One Night with the ALPHA Instructor

ck there?" I demanded, my voice still tremblin

to my room, let alone that Maxim had shown up mo

w, his gaze fixed on the

e was a tension in his posture tha

he'd arrived, leaving me to ste

s locking onto mine. "I already told you, Ms

ou need to be aware of. That's

..things in the woods? Or from the people inside this place? You keep talking in

uch to tell me. "I know this is overwhelming, but there are thing

, not budging. "Try me. I didn't

cautious around. Who are they? And why d

ly left his eyes. "There are faculty members here who have thei

rous. But you...you're important, Cl

f what he said, but because of the way he said it-like he

further, he continued, his v

m. He's charming, persuasive,

trust me when I say they do

ase through me. I'd seen the way Japheth had looked at me in t

as dangerous as M

pression serious. "Promise me

let him get too close. You're here for a reason, Clara,

ecial about me?" I asked, f

like a pawn in some larger game, on

something you'll have to discover

ou ever feel like you're in dan

both reassuring and unsettling. "Like you w

flicker of something-guilt?-in his

as I supposed to navigate this place when everyone seemed to have their own sec

se. "Good. And Clara...stay out of the woods. There ar

he turned and left, leavin

for a long moment, I just stood there,

warnings. The rest of the day was a whirlwind of

other teacher, getting a feel for

d, watchful, almost as if they wer

ibrary, a vast, dimly lit room that seemed m

nes cracked with age. The air was thick with the scent of old paper a

rms around myself as I wan

s place, one that made the hairs o

lf was alive, watching me, wai

rp eyes and a severe bun, barely acknowle

e she was reading, her long, bony fingers turning t

d myself drawn to a secluded corner where t

ering bookshelves, was a small door

nd I reached out to touch the door

my hand, and the door creaked open, revealing a n

murmured to myself, p

, to leave whatever secrets this pla

out the darkness, something that calle

inside, the door creaking shut be

d the stairs, the sound of my foot

in time, each step taking me dee

alls were lined with shelves filled with ancient artifacts-rusted weapons, ta

le, covered in a thick layer of dust, with a few s

d out before me. One of the books caught my attention, its cover e

brushed the leather, something else caught my ey

mistaking the image-a woman with long, dark hair and striki

hands resting on the hilt of a sword,

rd that caught my attention

. It couldn't be...could it? The resemblance was uncanny, as if I were looki

I whispered, my

he oppressive silence of the

ore I could make sense of any of it, the door at the top o

I heard it-the faintest sound, like the rustling of

ng-clamped down on my shoulder, se

the dark, empty room. But the grip on my shoulde

whispered in my ear, "You're n