Night fell, and the lights of the academic building went out one by one.Maya was still in the classroom. She had dozed off halfway through the lecture — the recent string of strange events had drained her, leaving her exhausted.Rubbing her sleepy eyes, she sat up from her desk.
The last trace of chalk on the blackboard faded into shadow.Everyone else had already gone; she was the only one left.
"Another late class…" she muttered softly, slinging her bag over her shoulder as she stepped into the corridor.
The hallway was silent and empty, filled only with the echo of her footsteps.The flickering lights buzzed overhead, and yet—her steps weren't the only ones she heard.There was another rhythm beneath hers. Light. Careful. Almost mimicking her pace.
Maya froze and turned around.Nothing. Only an empty corridor.
"…Just my imagination?"
She exhaled and started walking again—when a flash of silver caught her eye.Someone turned the corner ahead—graceful, quiet, like a cat.
Maya blinked.It was Lucian. The male Lucian, his silver hair gleaming faintly under the dying lights, his face calm, even cold.But something felt off—Lucian didn't seem to notice her at all.He was looking down at his phone, moving soundlessly, as though walking through a dream.
"What's he doing here this late at night?" Maya whispered, curiosity overriding caution.
Without really deciding to, she followed.
They walked one after another down the long corridor, past the locked gates of the older section of the building.Maya's heart pounded louder with every step.Lucian's quiet footsteps echoed steadily ahead, each one beating in sync with her pulse.
Finally, Lucian stopped—at the very end of the old wing.
Before him stood a heavy metal door with a faded sign that read:"Restricted Area — Do Not Enter."
Maya held her breath as Lucian glanced around.Then he reached into his pocket and took out a small, old-fashioned key.
Click.
The lock turned, and the door creaked open.A wave of cold air swept out.
Lucian's tall figure stood framed in the moonlight, his profile calm and strangely beautiful, as if this eerie atmosphere was something he'd long grown used to.
Maya bit her lip, then—unable to stop herself—quietly slipped in after him.
Inside was darkness.
Lucian lifted one hand and rubbed his fingers together—a small flame burst to life in his palm.Light bloomed, revealing rows of rusted filing cabinets, yellowed folders, cracked photo frames, and collapsed shelves.
This was Saint Linden Academy's old archive room.
Maya clutched her bag straps nervously. "Lucian… what are you looking for?"
Lucian stiffened slightly, then turned around.For a fleeting second, surprise flickered in his eyes—but it quickly vanished behind his usual cool, aloof expression.
"You followed me?" he asked flatly.
Maya stuck out her tongue sheepishly. "I—I was just curious… You were acting all mysterious, like you found something huge."
"…Since you're already here, just keep up."His tone was scolding, but there was a trace of warmth beneath it.
Lucian crouched down in front of a cabinet at the far end and opened the lowest drawer.Maya peeked over his shoulder. Inside were stacks of old yearbooks and sealed documents.
Lucian reached deep in and pulled out a leather-bound folder—its cover long gone.The dim light flickered over it as he opened it to the first page.
A black-and-white photograph. Blurry, old, half-faded.Beside it, a label:[The Grey Passenger — Missing, 1972]
He turned the pages.Each one told the story of a different ghost—seven in total.Each page bore blood-red markings and names scratched out violently.
Maya's pulse quickened. "So… all these legends… they're real?"
Lucian was silent for a long time.When he finally spoke, his voice was quiet, but edged with ice.
"They're not legends. They're records."
He closed the folder slowly. "Next one on the list: The Grey Passenger—the Gatekeeper of the Elevator."
Maya blinked. "Gatekeeper? Gatekeeper of… what gate?"
Lucian looked at her, eyes deep and unreadable.
"The gate," he said softly,"between the world of the living… and the dead."