Elysian Ridge High School stood tall at the edge of a lush valley, its ivy-clad walls a testament to decades of academic excellence. Known for producing intellectual elites and extraordinary talents, it was a place of discipline and dreams. Despite its prestigious reputation, the school prided itself on fostering a balanced and harmonious environment. There were no sordid tales of bullying, no whispers of despair—a sanctuary for young minds to thrive.
But every October, as the days grew shorter and the shadows stretched longer, a peculiar energy gripped the campus. The crisp autumn air carried more than the scent of fallen leaves; it carried the whispers of an ancient rumor.
"Hey, do you know that rumor?" whispered Lila, her voice barely audible over the distant hum of students in the hallway. Her hazel eyes sparkled with mischief as she nudged her friend, Cara.
Cara raised an eyebrow, adjusting the strap of her backpack. "Which one? You've got a whole library of rumors stored in that head of yours."
"The one about the demon," Lila replied, leaning in conspiratorially.
"Oh, not this again." Cara rolled her eyes, but the faintest hint of curiosity crept into her tone.
Lila grinned, undeterred. "Listen! They say there's a demon caged in the far storeroom behind the old south building. You know, the one they've abandoned."
"You mean the building that looks like it's one strong breeze away from collapsing?" Cara asked. "Pretty sure the only thing in there is dust and asbestos."
"I'm serious!" Lila insisted. "They say if you bring the demon a treat on Halloween, he'll grant you any wish you want."
Cara sighed, but the way her footsteps slowed betrayed her intrigue. "And who exactly is 'they'?"
"Everyone!" Lila said, throwing her hands up for emphasis. "It's been a thing for decades. My cousin told me about it when she went here. And guess what? She heard it from her senior when she was a freshman."
"Right. A demon granting wishes," Cara said dryly. "Sounds legit."
"You're such a skeptic," Lila teased, bumping Cara's shoulder. "Don't you ever wonder, though? What if it's real? What would you even wish for?"
Cara stopped in her tracks, her expression shifting. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought, her gaze drifting to the window where the late afternoon sun cast golden streaks across the lockers.
"I don't know," she said finally, her voice quieter. "Maybe something small. Something that wouldn't backfire."
Lila's eyes softened. She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by the shrill ring of the bell, signaling the start of their next class.
"We'll talk later," Lila said, pulling Cara along. "But mark my words, Cara, this Halloween is going to be different."
Cara didn't reply, but as they walked toward their classroom, she couldn't shake the eerie feeling that had settled in her chest. The thought of the abandoned building lingered in her mind, its shadowy halls seeming to call out to her, daring her to uncover the truth.
Once the girls went away, they didn't realize it but, there were ears listening to them. A girl with light brown hair leaned casually against a nearby locker, her lips curling into a sly smile.
"A demon granting wishes, hm?" she muttered to herself. "This looks interesting."
She pushed off the locker and made her way down the hall, her footsteps light and purposeful. Moments later, she slipped into an empty classroom where another girl sat near the window, her long black hair tied back in a neat ponytail. The girl glanced up from her book with a resigned expression.
"Evie," the newcomer said, her voice dripping with mischief. "I heard something interesting."
Evie sighed, closing her book with a soft thud. "What is it this time, Fiona?" she asked, her tone both weary and amused.
Fiona's smile widened. "Oh, you're going to love this."
Evie let out an exasperated sigh, her gaze fixed on Fiona, who was practically vibrating with excitement.
"Okay, spill it," Evie muttered.
Fiona leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Have you heard the rumor? About the caged demon in the old storeroom?"
Evie raised an eyebrow. "You mean the one about the demon locked up in the abandoned building on school grounds? That rumor?"
Fiona grinned mischievously. "Exactly! And what better night than Halloween to check it out? Midnight, costumes, the whole spooky setup—"
Evie groaned, cutting her off. "You're seriously suggesting that you and I sneak into the school at midnight, dressed like idiots, just to poke around in some crumbling storeroom where a so-called 'caged demon' lives?"
Fiona nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah! Doesn't it sound amazing?"
Evie stared at her, deadpan. "No. It sounds like a waste of time, energy, and brain cells. Count me out."
"But, Evie—"
"Nope." Evie stood, crossing her arms. "If you want to get yourself haunted, possessed, or whatever, go right ahead. I'll be at home, enjoying my demon-free life."
