Chapter 1
The morning sun spilled across the campus of Westwood High School, painting the red-brick buildings in shades of gold. Students filled the hallways with laughter, gossip, and the excitement of a new semester. To everyone else, it was just another school day.
For Emily Carter, it was the beginning of a completely new life.
She tightened the straps of her backpack and took a deep breath before walking through the school's front gate.
"New school... new city... new beginning," she whispered to herself.
Her father had accepted a new job, forcing their family to move halfway across the country just before the school year started. Emily wasn't happy about leaving her old friends behind, but she had promised herself she would try to fit in.
Inside Classroom 11-B, students were chatting loudly until their teacher entered.
"Good morning, everyone. Before we begin, I'd like you to meet our new student."
Emily stepped forward.
"Hi... I'm Emily Carter. Nice to meet you."
Some students smiled politely.
Others barely looked up.
As she searched for an empty seat, a girl with long black hair waved enthusiastically.
"You can sit here!"
Emily smiled.
"Thanks."
"I'm Maya Brooks."
"I'm Emily."
"Don't worry," Maya whispered. "Everyone looks scary on the first day."
Emily laughed.
Maybe this school wouldn't be so bad after all.
During lunch break, Maya introduced Emily to her two closest friends.
"This is Leo Walker, our tech genius."
Leo looked up from his laptop.
"Hi."
"And that's Aiden Ross."
Aiden tossed a basketball into the air before catching it with one hand.
"Welcome to Westwood."
Within an hour, Emily felt like she had known them for years.
For the first time since moving...
She wasn't lonely.
The final school bell rang.
Most students rushed toward the exits.
Emily realized she had forgotten her notebook in chemistry class.
"I'll catch up with you guys later," she called.
"No problem," Maya replied.
The school was unusually quiet.
Her footsteps echoed through the empty hallway.
As she walked toward the science wing, she noticed something strange.
A door marked "Storage Room – Authorized Staff Only" was slightly open.
Earlier that day, she was sure it had been locked.
Curious, she stepped closer.
Voices.
Low.
Serious.
She carefully peeked through the gap.
Three people wearing black jackets stood around a table covered with thick folders.
One folder had a bright red label.
STUDENT FILES
Another read:
CONFIDENTIAL
One of the masked people spoke.
"Tomorrow's target has been confirmed."
Another nodded.
"No mistakes this time."
Emily accidentally stepped on a loose piece of wood.
Crack.
The room fell silent.
Someone turned toward the door.
"Did you hear that?"
Emily's heart pounded.
She ran.
Behind her, the door burst open.
"Stop her!"
Heavy footsteps echoed through the hallway.
Emily sprinted down the stairs, nearly slipping as she reached the main entrance. Just as she pushed the front doors open, she collided with Maya, Leo, and Aiden.
"Emily! What's wrong?" Maya asked.
"They... they're chasing me!"
The four friends looked back.
The hallway was empty.
No footsteps.
No voices.
No one.
Leo frowned.
"Are you sure someone was there?"
Emily nodded, still trying to catch her breath.
"I saw files with students' names on them... and they said someone was tomorrow's target."
The others exchanged uneasy glances.
It sounded impossible.
But the fear in Emily's eyes was real.
None of them knew it yet, but that single moment would pull them into a mystery hidden inside Westwood High for years.
To be continued 📖....
