Mirabel's POV
The lecture ended not long ago. It was already lunch break.
The classroom felt unusually quiet.
Too quiet.
I had been staring at the door for what felt like forever, waiting for someone to walk back in.
First Avelyn was called to the principal's office.
Then Zane left to check on her.
Then Cole followed.
And somehow I was the only one still sitting here.
"Okay, this is getting annoying," I muttered, tapping my fingers against the desk.
How long does a conversation with the principal even take?
I glanced at the clock again.
Way too long.
I pushed my chair back and stood up.
"Maybe I should just go check myself," I murmured.
Just as I stepped into the hallway, I saw someone walking toward me.
Karl.
Finally.
"Where the hell have you been?" I asked, folding my arms.
Karl looked… off.
Not sick.
Not tired.
Just confused.
"Good question," he muttered.
I frowned.
"What does that mean?"
He rubbed the back of his neck like he was trying to remember something.
"I was in the restroom," he said slowly. "Then it's like my brain just… skipped."
"Skipped?" I repeated.
"Yeah. Like when you're watching a movie and suddenly you realize you missed ten minutes."
That did not sound normal.
"At least you're here," I said. "Have you seen Cole or Zane?"
"Yeah," Karl replied. "I saw Zane at the private wing. He was talking about some hidden dungeon here at the school."
My mouth fell open.
"What do you mean a dungeon? Do we have some kind of beast locked up here?" I gasped at the possibility.
Karl shook his head.
"That would actually be better," he said grimly. "Something else is going on. The principal and Dr. Emma told Zane that Lilian took Avelyn and they don't know why. They said something about Lilian not being who she seems to be."
I stared at him.
Part of me wanted to believe him.
The other part thought this made absolutely no sense.
"How do you know all this?" I asked.
"I was in the private wing with Zane," Karl replied. "He was talking with his mom."
"And they just let you hear all that?" I asked suspiciously. "They didn't tell you to excuse them?"
"I was at a safe distance," he said. "I'm guessing they didn't realize I overheard them."
"Okay," I said flatly.
Karl blinked at me.
"Okay? What's good about any of this?" he asked, clearly annoyed.
"Because we're both safe," I said simply.
I stepped forward and pulled him into a hug.
"I do care about them," I continued softly, "but I care about you more."
He hesitated before hugging me back.
Then he slowly pulled away.
"I'm sorry," he said.
"For what?" I asked.
"For being blinded by Lilian's beauty," he admitted. "And for ignoring you. You deserve better than being treated like that."
A huge grin spread across my face.
"It's all in the past," I said. "At least we're here now. I missed you, bestie."
We did our usual friendship handshake.
For a moment, things almost felt normal again.
"Now that's settled," Karl said, "we need to find Zane. I think he knows more than we do."
I nodded.
"Let's head to the dorm," he suggested. "He might be there."
"No," I said after a moment. "Let's split up. You check the dorms. I'll go to the infirmary and the principal's office."
He nodded.
Then we both went our separate ways.
As I walked down the hallway, my thoughts drifted back to Avelyn.
I had always felt it.
That power.
It radiated from her like heat from fire.
She might be oblivious to it, but I wasn't.
That was why I became her friend in the first place.
Why I stayed close.
Why I watched her.
Because if the day ever came when she refused to join us…
Then it would be my duty
to take that power from her.
*****Zane's POV******
The private wing had never felt this tense before.
I had walked these halls hundreds of times growing up. My mother was the principal after all. This place used to feel normal.
Now it felt like every wall was hiding something.
I leaned against the cold stone near the entrance of the hidden passage that led to the dungeon. The same dungeon I didn't even know existed until today.
A school with a dungeon.
Great.
My hand ran through my hair as I tried to process everything I had just heard and seen.
Avelyn missing.
Lilian not being who she seemed.
And whatever the hell Ms. Wilder and Dr. Emma were trying to hide.
Footsteps echoed down the hall.
I straightened immediately.
Dr. Emma appeared first, her expression tight. My mother followed behind her, looking even worse than before.
"You're still here?" my mom asked the moment she saw me.
"Of course I'm still here," I replied. "Avelyn is missing and you expect me to just go back to class?"
They exchanged a glance.
I hated when adults did that.
Like they were silently agreeing to keep you out of the conversation.
"You shouldn't involve yourself in this," Dr. Emma said carefully.
I laughed dryly.
"Too late for that."
My mom sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Zane…"
"No," I cut in. "You don't get to 'Zane' me right now. First you tell me this school has a dungeon. Then you tell me Lilian took Avelyn. And now you expect me to just sit quietly?"
Neither of them answered.
That was answer enough.
My stomach twisted.
My mom looked at me again, this time more seriously.
"You need to trust me," she said. "There are things happening here that you don't understand yet."
"That's exactly the problem," I snapped. "No one is explaining anything."
Dr. Emma stepped forward slightly.
"Lilian is dangerous," she said.
I froze.
Dangerous?
"She wasn't always," my mom added quickly. "But something changed."
"What changed?" I asked.
Neither of them answered.
Again.
I clenched my jaw.
"Fine," I muttered. "Then tell me this. Where is Avelyn?"
My mom hesitated.
And that hesitation made my heart drop.
"We don't know," she admitted.
The hallway suddenly felt colder.
"You lost her?" I asked, disbelief creeping into my voice.
Dr. Emma shook her head slowly.
"No," she said.
"She was taken somewhere we cannot reach."
My chest tightened.
"Taken where?"
My mom looked toward the sealed dungeon door.
Her voice dropped when she finally answered.
"Somewhere we don't know".