The Endless School Trip

Chapter Five

The final bell rang, echoing through the halls of Northwood High.

Students poured out of their classrooms, filling the corridors with noise. Dorian moved through the crowd, his presence naturally drawing attention. He ignored the whispers and curious glances, his ocean blue eyes searching through the sea of familiar faces.

Then he saw her.

Aria stood by her locker, Maya was beside her, laughing at something on her phone, while Ben leaned against the lockers nearby.

And beside him stood Liam.

Dorian stopped for a moment.

His expression changed almost immediately, a rare smile spreading across his face.

“Liam!”

His friend turned.

The grin that appeared on Liam’s face was just as wide.

“Dorian! There he is!”

They embraced like brothers, clapping each other on the back. A few students nearby glanced in their direction, clearly surprised. Dorian was known for many things his power, his confidence, the way other students instinctively listened when he spoke.

“Can’t believe you’re really here,” Dorian said.

“Last night. My mom drove me up.” Liam shook his head, still grinning. “Wasn’t about to miss this.”

“Miss what?”

“The trip, man. The City in the Mists. Sounds insane.”

Dorian’s smile disappeared.

His eyes briefly shifted toward Aria, who had been watching them with quiet curiosity.

“You know about the trip?” Dorian asked carefully.

“Everyone knows.” Liam shrugged. “My mom told me it would be good for me. Said I’d finally get to have an adventure.”

Before Dorian could say anything else, the intercom crackled overhead.

“All students report to the gymnasium immediately. Attendance is mandatory.”

Ben groaned.

“What now?”

“Probably about the trip,” Liam said. “We should go.”

***

The gymnasium was packed by the time they arrived.

Hundreds of students filled the bleachers and spilled into the aisles, their voices blending into one restless murmur. Dorian led the group inside, and as usual, students shifted aside to let him pass.

He hated it.

The stares.

The whispers.

The constant feeling of being watched.

Aria appeared beside him, her hand brushing against his.

“You okay?”

“Fine.”

She gave him a knowing look.

“You’re lying.”

Dorian glanced at her.

For a moment, the guarded expression he always wore slipped.

“Something’s wrong. I can feel it.”

“About the trip?”

He nodded.

“My mom told me things. About the donor. About what he’s looking for.” He paused before lowering his voice. “Students with powers.”

Aria’s eyes widened.

“How does she know?”

“She’s a teacher. She hears things.” Dorian looked away. “I’ve been having dreams, Aria. Strange ones. I always wake up feeling unsettled. Like something’s waiting for me.”

“Maybe it’s just nerves.”

“Maybe.”

They found seats halfway up the bleachers. Maya and Ben squeezed in beside them, while Liam took the spot directly behind them.

At the front of the gym, Principal Henderson stepped up to the microphone.

His face looked unusually pale.

“Students, please settle down.”

The noise gradually faded until the gym fell silent.

“As you may have heard, Northwood High has been selected for a very special educational opportunity.” His voice wavered slightly. “A generous donor has funded a trip for a select group of students a trip to a location known as the City in the Mists.”

Whispers immediately spread through the crowd.

Henderson raised a hand, asking for silence.

“This is a unique chance to experience something truly extraordinary. The trip will take place tomorrow. Those selected will receive letters this afternoon.”

Dorian felt his stomach tighten.

Tomorrow.

The word seemed to settle heavily in his mind.

“It will be an beautiful and memorable excursion. Please be prepared.” he smiled.

The assembly ended soon after.

Students flooded out of the gymnasium, talking excitedly about the mysterious trip. Dorian remained seated for several moments, watching the crowd disappear.

“Dorian?”

Aria’s voice was quiet.

He turned toward her.

“We need to talk. All of us.”

***

They gathered behind the gymnasium, away from the other students.

Liam folded his arms.

“What’s going on? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

Dorian took a slow breath.

“My mom told me something. About the donor. His name is Julian Cross. He was one of her students, years ago.”

“So?”

“So he went to the City in the Mists before. And when he came back, he wasn’t the same.”

Dorian’s eyes flickered red.

“She told me he specifically requested students with abilities.”

Liam’s grin disappeared.

“Abilities?”

“Powers.” Dorian met his gaze. “You know what I’m talking about.”

For a moment, Liam said nothing.

Then he slowly nodded.

“I know.”

Dorian studied him.

“You have one too?”

Liam raised his hand.

A small flame appeared above his palm, dancing against the afternoon air.

“Fire. Just like you taught me.”

Dorian stared at the flame.

The memory came back immediately.

They had been twelve, experimenting in the woods. Liam had discovered his ability by accident when a campfire suddenly grew far beyond what either of them could control.

Dorian had stayed with him.

He had taught Liam how to control the flames.

“I remember,” Dorian said quietly.

Liam closed his fingers, and the flame disappeared.

“So what does this Cross guy want with us?”

“I don’t know. But I intend to find out.”

Aria stepped forward.

“We’ll all find out. Together.”

Dorian looked at her.

Something tightened in his chest.

“Together,” he agreed.

***

That night, Dorian barely slept.

He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling while his thoughts continued to circle around.

Tomorrow.

The trip was tomorrow.

