The First Gate
822 Words
“It’s behind you.”
The six voices echoed from inside the mirror.
Amara’s heart slammed against her ribs.
She didn’t dare turn around.
The room felt colder with every passing second.
“Amara…” Damien called softly.
She couldn’t answer.
In the mirror, Emily Moore slowly raised her hand.
Instead of pointing behind Amara this time…
She pointed at the mirror itself.
Then all six figures whispered together.
“Look closer.”
Amara took one cautious step forward.
The glass rippled like the surface of a lake.
Her own reflection disappeared.
In its place…
She saw a long stone corridor lit by flickering candles.
At the end of the corridor stood a massive black door.
Carved into it was the number:
13
Then, a figure emerged from the darkness.
It wore an old Ashcroft University uniform.
Its face was hidden beneath a hood.
Slowly, it raised its head.
Amara gasped.
It had no face.
Only darkness.
The faceless figure lifted one finger and pointed directly at her.
The mirror shattered.
CRASH!
Glass exploded across the room.
Amara screamed and stumbled backward.
Damien caught her before she fell.
“What happened?” he asked.
“What did you see?”
Before she could answer, Lucas knelt beside the broken mirror.
Hidden behind it was an ancient iron door.
Its surface was covered with strange symbols that glowed faintly blue.
In the center was the same black crow symbol they had seen on the mysterious map.
Lucas carefully brushed away decades of dust.
“There wasn’t supposed to be a door here.”
Damien examined it closely.
“There isn’t even a keyhole.”
Instead, six handprints were carved into the iron.
Lucas quickly opened the old journal.
His hands trembled as he flipped through its yellowed pages.
Then he stopped.
His face turned pale.
“I found it.”
Everyone gathered around him.
He read aloud.
‘When six Rememberers awaken, the First Gate shall reveal itself. Only together can they open it. But once the First Gate is opened… the Sleeper will know their names.’
Silence filled the room.
Amara looked at the six handprints.
“There are only five of you in the Crow Society.”
Lucas slowly nodded.
“Which means…”
He looked directly at her.
“…you are the sixth Rememberer.”
A chill ran down Amara’s spine.
“What’s the Sleeper?”
Lucas closed the journal.
“I was hoping we’d never find out.”
⸻
Suddenly…
A loud alarm echoed throughout the greenhouse.
Sofia rushed upstairs, breathing hard.
“Lucas!”
He ran out of the room.
“What is it?”
“The campus cameras…”
“They’ve picked up something.”
Everyone hurried downstairs.
On an old computer monitor, a grainy black-and-white security feed showed the entrance to Dormitory 7.
Amara froze.
A tall figure dressed in black stood outside the building.
Its face couldn’t be seen.
One by one…
Students began walking out of Dormitory 7.
Each wore a blank expression.
Each carried a suitcase.
None of them spoke.
None of them looked at one another.
“They’re leaving?” Amara whispered.
Sofia shook her head.
“No.”
“They’re following it.”
The faceless figure turned and slowly walked into the fog.
Every student followed.
Like puppets.
Lucas grabbed his coat.
“We have to stop them.”
⸻
Minutes later, the Crow Society reached Dormitory 7.
The front doors stood wide open.
The lobby was empty.
Abandoned suitcases lay scattered across the floor.
A student’s phone rang on a bench.
No one answered it.
The entire dormitory felt…
Abandoned.
“Lily!” Amara shouted.
Her voice echoed through the silent building.
No reply.
She ran down the hallway toward Room 7.
The door was slightly open.
She pushed it gently.
The room was empty.
Lily’s bed had been neatly made.
Her clothes…
Gone.
Her books…
Gone.
Even the photographs on her desk had disappeared.
It looked as though no one had ever shared the room with Amara.
“No…” she whispered.
“This can’t be happening.”
Damien walked over to Lily’s desk.
“There’s something here.”
Resting in the center of the desk was a single black envelope sealed with a crow emblem.
Amara broke the seal.
Inside was a folded piece of paper.
It contained only one sentence.
“If you want to see Lily again, come to Dormitory 13 before the next bell rings.”
Amara looked up.
“Dormitory 13 doesn’t exist.”
The lights in the hallway suddenly flickered.
A deep metallic sound echoed through the building.
Ding…
An elevator.
But Dormitory 7 had never had an elevator.
Slowly…
The elevator doors slid open at the end of the hallway.
A cold mist poured out.
Inside stood a young woman wearing an Ashcroft University uniform from decades ago.
It was Emily Moore.
She smiled.
Then raised one finger…
Beckoning Amara to enter.
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