Kat didn't remember falling asleep.
She woke with her cheek pressed against her journal, the ink from last night's scribbles smudged across the page. Her window was still cracked open, letting in the early morning fog that had become a constant presence in Virelia. It wasn't just weather anymore—it was a warning.
She sat up slowly, rubbing her eyes. Her dreams had been fragmented: flashes of the cathedral, the mirror, Junior's voice calling her name, and the bell—always the bell.
Her phone buzzed.
Sage Ethan: Meet at the library. Bring your journal.
She didn't reply. She just got dressed.
---
The school felt different that morning.
Not just eerie—aware. Students moved quietly through the halls, eyes darting toward flickering lights and lockers that creaked open on their own. Whispers filled the air, not gossip but fear. Something was wrong, and everyone felt it.
Kat met James Williams by the vending machine. He was trying to coax a granola bar out of the machine with a ruler.
"Morning," he said, not looking up. "The vending machine's possessed. I'm negotiating."
Kat gave him a tired smile. "Try offering it your soul."
"No thanks. I need that for finals."
They walked together toward the library, passing clusters of students who looked like they hadn't slept. One girl was crying softly near the lockers. Another stared blankly at a wall, whispering something Kat couldn't hear.
James leaned closer. "This place is unraveling."
Kat nodded. "And we're the only ones trying to stitch it back together."
---
The library was dim, the overhead lights flickering like dying stars. Sage Ethan sat at their usual table, surrounded by books, scrolls, and a candle that burned a faint violet.
Aria Norman arrived moments later, her eyes red-rimmed. "I couldn't sleep," she said softly. "Every time I closed my eyes, I felt something watching me."
Sage didn't look up. "It's Vandal. It's probing. Testing our defenses."
Kat dropped her journal on the table. "You said to bring this. Why?"
Sage opened a thick, leather-bound tome. "Because your entries might hold patterns. Vandal doesn't just attack—it weaves itself into memory. Dreams. Thoughts. If it's influencing you, it'll leave traces."
James raised an eyebrow. "So we're doing dream analysis now?"
"Call it survival analysis," Sage replied.
Junior arrived last, his hoodie pulled tight around his face. He looked pale, his eyes shadowed. He didn't speak—just dropped into the seat beside Kat and opened his notebook.
Sage scanned Kat's journal, flipping through pages filled with sketches, notes, and fragmented thoughts.
"Here," he said, pointing to a symbol Kat had drawn days ago. "You saw this in your dream?"
Kat nodded. "It was on the scroll. And the mirror."
"It's a binding sigil," Sage said. "But it's incomplete. Like something's missing."
Junior leaned in. "There were three seals. We've seen two. The third might complete the symbol."
Aria frowned. "Where's the third?"
Sage hesitated. "That's the problem. It was never documented. The order that created the seals erased all records of the third location."
James groaned. "Of course they did. Why make saving the world easy?"
Kat stared at the symbol. "We need to find it. Before Vandal does."
---
Later that day, Kat sat in homeroom, her thoughts spinning. Mr. Whittingham stood at the front, talking about the upcoming Veil Night festival, but his voice felt distant—like an echo from another world.
She glanced at Junior. He was staring at Whittingham, jaw clenched.
Kat leaned closer. "You okay?"
He didn't answer right away. Then, quietly: "He's not himself."
Kat followed his gaze. Whittingham's hands moved slowly, tracing invisible shapes in the air. His smile was too wide. His eyes too still.
"He's being used," Junior whispered. "Vandal's inside him. Or close."
Kat's heart pounded. "Then we need to act."
Junior nodded. "Tonight."
---
After school, the group met in the music room again. The air was thick with tension. Sage lit the violet candle, and it flared instantly.
"It's stronger," he said. "Closer."
James paced. "So what's the plan? We break into the cathedral again? Search for a seal that doesn't exist?"
"No," Sage said. "We go deeper."
Aria looked confused. "Deeper?"
"There's a sublevel beneath the cathedral. It was sealed off decades ago. But I found a blueprint." He pulled out a faded map. "There's a chamber beneath the altar. It might hold the third seal."
Kat studied the map. "How do we get in?"
Junior spoke. "I know a way."
They all turned to him.
"My mother used to talk about hidden passages. She was part of the order. She left clues in her journals. I've been decoding them."
James raised an eyebrow. "And you're just telling us now?"
"I wasn't sure," Junior said. "But now… I am."
Kat met his eyes. "Then we go tonight."
---
That evening, Kat stood outside the cathedral, heart racing. The fog was thicker than ever, curling around her like smoke. The others arrived one by one, dressed in dark clothes, carrying flashlights and charms.
Junior led them to a side entrance, hidden behind a crumbling statue. He pressed a rune on the wall, and a door creaked open.
Inside, the air was cold and damp. The stone walls were lined with faded runes. They moved quietly, flashlights sweeping across the floor.
Junior led them down a narrow staircase, deeper than they'd ever gone. At the bottom, they found a heavy door covered in symbols.
Sage examined it. "This is it. The sublevel."
Kat touched the door. It pulsed beneath her fingers.
They pushed it open.
Inside was a vast chamber, empty except for a single pedestal. On it sat a scroll—older than the others, wrapped in chains.
Kat stepped forward.
The scroll pulsed.
And the fog whispered her name.