DARK CAMPUS

Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1: The First Encounter

I took a deep breath, gripping the strap of my bag tighter before pushing open the heavy wooden door. The classroom inside was silent — not the comfortable kind of quiet, but a heavy, suffocating stillness. Every single student sat perfectly still, their heads bowed, their hands folded neatly on their desks. No one moved. No one whispered. It was like walking into a room full of statues that might suddenly come alive.

"Please introduce yourself," said Professor Lux. He stood at the front of the room, his hands behind his back, looking directly at me as if he could see every thought inside my head.

"Uh — Iyanna Lucia Forge. I'm 18 years old. from Casgare Village," I said quickly, bowing slightly as my mother had taught me.

He clapped his hands slowly — one... two... three. The sound echoed through the room like thunder. "Beautiful name. Take your seat, Iyanna. At the very back, right beside the window."

I walked to the back row, feeling every pair of eyes follow me. As I sat down, the girl next to me leaned in, her voice barely a breath. "Be careful," she whispered, glancing nervously toward the professor. "I'm Mia. Never look at the windows when it gets dark outside. And never... ever... break his rules."

"Why? What's going on?" I whispered back, but Mia quickly sat up straight, staring at her desk as if she'd never spoken to me at all.