The moment they got out, they could see that this place was much more modernistic compared to the main buildings, this place is a mixture of modern and classical aesthetic design, and the security here is also much tighter compared to the main building. Hugo turns around and looks at them, “I can only escort you until here, this is the only place where you can roam around freely, but remember don’t get to the other side of this building, that is where the undergraduate residents live, you may not go and bother them. When you get accepted, you will be able to see it for yourself”, he kindly said and walked away.

Another man is already standing at the end of the stairs waiting for them, he seems to be wearing the same suit as Hugo, but an improvised version of it. That person taps his card with the addition of fingerprint to the tab, and the big wide door opens to reveal a two-level hall, it seems that they are coming from the left part of the hall, there is a big chandelier hanging from above, lighting up the whole hall. In the middle of it, there is a very beautifully crafted circle marble floor, and in the middle of the room are stairs leading to the second floor. This place looks much like a dance hall in a classical movie, but there is also a hint of modern structure in it, making it look exquisite.

Clara and the others couldn't help but drop their jaw to the floor after looking at the scenery in front of them, Kayla also couldn't help but feel like she was inside a movie, ready to prepare for a banquet. There is something else that also catches their attention, another group of people consisting of around fifty to sixty people standing around the hall. Kayla had never thought that there were so many people here, those people also looked at them curiously, it seemed that while waiting some of them had gotten into groups,

“Welcome new students, my name is Liam, we are glad to finally be able to meet you here, a warm welcome to all of you. Please stand in line, you will be designated to your own room now, please come out when your name is called. Remember, we will meet again tomorrow morning at exactly seven o’clock on the dot, have fun”, that voice is coming from the top of the stairs, a man wearing the same uniform as the person taking them inside, he is smiling at them with a flirtatious smile with his head slightly tipping to the side, he seemed to be feeling quite excited, but somehow Kayla thought that that smile had a lot of meaning in them, Kayla didn't even realize when that person appeared at the top of the stairs,

He kept on calling name after name, Kayla looked in the direction they were heading, it seemed to be an elevator, but what made Kayla confused was why they had to take turns since there were three elevators available, but they were only using one in the middle, and they only let five people in one a time.

‘Why does it take a long time for the elevator to arrive?’, it is supposed to be a short wait, but they have been waiting for fifteen minutes but the first group still hasn’t arrived,

‘A group of people has to take around ten to fifteen minutes, even a high-rise building doesn't take such a long time, or does it?’, Kayla suddenly didn’t feel so sure anymore, ‘But I didn’t see any high building around here’

“Aaron Andersen, Stella Lywen, Jonas Schmitz, Steven Russo, Kayla Sterendelle”

When her name got called after who knows how long, her heart suddenly skipped a beat, Clara on her side looked at her anxiously, so Kayla said something to reassure her,

“Let’s meet again tomorrow?”

Clara nodded hurriedly and Kayla walked towards the elevator with the other four. When Kayla got in, she was together with unknown people, three boys, and one girl, they looked quite impressive and very fashionable in high-end clothes, one of the men wearing a short sleeve blazer combined with a white high-neck t-shirt, and he had a shadow perm hairstyle, looking very stylist, his name is Aaron

Another man is wearing a simple t-shirt with ripped jeans, he has a short curly quiff hairstyle, looking quite grumpy, his name is Jonas

The girl is wearing a knee-length flower pattern dress, her wavy hair tied in half ponytail, his name is Stella,

The last person gives quite an impression to Kayla, he is wearing a sleeveless black shirt that reveals his athletic figure alongside with black baggy jeans, he has a tattoo on his left arm reaching to his chest, a tattoo of a rose flower with its branch and leaf, and there is a Chinese word of ‘静(Jing)’, meaning calm or quiet that is being engulfed among the branch, leaves and flowers. His overall appearance makes him look unapproachable and dangerous, but Kayla feels like this person is not that dangerous, just unfriendly and quiet.

Kayla silently looks at that tattoo and thinks, ‘What word is that? Silent? Calmness?’, she learned a bit about Chinese words in school, but she couldn’t really differentiate them, all of the words looked familiar to her.

Kayla looked up at him and their eyes met, Kayla immediately averted her gaze and muttered a small sorry, but that person didn’t reply and the both of them just stood there awkwardly. Not long after they got on, the elevator suddenly shook and stopped in place, Kayla who didn’t have any preparation for the sudden impact swayed and almost fell to her knees, that person grabbed her arm to prevent her from losing her footing,

“Thank you”, Kayla mutters and he nods his head and immediately let go,

Jonas, “What the hell is going on! Tsk! I should have known, such a barren place like this will only be good if you only see it from the outside”, he sounded pissed, even Stella clicked her tongue and stomp her feet in anger.

The elevator lights suddenly went out, Kayla had looked at the display before and she remembered clearly that they were on the fourth floor. Stella lightly screamed while Aaron who seemed to not lose his cool opened his phone flashlight and inspected the area, he pressed the emergency button and it light up,

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Jason, “So.. we just wait?”, he asked dumbly, Aaron only gave him a dull glance as if he was saying something stupid, Jason seemed to be offended and turned his head away in displeased. At this moment, Kayla suddenly sensed something behind her and turned around, but she found nothing, Steven who stood near her saw her weird gestures and asked her what was wrong,

“I thought.. I sense something behind me”

“Could you not say something like that!!”, Stella sounded pissed, Kayla didn't reply to her, that feeling just now feels so realistic that her heart started to thump loudly, the elevator suddenly shakes, and Kayla quickly told them to squat down, they immediately do as they told, it seems that they also have sense something amiss.

