the teachers shouted, "Catch them!" Ibrahim screamed, "This isn't a mission, this is suicide!" But somehow, they burst out of the lounge and slammed the door shut behind them.
Page 25
They didn't stop running until they reached the playground. Both collapsed on the grass, gasping like dying goats. "We…" Ibrahim panted, "are never… doing that again." Tobi sat up, wild-eyed. "Are you kidding? We just uncovered the truth of the universe! Homework isn't education—it's MONSTER FOOD." Ibrahim groaned. "That doesn't help me pass exams." Tobi ignored him, already plotting. "We have evidence. If we can just show the picture—" Ibrahim checked his phone and paled. "Uh… bad news." "What?" "The picture's gone. Deleted." Tobi snatched the phone. The gallery was empty. A chill ran through him. "They know," he whispered. "The teachers erased it."
Page 26
Paranoia gripped him the rest of the day. Every time a teacher glanced his way, he was sure they knew. When Mrs. Nnaji asked him to solve a math question, he was convinced she was secretly checking if he'd squeal. When Mr. Okafor handed him homework, the paper felt heavier than usual, as if soaked in monster saliva. By closing time, he was exhausted from fear. "We can't keep this to ourselves," Ibrahim muttered as they packed up. "We'll go crazy." "We can't tell anyone yet," Tobi whispered. "We need allies. Brave ones. And we need more proof. Tonight, we return." Ibrahim stared at him. "Return? Are you mad? My parents think I'm revising! You want me to sneak out for round two?" Tobi grinned. "Exactly."
Page 27
That night, Tobi sat at his desk, pretending to do homework. His mum peeked in. "You're so hardworking, my son," she said proudly. He smiled weakly, hiding the fact that every math problem he wrote was secretly fueling a chalk monster underground. At 11:30 p.m., he slipped out the window with his backpack. Ibrahim was waiting at the corner, clutching a torch and a bag of groundnuts. "Why groundnuts?" Tobi asked. "Stress snack," Ibrahim said. Together, they crept back to the school compound, scaling the gate like professional criminals. The night was silent except for the chirping of crickets and Ibrahim muttering, "This is how people die in Nigerian horror films."
Page 28
They reached the lounge. To their horror, the lights inside were already on. Voices echoed through the windows. Tobi peered in. The teachers were holding a meeting around the glowing bucket. Mrs. Nnaji's voice carried across the room: "The students are becoming suspicious. Someone must have seen the monster." Tobi's blood froze. Mr. Okafor nodded. "We must tighten security. From now on, homework will double. Tests will triple. And the cane…" He lifted a cane that gleamed like Excalibur. "…will fall harder." Ibrahim nearly fainted. "If they double homework, I'm moving to Canada."
Page 29
Tobi's brain spun like a malfunctioning fan. He needed a plan, and fast. Then he saw it—the fridge in the corner. The sticky note was still there: "Meeting with the King of Teachers – Midnight." Tobi grabbed Ibrahim's arm. "That's tonight. We'll finally see their leader." Ibrahim's eyes bulged. "Leader? There's someone worse than Mrs. Nnaji?" "Yes," Tobi said grimly. "And we're going to witness it." Ibrahim groaned. "Why didn't I just stay home with my meat pie?"
Page 30
At exactly midnight, the lounge lights flickered. The teachers stood in a circle, chanting softly. Chalk dust filled the air like smoke from a bonfire. The fridge rattled. The floor shook. And then… the fridge door opened by itself. Out stepped a tall figure wearing a robe made entirely of exam papers, his crown glowing with rulers and biros. His eyes burned like white chalk flames. The teachers bowed low. Tobi's mouth fell open. "That… is the King of Teachers." Ibrahim whimpered. "We're doomed."
Page 31
The second Tobi and Ibrahim realized the teachers' "potluck" involved glowing liquids, they knew things were escalating from "strange" to "call your pastor." Mrs. Ade, the maths teacher, pulled out a gigantic thermos labeled "Quadratic Juice." She poured some into a mug, stirred with a ruler, and took a sip like it was the most normal thing ever. Then she sighed dreamily, "Ahh… tastes like x squared plus 3x minus 54." Ibrahim leaned into Tobi's ear. "Bro, this woman is DRINKING equations." Tobi blinked, his jaw dangling. "No wonder her eyes always twitch during exams—she's high on algebra." They watched as Mr. Okafor dipped bread into a jar of blue paste and cheerfully announced, "Mmm! Nothing like Monday morning chalk jam!" Both boys gagged silently. Teachers weren't just humans… they were culinary disasters.
