Upon exiting the building, Maya was surprised to see Elena leaned against the wall and smoking a cigarette. Despite being in a school uniform, Elena’s cleaned-up appearance still conveyed her recalcitrant style.

Her wardrobe consisted mostly of black, including an obscure band t-shirt in place of the standard white button-up shirt from their uniform. The black uniform blazer was casually tied around her waist, and her plaid, black-grey uniform skirt had been tailored into wide leg shorts that gave the appearance of a skirt. She had swapped the usual uniform shoes for Docs.

She painted her lips a dark crimson colour and threw on a choker as an only effort to spruce up. More wasn’t necessary; her large eyes and long eyelashes were naturally attractive. In the daylight, Maya could see that her eyes were not dark, but ocean blue.

Despite her seemingly casual approach to personal style, she looked incredible. Her tall stature and slender build made almost anything look good on her.

Maya noticed others also took liberties with their school uniforms, so it wasn’t strictly prohibited. Although, no one had altered it to Elena’s extent. Maya was paying special attention to what others were wearing since she would have to place an order for her uniform later.

“Took you long enough,” Elena muttered, extinguishing her cigarette against the wall. Her grumpy mood seemed to be her default state.

“I didn’t see you come out.”

“How could you? Cramming with those girls is simply not worth it. Let’s go,” she was still impatient.

“You were waiting for me?”

“Isn’t that what you wanted?”

“Yes. But I thought that since you ignored me you had your own friends to go—”

“I prefer being alone,” Elena cut her off and started walking.

“Meaning… you don’t have friends,” Maya concluded.

This didn’t come as much of a surprise. Tolerating her seemed like a demanding task for extended periods of time.

Elena stopped and gave her a warning look. Maya knew it was a bit unfair to go at her like this.

“I don’t need friends. And, frankly, I am beginning to regret waiting for you.”

Elena started walking faster, not paying attention to whether Maya was following anymore. Their path was going slightly uphill and Maya was struggling to keep up with her long strides.

“Wait. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to offend you.”

Elena stopped.

‘Thank Heavens,’ Maya thought.

Elena, however, still wasn’t paying attention to Maya. Her gaze was fixed on the other side of the road as if expecting something.

A male dormitory complex was situated across the road. Maya inferred this from the throngs of guys emerging from there. It seemed the accommodation was arranged gender-specifically: boys on the right side of the road and girls on the left.

One particularly attractive guy, Maya noted, was heading straight towards them, a smirk playing on his lips. As he peeled away from his group, another member patted his shoulder. Elena’s smile broadened as he approached, and she melted into his arms as he kissed her.

Feeling awkward, Maya averted her gaze, only to notice the envious glances of other girls passing by.

‘Was dating this guy the reason she had no friends?’

“Who’s your friend there?” her boyfriend asked.

“My roommate,” Elena corrected him. “Maya.”

“Nice to meet you, Maya. I’m Keith,” he replied politely, offering her a handshake and a bright smile.

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Despite herself, Maya’s heart fluttered.

“Nice to meet you, too,” Maya said as she shook his hand, careful not to stare at his dazzling appearance too openly.

Keith was dazzling, indeed. Well-groomed, he wore his school uniform properly as a standard model. His handsome face was framed by dark hair, his bright green eyes captivating; making him resemble an idol. Maya was caught off guard to be conversing with someone so charming, especially through Elena. The stark contrast between the two made it impossible for Maya to pair those two off.

Elena was a living mess. Maya didn’t know too much about her, having met her just last night, but she was certain she wouldn’t be considered of good standing. On the other hand, the guy she was dating looked like an unironic prince.

The sight of them together seemed to make other girls envious. Maya began to wonder how much effort Elena put into maintaining the relationship.

As they continued to walk, Maya intentionally lagged behind. She didn’t want to intrude on their time together. They didn’t seem to notice, but she didn’t need them to.

