The Rolls-Royce glided through the wrought iron gates, the serpent and ouroboros crest of Prevailers Academy gleaming under the overcast sky. Beneath the entwined serpent and ouroboros, the motto, Veritas, Divitiae, et Eruditio – Truth, Wealth, and Education – was etched in elegant script, bisected by a stylized "X." The imposing structure of the school loomed ahead, a gothic masterpiece of granite and glass, its spires piercing the clouds like defiant fingers. Prevailers wasn't just a school; it was a fortress of privilege, a symbol of power and wealth, and, to Munnay Xane, a monument to her deepest fears.
Inside the car, Munnay sat rigid, her hands clasped tightly in her lap. The plush leather felt foreign beneath her, a stark contrast to the simplicity of her former life. The chauffeur, a man sculpted from stone and silence, drove with an almost unnerving precision. The manicured grounds of the academy stretched out on either side, a tapestry of emerald lawns, and meticulously sculpted gardens. The main building, a sprawling complex of interconnected wings, exuded an air of both grandeur and menace. It was beautiful, undeniably, but its beauty was cold, intimidating.
As the car pulled up to the main entrance, a collective hush fell over the students milling about. Their eyes, curious and appraising, followed Munnay as she stepped out of the car. Prevailers Academy was known for its exclusivity, its students the children of billionaires, CEOs, and political royalty. Munnay, with her quiet demeanor and understated elegance, was an anomaly, an unknown quantity in their carefully curated world.
Superintendent Brooks, a woman whose presence could command a boardroom, stood waiting. Her severe bob and piercing grey eyes conveyed an unspoken message: Conform. Obey. Excel. Munnay felt a shiver crawl down her spine. This woman was not someone to be trifled with. She swallowed hard, trying to compose herself.
"Miss Xane," Superintendent Brooks greeted, her voice crisp and professional, yet somehow… calculating."Welcome to Prevailers Academy."
Her gaze was intense, scrutinizing her in a way that made me feel exposed. She could feel the weight of her expectations, the unspoken message that she was under her control now. The words were spoken with polite formality, yet Munnay sensed an undercurrent of something else, something that made her stomach clench.
The school's interior was a dazzling display of wealth and sophistication. Marble floors gleamed, reflecting the light from crystal chandeliers. Artwork of museum quality adorned the walls, and the air hummed with the quiet buzz of advanced technology. It was a world away from anything Munnay had ever known.
As they walked through the grand entrance hall, the whispers followed them. Munnay could feel the weight of their gazes, the unspoken questions hanging in the air:
"Who is she?"
"Where does she come from?"
"Does she belong here?"
It felt like she was an outsider, a specimen under a microscope.
They reached the classroom, and as she stepped inside, her eyes were drawn to the back row. A girl, beautiful and confident, was the center of attention. She looked familiar. Too familiar.
It was the same girl she'd seen earlier in the hallway, the one surrounded by admirers. And beside her sat someone who sent a shiver down her spine – a boy with piercing eyes and an aura of danger. She felt a strange, unsettling connection to him, a sense of recognition that was both intriguing and terrifying.
His eyes were watching her.
"Class, please welcome our newest student, Munnay Xane,…" Superintendent Brooks announced, her voice crisp and professional as usual.
She got nostalgic and subconsciously drifted down the memory lane of the day her life changed forever - the day of her Dad's funeral…
…a lone figure stood amidst a sea of black umbrellas, the rain plastering her dark-brown hair to her face. The rain had never sounded louder than that night. She remembered the thunder, the wailing wind, the shattered phone screen clutched in her tiny hand.
Munnay, a child barely on the cusp of adolescence, clutched a sodden tissue, her small frame trembling with grief. Her mother had been gone since her birth, leaving a gaping wound in her heart. And now, her father, her rock, her everything, was being lowered into the earth.
The rain mirrored her tears, a relentless downpour that seemed to wash away all hope. The faces around her, relatives, friends, strangers, were a blur, their expressions a mix of pity and discomfort. But Munnay felt utterly alone, adrift in a sea of sorrow.
