That night, Mia couldn't bear to sleep in her room. She kept thinking about herself and Henry. She moved to the living room couch, lights on, television playing low to drown out the silence. But at exactly 3:13 a.m., the lights flickered. The TV shut off. Cold air swept through the room like a phantom.
She sat up, paralyzed.
A slow creaking echoed from the passage. She turned toward the sound—and saw it.
Lily.
But not as before.
This time, her eyes glowed faintly. Her dress was torn, and her lips trembled as though she were struggling to speak against invisible resistance.
"The apparition," Lily said faintly.
Mia was confused and scared at the same time. She remembered Lily saying something about an apparition before, but she did not know what it meant.
Could the apparition be a mirror or container where Lily is kept? she thought to herself.
"Lily," she called, but the apparition was yanked backward into the shadows by a force unseen, disappearing with a scream that pierced the air like shattering glass.
The passage went still.
The lights returned.
Mia collapsed to the floor, gasping. *What is this apparition?* she asked herself.
That night, a storm raged over Lashington. The mansion groaned beneath the weight of thunder and violent winds, as if nature itself sought to warn them. Rain battered the windows like fists in desperation. Inside, the air had grown thick and cold, carrying a scent of damp stone and something older—something foul, like rot and rusted metal.
Henry awoke at 3:13 a.m., his body jolting upright, drenched in cold sweat. His breathing was erratic, and his hand instinctively clutched the spot on his palm where the blossom mark had appeared. It was glowing faintly, pulsing like a heartbeat.
Then he heard it—a faint, rhythmic knocking from beneath the floor.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
He rose from bed, feet moving of their own accord. The house was silent, but the knocking grew louder with each step he took toward the grand staircase. Thunder roared as he reached the basement door. He opened it slowly.
Candles flickered to life down the stairs, lighting his descent with a trembling glow. As he reached the bottom, he found Lily standing there—eyes wide, mouth parted, as if she had been waiting.
"The blossom mark on my palm that you put there in my dream. What does it mean?" Henry asked, confused and sad, as he stared at his sister, who seemed like a ghost.
"The apparition," Lily said and vanished as the candles down the basement stairs turned off. He ran back to his room. When he checked his palm, the blossom mark had disappeared.
At Allen High, Mia walked gently among the students. The school was still in uproar about Henry—the most popular boy in school—asking Mia out. The students whispered among themselves. Mia could feel the weight of their lies. The lies kept getting louder, and she seemed to have lost her patience. She suddenly stood and screamed loudly.
Everywhere went silent as the students fixed their eyes on Mia. Students from other areas started gathering around.
"What if Henry and I are dating? What if I am a freak and a strange person?" Mia said furiously, turning to face the students. "How does that affect you? Even if I am a witch, I have never cast spells on any of you. Stop your useless talk and mind your own business. Your lies are too loud and weighty—it's driving me crazy!" Mia said boldly and walked away.
Carl stepped in front of her. "The lies are loud and they're driving you crazy, you said? Are you a lie detector?" Carl said as the students burst into laughter.
"How intimidating," Carl added.
"What?" Carl asked, confused about what Mia had said.
"Your charisma. The fake image that people respect in you. Since you've crossed your boundary, I think it's time for me to spill out the truth," Mia said confrontationally.
"She's threatening me. Should I shiver in fear or kneel down and beg?" Carl said mockingly as the students laughed again. "Do you want to spill out the truth or spill out lies?" Carl asked as he moved closer and whispered into her hair, "Henry is not here to save you now. What will you do?"
Mia suddenly turned to the crowd. "I've known Carl for a very long time. We were mates in my previous school. This guy standing beside me is not who you think he is. He—" Carl suddenly interrupted.
"Do you expect the students to believe your lies?"
"Are you sure I'm lying? If I am, why are you interrupting me? Weren't you the one who told everyone I'm a lie detector? If I am, why would I lie? I'll reveal every damn thing you've done and what your true character is. If you think I'm lying, then don't interrupt me," Mia said, facing Carl.
