Scene 1: A Crack in the Armor

Melody entered the school the next day, still rattled by the strange vision from the night before. The woman in the mirror haunted her thoughts, keeping her from getting much sleep. Her steps were slower, more deliberate, and the weight of the day pressed on her shoulders. She could still feel the odd sensation that something had shifted, like the air itself was thicker around her.

In class, her focus was scattered, her eyes occasionally drifting toward Renly and his friends at the back of the room. His dark hair fell over his forehead, and he leaned back in his chair, casually laughing with his group. Despite her best efforts to ignore him, she could feel his gaze brush past her a few times, sending an involuntary shiver down her spine.

When a note was slipped onto her desk, she hesitated, her breath catching. She unfolded the crumpled paper slowly.

Meet me in the old library after class.

No name. But there was no mistaking who it was from.

The rest of the class dragged, her mind occupied by the growing tension. When the bell rang, signaling the end of the lesson, she packed her things with an unsteady hand. Her curiosity was winning over her better judgment.

The old library was nestled in the far corner of the school, its forgotten shelves a relic of times past. The dim lighting gave it an eerie, abandoned feel, perfect for secrets. Melody pushed open the heavy door and stepped inside, her heart pounding in her chest. Dust swirled in the air, the scent of aged paper filling her senses.

Renly stood by one of the tall windows,...