Her father had been her world. He'd filled her life with stories, songs, laughter. He'd been her protector, her confidant, her guiding star. Now, that light was extinguished, leaving her in darkness.
She remembered his voice, warm and comforting, reading her bedtime stories. She remembered his laughter, booming and infectious, filling their home with joy. She remembered his hugs, strong and reassuring, making her feel safe and loved.
But the memories were bittersweet, a reminder of what she had lost. The pain was a physical ache, a gaping hole in her chest. She wished she could rewind time, go back to the last day she saw her dad.
"Munnay, darling, I have to go," he'd said, his briefcase in hand. "I'll be back in two weeks. I promise we'll go to the amusement park when I return."
"But Dad, you just got back this morning!" she'd protested, her voice laced with disappointment. "You're always leaving. You never have time for me anymore!"
"Munnay, please understand," he'd pleaded, his eyes filled with a weariness she hadn't noticed before. "This is important. I'm doing this for you, for our future."
"I don't care about the future!" she'd yelled, her anger bubbling over. "I want you here now! I want a dad, not a businessman!"
"Munnay, don't—"
"Just go!" she'd screamed, tears streaming down her face. "I hate you! I wish you were dead!"
She'd slammed the door, the sound echoing through the house. She'd heard him call her name, his voice filled with hurt, but she'd ignored him. She'd locked herself in her room, her anger a shield against the pain.
And then, hours later, Nana, the head housekeeper, had come to her room, her face streaked with tears. "Munnay, darling," she'd sobbed, her voice trembling. "Your father… there's been an accident. A plane crash. He's gone."
The words hit her like a physical blow. She felt the world tilt, the room spin. She couldn't breathe. "No," she whispered, shaking her head in denial. "No, it's not true."
But Nana just wept, her tears a confirmation of Munnay's worst fears. Munnay felt a searing pain in her chest, a pain so intense that she thought it would consume her. Screamed. Kicked the wall until her toe bled. The words had echoed in her mind, a cruel, impossible reality.
He's gone. Gone. Gone.
She'd fainted, the darkness a welcome escape from the unbearable pain. When she'd woken up two days later, the house had been eerily silent, the absence of her father a heavy, suffocating presence.
Her dad was gone. Really gone. And the guilt… the guilt was a crushing weight, a constant reminder of her last words to him, the angry door slam, the unanswered apologies. "If only I could go back," she thought, "if only I could tell him I loved him…". Now, standing at his grave, the rain a mournful dirge, the guilt was a crushing weight. "I wish I could take it back," she thought, her heart breaking all over again. "I wish I could tell him I loved him"
She remembered her Aunt, her mum's sister, taking her hand and leading her away from the grave into a new world. They walked in silence, the only sound the squelching of the wet earth beneath their feet. She didn't know what to say, didn't know how to feel. She was numb, empty, lost.
The memory of her father's voice haunted her more than any ghost ever could:
"Promise me you'll be strong. No matter what happens."
And she broke that promise every single day since.
When they reached her Aunt's house, it was a grand, imposing structure, but it didn't feel like home. As she lay in bed that night, surrounded by the silence and darkness, she felt a sense of loneliness creep in. The only family she had left was Nana, the head housekeeper, whom, upon her persistent pleas, was allowed to stay with her after she'd dropped some of her personal stuffs. She was assigned to the adjacent room, her presence a small comfort in the vast emptiness of the house…
She blinked, the present crashing back into focus. Superintendent Brooks' voice cut through the haze.
"Miss Xane?" Superintendent Brooks' voice cut through her reverie. "Please, take your seat."
Munnay blinked, the present crashing back into focus. She nodded, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment, and walked towards the empty desk at the front of the classroom.
