The sound of Maya’s footsteps echoed faintly through the quiet halls of Blackthorn Academy as she made her way back to the dorms. Her thoughts churned with Lila’s warnings, Nate’s cryptic threats, and the growing realization that the Whisper Society wasn’t just watching her—they were actively closing in.
She clutched her bag tightly, the weight of the parchment and Alexander Greaves’ journal pressing against her side. Her mind replayed the conversation in the music room, dissecting every word Lila had said.
“The Whisper Society doesn’t just play games, Maya. They destroy people.”
Maya wasn’t naive. She knew Lila’s motives weren’t entirely selfless, but the desperation in her voice had sounded genuine. That didn’t mean Maya trusted her—far from it. If anything, Lila’s connection to the Society made her even more suspicious.
As she reached her dorm room, Maya paused. The door was slightly ajar.
Her pulse spiked. She distinctly remembered locking it before she left.
Slowly, she pushed the door open, her eyes scanning the room. Her bed was untouched, her desk exactly as she’d left it, but something felt… off.
She stepped inside cautiously, her senses on high alert. Her bag hit the floor with a soft thud as she opened the desk drawer where she’d been keeping her notes.
Empty.
Her heart sank. The journal, her maps, her notes—everything was gone.
“No, no, no,” Maya whispered, frantically checking the other drawers. She pulled them open one by one, but they were all empty.
A knock at the window made her spin around, her heart leaping into her throat.
Elliot was perched on the ledge, his face pale and serious. She hurried over and opened the window, pulling him inside.
“What are you doing here?” Maya demanded, her voice sharp with panic.
“I was coming to check on you,” Elliot said, brushing dust off his jacket. “What’s going on?”
Maya gestured to the empty desk. “Someone broke in. They took everything—Alexander’s journal, the notes, the parchment. It’s all gone.”
Elliot’s eyes widened. “Are you sure? Maybe you—”
“I didn’t lose them, Elliot!” Maya snapped. “They were here this morning. Someone was in my room.”
Elliot’s expression darkened. “The Society.”
Maya nodded, her fists clenched. “They must’ve known what we found last night. They’re trying to shut us down.”
Elliot ran a hand through his hair, pacing the room. “This is bad, Maya. If they took the journal, they know how far you’ve gotten. They’re not going to stop now.”
“I know,” Maya said, her voice trembling with frustration. “But we can’t let them win. We still have the key from the box, and we know about the lantern. There’s got to be a way to stop them.”
Elliot stopped pacing, his expression grim. “You’re right. But we need to move carefully. If they’re willing to break into your room, they’re not playing around anymore.”
Maya nodded, her determination hardening. “Then we hit back before they can do anything else. We figure out where the key fits, and we find out what Alexander uncovered.”
Later that night, Maya and Elliot met in the common room, the flickering firelight casting long shadows across the walls. The room was mostly empty, the other students having gone to bed or scattered elsewhere.
Elliot pulled the key from his bag, holding it up to the light. “It’s old, but it’s not rusted. Whoever hid this didn’t expect it to stay buried forever.”
Maya studied the ornate design etched into the metal, her mind racing. “It’s not just any key. Look at the symbols—they’re the same as the ones on the lantern and the chapel pedestal.”
“So it has to connect to the Society somehow,” Elliot said. “But where?”
Maya frowned, thinking back to everything they’d uncovered so far. “The chapel was too obvious. They wouldn’t leave something this important there. It has to be somewhere even more secure.”
“The headmistress’s office?” Elliot suggested.
Maya shook her head. “Too public. Even the Society wouldn’t risk hiding something there.”
Elliot leaned back in his chair, frustration evident on his face. “Then where?”
Maya hesitated, a memory surfacing. “The basement.”
Elliot raised an eyebrow. “The basement? Of what?”
“Of the main building,” Maya said, her voice steady. “I overheard some students talking about it when I first got here. They said it’s been sealed off for decades. No one’s allowed down there.”
“And you think the Society has something to hide there?”
Maya nodded. “It makes sense. If it’s been abandoned for that long, it’s the perfect place to keep something hidden.”
Elliot grinned. “Then I guess we’re going to the basement.”
The entrance to the basement was hidden behind a heavy wooden door at the far end of the main building. Maya and Elliot found it easily enough, the faint smell of mildew wafting from beneath the door.
“It’s locked,” Elliot said, rattling the handle.
“Not for long,” Maya said, pulling the key from her pocket. She slid it into the lock, her breath catching as it turned smoothly.
The door creaked open, revealing a narrow staircase that descended into darkness.
“After you,” Elliot said, gesturing grandly.
Maya rolled her eyes but stepped forward, her flashlight cutting through the gloom. The air grew colder as they descended, the walls damp and lined with cobwebs.
At the bottom of the stairs, they found themselves in a long, narrow hallway. The stone walls were lined with wooden support beams, and the floor was covered in a thin layer of dust.
“This place feels like a dungeon,” Elliot muttered, his voice echoing.
Maya ignored him, her flashlight sweeping over the walls. She noticed strange markings etched into the stone—symbols similar to the ones they’d seen in the chapel and the crypt.
“We’re in the right place,” she said, her voice steady.
They followed the hallway to the end, where a large iron door loomed before them. The surface was covered in intricate carvings, and in the center was a keyhole that matched the design on the key.
Maya slid the key into the lock and turned it.
The door groaned as it swung open, revealing a cavernous room filled with shelves, cabinets, and filing boxes. At the center of the room was a massive table, its surface covered in maps, documents, and photographs.
“This is it,” Maya said, stepping inside.
Elliot followed, his eyes wide. “This is… insane. It’s like a treasure trove of secrets.”
Maya approached the table, her flashlight illuminating the documents. Many of them were old—decades, if not centuries, old. There were handwritten ledgers, letters, and even blueprints of the campus.
But one item stood out: a photograph of a young Alexander Greaves, standing in front of the chapel. He was holding a lantern identical to the one they’d found in the crypt.
“This is what he found,” Maya said, picking up the photograph.
“Why would the Society care so much about a lantern?” Elliot asked, frowning.
Maya’s gaze shifted to the documents spread across the table. She picked up a letter, the handwriting familiar: Alexander’s.
“The lantern is the key. It reveals the truth hidden in the shadows. Without it, we are blind to their deception.”
Maya’s heart raced. The lantern wasn’t just a symbol—it was a tool, something the Society had been using to keep their secrets hidden.
Before she could say more, the sound of footsteps echoed from the hallway.
“They’re here,” Elliot whispered, his voice tense.
Maya grabbed the photograph and the letter, stuffing them into her bag.
“We need to go,” she said, her voice urgent.
They slipped back into the hallway, their flashlights extinguished. The footsteps grew louder, closer, until they were just around the corner.
Maya and Elliot pressed themselves against the wall, holding their breath as the intruders passed by.
When the footsteps faded, they bolted up the stairs and out into the night, their hearts pounding.
Maya clutched her bag tightly, the weight of the photograph and letter grounding her.
The lantern was the key.
And the Society would do anything to keep it out of her hands.