His phone buzzed on the bedside table.

A message from Aria.

You awake?

Despite everything, he smiled.

Barely. You?

A few seconds passed.

Can’t sleep. Thinking about tomorrow.

He stared at the screen before replying.

Me neither.

Another pause.

Then her next message appeared.

Whatever happens, we face it together. Right?

Dorian read the words several times.

There was something about them that stayed with him.

He finally typed:

Right.

He sent the message and placed the phone beside him.

But even then, sleep did not come easily.

Something stirred inside him.

A warning he couldn't understand.

Something was waiting for them.

Something dark.

***

The next morning arrived far too quickly.

Dorian stood outside the school with his backpack hanging heavily from his shoulder. The morning air was cool, but his mother seemed unable to relax.

She stood beside him, her eyes red rimmed.

“Be careful,” she whispered.

“I will.”

“Watch over them. All of them.”

“I will.”

She reached up and touched his cheek.

“I love you, Dorian.”

“I love you too, Mom.”

He climbed onto the bus without looking back.

***

The bus pulled away from the school gates.

Fifty students filled the seats, their voices blending into a nervous hum. Some talked excitedly about the trip. Others laughed and joked, trying to hide their uncertainty.

Dorian sat alone, his attention fixed on the passing scenery outside the window.

A few minutes later, Aria appeared beside him.

A faint smile touched his lips.

“Fair point.”

She took his hand.

“Whatever’s out there, we’ll face it together.”

Dorian looked at her.

“Promise?”

“Promise.”

For a while, everything seemed normal.

The first hour passed without anything unusual happening.

Then, during the third hour, the sky began to change.

Dorian sensed it before he saw anything.

The air felt different.

A strange pressure gathered behind his eyes, growing stronger with every passing minute. Outside the windows, the wind had become restless, pushing against the bus in sudden.

Dorian stood.

Aria looked up at him.

“What is it?”

“Something’s wrong.”

He moved toward the front of the bus.

The driver was gripping the steering wheel so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. His lips moved as though he were muttering to himself.

Then Dorian saw it.

Ahead of them, a thick wall of yellow smoke stretched across the road.

It rose from the ground in heavy waves, moving strangely, almost as though it were alive.

“What is that?” someone whispered.

Dorian’s eyes flickered red.

“Stop the bus.”

The driver didn't respond.

“Stop the bus now!”

The bus continued forward.

Straight into the smoke.

The world outside disappeared.

Yellow fog pressed against the windows, swallowing everything beyond the glass. The engine sputtered. The lights flickered several times.

Then the bus lurched violently.

Students screamed.

The vehicle tipped.

Metal shrieked against something solid.

Dorian was thrown from his seat, his body striking the ceiling before the entire world seemed to spin around him. Glass shattered. Bags flew through the air. Students cried out as the bus rolled again and again.

Dorian reached blindly through the chaos.

His fingers found Aria’s hand.

He held on.

Then everything went black.

***

Dorian woke to silence.

For several seconds, he didn't move.

Cold ground pressed against his back. Every part of his body ached, but he forced himself to sit up.

Above him stretched a grey sky.

He looked around.

Students were scattered across the ground, slowly beginning to stir. Some groaned in pain while others sat frozen, trying to understand what had happened.

Behind them lay the remains of the bus.

Its metal frame was twisted and broken, the windows shattered.

But Dorian barely noticed it.

His attention was fixed on what stood beyond the wreckage.

The city.

Skyscrapers rose into the grey sky like the bones of dead giants. Their windows were empty and dark. Rust covered their enormous facades, while their upper floors disappeared into thick layers of mist.

Dorian's breath caught.

“Aria.”

He pushed himself to his feet.

“Aria!”

“I’m here.”

He turned toward her voice.

She was trapped beneath a broken section of the bus seat, bruised but conscious.

Dorian rushed over and pulled her free.

For a moment, he held her tighter than he intended.

“You okay?”

“I think so.”

She looked around.

Her eyes widened.

“What is this place?”

No one answered.

Dorian slowly turned toward the city.

The wind began to move around him, circling his feet and lifting small pieces of dust from the ground.

“Everyone stay calm,” he said. “We need to find shelter.”

Liam appeared beside him.

“Dorian, what is this?”

“I don’t know.”

Dorian stared at the distant buildings.

Something moved at the edge of his vision.

He turned sharply.

Nothing.

But the feeling remained.

They were being watched.

“Something’s watching us.”

Aria moved closer, her hand finding his.

“We’ll find a way out.”

Dorian nodded.

His eyes remained fixed on the city.

The darkness between the buildings seemed to shift.

Almost breathe.

“Let’s move.”

The students began walking.

Fifty teenagers, frightened and confused, followed their leader toward the abandoned city.

The buildings grew larger with every step.

The mist thickened around them.

Then they heard it.

A sound that made everyone stop.

It wasn't a scream.

It wasn't a roar.

It was something worse.

A whisper.

It came from everywhere at once

a thousand voices speaking together, all saying the same words over and over.

Dorian's eyes blazed red.

The wind suddenly howled around him.

Fire sparked at his fingertips.

“Run,” he breathed.

But it was already too late.