Page 32
As Tobi tried not to vomit, the teachers began… chanting. Yes, chanting. Like a choir of sleepy owls, they hummed a strange tune: "Lesson plans, discipline, detention…" over and over. Their mugs clinked in rhythm. The green glowing bucket in the middle of the lounge vibrated like a speaker at a wedding. Tobi whispered, "They're summoning something." Ibrahim whispered back, "If a ghost principal crawls out of that bucket, I'm transferring schools." Suddenly, the bucket bubbled. A puff of mist escaped, forming into a… giant floating report card. It hovered above the teachers, glowing red. Written across it in bold letters: "FAILED: ALL STUDENTS." The teachers cheered. "YES! Balance is restored!" Ibrahim almost screamed. "We're doomed. They're planning to fail us ALL."
Page 33
The glowing report card suddenly twirled like a disco ball, shooting beams of light at the walls. Charts of attendance, test scores, and punishments danced across the lounge like a PowerPoint gone to hell. Mrs. Ebele clapped like a proud mother. "Behold! The prophecy of discipline!" Mr. Bello poured some green liquid onto a mop and saluted it. "The mop accepts your offering." Tobi pinched himself. Hard. Nope, he wasn't dreaming. He grabbed Ibrahim's sleeve. "We have to stop them before exams. If that floating F-grade thing goes into effect, we're all finished. Even Chika the genius will fail!" Ibrahim's eyes bugged. "You're suggesting we—two small boys—fight against teachers, janitors, AND a supernatural bucket?" Tobi nodded solemnly. "Exactly. We'll become legends."
Page 34
Before they could plan their "legendary" sabotage, a loud RIIIIIIING! echoed. Break time was over. The teachers scattered, putting away their chalk drinks, glowing mop water, and scary snacks. The floating report card folded itself like origami and zipped into the fridge. The room returned to boring normalcy. Tobi and Ibrahim crawled out from under the table, hearts pounding. Tobi said, "We need evidence. Solid proof." Ibrahim muttered, "Evidence? I just need new underwear." They quickly snapped photos on Tobi's tiny Nokia phone—the glowing bucket, the weird jars, the sticky note about the King of Teachers. The pictures came out blurry, but terrifying enough. Tobi grinned. "Tomorrow, we're sneaking back in." Ibrahim groaned. "Why does tomorrow sound like my funeral?"
Page 35
That night, Tobi couldn't sleep. His brain replayed every weird thing he saw—the teachers sipping chalk tea, the glowing report card, Mr. Bello's mop worship. His mom poked her head into his room. "Why are you wide awake like a goat staring at headlights?" she asked. Tobi stammered, "Uhm… studying!" She raised an eyebrow. "At midnight? You? Studying?" She laughed until her wrapper shook. "Good joke, my son. Now sleep." But Tobi couldn't. He whispered into the dark, "What if the King of Teachers is real? What if he's planning something big?" His wardrobe creaked suddenly, and he nearly screamed. But it was just his trousers falling. He whispered again, "Tomorrow, the truth will be mine."
Page 36
Morning came, and Tobi was already plotting before brushing his teeth. He cornered Ibrahim in the hallway. "We're going back today. After school. Operation Lounge Raid, Phase 2." Ibrahim groaned. "I told my stomach we were retiring after Phase 1." Tobi shook his head. "No retreat. No surrender. This is bigger than us now. We have to protect the students." Chika overheard and snorted. "Protect students? You can't even protect your pencil from falling every five minutes." Tobi narrowed his eyes. "Laugh all you want, but when the King of Teachers shows up and steals your grades, don't come crying to me." Chika rolled her eyes. "You watch too many cartoons."
Page 37
After school, the corridors emptied. The sun dipped low, shadows stretching across the walls. Tobi and Ibrahim crept toward the lounge like two spies in oversized uniforms. "Got the meat pie?" Tobi whispered. Ibrahim nodded. "Always." They reached the lounge. The door was locked now, tighter than before. Tobi bent down, pulling out a bent paperclip. "I watched YouTube. I can pick locks." Ibrahim gawked. "On that tiny Nokia? With your slow data? No way." Tobi smirked, poked the keyhole… and immediately broke the paperclip. "Plan B," he announced. "We knock and pretend we're lost." Ibrahim facepalmed.