As she sat down, she studied the faces around her, trying to make sense of this new world. Her eyes landed on the back row again, she learnt her name was Amara from the letters bodily printed in her pink jacket over her uniform. She seemed popular. Too much pink. And beside her sat the boy with the piercing eyes, the one who had made me feel so uneasy. They were talking, laughing, their easy intimacy a stark contrast to the isolation she felt.
At the end of the class, Mr. Thompson announced a new project, assigning students partners. "Amanda, you'll be working with Munnay," he said, glancing at his list.
She needed no one to tell her that the cute girl with warm brown skin and dark curls that smiled and waved at her was Mandy.
"You can call me Mandy" she whispered excitedly.
Munnay forced a smile back.
The day unfolded in a blur of unfamiliar faces and strange routines. Everything was different, from the way the students dressed to the way they spoke. Munnay felt like an outsider, a stranger in a strange land; she felt like she was watching a movie, a spectator in a world she didn't understand.
During lunch, she sat with Mandy, trying to navigate the crowded cafeteria. The noise, the smells, the sheer number of people – it was overwhelming. She had been homeschooled all her life and this was new.
Mandy was trying to make small talk but her mind was elsewhere. She noticed Amara and her coterie across the room, their laughter echoing through the hall. They looked at them with a mixture of curiosity and disdain, their whispers reaching them like tiny daggers.
Then, just as she suspected, they made their way over—they came over to their table to pick on them, just like she had seen in the movies.
Munnay braced herself for the worst, but to her surprise, Mandy didn't back down.
Munnay was surprised and impressed by how Mandy stood up to them.
She stood her ground, trading sharp words with Amara like it was a battle they fought daily. Just when Munnay felt a surge of relief, 'he' appeared—the boy with the piercing eyes.
She felt a rush of relief quickly disappeared as soon as the guy that seemed to be Amara's boyfriend came into the scene. He pulled Amara away, whispering something in her ear.
Munnay's stomach tightened. The way he moved, the way Amara obeyed—it was unsettling.
"Don't mind them," Mandy said, noticing Munnay's discomfort. "They're always like that."
"I already hate her," she said , her voice barely above a whisper.
Mandy chuckled. "That's my sister you know," she said, her tone a mix of amusement and exasperation.
"Wait.. Amara's… your sister?!"
Mandy grinned. "Twin".
Munnay blinked, taking a full lean back to process it.
Munnay stared at her, surprised. "Twins?" she asked, her voice incredulous. "You're twins?!"
"You don't act like her," she said cautiously.
"Thank God." Mandy's smile faded slightly. "We shared a womb, not a personality. We're like oil and water. Our spirits don't match. We can go a whole day without seeing each other. We don't even stay in the same space."
"I still can't believe this."
Mandy nodded. "Yeah, but we're nothing alike. She's the popular one, the queen bee. I'm… well, I'm just me."
"Have you seen that hot guy in our AP Literature class?" Mandy asked, trying to change the discomforting topic. "The one with the killer smile?"
Munnay shrugged, feigning interest. "I haven't really noticed," she replied.
Mandy rolled her eyes. "Girl, you need to pay more attention," she said. "He's totally drool-worthy." she smiled.
"I just got here."
"Forgive my manners" she continued, "I forgot you just got here. Let me introduce myself to you too properly"
Mandy told Munnay about herself – her love for basketball, her heritage, her parents who had spent their whole lives in X-City. Munnay was surprised.
Munnay smiled, feeling a flicker of connection with Mandy. Maybe, just maybe, she could find a place in this strange new world. Mandy asked if she could stay for a while after school hours to meet at the library for the project, but Munnay told her she couldn't because her chauffeur would be coming to pick her up as soon the school's over.
After lunch, the day continued its slow, torturous march. Finally, the last bell rang, releasing the students from their academic prison.
As Munnay and Mandy walked to their lockers, Munnay pointed to one near the end of the hall. "Guess this is the one assigned to me," she said.
Mandy smiled. "Let's see what treasures await," she joked.
Munnay opened the locker, and a swarm of spiders erupted, scattering in every direction.
