It is already 5AM when Aya reached to silence her alarm clock. She opened her eyes to the bluish sky reflected by her window. It a little too early to wake up,she commented. She groggily reached for her phone to look at the date. Today is June 13, her first day of school.

"ok. Bags are ready." Aya said to herself as she look at the red roller bags in front of her. Nasa sala siya ng bahay niya as she waited for the butler that is said to pick her up. Aya will be enrolling into a boarding school Darkwoods Academy. Di siya pamilyar sa nasabing paaralan ngunit isang linggo na ang nakakaraan na nakatanggap siya ng sulat mula sa isang lalaki that says that she already passed the said school. Malaking pagtataka niya nun kung kanino o saan galing ang sulat ngunit walang tinugon ang lalaki nang kanya itong tanungin. Nakasaad sa sulat ang date kung kelan ang kanyang pag-alis at kung sino ang susundo sa kanya.

It is already 7am when a sound of a honking car echoed the house. Anjan na ang sundo niya. She gets up from the sofa and walked towards their doorway to greet the driver.

The driver gets out of the car and went to her. Aya described him as a tall with pale face and very dark eyes that you cannot see your reflection on those. The driver bowed at Aya. "Aya Cruz?"

"Ako nga." Aya answered. "Ikaw ba ang susundo sa akin?"

The driver do not hesitate to carry her bags to the trunk of the car. Aya just watched him make his way through the door and to her living room where the bags are, and make his way again towards the car. Nakatayo lang si Aya sa doorway, di alam kung ano ang gagawin at kung ano ang sasabihin niya sa misteryosong driver. She just watch his every move.

The driver's move was kind of gentle, Aya thinks. Para siyang isang gentleman. He put her bag gently as if may isang fragile na bagay ang nakalagay doon. He walks as if lumulutang and his aura is very dominating but in a gentle way. Any girls would fall in love with him at first sight.

"Are you ready miss?" Mejo napakurap si Aya sa kanyang pag-iisip nang magsalita ang driver na kanina pa niya tinititigan. He is holding the door to the passenger seat for Aya to enter.

"Uhmm, Yes." Aya answered. She reluctantly wentto the car and entered the passenger seat. With that, the driver went to thedriver seat and they took off.

Aya was born without knowing her parents. She lived in a real-estate mansion house for 12 years without ever setting foot outside the gates. Ito ang unang pagkakataon na makakaalis siya ng bahay, na makakalabas siya ng bahay. All her life, it was just her at ang kanyang kasambahay. Di rin niya masyadong nakakausap ang mga kasama niya sa bahay since they are all busy at parang hindi nila binibigyan ang kanilang mga sarili to take a break. It was the loneliest 12 years of Aya's life, but she doesn't realize it to be that way. Parang normal na lang sa kanya ang buhay na ganon.

As for basic education, Aya is a homeschool learner. There is only one teacher that comes around every once a week to teach her basic skills such as reading, solving, writing, and others. Di rin niya nakakausap in casual ang kanyang teacher since it is forbidden for her to ask questions not related to their topic.

Aya's childhood was only composed of waking up in the morning to prepare for school at home and sleeping early to prepare for another day of homeschooling. She doesn't have a proper childhood such as playing and interacting with others. But to Aya, it was normal. Her house was in a middle of a forest so there is no one to keep her company with. This was the life she knows and so far, she doesn't question anything as of yet.

--

Aya woke up to a vast of luscious trees. Nakatulog sa siya buong duration ng byahe. She looked at the watch. Already 10:00 am huh. How far is this Darkwoods Academy, she asked to herself. And where is it located? Tanging mga puno lang ang kanyang nakikita. They must have entered a forest of something. The trees lined up perfectly that you can see the road for each spaces in between the trees. There were birds and other little creatures jumping, running, flying from one tree to another.

Aya looked at the driver. He looks very concentrated to the road that Aya is quite reluctant to ask him about anything.

