Clack. Clack. Clack.


    The soles of my shoes dragged against the cold, stone floor, my sluggish steps echoing faintly in the empty hallway. Mondays again. I hated them. If I had it my way, I''d still be buried under my blanket, far away from the dreary walls of this school.


    The building had a gothic feel—tall arched ceilings, narrow corridors, and dim lighting that made everything look like a setting straight out of a detective novel. It had a certain charm, I''ll admit, but that didn''t change the fact that I didn''t want to be here.


    As I turned a corner, a girl brushed past me, her pace hurried, her brows furrowed in clear frustration. I recognized her from my class, though her name slipped my mind. She clutched her shoulder bag tightly, her knuckles white from the force.


    Huh. Someone''s not having a great morning.


    I considered asking what was wrong, but by the time I turned my head, she was already gone, disappearing into another hallway. Shrugging off the thought, I reached the door to my classroom and pushed it open, my head still half-turned in her direction.


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    Then I paused.


    Sunlight streamed in through the tall windows, casting long golden streaks across the floor. Outside, the school grounds basked in the morning glow, making everything look almost... peaceful.


    Almost.


    Because then my brain caught up to something odd—the classroom was empty. Not a single student in sight.


    I frowned and stepped forward, my eyes landing on the whiteboard. Scrawled across it in marker was a message:


    "Students of Class 2-Middle, there will be no classes today."


    I blinked.


    Once.


    Twice.


    Then, before my brain could fully process the gift the universe had given me, my bag hit the floor, and I broke into an impromptu victory dance. My arms flailed. My feet shuffled. I didn''t care how ridiculous I looked—I had just been granted unexpected freedom, and I was going to celebrate it.


    "Don''t stop, get it, get it—"


    "Well, well. This is a sight to behold."


    I froze. Every muscle in my body went rigid as a voice, smug and undeniably amused, spoke from behind me.


    "Don''t turn around," the voice continued, a laugh laced between their words. "I''ve got your little victory dance on my phone. One wrong move, and I might just upload it to the school forum."


    My eye twitched. Wait a damn minute…


    I turned anyway.


    There, leaning against the doorframe with a lazy grin, was Keith. His curly black hair glistened under the morning sun, his ember-colored eyes shining with mischief.