A backpack hung over my shoulders, but all it carried was that notebook. And now, here I am, standing in front of this castle.
It’s creepy, no question about it. Made entirely of stone, with a wooden roof, and windows that should’ve been replaced ages ago—they’re over two hundred years old.
Step by step, I approach the iron fence. Everywhere, the words “Noel’s Academy” are scratched into the metal.
I graduated from a place like this a few years back, so why am I here now? I can’t exactly say a ghost sent me, one that won’t leave me alone until I find whatever it is that’s troubling her, can I?
As soon as I got close to the gates, they swung open on their own.
Okay, that’s a win, considering how much time and effort it took to track this place down. There’s barely any info online—practically nothing, except for warnings that “something’s off” about it and “you shouldn’t poke your nose in there.” That was a comment from a girl under a YouTube video about the weirdest institutions, a video that didn’t even mention Noel. She wrote herself that such an academy exists and should be added to the list.
I spent three hours trekking through the woods from a tiny village called Strangess, population five hundred. There was no road beyond that point, just an eerie forest. I could’ve gotten lost, but somehow I stumbled onto a path, and eventually, it led me here.
Around me were well-kept trees, neat lawns, and pebble-lined paths. There were also people of all ages milling about.
“You new here?” a woman in a blazer approached me. I was so caught up in taking everything in that I didn’t notice I’d been standing there, frozen, for a few minutes until she walked up.
“I’m not sure,” I replied shyly, tucking my hands behind me.
She raised an eyebrow, looked me up and down, and stopped at the two suitcases in my hands. I glanced up at her, confused, and she immediately flashed a smile and grabbed one of my bags.
“I know you are,” she said, starting to walk. “Come with me. I’ll show you to your room.” I gripped the handle of my other suitcase tightly and followed her.
None of this made sense to me. Why were there so many older people here? Sure, there were folks of all ages, even some who looked way too young, but they were in the minority. And on top of that, some of them were just… odd. Not in their behavior, but in their appearance.
“This is your room. Your roommate’s inside. I’m sure he’ll fill you in on the academy. Seems like you don’t know much,” she said, and I broke out in a cold sweat, a shiver running through me as she emphasized those last words.
The moment it sank in that I’d be sharing a room with a guy—not a girl, like I’d expected—I wanted to protest. But she was already gone, leaving just my suitcase standing off to the side.
It was eerily quiet here. There were tons of doors, but not a sound came from behind any of them. What the heck was going on?
I tugged on the handle, and a loud blast of rock music hit my ears. On the couch sat a guy covered in tattoos, with piercings in his ear and nose. He didn’t notice me at first, too focused on his laptop screen where images flashed by. I set down my suitcases and stepped closer.
“Hey, you!” I grabbed his shoulder. He pulled off his headphones. I stared at him, baffled. Why was he wearing headphones when the music was already blaring through the whole room?
“Oh, you’re my new roommate?” He stood up with a grin, and I immediately noticed he was way taller than me and a bit older, maybe by two or three years.
“Yeah, I guess,” I said, frowning. Maybe this was temporary?
“Why so unsure?” He walked over to the speaker and turned off the music. Instantly, the room felt quieter, cozier.
“I think there’s been some kind of mistake,” I hinted, pointing out the obvious—that he wasn’t a girl.
“Nah. It’s not uncommon here,” he laughed. “But don’t worry. I’m not gonna hit on you. I’ve got my girl, Monica.” I gasped, a wave of anxiety washing over me. Now I was worried this Monica might come after me for sharing a room with her boyfriend. Though, to be fair, the room was pretty spacious.
His phone buzzed with a message. He picked it up, and with a wide smile, turned back to me.
“Avery, aren’t you curious about where you’re living now?” He tilted his head side to side. I looked at him, a bit stunned. How did he know my name? Noticing my confusion, he explained, “Mrs. Paxter sent a text.” He held up his phone to show me the message. “I’m Damon, by the way,” he said, extending his hand. I grabbed it and shook it firmly.
Damon started by explaining that this place was a home for people who felt rejected by society, who couldn’t find their place in the world. This academy helped with everything. It even crossed my mind that maybe Ivy’s ghost sent me here because she thought I was lonely. But that’s not true, right? Now I understood why there were so many different kinds of people here. I was glad I’d have stuff to keep me busy for a while—there were cooking and art classes. While I searched for answers about Ivy, I could also improve my skills in those areas.
Soon, we moved on to exploring the academy itself. The moment we stepped through the massive wooden doors, Damon took off, tossing a quick “Be right back” over his shoulder before running off. Great. I was standing there alone again, with no idea where to go or what to do. I’d already scoped out every corner, passing the same people two or three times. But what caught my eye most was an old man in a wheelchair, missing both legs.
“You won’t see Damon again until tonight,” a chubby girl said, stopping beside me. She stood out the most: long pink hair, a pink skirt, a pink sweater, a white vest over it, and matching pink boots with thick heels. In her hands was a phone with a white case.
I took a few steps back from her. We were definitely around the same age.
“Sorry?” I asked, unsure if I’d heard her right. She clicked her tongue and gave me a friendly smile.
“He ran off to see Monica. You’re out of luck with that roommate. He’s hardly ever around,” she explained, even looking a bit sad for added effect. “I can show you around the academy. I can tell by the look in your eyes that you’re new to our… pleasant little world,” she said, gesturing around us and emphasizing “pleasant” with a grin before exclaiming, “Newbie!” a little too enthusiastically.
“Avery,” I said, extending my hand. Might as well make some friends here. Going it alone could be tough. What if this friendly girl could help me get rid of the ghost?
“Marissa,” she replied, shaking my hand. At first, she looked me in the eye, but a second later, her gaze darted past me. Her smile faded, her expression turned serious, and she gripped my hand tighter. I managed to pull free and turned around.
Walking toward us was a trio: two guys and a girl.
“That’s Liam, Julie, and Joyon,” Marissa said in a grim tone, stepping closer to me, her eyes still locked on the group. For some reason, I got the feeling Julie and Joyon were siblings, maybe even twins. They were the only people of Asian descent I’d seen here so far. The trio breezed past us, laughing loudly, while Marissa clenched her teeth, shooting them a furious glare. Some bad blood there? “Don’t mess with them. They think way too highly of themselves, especially Liam. Total jerk,” she hissed through gritted teeth.
And just like that, I felt like I was back in high school, where there’s always that popular guy and his posse who stick together like glue.
Only, this wasn’t quite the same situation.