Itinuon niya na lang mag paningin siya sa bintana ng sasakyan at pinagmasdan ang nakikita. The grass and leaves from the trees ay napakamakapal na natatabunan iyon ang sunlight that makes the aura of the forest more mysterious. The only light na makikita niya ay ang sa harapan kung saan sila bumibiyahe. Saan kaya banda ang Darwoods Academy, it live up to the name itself, napapaligiran ng mga puno that makes the place quite dark.

Dumiretso pa ang kotse na sinasakyan niya hanggang sa napansin niya ang pag decelerate nito and finally comes to a stop. Aya looked at the scene ahead. Sa dulo ng pathway kung saan sila tumahak ay may nakatayong malaking brownish gate. Namangha siya sa sobrang laki. Aya has never seen a gate this grand.

The gate open inwards as if knowing that there is someone who will enter. Napansin ni Aya na walang sinuman ang nasa paligid and wondered how the gate open itself. Is it some kind of magic? Ano klaseng paaralan ba ang Darkwoods Academy?

The driver started the car. Sinunod nila ang pathway and throughout a more darkened forest. Mejo madilim na ang parte na ito ng kagubatan. Masyado na sigurong makapal ang mga punongkahoy na it is already hard for sunlight to touch the ground. Wala na ding mga ibon at iba pang hayop ang makikita sa paligid. Masyado nang tahimik ang lugar. The sound of the car Aya is in, is the only sound that can be heard. A little later while driving, Aya noticed a faint fog sa paligid. Habang dumidiretso sila sa lugar, tila kumakapal ang fog na hindi na masyado malinao ang kanyang nakikita. She was a bit worried na baka zero visibility na ang lugar at maaksidente sila. But the driver seemed confident kung saan siya pupunta.

Aya look closely at the window of the car, concentrating to any trees or something that she hoped to see. Makapal na ang hamog and she can't really describe kung ano ang nasa labas. Para silang nasa ulap, driving to nowhere. Maya-maya, o dala na lang sa kanyang pagpupumilit na makakita ng bagay, Aya noticed a faint red color form a distance. Hugis triangle ito. "Is that a roof?" Aya asked to herself. Nanliit ang kanyang mga mata as she concentrate on the faint shape in a distance amongst the fog. Sa lugar na ito, the fogs started to get thinner and thinner and Aya was shocked at what she is about to see.

Is that already Darkwoods Academy? Namangha si Aya sa nakita. It was a castle. With red flags in each of the pointed roof. Napapaligiran nito ng mga hamog that makes the castle looks like it was settled between the clouds. There is something on the school, Aya thinks. May aura na para bang tinatawag siya nito. Well, dito na siya ngayon mag-aaral. Her next six years will be spend inside the walls of that mysterious school. Aya studied more the castle as their car went its way to the front gates. As they went nearer, Aya could see the details of the brownish castle. Its windows in every floor, Aya thinks it must have a lot of floors, about 10-20 maybe, or more.

The car stopped at the front gate of the school. Just like the previous gate, the front gate also opens itself, much like a horror movie where the door just suddenly open to itself once they feel the presence of a living person. The car entered the premises and stop at the front door of the school. The driver gets out of the car, went to the trunk to get the roller bags out before opening the door to the passenger seat. Aya exits the car still eyes on the school. It was grand.

On the foot of the school, a middle-aged woman is seen waiting for them. She is wearing a dress from the 18th century or even before that.

"Aya Cruz?" The woman asked.

"Yes." Aya answered politely.

The woman gestured Aya to follow her. She then told her that her things will be brought up to her quarters so there is no need to worry about those as of now. The front door opened and Aya was greeted with a big chandelier at the center of the ceiling. That must be antique Aya thinks. Nakakalula tignan ang ilaw na para bang anytime mababagsakan ka ng mga ito. Up front is a big staircase with a red carpet perched in the middle. The stairs was divided into two. One papuntang right and the other papuntang left.

"The girls will be at the right and the boys will be at the left. Strictly, no one of the opposite gender is allowed inside your quarters, same with the boys." The woman said strictly to which Aya can only nod in approval. The woman led her to the stairway papuntang girls which is to the right.

