Blackwood Academy

The cold mist pricked Eli Walker's skin like a thousand tiny needles.

He coughed and gasped awake, his lungs burning with air thick with the metallic tang of rust. Above him was not the sterile white ceiling of the hospital, nor the water-stained plaster of his leaky apartment. It was nothing but endless, inky black fog, so dense it might as well have been liquid.

Eli struggled to sit up, finding himself on cold asphalt. His hand closed around something hard, carrying an unnatural warmth. He looked down. A black envelope, sealed with twisted black thorns embossed in gold Gothic lettering. Four letters burned into the center: BLACKWOOD.

An acceptance letter.

The one that had appeared in his mailbox three days ago-no return address, no stamp.

His fingers trembled as he traced the line written in blood-red ink beneath the seal: "Enrollment grants an unconditional $1,000,000 scholarship, usable for any medical expenses."

Three days ago, the doctor had called him into his office and handed him a death sentence.

"Eli, Lily's acute lymphoblastic leukemia has reached end-stage." The doctor's voice held exhausted sympathy. "We've exhausted every treatment. She has at most a month. Prepare yourself."

One month.

His little sister-the girl who always called him brother with a smile, who dreamed of being a painter-had one month left to live.

Eli had begged every bank, borrowed from every person who would speak to him, even sold his blood on the black market. But the astronomical medical bills loomed over him like a mountain. He had stood on the hospital roof that night, wondering if jumping would be the easy way out, when he'd found the letter in his mailbox downstairs.

He'd thrown it in the trash, assuming it was some cruel scam. But the next morning, it was on his pillow.

The third day, a text from an unknown number arrived: "Be at the downtown crossroads at midnight with the letter. Or your sister's death will be your fault."

Eli had come. And then the black mist had swallowed him whole.

He jumped to his feet, spinning to run. But the road behind him was gone, replaced by the same endless fog. From within it came faint, drifting cries-like a woman's whimper, like a child's sob-sending chills down his spine.

"Is anyone there?" A trembling voice cut through the silence.

Eli turned. A boy in a high school uniform huddled a few feet away, his face deathly pale, clutching an identical black envelope. He looked no older than sixteen, thick glasses slipping down his nose, his entire body shaking.

"I'm Junior." The boy scrambled toward him like a drowning man reaching for driftwood. "I was doing homework at home, and then I woke up here. What's happening?"

One by one, others emerged from the fog.

A woman with short cropped hair in a black leather jacket held a DSLR camera, her eyes sharp and alert as she scanned their surroundings. Mud caked her jeans, and a tear gaped at one knee, as if she'd been running from something moments before.

"Leah Carter." She introduced herself briefly, snapping a few quick photos of the fog. "I'm a journalist investigating the Blackwood Ridge disappearances. I was taking pictures last night when this mist rolled in and dragged me under."

A heavily tattooed giant lumbered forward, a long scar slicing across his face from forehead to chin, his eyes as fierce as a wolf's. He surveyed the group with a cold sneer and said nothing. Eli recognized him immediately: Kane Royce, leader of the local Black Serpents gang, whose face had been all over the news just days ago as a wanted fugitive.

Then came a woman in a white lab coat, a businessman in a crisp suit, an elderly man with white hair... fifteen people in total, each clutching a black acceptance letter, each wearing the same mask of confusion and terror.

"What the hell is this?" The businessman screamed, his voice cracking with hysteria. "I have a meeting! My clients are waiting! Let me out!"

He turned and charged into the black fog.

"Don't!" Eli shouted.

It was too late.

The man's scream pierced the air, sharp and agonized. Then it cut off abruptly, as if someone had clamped a hand over his mouth. A pool of black, viscous blood seeped out from the fog, spreading slowly across the asphalt.

Everyone froze. Their faces drained of color. Junior collapsed to the ground, his teeth chattering so hard he couldn't speak.

Leah's knuckles whitened around her camera. Kane's expression hardened, and his hand drifted to his waist, where something bulged beneath his jacket.

A cold school bell rang out.

DONG. DONG. DONG.

Slow, heavy, as if coming from miles away yet somehow right beside them. The fog began to part, revealing a rusted iron gate.

Carved into the lintel in twisted Gothic letters: BLACKWOOD ACADEMY.