Page 38
Just as Tobi prepared to knock, the door creaked open on its own. The lounge was empty, but faint whispers drifted from inside. They stepped in cautiously. Everything looked the same—fridge, couch, glowing bucket—but this time, the walls had posters that weren't there before. Posters that read: "OBEY THE CURRICULUM.""DETENTION IS LOVE.""FAILURE IS FREEDOM." Ibrahim muttered, "Bro… these teachers are in a cult." Suddenly, the fridge rattled violently. Tobi froze. The door burst open—and the glowing report card shot out, hovering in midair. It spun toward them. "IDENTIFY YOURSELVES," it boomed.
Page 39
Tobi stammered, "Uh—we're… student inspectors?" Ibrahim nodded nervously. "Yes, yes, checking safety regulations. Very safe. Very clean. Good job!" The report card scanned them with a red beam. "LIES DETECTED." It glowed brighter. "PUNISHMENT: IMMEDIATE." Ibrahim screamed. "Tobi, do something!" Tobi grabbed the closest object he could find: a box of chalk. He threw it at the glowing report card. The chalk bounced off harmlessly. The report card roared. "YOU DARE INSULT THE KING'S SEAL?" The green bucket bubbled again. Tobi yelled, "RUN!" And they bolted out of the lounge, the floating F chasing them down the hallway like an angry drone.
Page 40
They dashed past classrooms, hurdled over mop buckets, and nearly collided with the headteacher. The glowing report card zoomed after them, wailing like a police siren. "FAILED! FAILED! FAILED!" Students peeked out of classrooms, shrieking with laughter. "Tobi's being chased by his report card!" someone yelled. Ibrahim shouted, "This isn't funny, it's witchcraft!" They turned a corner, skidded on spilled zobo, and slammed into the library door. Bursting inside, they dove behind bookshelves. The report card hovered at the entrance, scanning the rows of dusty books. Tobi gasped for breath. "We… we need to trap it." Ibrahim panted. "Trap it with what? Literature? Throw Shakespeare at it?"
Page 41
The report card zoomed in. Red beams flickered through the shelves. Ibrahim grabbed a random book, "Advanced Mathematics," and hurled it. The book bounced off, harmless. Tobi grabbed "Chemistry for JSS3" and tossed it too. Still nothing. The glowing F laughed. "YOUR KNOWLEDGE IS USELESS." Ibrahim clutched his head. "Even the books are failing us!" Then Tobi spotted something on the highest shelf: a giant, leather-bound book titled "The Forbidden Register." Its spine glowed faintly. He scrambled up like a desperate monkey, grabbed it, and slammed it down onto the report card. BAM! The glowing F shrieked and sizzled, trapped beneath the heavy register. Ibrahim gaped. "Bro… you just killed a ghost report card with paperwork." Tobi puffed his chest. "Who knew admin could save lives?"
Page 42
The register pulsed, glowing brighter. A voice boomed from within: "YOU DARE INTERFERE WITH TEACHER BUSINESS?" The library shook. Books tumbled. Students screamed and ran. Tobi and Ibrahim clung to each other. Suddenly, the register opened by itself. Pages flipped wildly, stopping on one covered in strange symbols. A face emerged from the paper—the stern, wrinkled face of a man with glasses bigger than binoculars. "I," the face declared, "AM THE KING OF TEACHERS." Ibrahim fainted instantly. Tobi squeaked, "Sir… good afternoon?"
Page 43
The King of Teachers glared. His voice rumbled like thunder in a chalk mine. "YOU TWO HAVE MEDDLED IN SACRED LESSONS. WHY?" Tobi's mouth dried up. He stammered, "Uh… because… we were curious?" The King's eyes blazed. "CURIOSITY IS DETENTION." Tobi squealed, "Nooo! Anything but detention!" The King roared, "YOU SHALL FACE THE TEST OF ETERNAL HOMEWORK." At that, hundreds of ghostly worksheets burst from the book, fluttering toward Tobi. He screamed as they stuck to his uniform, his arms, his face. "Too many assignments! I can't breathe!" Ibrahim, half-conscious, mumbled, "This… is… my nightmare."
Page 44
Thinking fast, Tobi grabbed a pen from his pocket and scribbled random answers on the ghostly worksheets. To his surprise, the papers sizzled and disappeared whenever he wrote on them. "Wait… I can defeat them by solving?" He shouted. "Math powers, activate!" He quickly wrote "x = 7" on one sheet—it vanished. Wrote "Nigeria's capital is Abuja" on another—POOF! The ghost papers shrieked as they dissolved. The King of Teachers scowled. "IMPOSSIBLE. A STUDENT DOING HOMEWORK… WILLINGLY?" Tobi roared back, "I'm not just a student. I'm a survivor!"