Carl slapped Mia hard across the face. The students were shocked as they watched.
"You murderer! How dare you slap me? Son of a bitch. After getting expelled from seven different schools, you're here again. Do you think being a bully and using violence makes you powerful?
You're wrong. You're building power, not authority—instigating fear, not respect. That charisma you think you have is fake. Even after everything, here you are. You even killed someone in the process because you're obsessed with power. Your parents bribing the police is not the solution. Diva's spirit will haunt you forever and drive you crazy until you're punished for all your wrongs. Do you think ruling the school with a rod of bullying makes you strong? You're wrong—it makes you a coward."
Carl suddenly pounced on Mia and hit her. The entire school erupted in chaos.
"You know nothing, you bitch. If you really knew me, you wouldn't dare talk back. I rule this school and everywhere I go," Carl said furiously as he kept punching her.
Hilda ran to Carl. "Stop! You'll get expelled if you continue!"
"Why don't you let him continue and get expelled the eighth time—or maybe he could kill me too like he killed Diva. Then let my ghost haunt you forever until you and your whole family are in ruins," Mia said angrily.
Carl pushed Hilda away and kept punching Mia until the school director arrived.
Later that afternoon, Elise and Mia were talking in the clinic.
"Sorry I wasn't there to help you out. Your eye is swollen. I hope it doesn't hurt too much," Elise said, looking worried.
"Not really. I'm glad Carl is facing the disciplinary committee. I hope he gets expelled. I'd be free of my burdens for a while. I can't believe Hilda. Does she hate me that much? I was being beaten up by Carl, then she came. I thought she'd rescue me, but instead, she was stopping Carl from getting expelled. She's unbelievable," Mia said, looking at Elise unhappily.
"Is that what you care about? You knew Hilda was a brat from the beginning," Elise said.
"That's true anyway. I feel hurt, and my body aches," Mia said as she adjusted herself on the clinic bed. She suddenly remembered something. "Do you know what an apparition is called?" she asked Elise nervously.
"An apparition is a ghost or a ghost-like image of a person. But why do you ask?" Elise responded.
"Could the person called Lily be an apparition? Could it be she vanished entirely last night? Gosh! Everything is just so confusing. I'll explain later," Mia said as she pretended to sleep.
"Well, did Henry tell you why he wasn't coming today?" Elise asked curiously.
"He didn't. But don't talk about him for now. I really want to sleep."
The school auditorium was quiet. Too quiet.
Carl stood in front of the Allen High Disciplinary Committee, arms crossed, eyes full of forced confidence. But inside, he was sweating.
Mia sat in a chair across the room, a bandage on her cheek and a calm, unreadable look in her eyes.
The head of the committee, Mrs. Helen, flipped through a file.
"We received multiple witness statements. You beat up Mia harry yesterday. Do you deny this?"
Carl smirked. "I didn't beat her. She was rude and I just corrected her."
Mia closed her eyes for a second.
Lie.
Mrs. Helen turned to Mia. "Mia harry, do you have anything to say?"
Mia stood. "He's lying. I have proof."
She pulled out her phone and played the audio she had secretly recorded.
Carl's voice echoed through the speakers of how he pounced on Mia and hit her.
Gasps filled the room. Even a few students in the back covered their mouths.
Carl's eyes widened. "That's fake! It's edited—!"
Mia looked directly at him. "You're lying again."
Mrs. Helen raised an eyebrow. "It's not wise to double down, the director witnessed it. Especially when the truth is this loud why are you denying it?"
He thinks he has power by bullying other students and he had murdered a girl in the process. The truth is buried and you are denying beating me up'. Mia said intentionally trying to anger Carl.
Carl lunged forward, but two teachers grabbed him immediately.
Mrs. Helen stood. "That's enough. The committee finds Carl Carter guilty of violence against another student."
She turned to him. "Effective immediately, you are suspended from Allen High. Any attempt to return to campus without approval will result in police involvement. Do you understand?"
Carl didn't speak.
He just glared at Mia with a look that said: This isn't over.
Then he was escorted out.