The gate creaked open slowly. A man in a perfectly pressed black suit stepped out.

No. Not a man.

A skeleton.

Bare white bone where flesh should have been, empty eye sockets glowing with an eerie red light. He wore a crisp black tie, and a black ring glinted on his bony finger. His walk was stiff and straight, making no sound at all.

The skeleton stopped in front of them. From his lipless mouth came a cold, flat voice, like metal scraping against stone.

"Welcome to Blackwood Academy."

"Now form a line and follow me."

"Anyone who tries to run dies."

As he spoke, Eli watched the black blood from the dead man slowly sink into the ground, vanishing without a trace. As if it had never existed.

Junior burst into tears. Leah bit her lip, her fists clenched. Eli took a deep breath, forcing himself to stay calm. He knew his life had changed forever in that moment.

Only one thought burned in his mind: survive.

Only by surviving could he get the million dollars. Only by surviving could he save Lily.

The skeleton turned and walked through the gate. The group stared at each other, no one daring to move. But they all knew there was no other choice.

Eli took the first step. Leah and Junior hurried after him, then Dr. Irene, then Kane... Thirteen people formed a ragged line and stepped through the rusted iron gate.

It slammed shut behind them with a deafening clang.

The black mist closed over the gates once more.

None of them knew what kind of hell they had just walked into.

It was always dusk at Blackwood Academy.

The sky hung in a sickly orange-red, as if stained with blood. The sun never moved, fixed forever on the western horizon, casting a faint, cold light over everything.

The campus buildings were pure Gothic-spires, arches, stained-glass windows. But every window was pitch black, showing no light inside. Dead black vines crawled up the walls, twisting like serpents.

The air reeked of mildew, blood, and something indescribably rotten. From the distant main building came faint footsteps and dragging sounds, but when you listened closely, there was nothing there at all.

Their skeleton homeroom teacher led them down a long corridor. The walls were lined with yellowed photographs-graduation photos of past classes. Eli noticed that none of the students in the photos had eyes.

Their eye sockets were empty black holes, as if someone had dug them out.

Junior clung to Eli's arm, shaking so violently he could barely stand. Leah snapped photos as they walked, but every flash made the skeleton turn his head. The red glow in his empty sockets made her blood run cold.

They were led into a windowless classroom. The desks and chairs were black, covered in scratches and dark red stains. The green blackboard had a few words scrawled in white chalk: "Welcome, Freshmen."

The skeleton stepped onto the platform and turned to face them.

"I am your homeroom teacher, Designation 013." His cold voice echoed off the walls. "For the duration of your time here, I will teach you how to survive at Blackwood Academy."

"Before we begin, I will read the Blackwood Academy Freshman Code. Listen carefully. Every single rule is a matter of life and death."

He picked up a piece of white chalk and wrote three large words on the blackboard: FRESHMAN CODE.

The sound of chalk against stone was sharp and shrill, like nails scraping glass.

"Rule One: Credits are the only currency within Blackwood Academy. Each of you starts with 10 credits. Credits can be exchanged for food, water, medicine, weapons, survival information, lifespan, and anything else you might desire."

"But-" The skeleton paused, his glowing red eyes sweeping over the class. "Anyone whose credits reach zero is terminated."

Dead silence. No one dared to breathe.

"Rule Two: Every Monday at midnight, all students must participate in mandatory off-campus trials. Trials have clear objectives and time limits. Anyone who fails their mission, violates trial rules, or fails to return on time is terminated."

"Rule Three: Fatal private combat is prohibited on campus. However, the academy does not interfere with the theft of credits or items from other students."

The skeleton set down his chalk. "These are the three core freshman rules. You will learn the rest as you survive."

"Any questions?"

Before he finished speaking, a burly man slammed his fist on his desk and stood up. He had arrived with Kane, another gang member by the looks of him.

"Fuck your rules!" He roared. "This is kidnapping! I'm calling the police! Let me out!"

He charged toward the classroom door.

The skeleton raised his hand.

Without warning, the man's body began to twist. The sound of breaking bones filled the room-crack, crack, crack-as if a thousand hands were tearing him apart from the inside. His arms bent backward at impossible angles, bone shards piercing through his skin, glistening wet with blood.