Page 45
Page after page, Tobi scribbled like a madman. Equations, geography, grammar—anything that came to mind. Ibrahim finally woke up, saw the chaos, and shouted, "WHAT KIND OF NIGHTMARE EXAM IS THIS?!" Tobi tossed him a ghost worksheet. "Help me, bro! Write anything!" Ibrahim scribbled "My name is Ibrahim and I like meat pie." The paper vanished instantly. "It works!" he cried. "Bro, we're defeating evil with nonsense!" They laughed manically, scribbling furiously as ghost papers rained around them. For once in his life, Tobi was doing homework with joy.
Page 46
The King of Teachers bellowed, "YOU MAY DEFEAT THE SHEETS, BUT YOU CANNOT FACE ME." He rose higher from the book, his body forming from chalk dust and leftover biro ink. He towered over them like a giant principal of doom. Tobi gasped, "He's huge!" Ibrahim muttered, "I should've transferred to a school with normal ghosts, like ones in bathrooms." The King raised a colossal hand made of red pen ink and slammed it down. The boys rolled aside, the floor cracking where it hit. Tobi shouted, "Quick! We need to trap him back in the book!"
Page 47
They scrambled, dodging ink blasts and chalk lightning. Ibrahim yelled, "How do we trap him?!" Tobi's eyes darted around. Then he saw it—the library's old stamp pad, the one used to mark "RETURNED" on overdue books. He snatched it up. "We stamp him back!" Ibrahim gawked. "You've gone mad." Tobi roared, "MADNESS IS THE ONLY WAY!" He leapt at the King's chest and slammed the stamp. BAM! A giant red word appeared on the chalky body: RETURNED. The King screamed, swirling back toward the register.
Page 48
The register sucked him in with a tornado of pages. "NOOO! I WILL BE BACK! AND YOU WILL ALL REPEAT JSS1 FOREVER!" The last of his chalky body disappeared into the book. The register slammed shut with a deafening thud. Silence fell. The glowing bucket in the lounge flickered out. The posters on the walls crumbled to dust. Everything was… normal again. Tobi collapsed to the floor, panting. Ibrahim fell beside him, groaning. "We… we survived." Tobi grinned weakly. "Operation Lounge Raid… success."
Page 49
Just then, the library door opened. It was the headteacher. She looked around at the mess—fallen books, torn worksheets, chalk dust everywhere. She glared at them. "TOBI. IBRAHIM. Explain." Tobi opened his mouth. Closed it. Opened it again. "Uh… we were… fighting… um… education." Ibrahim added, "Yes. We defeated it. You're welcome." The headteacher's face turned red. "You both have detention. For a month." Tobi squeaked, "But we just saved the school!" The headteacher snapped, "Saved it from what? Dust?"
Page 50
And so, instead of medals or glory, Tobi and Ibrahim ended up scrubbing blackboards after school for weeks. Every time they wiped chalk, Tobi shivered, remembering the King of Teachers. Was he really gone? Or just waiting? Ibrahim muttered, "Bro, next time you have a crazy idea, count me out." Tobi smirked. "Until the next mystery, my friend. Because the secret life of teachers… isn't over yet." Somewhere, in the locked lounge fridge, the glowing report card flickered faintly. Waiting.
Page 51
Detention was supposed to be punishment, but for Tobi it became his new investigation headquarters. As he scrubbed chalk off the board, he whispered to Ibrahim, "I don't think it's over. The King of Teachers is trapped, but what about that bucket? And the prophecy of the midnight meeting?" Ibrahim dipped his rag in water and hissed, "Stop saying prophecy like you're in a Nollywood movie. We already almost died. Let's retire!" But even he couldn't ignore the strange fact that the lounge door still rattled sometimes when no one was near it, as if something inside was… awake.
Page 52
The first week of detention, nothing weird happened. The boys swept floors, stacked chairs, and inhaled enough chalk dust to qualify as powdered doughnuts. But on the seventh day, Tobi spotted it—a faint green glow leaking from the lounge door at exactly 3:00 p.m. He froze mid-sweep. Ibrahim saw it too, dropped his broom, and muttered, "No. Nope. Never again. I refuse." Tobi's eyes burned with determination. "This isn't punishment anymore. It's destiny." Ibrahim groaned, "Bro, your destiny is to make us repeat JSS1."
Page 53
That evening, instead of going home, they hid in the janitor's closet, peeking at the lounge from a crack in the door. Teachers shuffled in with mysterious bags. Mrs. Ade carried a stack of rulers. Mr. Okafor dragged in a cage covered with a cloth. The cage shook violently, as if something alive was inside. Ibrahim whispered, "If it's a crocodile, I'm done." Tobi whispered back, "If it's a crocodile, I'm becoming a legend." The last to enter was Mr. Bello, carrying the green glowing bucket like a crown jewel. When the door shut, Tobi clenched his fists. "We're going in."
