The next morning at Virelia High was unusually quiet.
Kat noticed it the moment she stepped through the school gates. The usual chaos—students shouting across the courtyard, teachers herding latecomers, the hum of morning gossip—was dulled. Like the city itself was holding its breath.
James caught up with her near the lockers, balancing a half-eaten sandwich and a folder stuffed with crumpled notes.
"Tell me you slept," he said.
Kat shook her head. "Barely. I kept thinking about the cathedral. And Junior."
James raised an eyebrow. "The guy who cracked open a cursed spirit like it was a soda can?"
"Yeah. Him."
Aria joined them, her curls bouncing as she walked. "I saw him in the hallway earlier. He looked… drained. Like he hadn't slept either."
Sage appeared from behind a pillar, as he often did, like a shadow with a schedule. "He didn't. I checked the Academy's student logs. He was up all night. Probably trying to figure out what he unleashed."
Kat leaned against the locker. "Do we know anything more about the spirit?"
Sage nodded slowly. "Its name is Vandal. A hauling spirit. It doesn't just possess—it manipulates. It feeds on potential. Especially from gifted humans."
James frowned. "So… it's like a parasite with a taste for overachievers?"
"Exactly."
Aria's voice dropped. "And it's loose."
—
Junior Sebastian walked into homeroom just before the bell. His robe was gone, replaced with a plain black hoodie and jeans. He looked like he was trying to blend in, but his presence still drew eyes.
Mr. Whittingham greeted him with a nod. "Glad you made it, Mr. Sebastian. Settle in."
Junior took the seat beside Kat again. She glanced at him, unsure whether to speak.
He beat her to it.
"I didn't sleep," he said quietly.
"I figured."
"I've been trying to trace it. Vandal. But it's slippery. It doesn't leave a trail—it leaves confusion."
Kat studied him. "Why did you touch the scroll?"
Junior hesitated. "I thought I could read it. I've been trained to sense spiritual locks. But this one… it was different. It responded to me. Like it wanted out."
James leaned over. "That's comforting."
Junior didn't smile. "I didn't mean for this to happen."
Sage, from the row behind, spoke without looking up. "Intent doesn't erase consequence."
—
By lunch, the tension had spread.
Students whispered about flickering lights, strange dreams, and a girl who swore her locker tried to bite her. Kat and her friends gathered at their usual spot under the tree, Junior now awkwardly included.
"I think it's testing us," Sage said, flipping through his notebook. "Vandal doesn't strike immediately. It plays. It learns."
Aria shivered. "Like a cat with a mouse."
Junior nodded. "It's probably already bonded to someone. That's how it hides."
James frowned. "You mean someone here?"
"Possibly."
Kat's eyes drifted toward the school building. Mr. Whittingham stood by the entrance, talking to a teacher. He laughed at something, but the sound didn't reach his eyes.
She felt a chill.
—
After school, the group met in the library again. The air was thick with dust and silence. Junior laid out a map of the cathedral, marking the altar and surrounding chambers.
"This is where the seal broke," he said. "And this—" he pointed to a side chamber "—is where I felt the strongest pull. There's something else there. Maybe a secondary lock."
Sage leaned in. "We need to go back."
James blinked. "You want to break into the cathedral again?"
"No," Sage said. "I want to investigate. Quietly. We need to understand what we're dealing with."
Kat nodded. "Agreed. But we need help."
They all turned to Junior.
He hesitated. "I'll go. I owe you that much."
—
That night, Kat sat at her desk, flipping through her journal. She'd started writing again—something she hadn't done in months. It helped her think. Helped her breathe.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from Sage: Found something. Meet me tomorrow. Early.
She replied: Where?
His answer came seconds later: The old chapel behind the cathedral. Come alone.
She stared at the screen.
Outside, the fog thickened.
And somewhere in the distance, a bell rang.
But no one was supposed to be in the cathedral at night.