The courtyard felt even larger once Lin Yan Shuo stepped into it.
The rain had softened to a thin mist now, but the cold wind still brushed against his wet clothes. His suitcase wheels scraped across the gravel path as he walked toward the main entrance of Blackthorn Boarding College.
The building loomed over him.
Up close, the stone walls looked older than he first thought. Cracks ran along parts of the structure, and dark ivy crawled up the sides like long fingers clinging to the walls.
The large wooden doors at the entrance were slightly open.
Yan Shuo hesitated.
He glanced once more toward the third-floor window where he had seen the boy earlier.
It was dark now.
Empty.
Maybe he really had imagined it.
"Great start," he muttered to himself.
Taking a breath, he pushed the doors open.
The doors creaked loudly.
The sound echoed through the massive entrance hall.
Inside, the air felt warmer but strangely stale, as if the building had been closed for a long time. The floor was made of polished dark wood, and long chandeliers hung from the ceiling above.
Most of the lights were dim.
Only a few lamps illuminated the hall, casting long shadows across the walls.
A large staircase curved upward toward the second floor.
For a moment, Yan Shuo thought the building was empty.
Then a voice spoke behind him.
"You must be the new student."
Yan Shuo turned quickly.
An older man stood near a desk in the corner of the hall. Yan Shuo hadn't noticed him before.
The man wore a dark uniform coat and small round glasses that reflected the dim light.
"I'm Mr. Han," the man said calmly. "Dormitory supervisor."
Yan Shuo nodded slightly.
"Lin Yan Shuo."
Mr. Han studied him quietly for a moment, as if examining something more than just his appearance.
Then he smiled.
"Well, Lin Yan Shuo, welcome to Blackthorn Boarding College."
His smile didn't quite reach his eyes.
"You arrived rather late."
"My father was busy," Yan Shuo replied.
Mr. Han hummed softly, as if the answer was expected.
"Your dorm room is on the third floor."
Yan Shuo felt a small chill run down his spine.
Third floor.
The same floor where he had seen that strange boy.
Mr. Han handed him a small metal key.
"Room 317," he said. "You will share the room with another student."
Yan Shuo blinked slightly.
"Another student?"
"Yes."
Mr. Han turned toward the staircase and gestured upward.
"You should get some rest. Classes begin early tomorrow morning."
Yan Shuo picked up his suitcase again.
"Thank you."
As he walked toward the stairs, he noticed something strange.
There were portraits hanging along the walls of the staircase.
Old portraits.
Students wearing uniforms from many years ago.
But something about them felt unsettling.
Every single student in the portraits had the same expression.
Blank.
Almost lifeless.
Yan Shuo quickly looked away and continued climbing the stairs.
The third-floor corridor was long and narrow.
Rows of dormitory doors lined both sides of the hallway.
Most of the lights here were turned off, leaving the corridor dim and quiet.
Too quiet.
Yan Shuo could hear his own footsteps echoing as he walked down the hallway.
Room numbers were painted beside each door.
311.
312.
313.
Finally—
317.
He stopped.
For some reason, his hand hesitated before reaching for the door.
Something about the hallway made his chest feel tight.
Maybe it was just the strange atmosphere of the school.
Or maybe…
He remembered the boy standing at the window.
Yan Shuo shook his head.
"Stop overthinking."
He inserted the key and unlocked the door.
The door opened slowly.
The dorm room was simple—two beds, two desks, and a large window facing the courtyard.
One of the beds was already occupied.
Someone was sitting on it.
The boy from the window.
Yan Shuo froze.
The boy looked exactly the same as before.
Tall.
Pale skin.
Dark hair falling slightly over his eyes.
He was reading a book when Yan Shuo entered.
Slowly, the boy looked up.
Their eyes met.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Then the boy closed his book.
"I was wondering when you'd arrive."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
Yan Shuo stared at him.
"You were watching me earlier."
The boy tilted his head slightly.
"Was I?"
Yan Shuo stepped inside and closed the door behind him.
"I saw you at the window."
A faint smile appeared on the boy's face.
"Then I suppose you did."
Yan Shuo felt slightly irritated.
"You could've said something."
The boy stood up from the bed.
He was taller than Yan Shuo expected.
The room suddenly felt smaller.
"My name is Luo Wei," the boy said.
Yan Shuo frowned slightly.
"You're my roommate?"
"Yes."
Luo Wei walked toward the window and looked out at the dark courtyard below.
For a moment, silence filled the room again.
Then Luo Wei spoke quietly.
"You shouldn't wander around the campus at night."
Yan Shuo crossed his arms.
"Why?"
Luo Wei didn't turn around.
"Because," he said softly,
"students who do…"
He paused.
"…tend to disappear."
Yan Shuo felt a cold chill crawl up his spine.
He stared at Luo Wei's back.
The boy slowly turned his head slightly.
Just enough for Yan Shuo to see the faint smile on his face.
"Welcome to Blackthorn Boarding College, Lin Yan Shuo."