Page 54
Breaking into the lounge a second time was easier. The paperclip trick still didn't work, but Ibrahim's meat pie crumbs distracted Mr. Bello's dog long enough for them to slip inside. What they saw made their stomachs do backflips. The teachers had arranged the tables in a circle. In the center sat the glowing bucket, bubbling like angry soup. The cage was placed beside it, and when the cloth came off, both boys nearly screamed—it was a chicken. A chicken with glowing eyes. Mrs. Ebele stroked its feathers and whispered, "Soon, you will guide us." Ibrahim slapped his forehead. "We came back for THIS? A radioactive chicken?"
Page 55
But this wasn't an ordinary chicken. When Mrs. Ade sprinkled chalk dust into the bucket, the chicken stood tall on its claws, puffed its chest, and spoke. Yes, spoke. "STUDENTS HAVE MEDDLED. THE BALANCE IS BROKEN." Its voice echoed like three teachers scolding at once. Tobi gasped so loud he almost inhaled his shirt. "The chicken talks!" Ibrahim muttered, "Forget legend. This is madness." The teachers bowed to the glowing chicken, chanting, "Guide us, Headmaster Supreme!" The chicken's glowing eyes flickered toward the crack in the wall. For a second, Tobi swore it looked straight at them.
Page 56
The chicken declared, "THE KING OF TEACHERS HAS BEEN BOUND, BUT HIS TEST LIVES ON. THE STUDENTS MUST FACE… THE EXAM OF SHADOWS." The teachers cheered like fans at a football match. "Exam of Shadows! Exam of Shadows!" Ibrahim whispered, "I'm already failing normal exams, now they want to add ghost exams? I quit!" Tobi's hands trembled, but his curiosity burned hotter. "If we survive this, we'll know the deepest secrets of the school." Ibrahim muttered, "If we survive this, my mum will beat me for dirtying my uniform."
Page 57
Suddenly, the chicken's head spun all the way around, and it squawked, "INTRUDERS." The chanting stopped. All heads turned toward the crack where Tobi and Ibrahim were peeking. Tobi squeaked, "Uh-oh." Mr. Bello growled, "Who's there?" The boys bolted, sprinting down the corridor before the teachers could react. Behind them, the chicken's voice thundered, "FIND THEM. THEY MUST BE TESTED." The ground shook. Lights flickered. And from the shadows of the hallway, ghostly exam papers began to crawl out, their sharp corners flapping like wings.
Page 58
The boys ran, but the haunted papers flew after them, slapping against walls and desks, leaving ink stains like blood splatters. One paper smacked Ibrahim's head, wrapping around his face. "Help! I'm being eaten by homework!" he muffled. Tobi ripped it off, scribbling random answers until it dissolved. "The chicken wasn't lying," he gasped. "The Exam of Shadows is real!" They turned a corner, only to see more papers floating, forming into a huge shape—an enormous shadowy examiner holding a red pen like a sword. "BEGIN THE TEST," it boomed.
Page 59
The Shadow Examiner slammed its red-pen sword onto the floor, carving glowing lines that formed into… exam desks. Hundreds of them, filling the corridor. Ghostly students appeared, sitting stiffly, scratching answers. "SIT," the examiner ordered. Tobi gulped. "Do we… do we sit?" Ibrahim hissed, "If you sit, you die. If you don't sit, you also die. This is school, bro. There's no winning." But when the red pen pointed directly at them, sizzling, they had no choice. They sat. Papers appeared before them, glowing faintly. At the top: "EXAM OF SHADOWS: FINAL TEST."
Page 60
The first question: "What is the sound of a chalkboard when no one is listening?" Tobi blinked. "What kind of nonsense is this?" Ibrahim's paper asked: "If a teacher scolds in the forest and no student is there to hear, is it still your fault?" He yelled, "YES! The answer is always yes!" The papers glowed as their pens moved by themselves, writing answers. But the questions kept getting stranger. "How many rulers can dance on the head of a teacher?""If homework is eternal, why do students sleep?" Tobi's head spun. This was philosophy, not education!
