Enchanted University of Magemenos

Chapter 94:Luxury or haunted?

Keith eyes Nathan up and down like he's inspecting a criminal at a crime scene, his gaze sharp and calculating. He clears his throat dramatically, crossing his arms. "Are you okay, Lysa? And what exactly happened here? Did he push you, or were you just... dramatically falling for no reason?"

Kate glares at him while speaking. "Are you okay, Lysa? Idiot, why did he push you?"

"I'm fine," I reply quickly, brushing off the attention, but I can feel my cheeks burning.

Keith leans back, looking satisfied with his detective work. "Fine. I shall play with you—under one condition."

Nathan shoots him a look like he's just had enough. "Get lost. We don't need you."

"Nat, please," Kate pleads, giving him the look—the one that somehow always gets him to cave in.

Keith smiles smugly, as if this was all part of the plan. He turns to me, his gaze intense. "Rose, only if you ask me to stay... I shall stay." He stares at me like he's some kind of romantic hero in a movie, ready to be swept off his feet.

"Wth, I am not Rose, first of all," I snap, raising an eyebrow. "And why should I even tell you to stay?"

Kate pulls out the big guns, her voice soft but pleading, "Lysa, baby, please."

I roll my eyes dramatically, sighing. "Fine, stay. Happy now?"

Keith's grin widens, his voice suddenly dramatic as if he's starring in a cheesy rom-com. "Say it, George, my eternal love. Stay with me forever."

"Are you nuts? Why would she—" Before Nathan can finish, I cut him off with a dramatic sigh, rolling my eyes.

"George, my eternal love, stay with me forever," I mimic, trying to stop the inevitable drama before it spirals further.

Keith grins triumphantly, hands clasped over his chest. "Of course, my love. I shall follow you to the ends of the earth."

I can't help it. I gag, making a face like I just tasted something foul.

"We need to find a place for tonight," Kate says, already scanning the room like she's hunting treasure.

"Let's explore a bit first," I reply, adjusting my jacket. "If we're going to be hiding, might as well hide in style."

So, we set off.

The building was massive—no, monstrous. Think twice the size of the White House, but instead of politicians and press briefings, it was filled with card-playing teenagers, suspicious stares, and an unnerving silence that hung in the air like an unfinished sentence.

The ground floor was the main hall, where chandeliers sparkled like a thousand diamonds trying too hard. It smelled like freshly baked bread and paranoia. A buffet stretched across one end, looking lonely now that most of the students had scattered. This was also the arena where we'd just finished our slightly terrifying game of Uno—because apparently, in Magemenos, even a kids' card game could feel like deadly Games with better lighting.

The first floor opened with a soft chime, and we stepped into a long, dimly lit corridor that stretched far beyond what the eye could see. The walls were decorated with eerie, old portraits—too elegant to be casual, too intense to be welcoming. The kind of faces that looked like they might follow you when you walked past.

"Luxury or haunted?" I whispered.

"Probably both," Keith muttered, peeking into one of the rooms.

Each bedroom we passed looked identical—pristine bedsheets tucked tightly, wooden furniture polished to a mirror-shine, and floor-length curtains swaying slightly, even though the windows were closed. The silence in the hallway was unsettling. Not the peaceful kind. The creepy, somebody's-watching-you kind. 

We explored a few more rooms—some had balconies overlooking the grounds, others had bookshelves filled with dusty novels. One even had a weird portrait that looked suspiciously like the headmaster from our old school, except he had glowing eyes. Keith swore it blinked at him. No one believed him.

Kate opened a door at the end of the hall and gasped. "This one has bunk beds! It's perfect if we all want to stay together."

"Perfect for a sleepover, or perfect for mass murder?" Keith deadpanned.

"You say that like it's mutually exclusive," I muttered.

Still, it did feel safer to stay together. We agreed to keep the bunk room as our meeting spot. Just in case something went wrong in the night. And knowing this place, it probably would.

"Okay, next floor?" I asked, stepping back toward the elevator.

"Hope it's not a torture chamber," Kate joked, but nobody laughed.

Because at this point, we weren't entirely sure she was wrong.