He screamed, a sound of pure agony, but it lasted only a few seconds before cutting off.

Then his body began to melt.

Skin, muscle, bone... everything dissolved into black mist, which was absorbed by the classroom walls. Seconds later, he was gone completely, leaving only a pool of black blood on the floor and his black acceptance letter.

The letter crumbled to ash and drifted away on an unseen breeze.

The classroom was deathly quiet.

Someone vomited. Someone else began to sob quietly. Junior fainted dead away. Dr. Irene rushed to his side to administer first aid.

Eli's stomach churned, but he forced himself not to be sick. His nails dug deep into his palms. He saw genuine fear flash across Kane's face for the first time.

"Any more questions?" The skeleton asked again, his voice exactly the same as before.

No one spoke.

"Good." He nodded. "You now have one hour to familiarize yourselves with the campus. You may go to the cafeteria to exchange credits for food and water, to the dormitories to assign rooms, or to the administration office to learn more rules."

"But remember-" His gaze swept over them once more. "Do not go to the third floor of the library. Do not go to the basement of the main building. Do not leave your dormitory after midnight. Violators will face the consequences."

"Return here in one hour. At that time, your first off-campus trial will begin."

The skeleton turned and walked out of the classroom. The door closed automatically behind him.

Only when his footsteps had faded completely did the room erupt in suppressed sobs and panicked whispers.

"Oh my god... this isn't real... this is a nightmare..."

"We're all going to die here... every single one of us..."

"I don't want to die... I want to go home..."

Eli walked to the window and stared out at the eternal dusk. There was no fear in his heart, only a single, unshakable resolve: survive.

He had to survive.

For Lily.

He turned and saw Leah standing at the blackboard, staring at the three rules with a grave expression. Kane leaned against the far wall, lighting a cigarette, his face hidden in smoke. Dr. Irene had revived Junior, who sat in his chair trembling uncontrollably.

Eli walked over to Leah and spoke in a low voice. "We need to form a team."

Leah turned to look at him. "A team?"

"Yes." Eli nodded. "No one survives alone here. We need to watch each other's backs."

Leah was silent for a moment, then nodded. "Alright. I'm in."

"Me too." Dr. Irene joined them. "I know first aid and pharmacology. I might be useful."

Junior raised his hand quickly, his voice still shaking with tears. "I... I want to join too... I'll do anything... I can remember all the rules..."

Eli looked at them and nodded. "Good. From now on, we're a team."

At that moment, Eli glanced back at the blackboard.

He froze.

Beneath the words "FRESHMAN CODE" that the skeleton had written, a new line had appeared, scrawled in what looked like fresh blood.

The handwriting was messy and uneven, as if written with a finger:

NO ONE GRADUATES.

Eli's heart dropped into his stomach.

He looked up at the classroom door.

For a split second, he swore he saw the skeleton standing there, watching them through the crack, his empty eye sockets glowing red in the darkness.

One hour slipped away in the blink of an eye.

Eli Walker raced through the academy's core grounds, Lia Carter, Erin Gray, and Junior White tight on his heels.

At the cafeteria, they each spent two of their starting Credits for bread and bottled water, enough to keep them alive for three full days.

They also claimed a four-person dorm in the residence hall. It was damp and cold, with black mold climbing the walls. The bedding was dirty and smelled terrible, but it was a safe zone, recognized by the rules of Blackwood Academy.

They found more rules posted on the bulletin board in the Administration Office.

Classes run daily from 8 AM to 6 PM. Unexcused absences result in a five Credit deduction.Failure to pass class evaluations results in a ten Credit deduction.Credits can be earned in three ways: completing class work, finishing Trials, and collecting from other students.Credit levels: one hundred Credits for Underclassman, one thousand for Upperclassman, ten thousand for Senior Council, and one hundred thousand for the Graduation Exam.

Eli stared at the words Graduation Exam for a long time.

No further information was written on the board. No details, no rules, no explanation of what the exam really was.

It was just like the warning written in blood on the blackboard.

No one ever graduates.

When the four returned to the classroom, the remaining students were already waiting.

Fifteen students had entered the academy. Now only thirteen remained. One was erased for breaking the rules, and another died from a heart attack caused by fear. Still, every face was filled with terror. Everyone sat stiff and silent, like prisoners waiting for judgment.