Page 61
As they struggled, the Shadow Examiner loomed closer, marking ghostly students' papers with giant red X's. Every time he stamped an "F," the ghost student vanished with a scream. Ibrahim's hands shook. "Bro, if I fail, I'll evaporate like smoke!" Tobi clenched his jaw. "Then we pass. Somehow." He thought hard. These weren't real questions—they were riddles. Trick questions. "If homework is eternal, why do students sleep?" He scribbled: "Because dreams are homework for the brain." His paper glowed. Correct. He grinned. "I'm getting it!" Ibrahim scrawled something random—*"Because sleep is tasty"—*and to his shock, his paper glowed too.
Page 62
The questions rained down, faster and harder. Tobi sweated. "What is the capital of chalk?" He wrote: "Dust City." Glow. Correct. Ibrahim's asked: "Who invented detention?" He angrily scribbled: "Satan." Glow. Correct. They laughed hysterically, scribbling like maniacs. But then the final question appeared. On Tobi's sheet: "Who is the true ruler of the school?" His hand froze. If he answered wrong, he was done. He looked up—the Shadow Examiner towered above, red pen dripping. He swallowed. Then, slowly, he wrote: "The students."
Page 63
The entire corridor shook. The ghost desks exploded into paper shreds. The Shadow Examiner reeled back, roaring, "UNACCEPTABLE ANSWER!" But Tobi's paper glowed brighter and brighter until it burst into a beam of light, piercing the examiner's chest. Ibrahim's paper lit up too, his nonsense answer—"My mum"—joining the blast. The Shadow Examiner screamed, dissolving into chalk dust that rained down like confetti. The ghostly students vanished with relieved sighs. The corridor fell silent again. Tobi and Ibrahim sat panting in the wreckage, covered in ink and dust. "We… we passed," Tobi whispered. Ibrahim wheezed, "This is the only exam I'll ever celebrate passing."
Page 64
They staggered back toward the lounge. But when they opened the door, the teachers were gone. The bucket was gone. The chicken was gone. Only the sticky note on the fridge remained. It now read: "THE FINAL BELL SOON." Ibrahim crumpled it and groaned. "Why can't we ever be normal kids? Why can't we just play football like everyone else?" Tobi tucked the note into his pocket, eyes blazing. "Because we've seen the truth. And the truth doesn't let you rest." Ibrahim glared. "The truth better let me eat meat pie, or I'm quitting this friendship."
Page 65
The next day, school seemed ordinary again. Teachers taught. Students slept through lessons. Nothing glowed, nothing chanted. For a moment, Tobi wondered if it had all been a hallucination caused by expired chin-chin. But then, during assembly, the headteacher made an announcement. "Attention students. This Friday… we will have a special midnight assembly. Attendance is… compulsory." Every student groaned. Midnight? Who holds assembly at midnight? Ibrahim grabbed Tobi's arm. "This is it. The Final Bell. It's happening." Tobi nodded. "We need a plan."
Page 66
Planning was harder than the exam of shadows. They needed disguises, flashlights, snacks, and maybe a holy water bottle or two. Tobi scribbled everything in his notebook. "Phase One: survive midnight without parents noticing. Phase Two: survive teachers without getting grounded. Phase Three: survive mysterious glowing poultry." Ibrahim added his own Phase Four: "Survive Tobi's madness." Chika overheard them and snorted. "You two are insane. Midnight assembly is probably just some boring PTA nonsense." But deep down, even she looked worried.
Page 67
Friday came. The moon rose full and bright. Students gathered in the courtyard, yawning and confused. Teachers stood stiffly at the front, their eyes glowing faintly green. Tobi whispered, "They're hypnotized. Look." Sure enough, even the headteacher's smile seemed too wide, too stiff. The clock struck twelve. The bell tower rang. DONG. DONG. But instead of echoing twelve times, it kept going—thirteen, fourteen, fifteen. The ground shook. The sky flickered. Ibrahim gasped, "Bro… that's not normal."
Page 68
The bell tower split open like a cracked egg. From within, green light poured down, and the glowing chicken descended, wings spread, eyes blazing. "STUDENTS," it thundered, "YOUR FINAL LESSON BEGINS." Everyone screamed. Some fainted. Some prayed. The teachers fell to their knees, chanting. Tobi grabbed Ibrahim's sleeve. "This is it. The Final Bell." Ibrahim shrieked, "I TOLD YOU TO LEAVE ME OUT!" But it was too late. The chicken's eyes swept across the courtyard, locking onto Tobi. "YOU… THE TROUBLEMAKER. STEP FORWARD."
