Raven woke up with a scream stuck in her throat, her chest rising and falling with gasping breaths.
The image of the man-with his cold, piercing blue eyes-was still vividly imprinted in her memory.
Cold sweat poured down her forehead. Her head felt dizzy at once. Everything felt so real and scary to Raven.
"Raven! Are you okay?" Meredith's voice startled her. Raven jumped on the bed, her heart beating even faster because of Meredith.
After regaining her composure, Raven turned around to see her roommate standing next to her bed, looking at her with a worried face.
"I'm sorry, I... I just had a bad dream," Raven tried to smile, though she was still shaken.
Meredith sat on the edge of the bed, looking at her with concern. "You just shouted the name 'Simon' in your sleep. Who is he?"
Raven just shook her head. "I... I'm not even sure I know who he is," she replied honestly. "But... it feels, like someone is trying to remind me of something important."
Raven's forehead furrowed in an attempt to solve the mystery of who Simon was right then and there. However, suddenly an intense headache attacked Raven that made her grab her hair.
Seeing this, Meredith, who had just seen the incident for the first time, panicked. With lightning-fast movements, the girl fetched drinking water for Raven.
After a while, Raven began to look better. Meredith, who had been silent because of guilt, then changed the subject. "So, about tomorrow's lesson, are you ready? You know that our new lecturer is known to be quite... strict, right?"
Raven smiled slightly. "I think I'll be fine," she replied, though worry still peeked out of the corner of her heart.
Meredith nodded, then returned to her bed after apologising to Raven for accidentally causing her new friend pain.
The next day, in the Ancient World History class, Raven sat in the centre row with the other students.
They waited tensely because their new lecturer, Dr Evander Hyde, was known to be very strict and did not give good grades easily.
Dr Hyde entered the room with quick steps and a sharp look. Every word he spoke was piercing, and there was something in his gaze that reminded Raven of the man in her dream.
"Alright, we'll start with a lesson on ancient beliefs," Dr Hyde said as he wrote on the blackboard. "Who here knows about witch cults in medieval Europe?"
Raven felt Meredith's hand elbow her lightly, signalling her to raise her hand. Although a little hesitant, Raven raised her hand, trying to be brave.
"Yes, Miss Raven. What do you know?" Dr Hyde asked in an intimidating tone.
Raven began to explain some of the information she knew, but Dr Hyde just nodded with a sceptical face.
"It seems you don't understand this very well. Believing in witches was a mere myth used to scare people back then," he said coldly. "Or you yourself might also believe in witches, Miss Raven?"
Raven felt her blood boil at that cynical tone. "Not everything we think of as a myth is entirely false, is it?" she retorted firmly, glaring at Dr Hyde. "Sometimes, there's a reason why those beliefs are kept alive."
Dr Hyde's eyes narrowed, and his sardonic smile developed slightly. "So, you want to tell me that witches are real?" Dr Hyde's voice made the atmosphere of the room feel cold.
Raven wanted to reply, but hesitation arose. The man's gaze was intimidating, and somehow, Raven felt that Dr Hyde knew more about her than he let on. Finally, Raven chose silence.
Although they didn't continue the argument between them, but from the look in their eyes, it was like lightning struck when they exchanged glances.
After class ended, Raven was almost certain that Dr Hyde was going to give her trouble. Her guess was confirmed when a few days later she got a summons to meet the Dean, who suspected a 'lack of respect' in Dr Hyde's class.
In the Dean's office, Dr Hyde stood in the corner of the room, looking at her with a cold expression.
"Miss Raven, you seem to be having a hard time adjusting to this new environment," the Dean said in a stern tone.
"No, I'm just-"
"Questioning your professor's authority?" Dr Hyde interrupted, with a decidedly unfriendly smile.
Raven felt her anger rise again, but she restrained herself. "I was just stating my opinion, Doctor. It was not my intention to be disrespectful especially to you."
The Dean let out a long breath, giving Dr Hyde a doubtful look. "Well, this is your first warning, Miss Raven. No more trouble like this."
Raven walked out of the room with a heavy heart. At the end of the hallway, she saw Dr Hyde's figure looking at her sharply.
"You're not just another student, Miss Raven," he said quietly, loud enough for her to hear before he left.
Raven turned her head, but Dr Hyde had already disappeared around the corner. Something was off.
Shrugging her shoulders, Raven then resumed her footsteps -- which felt even heavier after her encounter with Dr Hyde -- heading back to her room.
Raven felt like she wasn't just a student in an academic debate - there was something much bigger, something lurking behind the mysterious and hostile Dr Hyde and his haunting dreams.
That night, Raven is woken up by another nightmare. Simon's figure is back in her dreams, this time grinning at her, as if mocking her fears.
When Raven opened her eyes, she found the blue pendant around her neck glowing faintly, almost as if it was reacting to something.
Without thinking, Raven touched the locket left behind by her mother, hoping for some clue that would help her understand.
Raven's mind kept spinning throughout the night. Between nightmares, strange rituals on campus, and Dr Hyde who seemed to be keeping secrets.
Raven felt besieged by a menacing puzzle, as if it was pushing her towards something darker and more dangerous.