Chapter 5 She's now on board

XANDER'S POV

In the morning, I put the pendant in my pocket and wore my blazer like usual.

When I got to class, Mira slid into the seat next to me.

She smelled like candy and trouble.

"Morning, handsome."

I forced a smile. "Morning."

She leaned close. "You look tense. Everything okay?"

"Just tired."

"Maybe I can help with that."

She winked.

Jamie gave me a look from across the room that said, "Good luck."

I sighed.

I was being chased by secret groups, haunted by my past, and now being flirted with by a girl who didn't know I was also a girl.

This school was going to kill me.

Literally or emotionally-still unsure.

---

After class, I found Zane by the courtyard. He was kicking a ball around alone.

I hesitated.

Then walked over.

He smiled when he saw me. "Come to get schooled again?"

I shrugged. "Maybe."

We passed the ball between us.

He was quiet for a while. Then he said, "You seem... different."

"Different how?"

He kicked the ball back. "Just... like something's bothering you."

I stared at the grass. "Maybe."

Zane stopped the ball with his foot.

"You know, you can talk to me, right?"

I looked at him.

He was being serious.

Kind.

My heart did something weird in my chest.

"I'm fine," I lied.

He nodded slowly.

"I hope so, Vale."

---

Later that evening, a letter appeared on my bed.

Same writing as before.

"Tonight. Clock Tower. Midnight. Come alone."

Under it, the same symbol.

Snake and feather.

And now... I had no choice but to go.

I waited until the hallway was empty.

Jamie was already asleep. I moved slowly, quiet, careful not to wake him.

The letter was still in my pocket, pressed tight against my leg.

"Tonight. Clock Tower. Midnight."

I checked the time again.

11:52 p.m.

I put on my blazer, slipped the pendant around my neck, and stepped into the hallway.

Every creak of the floorboards felt loud. My shoes echoed against the tiles.

I kept walking, keeping to the dark corners.

The night air hit me as soon as I stepped outside. Cold and sharp.

I pulled the hood of my jacket up.

The path to the Clock Tower wasn't far, but it felt like forever.

I kept looking over my shoulder.

Was someone following me?

Or was it just my fear?

---

The Clock Tower looked older at night.

The big wooden doors were half open.

I walked inside.

My steps echoed.

Moonlight came in from the glass window above.

Dust danced in the light like falling stars.

"Xander," a voice said.

I turned fast.

It was her again.

The hooded girl.

But this time, she wasn't alone.

Two others stood behind her. One was a tall boy with silver hair. The other, a girl with round glasses.

All three wore the same cracked pendant.

"You came," she said.

"I don't have a choice," I replied.

"No," she said. "You really don't."

The silver-haired boy stepped forward. "You're Ariel Valemont's younger sibling?"

I froze.

"How do you-"

"We knew Caleb," he said.

The girl with glasses added, "He helped form the Whisper Circle. We're what's left."

"The Whisper Circle?" I asked.

She nodded. "A group of students trying to uncover the truth about Arcanis. About the Council. About the ones in the shadows."

My mouth was dry. "And what do you want from me?"

"We want your help," the hooded girl said. "And we want to help you."

---

They showed me a map.

Old, hand-drawn, with symbols I didn't know.

"This is the layout of the school," the boy said. "But not the one everyone sees."

He pointed to shaded areas. "These are the sealed chambers. Some go back over a hundred years."

"Some aren't safe," the girl added. "Some... aren't empty."

I looked at them. "So what does this have to do with me?"

They exchanged glances.

Then the hooded girl spoke. "Because your brother went into one. And never came back."

My breath caught.

"He went in alone. Said he had a lead," she continued. "We tried to stop him. But he was sure. Said it was the only way."

"And now?" I asked.

She looked down. "We believe he left a message behind. A path only you can follow."

"Why me?"

"Because you're his blood."

I held my breath.

"Where is it?" I asked.

The boy passed me a key. "East Wing. Door marked with the feather."

I took the key. My fingers shook.

"Go tomorrow," the girl said. "Before classes. It'll be less crowded."

I nodded.

"Be careful," the hooded girl added. "If the wrong people find out..."

"I know," I said. "I'll be ready."

---

I left the Clock Tower feeling heavier.

The pendant around my neck felt like a warning.

I didn't know who to trust anymore.

But I couldn't stop now.

If Caleb left something behind, I had to find it.

I owed him that.

---

The next morning, I woke up early.

Jamie was still snoring softly.

I grabbed my things, kept the key hidden in my blazer, and headed to the East Wing.

The halls were quiet.

Birds chirped outside, but the building felt too still.

I reached the door with the feather mark.

It looked like nothing special. Faded paint. Old handle.

I slid the key in. It clicked.

I opened the door slowly.

Dust fell from the frame.

Inside was a narrow passage.

Stone walls. Cold air.

I stepped in and closed the door behind me.

The darkness swallowed me.

But I kept walking.

---

The hallway led to a staircase.

I took it slowly, step by step.

At the bottom, there was a small room.

And a desk.

Covered in papers.

I ran to it.

They were Caleb's. His handwriting. His sketches.

I picked one up.

"Phase 3 – The Mask Is Slipping."

Another:

"They're recruiting from inside. The Council isn't pure."

Another:

"A girl in Red Wing saw something. Need to meet her."

And the last one:

"If I don't return, the bloodline must continue the mission. Find the map. Trust only the Circle."

My eyes blurred with tears.

He had left it all for me.

I wasn't imagining things.

My brother really had been trying to expose something.

And now... that mission was mine.

---

When I returned to the dorms, I tucked the notes under my mattress.

Jamie was brushing his teeth.

He looked at me through the mirror. "You okay?"

"Yeah," I said, voice flat. "Just tired."

He nodded. "We've got gym class today. Want to skip it together?"

I cracked a smile. "Nah. Let's go."

"Okay, brave boy," he joked.

I laughed.

But deep down, I wasn't feeling brave at all.

Just scared. And determined.

---

Later in class, Zane leaned over and passed me a folded note.

"Want to play Truth or Dare later?" it read.

I looked at him. He smirked.

I nodded.

Might as well live a little before everything explodes.

Because something told me... the truth was going to change everything.