Leon lunged forward just in time, catching Jayson by the hood of his hoodie and pulling him inside. Jayson’s arms shook violently as he clung to the rope, chest heaving, still holding on with everything he had.

  Below, the remnants of the rope tumbled as the animals swarmed, shredding what was left to nothing.

  As soon as they pulled him away from the window, Jayson reached back and slid it shut. The latch clicked.

  He stepped away, dragging a shaky hand down his face, trying to steady himself. For a moment, he just stood there.

  Then he walked back to it. Slower this time.

  He pressed his forehead against the cold glass and looked down at the ground below. His hands were still trembling.

  Suddenly, the window clouded over. Not from his breath.

  The fog spread across the glass from the outside, thin at first, then thicker, until he couldn’t see anything at all.

  He lifted his sleeve and tried to wipe it away. Nothing changed.

  He tried again. Still nothing.

  After a second, he pulled back from the window.

  “Woah… look around you,” he said.

  Without even looking around the room, Jayson moved straight toward the classroom door, like something had already decided for him.

  It was wooden, opening from both sides. He stepped to the right side and was about to push it open when Vincent grabbed him by the collar.

  “What are you doing?” Vincent demanded.

  “What?” Jayson snapped back.

  Before anyone could say more, the left side of the door opened on its own.

  Everyone stepped back to the same spot, faces tight with confusion and disbelief, brows furrowed, eyes wide and searching.

  A man stood there. Light green hair. A small mole beside his mouth. His eyes were narrow and sharp. He wore a student uniform and carried a few books in his arms.

  “Come on. We’re already late,” the man said casually.

  The kid stared at him for a moment. “Do you know—”

  But the man had already walked away before he could finish.

  Leon moved toward the door cautiously. Zhanye glanced at the window. The animals were gone.

  Leon looked at him, then stepped into the hallway. The others followed.

  The moment they crossed the doorway, their clothes changed. Summer uniforms.

  They all froze, staring down at themselves in shock. Rafael looked at Jayson, surprised that Jayson barely reacted.

  They were standing in the middle of a school hallway. Students brushed past their shoulders, laughing, talking, walking like everything was normal.

  The group slowly turned their heads, taking it all in.

  The kid stepped forward. His clothes hadn’t changed.

  Zhanye started walking, but something caught his eye. The hallway display board.

  It listed upcoming school events, a cooking contest, subject announcements… but one thing stood out.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Graduation Party – July 30 / 2023.

  Next to the date was a large poster. A circus. A clown hiding his face with his hat.

  Zhanye’s eyes stayed locked on it.

  Maybe this was a clue.

  Maybe this was how they got here.

  Maybe this was the key to finishing this game… and finding out who was after his life.

  Maybe they didn’t end up in this school by accident.

  Maybe they were brought here on purpose.

  Or maybe it wasn’t any of that.

  Maybe it was just another normal school poster, and he was overthinking again. Reading too deeply into something ordinary. Turning everything into a sign because he was desperate for one.

  He didn’t know which possibility was worse.

  His eyes traced every detail of the poster again. The faded edges. The date printed in bold. The way the clown’s painted smile curved too wide beneath the hand covering its face.

  A poke pressed into his back.

  He didn’t react. Another. Then a third, sharper this time.

  Zhanye blinked and finally looked down. The kid stood beside him, staring at the same poster.

  “Isn’t that…” the kid said quietly, “…a day after we came here?”

  Zhanye’s gaze drifted back to the date.

  “Yes,” he said slowly. “But we’ve been here for days.”

  They both kept staring at it.

  Neither of them noticed Leon step up behind them, close enough that he stood between their shoulders.

  It wasn’t until his voice came from right between them that they flinched slightly.

  “Come,” Leon said. “We found something interesting.”

  Only then did Zhanye finally tear his eyes away. Leon tilted his head slightly toward Rafael.

  Rafael was talking to a girl with short black hair. She had a backpack slung over one shoulder and was chewing gum lazily.

  They walked closer, standing behind Rafael to listen.

  “So… do we need an invite for this party?” Rafael asked.

  The girl went quiet for a moment, thinking.

  “Hmmm. You do need one. But if you really want…” She smirked slightly. “I could get you one.”

  “Really? I wouldn’t ask for more,” Rafael said politely. “Do you need anything in exchange?”

  Zhanye and Leon exchanged a look. They never knew Rafael could sound that polite.

  The girl thought again. Then she pulled the gum from her mouth. And placed it in Rafael’s hand.

  “No. Thanks. Throw it away on your way.”

  Rafael stared at the gum in his palm, his eyes wide and his mouth slightly open. He couldn’t believe what had just happened.

  His hand shook violently, and the gum slipped to the floor.

  “I… I need to go to the restroom,” he muttered.

  “Wait,” Jayson raised his hand, worried for Rafael. He tried to hold back a smile, but it slipped, and he laughed quietly. Shaking from the laughter, he whispered, “We couldn’t even hear what he got.”

  Leon, meanwhile, was focused elsewhere, wondering if Rafael would be able to find his way back.

  The hallway bell rang. Students’ voices echoed as they said goodbye to teachers, and the door started opening.

  Immediately, the crowd poured into the hallway. The group was swept along with the tide, pushed and jostled until they reached the stairs. Everyone flowed down together, though one stairwell led upward. Jayson was about to head up when Leon held him back, signaling him to follow the students. They moved down the stairs with the crowd until they reached the cafeteria.

  Tables were spread with chairs around them, students eating and chatting. They found an empty table and sat.

  Vincent kept scanning the room before saying, “Judging from the situation, this must be related somehow to the clown or the key.”

  They all nodded. Jayson, tray of spaghetti in hand, started eating while listening.

  “So, I think we should split up to gather information, then meet back here,” Vincent suggested.

  Zhanye noticed the kid at their table glancing elsewhere. Then he gestured for everyone in the group to be quiet.

  Behind them, the chatter of students was impossible to ignore.

  The first woman, sitting behind Zhanye, spoke in an annoyed tone, “If it only weren’t for the stupid show, now the party is ruined.”

  The second woman beside her added, “Yes, even the clothes theme doesn’t match. I just don’t get why they made it this year.”

  A third woman, sitting across from them at the same table, hesitated. “But… it’s every five years. Shouldn’t we be considered lucky…”

  The first woman slammed her empty drink onto the table. Everyone, including Zhanye, turned to look. She had blonde hair.

  She pushed her chair back roughly, hands on the table, and leaned toward the third woman. Grabbing her hair, she tried to force her face toward the food. “Did someone ask you? No one asked for your opinion. So just eat and shut your mouth!”

  The second woman, sitting beside the blonde, murmured, “Just don’t bother. It’s not like she’s the reason it’s this year.”

  The third woman froze, her face inches from the table. The first woman reluctantly loosened her grip. As she did, the second woman smiled evilly at the third woman. The third woman got up as soon as the blonde released her, stepping back while the tension at the table eased slightly.

  The third woman glanced back at Zhanye as she left, her eyes briefly meeting his before she turned away. The group instinctively shifted, turning to face the other way so they didn’t watch her go.

  After a moment, Zhanye reached out and grabbed the shirt of a passing student, one of the two who had opened the door for them. It was the boy with light green hair. The boy looked at him and said, “Oh… it’s you.”

  Zhanye didn’t reply. Instead, he gestured subtly toward the two women and asked, “What did she mean by ‘she ain’t the reason’?”

  The green-haired boy paused for a moment, a shadow crossing his expression, then smiled slightly. “I don't know… shouldn’t you know?”

  Before Zhanye could press further, the student beside the green-haired boy nudged him. “Let’s go.”