It was nearly midnight when Stephen slipped into Kelvin's room, only to find him sitting on his bed, studying with a flashlight. The dim glow barely illuminated the pages of his book, but Kelvin remained focused, expression unreadable.
"Kelvin, come with me," Stephen whispered, his voice barely audible yet carrying a firm, commanding tone.
Kelvin flinched slightly at the unexpected presence, but quickly masked his surprise and adopted his usual bravado.
"Have you guys made up your minds?" he asked without looking up, flipping a page as if uninterested.
Stephen's patience was wearing thin. "Just get your ass out here," he hissed, voice rising enough to stir a few students in their beds.
Kelvin smirked. "Is it that you're simply too arrogant, or do you just like being a dick?" he asked, still pretending to focus on his book.
Stephen exhaled sharply. "Okay, fine. Deal. Now will you come?"
Kelvin tapped his chin thoughtfully. "Hmm… let me think about it. Ehhh, no. We'll talk in the morning."
Stephen snapped. In an instant, he grabbed Kelvin's arm and yanked him off the bed.
"Let go of me!" Kelvin shouted, his voice echoing through the room.
One of Kelvin's roommates, startled awake, demanded, "Where are you taking him?"
"None of your damn business. Go back to sleep," Stephen shot back, irritation clear.
The guy wasn't one to back down. He sat up straighter. "Wait a minute—you think you can just barge into our room and drag one of our guys out in the middle of the night because what? You're in third year? Nah, not on my watch."
Stephen's patience finally snapped. With a swift push, he shoved the guy back onto his bed. The impact rattled the others awake, and murmurs of discontent spread through the room.
In Haloville, first-years' dorms were separate from the second- and third-years'. Tensions ran high, and bullying was common. Stephen knew if things escalated, he could be outnumbered.
"Listen up, you disrespectful fools," he snapped. "This has nothing to do with you. If you involve yourselves, none of you will sleep tonight."
Before the situation could spiral further, the head boy appeared in the doorway. He assessed the scene instantly.
"What's going on here?" he asked, tone neutral but firm.
The first-year in charge stepped forward, voice laced with spite. "We woke up to find this senior trying to take one of our mates."
The head boy narrowed his eyes at Stephen and pulled him aside. "It's the middle of the night, and I don't want to disgrace you in front of them," he said lowly. "Let him go. In the morning, you deal with him."
Stephen clenched his jaw but obeyed. Without another word, he turned and left.
Kelvin exhaled, relieved. "Thanks," he said, looking at his mates.
His mate shrugged. "They think they can do whatever they want. We'll show them."
Kelvin raised a brow. "He looked desperate, didn't he?"
His mate nodded. "Yeah. I wonder why."
Kelvin smirked. "Well… I'm definitely going to find out."
He waited until everyone settled back to sleep, then slipped out of the room, footsteps silent against the cold floor.
Inside the Library
"Where the fuck is he?" Emilia hissed the moment Stephen walked in.
"He's not coming," Stephen muttered, frustration clear.
"Let me guess," Emilia said, arms crossed. "You either didn't tell him we accepted his proposal, or you scared him away."
"He's an asshole," Stephen grumbled.
Emilia's eyes blazed. "But he's our best hope. She's dying, you idiot! Lay aside your pride and drag his ass here if you have to!"
At the back of the library, Jessica lay sprawled on a table, breathing labored. Victor sat beside her, worry etched deep.
Kelvin hesitated. How do I know they won't kill me for finding out?
Okay, fair point, he thought. But if I can save her, I gain their trust. Wait—I can save her, right?
How am I supposed to save her if I don't even know what's wrong?
She'll die, his thoughts whispered.
Kelvin clenched his jaw. "Fine."
He stepped inside. The moment he did, all eyes locked onto him. The room fell into an eerie silence, as if time itself had frozen.
"You wanted me here? Well, here I am," he said, breaking the quiet.
Stephen crossed his arms. "Right. Yes. But I'm guessing you already know why." He nodded toward Jessica.
Kelvin frowned. "What happened?"
Stephen scoffed. "You seem to know everything—why don't you tell us?"
"Stephen!" Emilia warned, glaring.
Victor cut in. "We don't know. She was searching through the books, and then… this happened."
Kelvin's eyes darkened. "What books? And why was she looking through them?"
The room fell silent.
"Which books was she going through?!" Kelvin shouted.
"The ones in the room we locked you in," Cynthia admitted.
Something clicked in Kelvin's mind. Without hesitation, he rushed to the room and scanned the shelves. His eyes darted until they landed on something hidden behind the books. As he reached for it, the lights began to flicker.
Then—a blackout.
The air grew heavy. Fear crashed over Kelvin, paralyzing him. His breath hitched.
Then the lights flickered back on.
A faceless girl stood before him, holding the very book he had been searching for.
Kelvin's blood ran cold. His lips froze. His legs felt like lead.
The girl silently handed him the book.
Then, as quickly as she had appeared, she was gone.
Screams erupted from the library.
Kelvin sprinted back inside—only to freeze in horror.
In the center of the room stood the most terrifying thing he had ever seen.
Dzetro, the seizing eight-foot spirit—a towering, emaciated creature with rotting gray flesh stretched tight over jagged bones—loomed before them. Hollow eyes oozed black sludge. Its mouth gaped unnaturally wide, filled with needle-like teeth. Long, clawed fingers twitched as it exhaled rancid breath. Crimson veins pulsed across its body.
"Mr. Smiley sends his regards," it hissed.
Jessica, still writhing in pain, let out a piercing cry, her voice twisting into something unnatural.
"This can be the end," she shrieked, "or the beginning! You have overstepped your boundaries, and now there's no going back!"
In an instant, the monstrous entity grabbed her by the throat and twisted her neck.
The room fell silent. Eyes wide in horror, Cynthia winced, tears flooding her face. Emilia was frozen, unsure what to do. Stephen and Victor stood equally paralyzed.
Kelvin's necklace—the one his father had given him—began to glow.
He had never believed his father when he said it would save him one day.
But now… it shone brighter, pulsing with power.
Kelvin ripped it off.
Before his eyes, it grew—morphing into a sword.
And with it, he knew…
The real battle had just begun.