Fiona pouted. "You're no fun."
"And you're too much," Evie shot back, turning away, though she couldn't help but smirk at her friend's unshakable enthusiasm.
Fiona grins mischievously, leaning in closer to Evie. "Come on, it'll be an adventure! Besides, what's the worst that could happen? It's just a rumor, right?"
Evie crosses her arms, rolling her eyes. "A demon locked up in an old storeroom? Yeah, sure. And what if it's not just a rumor, huh? What if there's something actually dangerous in there?"
Fiona waves off her concern with a playful laugh. "Oh, please. If it were real, the school would've shut it down ages ago. It's Halloween, Evie! The whole point is to have fun and get a little scared. Plus, if it's a dud, we can just head back and have some candy."
Evie shakes her head, clearly unconvinced. "Fine, but if we get caught or something goes wrong, I'm not taking the blame."
Fiona chuckles, winking. "Deal! It'll be fun, I promise."
Evie sighs once more, but a small smirk tugs at the corner of her lips. "Alright, fine. But if we end up face-to-face with an actual demon, you owe me all the candy for the rest of the night."
Fiona sticks out her tongue, trying to look annoyed, but her eyes gleam with amusement. "Fine, fine, but I'm still not giving up on that candy! You're gonna be the one regretting this when we find out it's a real demon, and I'll be too busy running away to share with you."
Evie smirks, raising an eyebrow. "You? Running? You'll probably trip over your own feet before anything even happens."
Fiona dramatically gasps, hands on her hips. "Excuse me? I am an expert at running away from danger! You've never seen me in action!" She pauses, then adds with a sly grin, "But I guess I'll leave all the 'dangerous' stuff to you, Miss Braveheart."
Evie laughs again, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night, Fiona." She leans back, crossing her arms. "I'll just be ready to watch you squeal when that 'demon' shows up."
Fiona playfully pouts, but then her face lights up with excitement. "This is gonna be the best Halloween ever, you'll see!"
Evie can't help but smile at her friend's enthusiasm. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't drag me into any haunted house scenarios afterward, okay? Plus, you need to grow up a little although we are 18 this year."
Fiona gasps, clutching her chest dramatically. "Excuse me? Grow up? Says the person who still wants to exploits all my candies? I'm just being resourceful. Candy is a treasure, Evie."
Evie bursts into laughter, clutching her stomach. "Resourceful? You're just greedy! And don't act like you wouldn't do the same thing if the tables were turned."
Fiona pouts, crossing her arms. "I wouldn't whine that much. You're just meaner than me, that's all."
Evie smirks, leaning in teasingly. "Oh, really? You literally just said I'm a five-year-old because I'm mean to you. You're proving my point, you know."
Fiona huffs and turns her back on Evie with exaggerated flair. "Fine. If we find the demon, I won't share the glory with you. You'll just be a boring, candy-thieving meanie while I become a legend."
Evie grins, patting Fiona on the shoulder. "You'll be a legendary five-year-old, that's for sure."
Fiona can't help but laugh, despite herself. "Okay, fine! Maybe we're both five-year-olds. But at least I'll be a fun one."
Then, Fiona froze mid-pout as two familiar figures strolled up to them with an air of overconfidence. Ethan, the tall, cocky basketball player, flashed his trademark smirk while his best friend, Richard—better known as Richie—stood beside him, offering an apologetic smile.
"Well, lookie here," Ethan drawled, leaning casually against a locker. "It's Fiona and… Miss Creep. What are you two scheming about now?"
Evie raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Miss Creep? Really, Ethan? That's the best you've got?"
"Shh," Richie whispered to Ethan. "You're supposed to sound cool, not rude. Remember, first impressions!"
"I am cool!" Ethan hissed back before straightening up, clearing his throat. "Ahem. What I meant to say was… we overheard you talking about something fun, and as the school's most adventurous duo—"
Fiona groans, turning to face Ethan and Richie. "Oh great, the dynamic duo of chaos. What do you two want now?"
Ethan smirks, leaning against a nearby desk with a cocky tilt to his head. "Come on, don't be like that, Fiona. We're just curious. You two seem like you're planning something... juicy."
Evie rolls her eyes. "It's none of your business, Ethan. Go practice your bad-boy act somewhere else."
