Lost Land (GL)

Chapter 1: First Night

Time: 21:40

Twenty minutes remained before the end of evening self-study, but the classroom was eerily quiet, broken only by the soft scratching of pens on paper. It was the graduating class, and the teacher had long since departed, leaving the class monitor alone on the podium, his eyes glued to a book.

Suddenly, he pushed up his glasses, his sharp gaze piercing through the air, landing on a seat in the back row.

"Mo Ran?"

The girl with her hand raised lazily stood up, yawning widely. With a nonchalant shrug, she said, "Report, I need to use the restroom."

Her short, sharp hair was casually tied into a ponytail, framing a clean, youthful face. But two dark lines marred her otherwise flawless complexion, adding a touch of defiance to her features. Her eyes, like pools of mist, seemed to hold a world of weariness, as if she had just woken from a long, restless sleep.

The class monitor took a deep breath, his patience wearing thin. He couldn't stand this perpetual troublemaker, the class's resident underachiever. Even her striking beauty couldn't mask her infuriating nature.

Every school has its share of "bad guys," students who seem to delight in defying every rule and regulation. Mo Ran was one of those "bad guys," and being a girl only made her more of a headache for the teachers.

"No."

The answer was predictable, and Mo Ran let out a dramatic groan. "Brother, I really need to go!"

"No." The class monitor's glasses reflected a flash of white light, his already small eyes narrowing even further.

His refusal was firm, and Mo Ran, frustrated, scratched the back of her head. She really needed to use the restroom!

Knowing that he was the teacher's favorite, she dared not argue, but she couldn't help but feel a pang of annoyance. She slumped back into her seat, her deskmate bumping her arm with a mischievous grin.

Mo Ran glared at him, her annoyance simmering. With only a few minutes left, she was about to pull out her phone to read the novel she had downloaded when a loud bang erupted from the front of the classroom.

A boy had collapsed on the floor, his face pale and lifeless. The commotion instantly drew everyone's attention, and the class monitor quickly set down his book and rushed to his side.

Someone pulled out their phone and frantically dialed 120.

Just then, a girl next to the boy also fell to the ground. Panic swept through the classroom, and everyone surged forward.

"What's happening?"

"They both collapsed?"

The room buzzed with worried whispers. Mo Ran, curious, glanced at the scene unfolding before her, but quickly lost interest.

Seeing that no one was paying attention to her, her eyes lit up with mischief. Now was her chance!

She swiftly stuffed the snacks from her drawer into her backpack, gave her deskmate a silent shushing gesture, and slipped out the back door.

The corridor was eerily quiet compared to the slightly more lively classroom. Their floor was occupied by senior three students, all in the key class, and no one would dare to leave before the end of the school day.

Mo Ran strode confidently towards the bathroom at the end of the corridor.

First, she would use the restroom, then head straight home. She smiled to herself, blissfully unaware of the terrifying ordeal that awaited her.