The rain was gone.
The world was quiet. Too quiet.
They stood before a massive iron gate — black and rusted, taller than any door Hillview High ever had. Vines crept up its sides like veins, pulsing faintly as if the metal were alive. The air was cold enough to bite, and every breath came out in pale mist.
Jet's voice trembled. "Please tell me this is a dream."
Tony rubbed his arms, trying to shake off the chill. "Dreams don't hurt when you land," he muttered, glancing at the scraped skin on his palms.
Samy stared at the gate, her wide eyes reflecting the dim, flickering lights beyond it. "It looks… like our school," she whispered, "but… older. Wrong."
Behind the gate stood what seemed to be Hillview's front hall — but twisted. The familiar banners were torn, the glass windows cracked like spiderwebs. Desks and lockers were scattered, floating a few inches off the ground as if gravity had forgotten them.
Tin stepped back, his voice low. "I think we should find a way back, not forward."
Roger ignored him. She took a cautious step closer to the gate, her expression unreadable. "If there's a way back," she said, "it's probably through there."
Kim nodded, his jaw tight. "We came to find answers. Maybe this is where we start."
Jet looked between them, incredulous. "Are you two seriously thinking of going in?"
Neither answered.
The gate shuddered.
A low groan echoed through the air, metal grinding against metal, and the enormous doors began to move on their own. The hinges screamed, echoing down the empty courtyard. A gust of cold air rushed out — thick with the smell of rain, dust, and something faintly metallic. Blood, maybe.
"Okay, that's it. I'm out," Tin said, stepping back again. But there was nowhere to go — behind them stretched nothing but mist.
The gate opened fully, revealing a vast hallway lined with flickering lanterns that burned with a pale blue light. The darkness beyond seemed to breathe, alive and waiting.
Samy gripped Jet's hand tightly. "We shouldn't—"
But Roger was already stepping forward.
Her shoes clicked on the cracked tiles. The sound echoed like a heartbeat in the stillness. Kim followed her without a word, eyes sharp, scanning the walls as if he expected something to move.
Tony exhaled shakily. "Brave or stupid… can't tell anymore."
"Both," Tin muttered, but he followed too.
One by one, they entered the hall — six silhouettes swallowed by the dark.
Inside, the silence grew heavier. The lanterns buzzed faintly, their light flickering against portraits that lined the walls — portraits of students and teachers.
Except the faces were wrong.
Their eyes followed the group, painted pupils glistening as if wet.
Samy glanced up at one and froze.
The girl in the portrait had her face.
Not similar — identical.
Her voice came out in a whisper. "Guys… that's—"
Before she could finish, the lights flickered once more.
The hallway seemed to stretch farther, the end receding into the dark. The doors on either side began to open — one by one — creaking wide to reveal pitch-black rooms.
Then… a voice.
It came from everywhere and nowhere at once — deep, echoing, and layered like it came from under the floor.
"Haa… it's been a long time since I've seen humans alive in this place… What are you doing here?"
The group froze.
Tony's throat went dry. "Who—who said that?!"
The voice chuckled softly, almost amused.
"So young… so curious… You shouldn't have come."
The air grew colder. The lanterns dimmed until only the faint outline of their faces remained.
Kim clenched his fists. "Show yourself!"
"In time," the voice murmured. "If you survive."
Then the sound faded — leaving only the hum of the flickering lights and the pounding of six terrified hearts.
Roger swallowed hard, then forced a shaky smile. "Well," she said, her voice barely steady, "whoever that was… I guess they noticed us."
And before anyone could stop her, she stepped deeper into the hall — into the waiting dark.