THE LAST BELL

The punishment

“Axel, what are you doing outside after curfew?” Headmistress Rowan’s voice was sharp.

Axel froze under the moonlight. His books were still clutched in his hands. He looked tired, his hair messy from running.

“I was in the library, Headmistress,” Axel said quickly. “I was just coming back. Please, I wasn’t trying to break any rules.”

Rowan’s eyes narrowed. “The rules are simple. No student outside after curfew. You know that.”

“But the door was locked,” Axel said, his voice shaking. “Damian and Sophia… they locked me out as a prank. I couldn’t get inside.”

Rowan did not blink. “Excuses. You will serve detention tonight.”

Axel’s jaw dropped. “But—”

“No more words,” Rowan said coldly. “Follow me.”

Damian and Sophia were laughing in the dorm room. Music whispered low from the small box they had stolen, and the glow of candles lit up their faces.

“He will be scrubbing floors all night,” Sophia said with a cruel smile. “Can you imagine him begging Rowan to believe him?”

Damian smirked. “Serves him right. He thinks he’s better than us, always reading his boring books.”

Lena was standing nearby, forced into their circle. She smiled when Damian looked at her, but her eyes showed something else—unease. Her hands twisted in front of her dress.

Ethan sat in the corner. He had been part of the prank, but now his face burned with guilt. “Maybe we went too far,” he muttered.

Sophia turned sharply. “Oh, stop it, Ethan. It was just fun. Don’t tell me you’re feeling sorry for him.”

Ethan looked down. “I just… it doesn’t feel right.”

Lena’s eyes flickered toward him, soft but hidden. She wanted to speak but kept silent.

Meanwhile, Axel was left alone in a cold classroom. Headmistress Rowan had left him with a mop, a bucket of water, and a warning not to leave until morning.

He dipped the mop into the bucket and pushed it across the floor. His movements were slow, his thoughts heavy.

“This isn’t fair,” he whispered to himself. “I didn’t do anything wrong.”

The silence of the classroom pressed down on him. Then, faintly, from the dark hallway, he heard it—coughing. Soft at first. Then harsher, echoing through the halls.

Axel froze. He lifted his head and listened. The sound came closer.

“Hello?” he called nervously.

No answer. Only the sound of someone struggling to breathe.

He shivered and turned back to the mop. But the feeling did not leave him. It was like unseen eyes were fixed on his back.

At the party, Sophia poured herself another drink. “Let’s play a game,” she said, her voice playful but cruel. “Every time someone says Axel’s name, they must do a dare.”

Damian laughed loudly. “Perfect.” He looked around the group. “I dare Lena to dance.”

Lena forced a laugh and stepped into the middle of the room. She began to dance, moving gracefully though her heart wasn’t in it. She smiled, but her smile was a mask.

Damian clapped. “See? She’s enjoying herself.”

But Lena’s eyes flickered again toward Ethan. He was the only one not laughing. His guilt weighed heavily.

“I should have stopped them,” Ethan whispered under his breath.

Back in detention, Axel dragged his mop across the floor. His stomach growled loudly. He hadn’t eaten since dinner.

A soft knock at the window made him jump.

“Axel,” a whisper came.

He hurried to the window and saw Chloe crouching outside. Her face was pale but her smile was gentle.

“I brought you something,” she whispered. She slipped a small snack wrapped in cloth through the open crack.

Axel took it with trembling hands. “Chloe… why did you—”

“You looked so tired at dinner,” she said softly. “I couldn’t just leave you like this.”

For a moment, Axel’s chest warmed. The cold and loneliness faded. “Thank you,” he said, his voice thick.

Chloe’s eyes softened. “You don’t deserve how they treat you.”

Their eyes locked for a brief second. The noise of the party, the cruelty of the bullies, the punishment—all of it disappeared. Only that moment remained.

But then the lights above Axel flickered. Once. Twice.

He looked up, startled.

“Did you see that?” Chloe whispered.

Before Axel could answer, a loud crash echoed down the hallway.

The sound was sharp, like metal breaking. Then came a scream. Desperate. Terrified.

Axel dropped the mop. His breath caught in his throat.

Chloe’s eyes widened. “What was that?”

The scream grew louder, echoing, then stopped suddenly.

The classroom door opened and Rowan stepped in, her face pale. “Stay here,” she ordered. Then she rushed back into the corridor.

Axel wanted to call after her, but his voice stuck in his throat.

The silence that followed was heavier than before.

At the party, the sound of the scream reached them faintly. Everyone froze.

Damian laughed nervously. “Probably just Rowan shouting at Axel.”

But Lena shook her head. “That didn’t sound like Rowan.”

Ethan stood up quickly. “We should check—”

“No,” Sophia snapped. “Stay here. Don’t ruin the fun.”

But Lena’s eyes lingered on the door. She felt the same unease crawling over her skin that Axel had felt in the hall.

Back in detention, Axel pressed his ear to the classroom door. He could hear movement in the corridor. Heavy footsteps. A dragging sound. And faint whispers.

“Rowan?” he called, his voice trembling.

No answer.

The door handle rattled violently.

Axel stumbled back. His heart pounded as shadows moved under the crack of the door. Something was outside. Something not human.

Chloe’s face turned white. “Axel… is something trying to get in?”

The handle twisted again, harder this time. The door shook in its frame. The shadows grew darker.

Axel stepped in front of Chloe without thinking. His chest rose and fell quickly, his eyes locked on the door.

Another loud bang hit the wood. The sound of claws scraping followed.

Axel swallowed hard. His voice shook. “If that isn’t Rowan… then who is it?”

The door rattled again, harder, and dust fell from the frame. Chloe gripped Axel’s arm, her nails digging into his sleeve.

“Axel, it’s not safe,” she whispered, her voice shaking.

“I know,” Axel said, pulling her closer behind him. His eyes never left the door. The scratching grew louder, followed by a low growl that made the floor tremble.

The lights flickered once more, then went out completely, drowning the room in darkness.

Chloe gasped. “It’s coming in!”

The handle turned slowly, creaking, as the door began to open.

Was it a person—or something far worse?