POV: Eliza Mendez
Location: Meadow Hill Academy–Senior High Building, 2nd Floor, Section 12-B
The second-floor corridor buzzed with its usual weekday energy—snatches of conversation between passing students, the mechanical whir of ceiling fans, and the occasional squeak of shoes on polished concrete. But Eliza Mendez barely heard any of it.
She sat at her desk in the third row of 12-B, one of the top-performing sections at Meadow Hill Academy. Her seat was by the window—her favorite, usually—and yet today she didn't glance outside once. Not even at the sprawling acacia tree that always danced in the wind like something out of a Miyazaki movie.
She was fixated on her phone instead.
3rd Unexplained Absence Today: Alyssa Ramos not reporting for class.
Parents unreachable. Please forward info if you have contact.
– Sir Cortez
Eliza reread the group chat message from their homeroom teacher, thumb hovering as if about to reply. Alyssa? She hadn't seen her since Friday. They weren't close, not really, but she remembered Alyssa's laughter echoing across the corridor just a few days ago. Her usual clique was quieter today too, glancing around like their brightness had dimmed.
"Weird, right? "Janna leaned across the aisle, whispering. Her long bangs nearly brushed Eliza's notebook. "That's the third student who didn't show up today. Alyssa, Keith from STEM-A, and that tall dude from TVL."
Eliza finally tore her eyes from the screen. "Do you think it's connected? "
Janna raised an eyebrow. "What, like a curse? "
"No. I mean, they're all from different buildings. It's just… odd."
Before Janna could offer one of her usual ghost theories, the door opened with a sharp creak. Everyone sat straighter as Sir Cortez entered—thin, mid-thirties, the kind of teacher who always wore sleeves even in heat and looked like he carried entire bookshelves behind his eyes. Today, though, he looked… heavier. Not physically. Just tired.
He stood behind his desk for a moment, eyes sweeping across them all, before offering a strained smile.
"Good morning, class," he said, then added, "Let's make this day count, yeah? "
Eliza noticed he didn't take attendance.
Later That Day—Faculty Lounge, 3rd Floor
POV: Sir Cortez
He sipped his coffee even though it was cold, the bitterness oddly welcome.
"Still no word from the Ramos family? " asked Ms. Ramirez, the school's literature teacher, from across the staff table. She was reviewing essays with a red pen that had already bled across four pages.
"None. And the worst part? " Cortez placed the mug down. "Her classmate says her house is just ten minutes from the school, but no one answers the gate. They said the curtains have been drawn since Saturday."
Ramirez paused, pen frozen in place. "That's… unsettling."
"And she's not the only one," Cortez muttered. "Principal Ignacio has quietly asked us to keep tabs. He doesn't want panic, but this isn't just teenage truancy anymore."
The room fell into a brief, loaded silence.
Then:
"You've seen the online videos, haven't you? "Ramirez said quietly. "People foaming at the mouth. Chasing each other. The ones they say are hoaxes? "
Cortez leaned back. "I thought it was just more disinfo. Until Keith's mom called and asked if we'd seen her son. And her voice—God, I swear she was crying, but it sounded like she was hiding under something."
Back in the Senior High Building—Late Afternoon
POV: Eliza Mendez
The final bell rang, but something felt off. Students shuffled out a little too quickly. Some joked around, but it felt hollow—like background noise forced through speakers.
Eliza slung her bag over her shoulder and looked around. She saw Lucas Tan, the serious prefect from 12-A, heading to the Student Council office. Marvin Cruz, the quiet guy from the first row, was walking alone toward the back exit.
Downstairs, by the bulletin board, she noticed Coach Danilo locking the gym doors early. He glanced over his shoulder twice before leaving.
Janna caught up beside her. "You're going home? "
Eliza hesitated. "Yeah. But maybe I'll wait for the 4:30 shuttle. Just… don't feel like walking today."
Janna offered a dry chuckle. "You sound like something's coming."
Eliza didn't reply. But in the pit of her stomach, something twisted—tight, cold.
She glanced out the hallway window again. Past the acacia trees and empty campus street. This time, something did catch her eye.
In the far distance, just beyond the perimeter fence, a man stood still—too still. Facing the school.
Watching.