By the time Emily reached her dorm, the hallway was buzzing.
She had barely stepped through the door when her roommate, Chloe, practically leapt off her bed. "Oh my God, you were with Ethan Monaco again?"
Emily froze mid-step. "Who?"
"You're joking, right?" Chloe's voice climbed. "Tall, dark, drives a black Maserati? The guy who walked you in on your first day?"
Before Emily could respond, the other two girls, Kayla and Jenna, joined in like a pack circling prey.
"People saw you leaving the quad with him this morning," Jenna said, eyes wide with a mix of horror and excitement. "You skipped class with him. Do you want to die?"
Emily set her bag down slowly. "That's… dramatic."
"It's accurate," Kayla said flatly. "You don't know who he is."
"Then tell me," Emily shot back, trying to keep her tone even.
Kayla hesitated, then glanced at the others before lowering her voice. "No one knows the full story, but… weird things happen around him. People drop out. Girls transfer. Guys—" she stopped, lips pressing together. "Let's just say they disappear from campus."
Emily folded her arms. "Disappear as in—"
"As in," Chloe cut in, "nobody sees them again."
"That's ridiculous," Emily said, but her voice lacked conviction.
Chloe leaned closer, almost whispering. "My cousin's friend went out with him once. Came back… different. Wouldn't talk about it. Then she left school two weeks later."
Emily shook her head, forcing a small laugh. "You guys sound like you're describing a ghost story."
"Maybe," Kayla said, "but if he's a ghost, he's the kind that drags you down with him."
Before Emily could reply, there was a sharp knock at the door.
Kayla opened it to reveal a tall man in his late thirties — crisp shirt, faculty badge hanging from his pocket. His gaze swept over the room and landed on Emily.
"Miss Harper?" he said.
Emily straightened. "Yes?"
He stepped inside, voice calm but edged. "A word of advice… Stay away from Ethan Monaco."
The room went silent.
Emily's pulse skipped. "Why?"
His jaw tightened. "Because I've been here long enough to know how that story ends."
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