Ahead were the towering walls of a citadel. Although shorter than the city walls, they were still impressive, with massive metal gates welcoming students. This was The Amellan Academy; a city within a city. She had thought the town was the heart of this place, but she was mistaken. The true heart of Amellan was The Academy itself. Maya had never seen anything like it before.

“Oh, God. I’m so excited,” said a stubby, auburn-haired girl walking next to Maya. “It feels like we’ve been waiting for this moment forever.” She spoke with a distinct foreign accent.

‘Italian, perhaps?’ Maya pondered, unsure if the girl was addressing her.

“I just arrived last night, but I share your anticipation.”

“Really? And you’re not lost? I was so lost on my first day. It was such a shock, you know? One day you’re hearing all these stories, and the next, you’re living them,” the girl was ecstatic.

Maya thought her enthusiasm was endearing.

“I’m still disoriented, but I’m trying not to show it.”

“You’re doing a great job then,” the girl laughed.

They had just entered the gates, taking in the vast, beautifully manicured courtyard. Freshly cut grass carpeted the enormous space, a grand building standing across the way. The courtyard was bordered by arcades, creating porticoes on all sides, with a fountain serving as the centrepiece. Opposite the entrance stood a large, imposing academy building that towered above the walls. Its many annexes blended an interesting mix of neo-styles with a unique flair of its own.

Maya lost sight of the short girl in the crowd. She felt disoriented amidst the swarm of students who seemed to know their destination. Unsure of their year, she hesitated to follow the crowd. She regretted not catching a moment to read the file they had provided her.

As she scanned the crowd for a familiar face — a short list — she noticed a few students who looked oddly out of place. Not in the way she felt herself to be. They simply stood and observed, attracting no attention.

‘They weren’t just lost, they weren’t even there…’ Maya realized, ‘Just like Leo.’

A chill ran through her veins. Was she seeing other spirits?

They didn’t appear translucent as one might expect of a ghost, and neither did Leo. They looked no different from the other students, except some were in pyjamas or not wearing a school uniform. However, something felt off about them. Their expressions were vacant, as if they were oblivious to their surroundings or simply indifferent.

Maya’s attention was drawn to one girl, slightly ahead of her. She was staring blankly into the distance. When her gaze met Maya’s, she raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Suddenly, someone bumped into Maya, apologized, and moved on.

‘That’s what I get for standing in people’s path.'’

She looked for the girl again, but she was no longer there.

‘What am I even doing? Should I allow other spirits to know I could see them?’

Reality snapped back into focus, and a feeling of hopelessness washed over her. She didn’t know where to go. Just then, Leo came to her rescue.

“Follow me,” he said confidently.

Following his lead, she entered the grand academy building. Its splendour, a mixture of stone, wood, and marble, was breathtaking. However, there was no time to admire the opulent entrance hall.

“Did you see other ghosts there?” she inquired quietly, no longer concerned about who might hear her. After all, no one seemed to be paying her any attention.

“You could see them? I didn’t mention it earlier because I thought you might not be able to. But this place is packed with the dead,” Leo shared, a hint of concern in his tone.

“What do you mean packed? There were only a few of them in the courtyard.”

“Few of what? Who are you talking to?” Elena’s voice suddenly sounded behind her.

Maya stopped with her mouth agape, not knowing how to respond. How did Elena appear so abruptly without her noticing? She searched for the right words but came up empty.

Elena watched her with suspicion.

“Girls, we don’t have all day. Take your seats.”

A woman, presumably a teacher, urged them forward, gently guiding them towards a large hall. The entrance ceremony was being held in an impressive auditorium with a sloping floor and semi-circular seating, spacious enough to accommodate five hundred students.

Maya was relieved when interrupted and pretended to be busy looking for seats to avoid Elena’s gaze. She scrambled to think of an explanation, berating herself for not preparing one for such situations. They ended up sitting next to each other, but fortunately, Elena didn’t bring it up again.