“What the hell is going on! What kind of prank is this?! I will be sure to sue you!”, Stella shouted angrily but her voice sounded frightened, Kayla looked at her, ‘At least she could still think logically’, she took a look at Jason who was already pulling his hair frantically and had started to cursing and saying all sort of things Kayla doesn't even understand,

“I shouldn’t have come to this barren place no matter what my parents said!”, Jason wailed, Aaron told him to shut up, the elevator door suddenly opened, revealing a dark place, they couldn't see anything at all, it was as if it is an endless darkness. When you stared too long in a dark place you will feel like that darkness is consuming you, you could feel that that darkness is slowly approaching you.

Kayla immediately closes her eyes when she sees the darkness approaching them from the floor, ‘Kayla.. calm yourself down’, after taking a few breaths, she opens her eyes again. Aaron seems to be the first one to regain his composure, he uses his phone flashlight to light up the path, but his light can only light up a small part of the area, there is still nothing but darkness,

Kayla reached out to the side of her backpack and grabbed her water bottle, planning to use it as a bat, preparing herself for whatever might come. Steven suddenly extended his hand to her, Kayla looked at his hand and back to his face, understanding what he meant, Kayla gave him her water bottle,

“Hey, close your flashlight, you are just exposing our location”, Steven said to Aaron.

Aaron silently closed his phone flashlights, and now they were completely in the darkness, the only light they could see is a small red dot of the emergency button. Kayla didn’t know what Steven was planning, but it seemed that he was doing something, Kayla once again felt something behind her back and turned around to look, there was a chill on her neck, but that place is supposed to be nothing except for the elevator wall, she squints her eyes in order to look at it more carefully, she could feel a movement beside her,

“You saw something?”, Steven asked. Kayla shook her head, realizing that he probably couldn't see it Kayla replied,

“No, but.. I just got chills from my neck, as if something just passed by”, she whispers. Stella suddenly let out a frightened cry in front of them, Jonas got angry and yelled at her,

“Why are you being so annoying! What are you screaming for!”

Stella also gets upset by his harsh words, “Open your eyes, you idiot! There is something in front of us!”

Aaron, “What did you just see?”

Stella turned scared, her voice trembling a little, “I don't know, I think I just saw a shadow pass by”

Kayla once again felt something approaching from behind her, this time, she was sure and kept on staring at that blackness, she decided to reach out her hands to the darkness, but when she couldn't touch what she was looking for, her whole body immediately went cold and her heart drop,

‘The wall.. has disappeared!’

Just at this time, a hand suddenly grabbed her wrist, Kayla's heart skipped a beat, her reflex was much faster than her brain working, so without thinking she grabbed that hand and shouted,

“I have caught it!”, but that thing was fast and strong, it immediately pulled itself away and Kayla couldn't do anything but let go, if not she would also be dragged along with it. On her side, she could feel a movement and the sound of a *clang* are made, Kayla heart who was still beating hard and dropping cold sweat, mustered up all of her strength and asked with her slightly trembling voice,

“Did you hit it?”

“No, I think it got away”, Steven voiced, Stella already sobbing while Jonas panicked and curled up in the corner, Kayla also sweated, the thing that made her scared was because she felt that the hand that was grabbing her had a long nail. Stella suddenly launched towards Kayla with a loud scream, “My legs! My legs!”

Aaron immediately opened his flashlight and they could see a shadow pass by, Kayla quickly got up and aimed at that thing, throwing what she was holding toward that black thing hard, it seemed to hit that thing before falling to the ground with a *shatter* sound, it seems to be made of glasses, that thing suddenly let out a yelp,

“Ouch!! What the hell?!”

‘Did I just get a jackpot??’, Kayla just aimed with her feelings and threw at it blindly, she didn't know that it would really hit something! The lights went on and they have to close their eyes to adjust to the light, when they open their eyes, they could see a person standing there, Kayla turn around and the wall has also appeared again, she looked at it with confusion,

“Can’t we senior play with you a little?! What is with throwing things!!”, that person grumbles, he is rubbing his head aggressively, he is wearing a sky blue hoodie and a short, he looks kind of charming, almost the same height as Kayla, except that he is looking quite angry right now.

“We should be the one to ask! What the hell are you doing right now?!”, Jonas roars, they don't know when he got up, but it seems that he has realized that what he was doing before is kind of embarrassing.

That person's face became more uglier, they could seem to see his veins bulging in anger, Kayla come forwards and bow her head slightly,

“I am sorry.. Senior. I thought you were.. a ghost”, she said the last words carefully, but her eyes didn't tremble at all, it was clear and bright as she looked directly at him, that person looked at Kayla and only gave her a smile.

“Who are you”, Aaron asked frankly, but that person didn't seem to be interested, he turned around while saying,

“You will know sooner or later, go to your own floor”, the elevator door slowly closed, and the five of them could only look at the closing door blankly, they couldn't even comprehend what had just happened,

“The hell?! It is not even funny!”, Stella exclaims and huffed. Aaron looks at Kayla and asked,

“What did you throw just now?

Kayla open her mouth and close it again, it feels kind of weird to say it, “My.. perfumes?”

He nodded and extended his hand, “Aaron Andersen, nice to meet you”, Kayla grab his hand and exchanged their greetings. The moment the elevator stopped again, they were on the eight floor, they got out and were in awed, the setting was like in a five-star hotel, the lights and the soft carpet, even the freshness of the perfume in the air. There are five keys placed on a table with a keychain of their name.

Jonas and Stella took their keys and scurried to search for their room, Steven also nonchalantly grabbed his keys and started searching, Kayla took her keys and flipped the keychains, she could see a number behind it, 824, there were also the room signs hang on the wall, Stella looks at Aaron,

“Mine is on the left”, he said

“Mine is on the right”, Kayla replied, and they both said their goodbye and go on their own way.

TO BE CONTINUED…