"Nandoon na ang gamit mo." The woman opened the door and Aya went inside. "You are expected to be early for tomorrow is your first day as official student in Darkwoods Academy." Aya nodded once again, seemingly takot ang kanyang boses. And with that, the woman left her is the dark hallways of the place.

Aya walked slowly while carefully looking at the doors on either side of the hallway. Parang siyang nasa isang hotel. The castle may be luma kung titignan from the outside, pero mukha namang bago from the inside.

Each of the doors ay may name na nakasulat, probably the name of the ones who occupies it. She walked a little bit more and find a door with her name on it. Must be hers. Aya smiled to herself nang pagkabukas niya ng pinto ay nakabunagad sa kanyang harapang ang mga maleta na dala dala niya kanina. I guess the driver knows her room and went his way to deliver these things for her. Pag nakita niya ang driver na iyon, she will thank him for the effort.

The room was simple, a bed, a dresser, a chair, and a study table. It has a shade of red, peach, and pink. Aya couldn't complain more, she actually love the ambiance of her room. She checked her watch to discover that is was already 6 in the evening. Aya was a bit mesmerized by how far the school actually is and how much time is wasted from all those byahe. Aya is so tired that she just launch to her bed and fell asleep.

--

Aya woke up feeling uneasy. Must be the hunger. She opened her eyes to discover she is inside a dark room. Nagtaka si Aya. Was this the same room na pinasukan niya? Aya don't think so. The bed, the dresser, walang gamit ni isa. And it was dark. The only light na nakikita niya is the light shining from above where she is. Isa pa, nasa sahig siya ng kwartong iyon. What is she doing is such a place? Did she sleepwalk?

Tinuon ni Aya ang paningin sa paligid, tumayo siya and she patted her skirt para mawala ang mga dumi na dumikit sa kanyang damit.

While patting, she saw a light making a path towards a podium. Sa podium na iyon ay may nakalagay na isang kulay kayumanggi na libro. Aya walkes towards the book. She gently touched the pages of it. The paper feels na parang napakaluma na. There are hints of brown stains sa edges ng mga pahina ng librong iyon. What could that be? Aya asked as she continuously scan the pages. May mga nakasulat dito pero hindi niya maintindihan. Some kind of ancient texts, hieroglyphics? Aya don't think so. She is not familiar with the characters na nakasulat sa libro.

Aya flipped more pages hanggang sa makarating siya sa blankong pahina which is more than halfway of the book. Kumunot ang kanyang noo sa nakita. What could be the reason ba't biglang naputol ang pagsusulat ng may akda? Whoever wrote this must have no ideas to come up. She was about to close the book when suddenly, may isang maitim na hamog ang lumabas mula sa librong kanyang hinahawakan. The fog crawled to her hands and Aya was a bit freaked out by what is happening. Sinubukan niyang kunin ang kamay niya mula sa libro pero tila nakadikit na ito at ayaw nang makuha. She was already shaking when the fogs started crawling upwards towards her body, it engulf majority of her body na para bang kinakain siya. Sumigaw siya ng malakas hoping someone will enter the room and discover her endeavors pero sa laki ng kwarto, it may be impossible for someone to actually hear her, much less come to her.

Habang lumalaki ang kanyang takot, mas kumakapal ang hamog na pumapalibot sa kanya hanggang sa tuluyan na siya natabunan ng maitim na hamog. Aya can't decipher a thing and most scary of all, Aya cannot breathe. Tila hinihigop nito ang buhay na meron siya. She tried to claw out of the fog but is won't budge. Parang wala lang. she cannot breathe, pumapasok ang habog sa bawat sulok ng kanyang katawan. Sa mata, bibig, ilong, and to every pore of her body. Will this be the end? Aya noticed na pawala na nang pawala ang kanyang diwa hanggang sa bumagsak na siya sa sahig. The fog already taking over her life and body.