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Chapter 1: Paranormal Sight
The rain had just stopped when Kuro stepped through the iron gates of Grimvale Academy. A cold wind followed him, tugging at the edges of his black hoodie as if warning him to turn back. But he didn't.
The school loomed like a cathedral, more fortress than institution. Stone walls, high archways, and windows that never seemed to reflect light properly. It looked like it belonged in a different century—and maybe it did. Kuro blinked up at it, sighing. First day. Be normal. Just survive.
Inside, it didn't take long for the vibe to shift.
Slick shoes clicked down polished marble floors. Students draped in designer uniforms strolled past like they were walking red carpets, not hallways. Their conversations were whispers soaked in gossip and judgment.
Of course, Kuro thought. Spoiled rich kids. Classic.
He walked with his hands in his pockets, eyes forward, avoiding eye contact. He could already tell who ran the place: tall, loud, sneering boys with too much gel in their hair and girls who smiled with eyes that could slice diamonds. Bullies were easy to spot. They always traveled in packs. One bumped Kuro's shoulder on purpose in the hallway.
"Watch it, charity case," the boy spat.
Kuro didn't even glance back.
He could've said something. But what was the point?
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Lunch.
That's when it changed.
Kuro sat at an empty table, trying to tune out the cafeteria noise. Then came the shadow.
"Well, you look like the kind of guy who eats his sadness with mystery novels." A soft voice, sarcastic but not mean.
He looked up and saw him. Soft blonde hair tied with a pink ribbon, a smooth jawline, and eyes that sparkled too brightly to be natural.
"I'm Riku. I like boys, ghosts, and bad decisions. You looked lonely."
"…Kuro," he said simply.
Riku smiled like he'd won a prize.
That's when she sat down. Pale, dark eyeliner, short black hair, choker with a tiny dagger on it. She dropped her tray with a clatter. "You're not sitting alone," she muttered. "I hate alone."
"I'm Sera. Don't ask if it's short for anything. It's not."
Kuro blinked.
A moment later, another presence slid into place across from him. A lanky boy with shadows under his eyes and earbuds buried deep.
"Jason," he mumbled. "Don't talk to me unless it's important."
"And it will be," Riku said dramatically, "because we are so going to be best friends. All of us."
Finally, the fourth joined them. She didn't say a word. Her hair was long, steel-colored. Her expression never changed. Her eyes seemed to pierce right through Kuro.
"Her name's Eve," Riku whispered. "She talks maybe once a month. But she's cool."
Kuro raised an eyebrow. "Do you guys always sit together?"
"Nope," said Sera, stabbing her salad. "Today just felt… weird."
"Like fate," Riku added.
Jason just nodded once. Eve gave Kuro one long look, then returned to poking at her food in complete silence.
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That's how it began.
The outcasts. The weirdos. The ones who didn't fit the marble halls of Grimvale Academy.
And somehow, they found him.
Maybe it was coincidence.
But later that day, when Kuro opened his locker and found a photograph tucked neatly inside—old, yellowed, and torn—with all five of them in it… standing in front of the school…
…except it was dated twenty years ago…
He knew.
This wasn't going to be a normal year.
Not at Grimvale.
Not with them.
Not with whatever was watching them from the shadows behind the mirrors…
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To be continued…