Page 69
The entire school stared as Tobi shuffled forward, knees wobbling. He muttered, "Why me? Why always me?" Ibrahim hissed from the crowd, "Because you opened your big mouth, that's why!" The chicken lowered its head, glowing feathers crackling. "YOU DEFIED THE KING OF TEACHERS. NOW YOU SHALL FACE… THE FINAL QUESTION." A glowing exam paper appeared in front of Tobi, blank except for one line: "What is the secret life of teachers?" Gasps rippled through the courtyard. Even the teachers looked shaken. Tobi's hand shook as he lifted his pen. This was it. One answer stood between him and doom.
Page 70
Tobi took a deep breath. He thought about everything he had seen—the chalk tea, the glowing bucket, the floating report card, the Exam of Shadows. He thought about his tired teachers, their twitching eyes, their endless sighs. Slowly, he wrote: "The secret life of teachers is that they are human. Tired, weird, but human. And they need us as much as we need them." The paper glowed brighter than anything before. The chicken screamed, feathers exploding into sparks. The bell tower crumbled. The green light faded. When the dust settled, the chicken was gone. The teachers blinked, confused, as if waking from a dream. Tobi collapsed into Ibrahim's arms. Ibrahim groaned, "Bro… if you ever drag me into something like this again, I'll fail on purpose just to haunt you."
Page 71
Tobi never thought he would willingly crawl into a broom cupboard with Ibrahim, a torchlight, and a stolen teacher schedule, but life has a way of surprising you. The air inside the cupboard smelled like dust, chalk, and a faint whisper of old meat pie. Ibrahim was sweating so much it looked like he had just come back from running a marathon through Lagos traffic. "Are you sure this is safe?" he whispered. Tobi grinned in the dark. "Of course. I have a foolproof plan." "Bro," Ibrahim muttered, "every time you say 'foolproof plan,' we nearly die."
Page 72
The plan was simple. At exactly 11:59 p.m., they would sneak out of the cupboard and follow the teachers to wherever their "midnight meeting" was happening. Ibrahim had brought his secret weapon: a packet of chin-chin. "Why chin-chin?" Tobi whispered. "Because if they catch us, I'll bribe them," Ibrahim replied confidently. "Everyone loves chin-chin." Tobi wanted to argue, but honestly, it wasn't the worst plan.
Page 73
Suddenly, the hallway outside the cupboard filled with footsteps. Heavy, serious footsteps, like the ground itself was being scolded. The boys peeked through the tiny crack in the cupboard door. They saw Mrs. Ebele first, clutching a giant thermos labeled "TEA OF POWER." Behind her came Mr. Okafor with a file so thick it looked like it contained the entire history of Nigeria. Then came Mr. Bello, dragging that glowing green bucket. The glow painted the walls like eerie moonlight. Ibrahim shivered. "Bro… we're in a Nollywood horror movie."
Page 74
One by one, the teachers filed down the hallway in silence, like members of a secret cult. At the very end of the group, the principal himself appeared—Mr. Adeyemi. He was wearing a black robe. A black robe. Tobi nearly fainted. Ibrahim's jaw dropped so wide you could've parked a bicycle inside. "This is it," Tobi whispered. "We follow them." Ibrahim sighed. "Why couldn't we just play FIFA like normal boys?"
Page 75
The teachers marched out of the school building and across the field. The moon hung above like a giant white eye, staring down at them. Tobi and Ibrahim crawled behind the bleachers, their knees sinking into the wet grass. Every step closer made the air heavier, like secrets pressing on their shoulders. They finally reached the old storage shed behind the school—the one everyone swore was haunted. And sure enough, that's where the teachers went.
Page 76
The shed door creaked open, and inside glowed a strange light. The teachers disappeared into it, one by one. Tobi's heart pounded like a talking drum. Ibrahim tugged his shirt. "Let's go home." "No way," Tobi whispered. "This is history. This is discovery. This is…" "This is how we die," Ibrahim finished. But he followed anyway, because that's what best friends do.
Page 77
Inside, the shed didn't look like a shed at all. It looked like a conference room. A long table stretched across the space, covered with files, cups of steaming tea, and a giant chalkboard filled with mysterious equations. At the head of the table sat a golden chair. And just as Tobi was about to whisper something sarcastic, the air shimmered. A man appeared. No, not a man—a figure. Cloaked in silver, glowing faintly, with a crown made of rulers.
Page 78
"Behold," Mr. Adeyemi announced, bowing deeply, "the King of Teachers." The other teachers bowed too. The glowing figure sat in the golden chair and looked around the room. His voice boomed: "Is the plan ready?" Mrs. Ebele nodded. "Yes, Your Majesty. By tomorrow morning, the students will believe homework is joy." Tobi nearly screamed. Homework is joy?! That was worse than witchcraft.