The Skeleton Homeroom Teacher, number 013, stood at the front of the room.

In his bony hand, he held a stack of black cards marked with dark vine patterns, just like their acceptance letters.

"Time is up," he said in a cold, metallic voice. "Now you will begin your first Off-Campus Trial."

He waved his hand. The black cards floated through the air and stopped in front of each student.

Eli took one. It was icy cold, like holding a piece of frozen glass. White words appeared clearly on the surface.

Trial Name: Blackwood EstateMission Objective: Survive seventy-two hours inside the estate and find the last will of Abraham Black.Mission Rewards: Twenty base Credits for each survivor. The student who finds the will receives thirty extra Credits and one random rare item.Failure Penalty: All group members will be erased.

Eli's heart sank.

All group members erased.

One wrong move, and everyone in the room would be gone.

"Each of you will come forward and wear a wristband," the Skeleton Teacher said.

The wristband shows remaining time, Credit balance, and health status. It cannot be removed. Damaging or tampering with the wristband will be considered mission failure and result in immediate erasure.

Students stepped forward one by one and put on the bands.

When Eli fastened his wristband, it locked tightly against his skin. A cold feeling spread up his arm. The screen lit up with bright red numbers.

Remaining Time: 72:00:00Personal Credits: 10Health: 100/100

"Now I will explain three extra rules for this Trial," the teacher said.

First: You may take Credits and items from others, but intentionally killing a teammate is forbidden. Violators lose all Credits and are erased at once.Second: The Trial area includes dangerous creatures, deadly traps, and cursed rules. Be extremely careful.Third: Survivors will return to Blackwood Academy when time runs out. If all students die early, the mission fails and everyone still alive will be erased.

He paused, his empty red eye sockets looking over every student.

"Any questions?"

The room fell completely silent.

No one spoke.

They all knew questions no longer mattered. Life or death would be decided inside that estate.

"Very well," the teacher nodded. "The Trial begins now."

As soon as he finished speaking, the classroom walls began to twist.

Thick black fog poured out from every corner, forming a violent whirlwind in the center. Screaming wind came from inside, mixed with distant cries and scraping sounds.

It was like a giant mouth leading straight into darkness.

"Enter the portal," the teacher said. "Good luck."

Kane Royce moved first. He stepped into the fog without hesitation, followed by his two followers. One by one, the other students hesitated, then entered.

Eli turned to Lia, Erin, and Junior.

"We stay together no matter what. Do not split up. Understand?"

He held Junior's arm as the boy nearly fell, then stepped into the vortex.

Violent dizziness hit him at once.

The world spun uncontrollably. Wind screamed in his ears, and cold wrapped around him like it was trying to tear his soul away.

Seconds later, it stopped.

Eli fell into the cold, muddy ground. Rainwater filled his mouth, tasting metallic and sharp.

He stood up quickly and looked around.

He was in a dark, thick forest. The sky was black, and heavy rain fell from the clouds, mixed with a dark red liquid that beat against the leaves.

Blood rain.

At the edge of the trees stood a broken Victorian manor.

Black dead vines covered its walls. Windows were boarded up, and a huge hole opened in the roof like a wound. The front doors stood wide open, showing only blackness inside.

It was a monster waiting in the dark for its prey.

This was Blackwood Estate.

Eli looked at his wristband. The countdown had already started.

71:59:59

"Eli!"

Lia's voice came from behind. He turned and saw her, Erin, and Junior landing in the mud one after another.

Junior dropped to his knees, vomiting, his face completely pale.

Lia stood quickly, lifted her camera, and took pictures toward the manor. The flashes cut through the dark.

"Where is everyone else?" Erin asked, helping Junior stand. She looked around carefully, but no other students were in sight.

"No idea," Eli said. He held the folding knife in his pocket, his only weapon. "We were separated when we came through."

At that moment, a scream burst from the manor.

It was sharp and terrifying, the final sound of someone dying. It cut through the rain clearly, reaching all of them.

Every muscle in their bodies froze. They could not move.

Eli tightened his grip on the knife and stared into the dark entrance of the manor.

He knew.

Their seventy-two-hour fight for survival had truly begun.

And the first victim had already fallen.