It was 10:30 PM at Haul Academy, and the night had wrapped the place in a thick, misty blanket. The garden's moonflowers glowed faintly, their pale light filtering through the tangled vines.
Rossie stood just inside the old, rusty gate, her satchel heavy on her shoulder. The moonflower inside it pulsed softly against her side, almost like it was alive.
Her mind was still spinning from everything that happened at the hospital earl
Mmier—the way Michael suddenly said he liked Angela, the awkward tension with Ethan, and how everything between them felt so fragile now. She whispered into the quiet night, "Eli… I really need you right now."
A swirl of golden mist appeared before her, and then Eli, the Gardener, materialized. His long coat fluttered gently, and his wide-brimmed hat shadowed his kind, ancient eyes. The glowing flower in his gloved hand cut through the fog like a beacon.
"She calls in her hour of need," Eli said softly, his voice calm and steady. "What's on your mind, child?"
Rossie took a shaky step forward, tears welling up. "It's Michael," she blurted out. "I don't know what's happening with us. Tonight, he said he liked Angela—maybe he always has. I thought what we shared, everything with the garden and the entity, meant something unbreakable. But now… I feel like he's slipping away. I don't know how to fix this."
The moonflower's glow dimmed, matching the sadness in her voice.
Eli's eyes softened, and he moved closer, the mist curling protectively around them.
"Love's complicated, Rossie. It's a delicate dance, full of challenges and doubts. Michael's heart might be wavering, caught up in everything going on here, but the bond between you—made deep in the garden—is still there.
It's not gone, just bending. You've been his light in the dark—hold on to that, even if he's drifting. It's okay to be sad, but don't let it snuff out your spirit."
He lifted his gloved hand near her cheek—not touching, just offering comfort through his presence.
"The garden sees your worth. It won't abandon you. Trust that time will heal what's broken."
Rossie wiped her tears, taking a deep breath as his words settled in.
"Thank you, Eli. But what about Harl? He was acting strange tonight, talking about 'mirrors' in the school.
Is the entity still a threat?"
Eli's face grew serious, his eyes flicking toward the dark school buildings.
"The entity is still here. It hasn't been defeated. It uses hosts to reach into our world—Harl more than anyone.
There's a mirror inside the school, an old artifact from the covenant. It's like a gateway, reflecting the entity's power and letting it cross over. Harl stirring means the entity is trying to pull him back, drawn by that old pact."
Rossie's eyes widened. "A mirror? Where? We have to find it—destroy it or seal it—before it takes him again!"
The moonflower pulsed stronger, almost urging her on.
Eli nodded, his voice firm but cautious.
"Look for it in the oldest part of the school, near the headmaster's office.
The mirror's there, watched over by the garden's lingering will.
But be careful—breaking it might unleash the entity fully or make it latch onto someone else. You'll need all your strength and your friends to face this. The choice to act or protect is yours."
Rossie straightened up, feeling a new resolve sparked by Eli's words.
"I'll tell the others. We'll stop it—together."
Eli's form began to fade, his light lingering like a promise. "You're never alone in this garden's embrace," he whispered, disappearing into the mist and leaving Rossie with a renewed sense of purpose—and the heavy task ahead.
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**The Breach into the Old Storekeep Room and the Mirror's Fall**
It was just past 11 PM at Haul Academy, and the whole place was wrapped in this eerie, thick mist that made everything feel kind of... quiet, but in a creepy way. Rossie, Michael, Ethan, Becky, and Angela had all met up, determined to find out more about the Vine Codex and the warning Eli had given them about the mirror being some kind of gateway for an entity.
Their target? The old storekeep room down in the basement - a dusty, forgotten spot full of relics from the school's early days.
Ethan had brought a crowbar, and with a bit of effort, they finally got the rusty door open. The creak of the hinges echoed through the silence, making everyone jump a little.
Inside, the room was a total mess - old crates, broken desks, cobwebs everywhere, and all kinds of old stuff like candlesticks and faded maps.
The air smelled musty, with a weird hint of jasmine, probably from the garden outside. Rossie took the lead, her moonflower glowing softly in her bag, lighting the way.
She whispered, "It has to be here. Eli said the headmaster's office, but maybe this room holds older secrets."
Michael was scanning the shelves with his flashlight, but you could tell he was distracted - still feeling guilty about something with Angela.
He muttered, "We've been searching forever. If the mirror's here, it should be easy to spot."
Becky was flipping through the Vine Codex, the strange writing shifting under her fingers.
"The ritual needs the mirror to close the passage," she said, trying to keep calm even though everyone was tired.
"Keep looking + check behind those crates."
Ethan was moving boxes carefully, thinking about his uncle Harl, who was still in the hospital.
"If we don't find that mirror, he's not going to be safe," he said grimly.
Angela, trailing behind with a bored look, sighed loudly.
"This is ridiculous. We're just digging through junk. I bet the mirror's not even here."
Hours dragged on, and the group was getting exhausted. Then, suddenly, Angela accidentally knocked over some crates.
"Oops," she said, shining her flashlight into a dark corner. And there it was - a beautiful, ornate mirror with vines carved into the frame and a strange silver glow shimmering on its surface.
"Angela, don't touch it!" Rossie warned, but Angela was already leaning in, staring at her reflection. Her eyes got wide as the glass started to ripple, and a low hum filled the room.
Ethan jumped forward, yelling,"Get away from it!" He tried to pull Angela back, but in the struggle, the mirror slipped from her hands and crashed to the floor, shattering everywhere. The silver glow exploded into a blinding flash.
Everyone stumbled back, covering their eyes as the hum turned into a terrifying roar. Shadowy tendrils started writhing out from the broken mirror, filling the room with a dark, twisting presence.
Rossie gripped her satchel tightly, the moonflower flaring brightly. Michael and Ethan braced themselves, Becky held the codex close, and Angela just stood frozen - realizing her careless action had unleashed something dangerous.
"We've unleashed it," Rossie gasped. The quiet night was shattered, and the old storekeep room had become the battleground for what they'd just set free