Richie chuckles, nudging Ethan. "See? Told you they wouldn't spill. You're too... what's the word? Intense." He looks at Evie and Fiona, his tone friendlier. "But seriously, if it's something fun, we might want in. Ethan's just bad at asking nicely."
Ethan puffs his chest. "I can ask nicely. Watch this." He clears his throat dramatically and flashes a wide, fake smile. "Pretty please, ladies, can we join your super-secret Halloween mischief?"
Fiona snorts. "Wow, Ethan. That's erm…. Charming? AHahahaha, are you trying to charm us or scare us?"
"Pfft, charming?" Evie interrupted with a deadpan look. "Last week, you fell off the bleachers during gym class because you were trying to balance a basketball on your head."
Ethan flushed but didn't back down. "Ok, cut, cut! Ehem! Details! Anyway, rumor has it you two are planning something wild, and we want in. Right, Richie?"
Richie gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck. "What he means is, we're curious. What's this 'caged demon' thing? Sounds… interesting."
Ethan pouts at Richard's correction. "Hey! I was trying to be mysterious and cool. Why you gotta ruin it for me?" Then he turns to Fiona and Evie, his grin returning. "So, what's this about a demon? You two really thinking of checking it out? Sounds like some fun trouble."
Fiona perked up instantly, her earlier pout replaced with excitement. "Finally, someone who gets it! Evie thinks it's a waste of time, but I say it's the ultimate Halloween adventure!"
Ethan's eyes lit up, clearly intrigued. "So it's really about the 'caged demon'? Now that sounds cool. Where is it? The gym? The science lab? No, wait—don't tell me it's in the cafeteria!"
Evie rolled her eyes and sighs. "The abandoned building next to the school, genius. Apparently, there's some old storeroom there with a spooky legend attached."
Richie tilted his head thoughtfully. "The abandoned building? Isn't that place off-limits? The principal banned students from going there after that one kid claimed he saw ghosts."
"Exactly why we have to check it out," Fiona said, practically bouncing on her heels. "It's the perfect Halloween story! Think about it—four brave students uncovering the mystery of the caged demon!"
Ethan grinned. "I'm in. Let's do it."
Evie sighed. "You're a meathead, of course you are. But I'm still not convinced. This sounds like a ticket straight to detention—or worse."
Richie shrugged, offering a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Evie. I'll make sure Ethan doesn't do anything too reckless. Besides, if it's just an old storeroom, what's the harm in taking a look?"
Fiona clapped her hands together. "That's the spirit! Okay, here's the plan. We'll meet at midnight in front of the building, in costumes, of course. No adventure is complete without costumes~"
Ethan looked delighted. "Costumes? Sweet. I'm going as a vampire. Classic bad boy vibes."
Richie sighed. "Guess I'm going as your reluctant sidekick again."
Evie groaned. "Fine. But if we get caught—or if something weird actually happens—you're all on your own."
Fiona grinned wickedly. "Aww don't worry, Evie. If we find the caged demon, I'll let you have the first selfie with it."
Then, Richie rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Wait a second. But we don't have much access to the old building. It's locked up tight. We'll need… an insider."
Evie immediately perked up, clasping her hands together dramatically. "Oh no! What a shame. Looks like this whole ridiculous plan is canceled! Thank you, universe—"
"Damien!" Fiona blurted out, cutting Evie off mid-celebration.
Evie froze, her relief replaced with a deadpan glare. "Damien? Really? You're calling Damien for help? Please tell me this is a joke."
Ethan nearly doubled over with laughter. "Oh man, seriously? You wanna call in Mr. Perfect for this? What's he gonna do—lecture the demon into submission?"
Fiona puffed up defensively. "Look, he's the class president, the head of the school discipline committee, and a student council member. If anyone has keys or access, it's him. Plus, he's super organized, so—"
Ethan interrupted with a loud, mocking snort. "Super organized? You sound like you're writing his dating profile. What's next? 'Hobbies include ruining everyone's fun and acing every exam'? Admit it, Fiona, you've got a crush on him!"
Fiona gasped, her face turning pink. "Excuse me? Crush? On Damien? Are you out of your mind?"
