The late summer sun bathed Veil High in golden light as Ava Carter stepped off the bus, taking in the familiar sight of the towering, gothic school building. Shadows crept along the stone walls, hints of autumn’s arrival casting an eerie haze that was both nostalgic and foreboding. Veil High hadn’t changed much during the break, yet as Ava stood there, an uncomfortable feeling gnawed at her, one that whispered she was about to be swept into the unknown once again.
As Ava walked through the iron gates, memories from last year flooded back. She could still see the dimly lit hallways where she and her friends had uncovered fragments of the school’s secrets, revealing glimpses of its dark, supernatural history. They had believed those mysteries were laid to rest, but the air around her felt different. There was a weight to it—a pull she couldn’t ignore.
She caught sight of her friends, Ethan and Lila, waiting near the front doors. Ethan waved, a welcoming grin on his face, while Lila wore a look of quiet unease. They exchanged quick hugs and the usual updates, but Ava noticed an edge in Lila’s tone, a nervous energy that mirrored her own.
“So, Ava,” Lila said, glancing around as they made their way inside, “have you noticed anything… strange?”
Ava hesitated, trying to shake off her growing paranoia. “I don’t know. The place just feels… heavy,” she admitted, glancing at the darkened corners of the corridor. “Maybe we’re just remembering last year, though.”
Ethan chuckled but there was a forced lightness in it. “Or maybe it’s PTSD from all the ghost hunts and hidden rooms. I could use a peaceful year for once.”
As they walked down the hall, Ava spotted something unusual: a symbol sketched faintly on one of the stone walls. She slowed down, staring at it, her heart picking up speed. It was a rough, circular pattern, resembling an eye or perhaps an old emblem. It looked familiar somehow, as if she’d seen it in one of her dreams over the summer. But before she could look closer, a voice echoed through the hallway.
“Ava Carter. I’ve heard quite a bit about you.”
Ava turned to see a tall, striking boy with dark hair and a piercing gaze standing a few feet away. His expression was unreadable, and the way he watched her felt both direct and unnervingly familiar.
“I’m Kael,” he introduced himself, his voice smooth and oddly reassuring. “New here. But I think we have some things in common.”
Ethan immediately stepped closer to Ava, casting a protective glance at Kael. “Nice to meet you, Kael. You’re new? Just transferred?”
Kael nodded, his gaze never leaving Ava’s. “Yes. My family… we’re interested in the history of places like this.” His eyes shifted to the strange symbol on the wall. “And it seems Veil High has quite the history.”
Ava’s breath caught. “Are you interested in the history, or… other things?”
A ghost of a smile appeared on Kael’s face. “Both,” he replied. “The two are often intertwined, don’t you think?”
Ava didn’t know what to make of him, but her instincts told her there was more to Kael than he let on. She glanced at Ethan and Lila, who both looked wary. Lila’s face was pale, as if she already sensed the trouble brewing.
As the day unfolded, Ava found herself unable to shake the feeling that the past was closer than it appeared. In her first class, she kept catching glimpses of shadows flitting in the corners of her vision, and when she opened her notebook, she was shocked to see the symbol from the wall faintly etched in the corner of a page. She hadn’t drawn it, but it looked as if it had been there all along.
After her last class, Ava, Ethan, and Lila met at their usual spot near the courtyard. The soft, fading light made the school look more ominous, the long shadows almost alive. Just as Ava was about to voice her concerns about Kael and the symbol, another group of students passed by, murmuring in low tones.
“Did you hear about the transfer student?” one of them said. “Some say he’s connected to Veil High’s original founders. You know, the ones who disappeared.”
The words sent a chill through Ava, who exchanged a worried glance with her friends. Ethan’s jaw was clenched, and Lila looked around, as if expecting ghosts to emerge from the walls.
“Connected to the founders?” Ava whispered.
“They’re just rumors,” Ethan said, trying to sound casual but unable to hide his concern. “But it seems like there’s something about Kael we don’t know yet.”
That evening, Ava couldn’t stop thinking about Kael’s arrival and the cryptic symbol. She dug out her old research notes from the previous year and searched for any reference to the emblem. Hours passed, and just as her eyes were beginning to ache, she found a sketch she’d made of a similar symbol, one they had seen in a hidden room beneath the school.
It represented "The Circle of Shadows," an ancient group supposedly tied to Veil High’s founders. According to the fragment of text she’d found, The Circle was a secret society that had performed rituals meant to unlock supernatural abilities in its members. But the rituals had gone wrong, leading to the mysterious disappearances of some students.
Heart pounding, Ava knew she had to find out more about Kael and his connection to The Circle of Shadows. She felt a powerful, inexplicable pull toward the truth. She grabbed her flashlight and slipped into the darkened halls of Veil High, her footsteps echoing against the stone.
Ava wandered to the library, hoping to find more clues among the dust-covered books and forgotten records. As she pulled a tattered journal from a shelf, the air shifted, and she felt an eerie chill. It was as if someone—or something—was watching her.
Turning a corner, Ava came face to face with Kael. He held a worn book in his hand, and his expression was guarded. The flickering light from her flashlight cast strange shadows on his face, making him look almost ghostly.
“Couldn’t sleep either?” Kael asked, his voice low.
Ava nodded, unsure of what to say. The library seemed too silent, like it was holding its breath.
Kael took a step closer, his gaze intense. “You feel it too, don’t you? The pull of this place. The history… it’s alive here.”
Ava swallowed, a strange mix of fear and curiosity taking over. “I don’t know what I feel,” she admitted. “But I know there’s more going on than what meets the eye.”
Kael held out the book he’d been holding. “If you’re ready to learn, maybe this will help. But remember,” he warned, “once you start looking, you may not be able to stop.”
Ava accepted the book, her fingers trembling slightly. She opened it to the first page and saw that same symbol—the mark of "The Circle of Shadows." Beneath it was a single line written in faded ink:
"Those who seek the truth must be willing to face the darkness."
A chill ran down her spine, but Ava knew she couldn’t turn back now.
YOU ARE READING
Secrets of Veil High: The Awakening (BOOK 2)
Fantasi"Those who seek the truth must be willing to face the darkness."
