With Elijah clasping my hand and my two friends in tow, we follow the guard out of the cafeteria. Naturally, all eyes are glued on us, and it is a relief when we step outside into the hallway, the noise fading as the doors to the cafeteria close behind us.
Our footsteps echo as we walk in silence, the emptiness of the cavernous hallways amplifying the tension that clings to the space. Shadows dance along the walls from the dim overhead lights, casting eerie shapes that seem to move with a life of their own.
As we turn a corner at the other end of the academy, tucked away from the rest of the school, the familiar scent of burning incense wafts through the air, mingling with the faint hint of candle wax. The hallway leading to Headmistress Humphrey’s office is almost pitch-black, except fo
