The school was quiet.
Too quiet.
Kat Levi stood at the edge of the courtyard, staring at the west wing of Virelia Academy. The fog hadn't lifted in days, and now it clung to the building like ivy, curling around windows and doors, whispering through vents. It wasn't just weather anymore—it was presence.
Junior Sebastian joined her, his hoodie pulled tight, eyes scanning the perimeter. "The map said it's beneath the west wing. Near the old archives."
Kat nodded. "That part of the school was sealed years ago. After the fire."
James Williams arrived next, carrying a duffel bag filled with flashlights, charms, and snacks. "I brought granola bars. Because nothing says 'breaking into a haunted sublevel' like fiber."
Aria Norman and Sage Ethan followed, both solemn. Sage carried the scroll, now wrapped in a triple-layered cloth. It pulsed faintly, like it knew where they were going.
"We move fast," Sage said. "Once we're inside, the fog will follow."
---
They entered through a maintenance door near the archives.
The hallway was dark, lined with lockers that hadn't been opened in years. The air smelled of dust and something older—something metallic and bitter.
Kat led the way, her fingers tingling with energy. The scroll's pulse matched her heartbeat now, guiding her like a compass.
They reached a door at the end of the hall.
It was covered in runes.
Junior stepped forward. "This is it."
Sage examined the symbols. "It's a containment seal. But it's fractured."
James raised an eyebrow. "So… we knock?"
Kat placed her hand on the door.
It opened.
---
The chamber beneath the school was unlike anything they'd seen.
It was vast, circular, with walls made of obsidian and etched with glowing runes. In the center stood a pedestal—but this one held no scroll, no mirror, no flame.
It held a book.
Kat approached slowly.
The book pulsed.
Sage whispered, "It's the Chronicle. The original record of the sealing."
Kat opened it.
---
The pages were blank.
Then they weren't.
Words appeared, glowing faintly, written in a language Kat didn't recognize—but somehow understood.
"Three seals. Three bearers. One bond. The flame must choose. The memory must remember. The bond must break."
She read the words aloud.
Aria gasped. "Break?"
Junior stepped closer. "What does that mean?"
Sage looked grim. "It means the bond between Kat and Junior isn't just powerful—it's dangerous. It's the final lock. And if it holds… Vandal stays sealed."
James frowned. "So if they stay together, the world is safe?"
Sage shook his head. "No. If they stay together, the seal strains. It wasn't built to hold love and blood. One must be sacrificed."
Kat felt her chest tighten. "No."
Junior's voice was steady. "We'll find another way."
---
The book shimmered again.
A new passage appeared.
"The door beneath the school is not the end. It is the beginning. The true seal lies beneath the city. Beneath the flame."
Sage looked up. "The flame. That's Kat."
Aria whispered, "Then we go deeper."
James groaned. "Of course we do. Because magical horror stories never end at chapter thirteen."
Kat closed the book.
The scroll pulsed violently.
And the fog surged.
---
They ran.
Back through the hallway, up the stairs, into the courtyard. The fog chased them, thick and fast, curling around their legs, whispering names, memories, fears.
Kat felt it clawing at her mind.
Junior grabbed her hand. "Focus!"
She did.
The scroll pulsed once—then exploded with light.
The fog recoiled.
And the school exhaled.
---
Back in Sage's study, they regrouped.
The Chronicle sat on the table, its pages still glowing.
Sage traced the final line. "The true seal lies beneath the flame."
Kat looked at him. "Then we go beneath me."
Junior nodded. "We find the origin."
James leaned back. "And we rewrite the ending."
Aria whispered, "Before the bond breaks."