Zane got to the principal's office but no one was there.
Empty.
He stood there for a second, confused, then turned and started walking again. If she wasn't here then maybe the infirmary. Even though he doubted it.
He needed to find Avelyn. Fast.
The longer she stayed missing, the more attention would shift to Lilian. And with how long her transformation was taking, people were already starting to notice.
And deep down, Zane knew why.
Because of him.
Because he turned her.
Because he dragged them into this.
The hallway leading to the infirmary was quiet, almost too quiet. As he passed the corridor that led to the private wing, something caught his eye.
Karl.
Walking slowly. Blank. Like he was sleepwalking.
"Karl!" Zane called, but his voice barely carried down the long hallway.
Karl did not respond.
Zane frowned and turned into the private wing corridor, picking up his pace.
"Karl!"
This time Karl turned, blinking like he had just woken up.
"Oh. Hey Zane," he said, jogging over.
Zane studied him. "What are you doing here?"
Karl scratched the back of his head. "That's the weird part. I don't even know. I've just been walking around here like… mindlessly. I don't even remember why I came here."
Zane's chest tightened but he forced a normal expression.
"That sucks man. I was heading to the infirmary looking for Avelyn. I saw you from the hallway."
Karl's face changed instantly. "Avelyn? Is she okay? Why is she in the infirmary?"
"She was called to the principal's office," Zane explained quickly. "I checked everywhere except the infirmary."
Karl nodded immediately. "Then let's go check."
He turned to leave but Zane suddenly froze.
Karl noticed. "What's wrong?"
Zane tilted his head slightly. Listening.
"I hear something," he muttered. "Voices. But I can't tell where it's coming from."
Without waiting, he walked deeper into the private wing.
"Karl, do you hear that?"
Nothing.
Then—
"Zane!!!"
He froze.
That was his mum.
"Mum?" he called out.
Silence again.
He searched the corridor with Karl, checking doors, corners, everywhere, but the voice felt like it was coming from nowhere and everywhere at once.
Then it came again. Clearer.
"Open the top drawer in room twenty. You'll see a button. Press it."
Zane's heart started racing.
He found room twenty easily. The number was right on the door.
He walked in, went straight to the desk, and pulled the top drawer open.
There it was.
A big red button.
He pressed it.
Immediately, a loud click echoed through the room.
The bookshelf beside the wall shifted open, revealing a hidden door behind it.
Karl swore under his breath.
"What the hell…"
Zane didn't respond. He was already walking toward it.
He pushed the door open slowly. A dark staircase stretched downward.
Cold air rushed up.
"Mum?" he called carefully.
"Good," Ms Wilder's voice echoed faintly. "You're in the right place. There's a switch at the entrance. Turn it on."
Zane felt along the wall until he found it and flipped it.
The lights flickered once.
Then came on.
The stairs lit up.
He started going down slowly while Karl stayed near the entrance, standing guard without even being told.
Each step felt heavier than the last.
The air down there felt wrong.
When he finally reached the bottom, he stopped cold.
A cell.
Iron bars.
And inside—
His mum.
And Dr Emma.
Locked in.
"What the heck happened to you?!" Zane rushed forward, panic crashing into his chest as he grabbed the bars.
Zane grabbed the bars and shook them hard.
"What happened to you guys?" he asked again, eyes moving between his mum and Dr Emma.
Ms Wilder let out a tired breath. "Close your voice. This place echoes."
That alone made his chest tighten.
Dr Emma looked worse. Like she had seen something she could not explain.
"How did you even get down here?" she asked him.
"You told me to open the drawer," Zane said quickly. "What is going on? Why are you inside a cell?"
Ms Wilder glanced past him. "Where is Karl?"
Zane turned. Karl was still by the stairs, leaning against the wall like he was just watching everything.
"He's here," Zane said. "I found him upstairs. He said he didn't know why he was there."
Ms Wilder's expression changed slightly. Not panic. Just calculation.
"Zane," she said slowly, "listen to me carefully."
That tone again.
The one she used when things were bad.
"Something is wrong with Lilian."
Zane swallowed. "She's still transforming right? That's why you kept her here."
Dr Emma shook her head. "No. That's not it anymore."
A quiet silence fell.
Zane's grip on the bars tightened. "Then what is it?"
Neither of them answered immediately.
And that scared him more than anything.
"Where is Avelyn?" he asked suddenly.
That did it.
Both women looked at each other.
And that was when Zane knew something was very wrong.
"What did you do?" his voice came out lower now.
No answer.
Zane stepped back from the bars. "Mum."
"Listen to me, Zane. There's no need for explanations right now. All you need to know is if you ever see Lilian, do not go near her. She's not herself anymore," Ms Wilder said.
"How did you guys end up here? And why the hell is there a dungeon in this school?" Zane asked, his head spinning.
"Now is not the time for explanations!" Ms Wilder snapped.
Zane ran a hand through his hair, trying to breathe. Nothing was making sense.
"How do I get this open?" he asked, his voice slightly shaky.
"Look opposite you," Ms Wilder said quickly. "There's a brick pattern on the wall. Count six bricks to your left and six to your right. Push the one in the middle. A safe will open. The key is inside."
Zane just stared at her for a second, completely overwhelmed. Everything was happening too fast.
"Now!" Ms Wilder yelled.
He flinched and immediately turned toward the opposite wall.
His head was spinning but his body moved anyway.
Opposite him was a rough part of the wall that looked slightly different from the rest. The bricks were arranged unevenly.
He counted quickly.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six.
Then six to the right.
His fingers hovered for a second before pressing the middle brick.
Nothing happened.
His heart skipped.
"Press harder!" Dr Emma snapped from inside the cell.
He shoved it in with more force.
A sharp click echoed through the dungeon and part of the wall slid open, revealing a small safe.
Zane just stared at it for half a second.
A dungeon. In a school. A hidden safe inside a wall.
What else was he not aware of?
"Open it!" Ms Wilder barked.
He pulled it open. Inside was a single silver key.
He grabbed it and rushed back to the cell.
His hands were shaking as he inserted the key into the lock.
It fit.
The metal door creaked open.
Ms Wilder stepped out first, straightening herself like she was trying to regain control of the situation.
Dr Emma followed behind her.
Zane stepped back. "You still haven't answered me."
Ms Wilder grabbed his shoulders firmly. "I will explain everything later."