Ethan smirked, leaning closer. "Oh, come on. The way you're singing his praises, it's obvious. 'He's got access, he's disciplined, he's sooo responsible.' Just say the word, and I'll bring you a box of chocolates to hand him tonight."
Evie rolled her eyes, crossing her arms. "I don't like Damien either. He's obnoxious. Always at the top of the class, like he's some kind of robot. It's unnatural."
Richie chuckled, nudging Evie. "What's the matter, Evie? Jealous because you're always second to him?"
Evie shot him a withering look. "Excuse me, I am not jealous. It's just irritating how smug he is about it. Like, we get it, you're perfect. Tone it down."
Fiona ignored them and jabbed her finger at Ethan. "Well, if you think Damien's so lame, who else do you suggest? Got a better idea, Mr. Bad Boy?"
Ethan opened his mouth, then paused, looking stumped. "Uh… I don't know. Maybe break in? Pick the lock?"
Richie sighed, shaking his head. "Wow. Genius idea, Ethan. Because getting arrested would really spice up this Halloween adventure."
Fiona huffed triumphantly. "Exactly. Damien is our best bet. I'll text him."
Evie groaned, slumping against the lockers. "Great. Now we're dragging him into this mess. I swear, if he starts giving us one of his 'follow the rules' speeches, I'm out."
Richie smirked. "Don't worry, Evie. Maybe he'll let you borrow one of his medals for inspiration."
Evie glared. "You're not funny, Richie."
As Fiona pulled out her phone to type the message, Ethan muttered under his breath, "This better be worth it. If I have to listen to Damien drone on about proper behavior, I'm haunting you all as a ghost after I die of boredom."
Fiona grinned slyly. "Don't worry, Ethan. If there's a caged demon, maybe Damien will give it a lecture, and we won't have to lift a finger."
Evie frowned deeply, raising an eyebrow at Fiona as though she had just committed a high crime. "Wow, you really texted him? What are you, a traitor? I feel so betrayed by my own Fiona."
Richie burst out laughing, clutching his sides. "Oh no, Evie. Another chapter for 'Reasons I Hate Damien' in your famous book of grudges!"
Ethan crossed his arms, his face twisting into a scowl. "Geez, I hate that guy. And you texted him? You've officially ruined Halloween, Fiona."
Fiona rolled her eyes, tapping her foot impatiently. "Oh, calm down, drama queens. We all have his number from the class group chat. Or don't you two ever bother looking at it?"
Ethan scoffed. "Who actually reads the class group chat? It's all announcements and reminders. Boring stuff. I mute it."
Richie smirked. "And I thought I was lazy."
Before Fiona could retort, a sudden ding ding echoed behind them.
"Got your text."
"WOAH!" Evie shrieked, jumping so hard she bumped into Ethan, who yelped like a startled puppy and flung himself onto poor Richie's arms.
"Fiona, what the—" Ethan stammered, clinging for dear life.
Meanwhile, Fiona screamed like a horror movie character caught in the act. "AAAAAHHHH!"
Standing calmly behind them was Damien, his jet-black hair swept neatly to the side, pale skin glowing faintly under the hallway lights, and a perfectly calm, almost vampire-like smile on his face. His ember-colored eyes seemed to shimmer ominously.
Damien tilted his head, confused by the chaos. "Haha, don't be scared. It's just me."
Evie glared at him, panting heavily. "Just you?! What are you, a silent ghost?! Give people a warning next time, Dracula!"
Ethan finally released Richie, who was groaning from holding his weight. "Dude, don't sneak up on people like that! You're lucky I didn't punch you in self-defense."
Richie raised a finger weakly. "Yeah, I'm the one who took the punch. Thanks, Ethan."
Fiona clutched her chest, gasping for air. "Damien! For the love of Halloween, can you not pop up like that? You almost gave me a heart attack!"
Damien gave a small shrug, still smiling. "Sorry. I saw you were all standing around, so I thought I'd make my entrance. It's not my fault you scare easily."
Evie muttered under her breath, "This is why I don't like him."
Damien arched a brow, his smile widening. "I heard that, Evie."
Fiona, finally regaining her composure, stepped forward. "Okay, okay, enough drama. Damien, we need your help. It's for a, uh… school-related project."
Ethan snorted. "School-related? Nice save, Fiona. Real convincing."
