*Chapter 2: Shadows and Shenanigans*
The dorm was quiet—for about five minutes. As the blue lanterns flickered, Jin Ming tried to unpack but accidentally set his pillow on fire, yelping and tossing it straight at Bao Yu, who panicked and summoned a chunk of earth that squashed the flames (and the pillow). The others burst into laughter, and for a moment, the tension eased.
Mei Fen tried to break the ice by making tiny illusions—sending ghostly rabbits hopping across Li Wei's bed. Chen Xiulan summoned a ball of water to chase the illusions, and the whole group broke into giggles as the two played magical tag. Bao Yu's seedling, clearly alarmed by the chaos, sneezed dirt all over Jin Ming's coat, which made even stoic Li Wei crack a smile.
But as the night deepened, a chilling gong echoed through the halls. The blue lanterns died out; the room plunged into darkness. Suddenly, a cold wind slammed the door shut and a dragon-shaped shadow swept across the ceiling. Its golden eyes glowed in the gloom, and the voice boomed in their minds: "Five keys, five trials—fail, and this school becomes your tomb."
When the shadow vanished, a glowing crest sizzled in the floorboards, still warm from the dragon's magic. Everyone huddled together, their laughter forgotten, while Jin Ming muttered, "Can't be worse than another flaming pillow, right?"
Outside, golden dragon eyes blinked in the darkness—watching, judging, waiting for their next move.