The academy corridors felt alive.
That was the first thing Nyra noticed as she followed the silver-haired girl through the massive hallways of Moonfang Academy.
The walls breathed.
Not literally.
But the shadows moved strangely across the black stone as if something hidden inside them was shifting beneath the surface.
The chandeliers above flickered endlessly.
And whispers echoed from places where nobody stood.
Nyra tightened her grip on her backpack.
Students hurried past them quickly, avoiding eye contact.
Some looked terrified.
Others looked numb.
As though fear had become normal here.
Another loud slam echoed from somewhere below the academy.
The entire floor trembled slightly.
Nyra flinched.
The silver-haired girl kept walking.
“Don’t stop,” she said quietly.
Nyra hurried after her.
“What was that thing outside?”
The girl remained silent for a few seconds.
Then:
“No one knows its real name.”
They turned down another corridor.
Ancient paintings lined the walls here, but every face had been scratched away just like the portraits inside the train.
Only darkness remained where the faces should have been.
Nyra frowned uneasily.
“But students call it the Smiling Beast.”
A chill crawled down Nyra’s spine immediately.
“That thing kills students?”
The girl laughed softly.
But there was no humor in it.
“Everything here kills students.”
Nyra went silent.
The girl glanced at her briefly before sighing.
“You’re new, so listen carefully.”
Her voice lowered.
“If the bells ring three times after midnight…”
She stopped walking suddenly.
Nyra nearly walked into her.
The silver-haired girl slowly pointed toward a dark window at the end of the corridor.
Outside—
The forest stretched endlessly beneath the storm.
And standing between the trees—
Nyra saw dozens of pale figures watching the academy.
Human-shaped.
Motionless.
Not moving even in the rain.
Nyra’s stomach dropped.
“What are those?”
“Dead students.”
Nyra froze.
The girl’s expression remained emotionless.
“They appear every night.”
Thunder flashed across the sky.
The pale figures vanished instantly.
Nyra’s skin prickled coldly.
“This place is insane.”
“Correct.”
The girl started walking again.
Nyra quickly followed.
“You still haven’t told me your name.”
The girl hesitated slightly.
“…Liora.” This chapter was copied from g.com without permission.
Nyra blinked.
“Just Liora?”
“That’s all I remember.”
Something painful flickered across Liora’s face before disappearing again.
Nyra slowly realized something.
“You lost your memories?”
Liora gave a small nod.
“Most students here lose something eventually.”
Nyra’s chest tightened.
“What did you lose?”
Liora looked ahead quietly.
“…My little brother’s face.”
The answer hit Nyra harder than expected.
Liora continued before she could respond.
“The academy curses everyone differently.”
Her amber eyes darkened slightly.
“One student forgets a memory every midnight.”
They passed a staircase.
Nyra noticed strange claw marks covering the walls.
“Another student cannot sleep because creatures whisper outside his room every night.”
The lights above them flickered violently.
“And one girl burns alive every full moon but never dies.”
Nyra swallowed nervously.
“And you?”
Liora stopped walking.
For a moment, silence stretched between them.
Then Liora slowly lifted her sleeve.
Nyra’s breath caught.
Black cracks spread across Liora’s arm like shattered glass beneath her skin.
The cracks moved.
Slowly crawling upward.
“My curse is eating me alive.”
Nyra stared in horror.
Liora quickly lowered her sleeve again.
“The academy slows it down.”
No wonder people sent their children here.
This place wasn’t a school.
It was a prison for cursed souls.
Or maybe—
A shelter.
Nyra still couldn’t decide.
They finally stopped before a massive wooden door marked:
Dormitory Wing C
Silver symbols glowed faintly across the frame.
Liora pushed the door open carefully.
Warm air greeted them instantly.
Nyra blinked in surprise.
The dormitory looked… normal.
Almost comforting.
Soft golden lamps illuminated long hallways lined with dark wooden doors.
Old carpets covered the floors while fireplaces crackled softly nearby.
For the first time since arriving—
Nyra relaxed slightly.
Students sat quietly around the common room.
Some reading.
Some whispering.
Some sleeping near the fire.
Yet even here—
Something felt off.
A boy sitting near the fireplace suddenly looked up.
His eyes were completely black.
Another student walked past carrying dozens of protective charms around her neck.
And in the far corner— New chapters come out on g.com first.
A girl stared directly at the ceiling while muttering to someone invisible.
Nyra’s unease returned instantly.
Liora pointed toward the staircase.
“Girls’ rooms are upstairs.”
As they climbed the stairs, Nyra noticed strange symbols carved into every wall.
“What are these?”
“Protection runes.”
“Against what?”
Liora looked at her seriously.
“Things that crawl through the halls after lights out.”
Nyra wished she hadn’t asked.
They stopped before a door labeled:
306
Liora’s expression changed immediately.
Fear.
Real fear.
“What?” Nyra asked quietly.
Liora looked uncomfortable.
“That room has been empty for years.”
Nyra frowned.
“Why?”
Silence.
Then:
“The last girl who stayed there disappeared.”
Cold dread curled inside Nyra’s stomach.
“Disappeared?”
Liora nodded slowly.
“They only found her shadow.”
Nyra stared.
“…What does that even mean?”
Liora didn’t answer.
Instead, she carefully opened the door.
The room inside was surprisingly beautiful.
Moonlight spilled softly through tall windows.
Two beds stood on opposite sides of the room.
Dark bookshelves lined the walls.
Silver curtains moved gently in the wind.
Yet despite its beauty—
The room felt cold.
Lonely.
Forgotten.
Like someone had been waiting there for a very long time.
Nyra slowly stepped inside.
And instantly—
The whispers returned.
“Welcome back…”
Nyra froze.
The voice came from inside the room.
Liora didn’t react.
Which meant—
Only Nyra heard it.
A sudden headache struck her again.
And before she could stop herself—
Nyra looked toward the mirror standing near the far wall.
Her reflection stared back at her silently.
But something was wrong.
The reflection smiled.
Nyra hadn’t.
Her blood ran cold.
The reflection slowly raised one hand toward the glass.
Then wrote three words across the mirror with invisible fingers.
The surface fogged instantly.
And the message appeared clearly:
HE REMEMBERS YOU