Tala shakes her head. “No one really knows. There’s a bunch of different stories floating around. I heard that the school itself was designed to trap the spirits of those who died in Skallagrim. You know, like staircases that lead to nowhere, and doors that open into nothing, those kinds of things.”
“I can neither confirm nor deny,” Kris says before taking another bite of skyr.
Wait.I sit up straight. If I go to the seer campus, maybe I can talk to Emilía’s ghost myself. Irina mentioned spirits having more power there. If what Tala said is true about the school being haunted, maybe a séance wouldn’t even be necessary.
I jump out of my seat. “Sorry, I just remembered I have plans.”
As I step onto the seer campus, a chill spreads through me.
Clouds fill the sky and the wind whistles through the cold courtyard, sounding like high-pitched screams. Everywhere I look, the buildings are all dark and empty. Thankfully, the seer campus is smaller than the others, so I don’t have to search far to find the main building.
Cracks run through the crumbling stone, and all the windows are broken.ENTER YE TO LEARNis etched in stone above the entrance. Somehow it makes the abandoned school seem more ominous. I stare at the sign stuck to the door readingKEEP OUT. Is this even safe? I hesitate, nibbling on a nail. I have to learn who killed Emilía, and this school is the only chance I have to speak with her directly.
I try the door—
It’s unlocked, just like Kris said it would be.
At least I won’t be breakingandentering. Hinges groan as I push the door open.
As I step inside the abandoned school, I’m greeted by a musty smell, strong enough to make my nose wrinkle. Damp stone and mold, but I can scent something else, too. Something rotting. A rat scurries past me, darting down the dark hall.
It takes a moment for my eyes to adjust, and then, like the flick of a switch, my night vision is back. The walls look dimly lit from within, giving the abandoned school an eerie, otherworldly glow.
Black mold stains the hallway, discoloring the walls. Looking around, you wouldn’t know something terrible had taken place here. My footsteps echo, too loud in my ears, as I walk down the hall. Hopefully I won’t get caught. Or worse. All my senses are more heightened than usual. Even if I’m not technically trespassing, it feels like I am.
The first door I try opens to a sealed wall. So much for that.
Next is an abandoned classroom.
Desks and chairs line the room. Paint peels off the walls like scabs. Some of the ceiling has collapsed, and rubble is strewn over the desks and floor. Giant spiderwebs cover every corner. Talk about creepy. Shuddering, I retreat into the hall. What was I expecting to find in there anyway? Emilía sitting at one of the desks, waiting for me?
I shake my head. There are no signs of anyone here. Not even spirits. But when I look down at my arm, all the little hairs there are standing on end. My body is sensingsomething, even if I can’t see it.
I clear my throat. “E-Emilía?”
Silence is the only answer I get. I thought maybe if I came here, she’d find me. But as I creep down the hall, I’m no longer sure Iwantto be found.
The scrape of claws fills my ears.
Catching movement out of the corner of my eye, I whirl around—
A rat. It’s just another rat scurrying along the hall.
This was a bad idea. I should leave.
“Help,”someone whispers over my shoulder.
I turn slowly.
No one is there.
“Emilía?” I ask, eyes darting everywhere.
No response.
I peek in the next door. “Hello?”
It’s another empty classroom. But as soon as I step inside, I can hear the chatter of students, the scrape of chairs, the rustle of bags and books. It’s unsettling, since all the seats are empty, the desks caked in dust.