Page 79
The King of Teachers raised a glowing ruler. "Then it shall be done. With the power of the chalk, we will control them." The teachers clapped. Ibrahim gripped Tobi's arm so tight, Tobi thought he might lose circulation. "They're brainwashing us with homework?" Ibrahim whispered. "This is the most evil plan in history." Tobi nodded gravely. "Worse than when my mom hid the last meat pie."
Page 80
As the teachers chanted something about "endless revision" and "eternal surprise tests," Tobi's knee bumped into a mop bucket. CLANG. The sound echoed like thunder. The entire room froze. The King of Teachers turned his glowing eyes toward the shadows. "Who dares interrupt our sacred meeting?" Tobi and Ibrahim locked eyes. There was no escape now.
Page 81
The teachers stormed toward the shadows. Tobi and Ibrahim tried to crawl under the table, but Mr. Bello yanked them out by their ears. "Intruders!" Mrs. Ebele gasped. Mr. Okafor dropped his file, and papers flew everywhere like confused birds. The King of Teachers stood. "Bring them forward." Tobi's legs wobbled like jelly. Ibrahim clutched his chin-chin packet like a holy relic.
Page 82
They were dragged before the golden chair. The King of Teachers leaned down. "Why are you here?" Tobi stammered, "Uh… field trip?" Ibrahim quickly held up his chin-chin. "We brought… sacrifice." For a moment, silence. Then the King of Teachers chuckled. A deep, booming laugh that shook the walls. "Bold children," he said. "Perhaps too bold. Tell me—what did you see?"
Page 83
Tobi's brain spun faster than a generator during NEPA outage. If he told the truth, they were doomed. If he lied, maybe they'd escape. "We saw… nothing!" he blurted. "Just… a staff meeting! Very normal! Definitely not about brainwashing us with homework!" Ibrahim facepalmed so hard the sound echoed. The teachers gasped. "They know," whispered Mrs. Ebele. "The prophecy is true."
Page 84
"What prophecy?" Tobi asked nervously. The King of Teachers stood tall. "The prophecy says two students will discover our secret, and only they can decide the fate of school forever." Ibrahim blinked. "Wait. We're in a prophecy?" Tobi groaned. "Of course we are. Figures. Why can't I just be in a prophecy about free jollof rice?"
Page 85
The King lifted his ruler-crown. "You must make a choice. Join us… or be expelled from existence." The teachers all hissed dramatically, like they had practiced in choir rehearsal. Tobi gulped. "What happens if we join you?" Mr. Okafor smiled creepily. "You'll get free chalk. Forever." Ibrahim whispered, "Bro, that's the worst reward ever."
Page 86
Tobi shook his head. "We'll never join you. Homework is torture, not joy!" The teachers gasped. The King of Teachers frowned. "Very well. Then you shall face… detention eternal." He raised his ruler, and the chalkboard glowed brighter. Ibrahim screamed, "NOT DETENTION! I STILL HAVEN'T EATEN MY MEAT PIE!"
Page 87
The glow wrapped around them like vines. Just as Tobi thought it was the end, he remembered something—the glowing green bucket. With one swift kick, he toppled it over. The strange liquid splashed across the floor, sizzling like pepper soup on hot coals. The glow around them fizzled. The King of Teachers stumbled back. "No! The anti-chalk solution!"
Page 88
The room exploded into chaos. Teachers slipped on the liquid, papers flew, and the golden chair toppled over. The King of Teachers flickered like a bad TV signal. "This… is not the end!" he shouted, before vanishing into thin air with a pop. The teachers groaned, rubbing their heads, looking dazed and confused. "What happened?" Mr. Okafor muttered. "Why am I holding this giant file?"
Page 89
Tobi and Ibrahim stood frozen. The teachers blinked at them, suddenly looking normal again. "Children?" Mrs. Ebele asked. "Why are you here?" Ibrahim shoved the chin-chin at her. "We… brought snacks." The teachers exchanged looks, shrugged, and began munching. Just like that, the meeting was over. The boys slunk out of the shed, hearts still hammering.
Page 90 (The End)
The next morning, everything was back to normal. Teachers gave homework, students complained, and the lounge door stayed locked. But Tobi knew the truth. The King of Teachers was out there, waiting. Ibrahim bit into his meat pie and sighed. "So what now?" Tobi stared at the sky. "Now we wait. Because one day… he'll return. And when he does, we'll be ready." Then his stomach growled. "But first, let's get breakfast." And with that, the boys ran toward the canteen, laughing, never quite sure if the nightmare was really over.
The End.