Damien crossed his arms, his gaze curious. "A school project? On Halloween night? Interesting. What's this project about?"
Fiona hesitated, glancing at the others. "Um… well… we need access to the old abandoned building next to the school."
Damien's smile didn't falter, but his eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "The abandoned building? You mean the one that's been off-limits for years?"
Ethan muttered under his breath. "Here comes the lecture."
Damien ignored him, looking directly at Fiona. "This sounds like trouble. Why should I help you with this… project?"
Fiona grinned nervously. "Because you're the class president, the head of the discipline committee, and a student council member? You always help students in need, right?"
Damien stared at her for a long moment before sighing. "Fine. But if you get caught, don't say I didn't warn you."
Evie groaned. "Great. Now we've got Damien on board. This just keeps getting better."
Richie chuckled. "At least now we have someone responsible to babysit us."
Ethan shook his head. "Babysit? More like supervise us to death."
Damien smirked. "You might want to be careful with your words, Ethan. You never know what might happen in the dark."
Ethan blinked, suddenly uneasy. "Wait… was that supposed to be a threat?"
Damien just smiled. "Let's get going, shall we?"
Evie rolled her eyes dramatically, folding her arms. "It's not today, Dracula. Halloween isn't until tomorrow, so cool it with the spooky vibes."
Before she could finish her sentence, Damien had popped up beside her, as silent as a shadow. "Oh, it's not today?" he asked innocently, his ember eyes glinting with amusement.
Evie jumped back, clutching her chest. "Dear Mother Mary and all her fruits! Don't do that! Seriously, Damien!"
Damien chuckled darkly, obviously enjoying her reaction. "I can't help it. I like seeing you spooked the most. You always look like you're about to murder me with your eyes."
Ethan leaned casually against a locker, smirking. "Well, Miss Creep does kill everyone with her eyes. It's her thing, it's a known fact."
Richie burst out laughing, pointing at Evie. "True, true. Well, Fiona, why don't you explain this so-called 'school project' to Damien? Since Evie's too busy having a heart attack and glaring daggers here being spooked by Damien. I think Damien would really be interested in hearing it."
Fiona, trying to regain control of the conversation, pointed at Richie. "Shut it, Richie. You're making it worse." But then she turned to Damien with a more serious expression. "Look, Damien, we need your help. There's a, uh, 'school project'—not a big deal, really—but it involves us needing access to the abandoned building. You know, the one that's off-limits."
Damien tilted his head, raising an eyebrow. "Oh, so Evie doesn't like the idea? Sounds interesting." His smile widened, clearly entertained by her reaction. Richie nudged Fiona with a grin. "See? Told you Damien's definitely interested now."
Evie groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Great. Just great. This is exactly what we need—Damien getting all smug because he thinks he knows something we don't. Now I'm going to be haunted by both you and Damien for the rest of the night."
Fiona shot Evie a playful look. "You can handle it. I mean, how could you not handle this face?" She gestured toward Damien, who just smiled in that eerily calm way of his.
Damien shrugged with mock innocence. "I'm just curious. You have to admit, anything that makes you this annoyed has to be worth looking into."
Evie shot back with a sarcastic laugh. "Yeah, you're right. He really looks harmless."
Fiona clapped her hands together, ignoring Evie's muttered complaints. "Okay, focus, people! Damien, here's the deal: there's a spooky old building next to the school, and rumor has it there's something creepy inside—a 'caged demon.' We're investigating it tomorrow night, and we need your help to get inside."
Damien raised an eyebrow, his smile never wavering. "A 'caged demon,' you say? Sounds like a job for the school's discipline committee."
Ethan groaned. "Oh, come on, man! Don't ruin this with your 'responsible' act."
Richie smirked. "Yeah, Damien. Live a little. Break a rule or two. Who knows? You might even have fun."
Damien's eyes twinkled mischievously as he glanced at Evie, who was still scowling. "Fun, huh? Fine. I'll help—if only to see how many times I can make Evie jump before the night's over."
Evie glared at him, pointing a finger. "You do that, and I swear I'll—"
"Kill me with your eyes?" Damien finished, chuckling. "I'll take my chances."
Fiona beamed, throwing her hands in the air. "Yes! Team assembled. This is going to be amazing!"
Evie groaned, muttering under her breath, "This is going to be a disaster."