Beyond the Veil

Chapter 25

Sera woke up bright and early to get to class. She was eager for it to be over, because she knew exactly what she was doing after class. She was going to go explore the abandoned house.

It felt to her like she was taking many liberties, maybe the medium was right, this likely was very dangerous, but Saul had always shown up before things got bad. As much as she shouldn't rely on it, she knew it to be true. She felt safe to do what she wanted. d

Sera hurried through the bustling hallways of the school, her backpack slung over her shoulder. The chatter of students filled the air, creating the familiar ambiance of a busy school day. She spotted Quinn on her phone near the courtyard, the sunlight filtered through the leaves, creating dappled patterns on the ground around her.

"Quinn!" Sera called out, a smile spreading across her face as she approached her friend.

Quinn turned around, her eyes lighting up at the sight of Sera. "Hey, there she is!" she exclaimed, giving Sera a fist bump. "How's it going?"

Sera returned the fist bump, feeling a sense of comfort wash over her. "It's been an eventful day so far," she replied, "but I'm glad to see you. I needed a break from all the craziness."

Quinn chuckled, a mischievous glint in her eyes. "You and me, both," she said. "So, what's been going on?"

As they walked towards the courtyard, Sera talked about the recent class assignments and the upcoming school events. Quinn shared some funny stories about her weekend adventures and the craziness with her mom, making Sera laugh.

They found a spot under a tree, where they could sit and enjoy the fresh air while chatting away. Sera couldn't help but feel grateful for Quinn's friendship, the way they could talk about anything and everything, and how Quinn's humor always lifted her spirits.

"So, any plans for the weekend?" Quinn asked, taking a bite of a sandwich she pulled out of her bag.

Sera thought for a moment, "Not sure yet," she replied, completely omitting her plans to explore the abandoned house. "Maybe catching up on some reading, and I should probably work on that physics project."

"Ah, the joys of being a student," Quinn said with a playful eye-roll. "Well, if you need any help procrastinating that project, you know I'm your girl."

"Thanks," Sera said, smiling. "I might take you up on that."

Quinn had both afternoon and morning classes, trying to catch up on her credits. After some time she looked at her watch and told Sera she had another class to get to. Reluctantly, they gathered their things and made their way back inside the school.

"We'll catch up later," Quinn said, giving Sera a wave.

"Definitely," Sera replied. "See you in class."

As she watched Quinn disappear, her focus came back on her agenda, there was no time to wait anymore, she had to go explore the abandoned house the medium told her about.

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This was a particularly difficult mission to accomplish for Sera, because for one, she didn't know how close to the forest she would have to be before Saul knew she was there, and for two, the medium said, near the forest, but she never said where.

Sera found herself driving along the winding roads that skirted the edge of the dense forest. The medium's cryptic words still echoed in her mind, urging her to seek out the abandoned house that supposedly held secrets of the town's mysterious past. The anticipation mixed with a touch of trepidation made her heart race, but she couldn't resist the urge to explore further.