She froze.
Her books were swarming—crawling with fat, glistening spiders. Their legs twitched in perfect sync, black bodies pulsing with sickening rhythm.
One slipped over the edge of her phone, another vanished into the folds of her hair.
Munnay shrieked, stumbling backward and falling on her rear on the cold floor.
"Spiders!" she gasped, heart hammering. "There are spiders everywhere!"
Her scream caught in her throat.
She staggered back the more, blinking wildly. No one else reacted.
Mandy looked at her, confused. "Spiders?" she asked. "I don't see any spiders."
She blinked again. The spiders were… gone.
Munnay pointed to the locker, her finger trembling. "They were just there!" she insisted. "They crawled out of the locker!"
Mandy helped her up, her brow furrowed. "I didn't see anything," she said, her voice laced with concern. "Are you sure you're okay?"
Munnay nodded, her heart still racing. "I think so," she said, her voice shaky. "Just a little freaked out."
"What the fuck are you looking at?!" Munnay yelled to the students recording what was happening.
They looked back at the locker, and that's when they saw it – a new piece of paper lying on the bottom shelf. Munnay cautiously reached in and picked it up as her fingers trembled.
It was a note, written in crude, childish handwriting.
"R.I.P."
A wave of icy fear washed over Munnay.
Her blood turned to ice.
"This is creepy," she whispered, shaking.
"You think?" Mandy said, her voice grim.
"What does this mean?" she asked, her eyes wide with terror.
Mandy's face paled. "Holy shit!" she cursed when she remembered an important information, "This is the same locker that girl used last year," she said, her voice barely a whisper.
"What girl?" Munnay asked, her stomach churning.
"The girl who died," Mandy said, her eyes fixed on the note. "They said she killed herself. But… but I…we don't believe it."
"What do you mean?" Munnay asked, her voice trembling.
"They found her body in the woods behind the school," Mandy explained, her voice hushed. "She was… hanging from a tree."
Munnay gasped, her hand flying to her mouth. "Oh my God," she whispered. "That's horrible."
"Yeah," Mandy said, her voice filled with fear. "And the worst part is… no one knows why. She didn't leave a note or anything. Just… disappeared one day. Then they found her…"
Munnay stared at the locker, her mind reeling. The "R.I.P." note seemed to mock her, a chilling reminder of the girl who had used this locker before her. The girl who had died.
"I… I want to report this," Munnay stammered, her voice shaking. "To the Superintendent, or the police, or someone."
Mandy shook her head. "It's no use," she said, her voice grim. "They won't listen. They didn't listen to her, and they won't listen to us."
"But… but what if it's not a joke?" Munnay pleaded, her eyes welling up with tears. "What if something bad is going to happen?"
Mandy looked at her, her eyes filled with a mixture of fear and helplessness. "I don't know," she admitted. "But… there's nothing to worry about, okay?" she smiled reassuringly
"Unless you plan on hanging your self" she joked.
They stood there for a moment, the silence broken only by the sound of their ragged breathing. The "R.I.P." note seemed to pulsate with a malevolent energy, a tangible reminder of the darkness lurking beneath the surface of Prevailers Academy. Munnay felt a growing sense of dread, a chilling premonition that she had stumbled into something far more sinister than she could have ever imagined.
"What do you mean by they didn't listen to her" Munnay asked on their way out to the lawn.
"That's a LONG story for another day." she sighed. "Grab some rest when you get home and do your research on the project. I don't plan on having bad grades"
"And do you think I do?" they laughed.
For that moment, Munnay felt relieved. She hadn't laughed for a very long time.
Then they walked in silence.
Munnay felt an eerie sensation prickle the back of her neck—like someone was watching.
Her phone buzzed—just once. No name. No app. Just a blinking screen.
A single message:
"Welcome to Prevailers, Munnay. Hope you survive too."
The screen flickered.
Then went black.
Her stomach dropped.
Little did she know what awaited her.