Louis's first day finally arrived.
He woke up to the sound of movement beside him. Charlotte was already awake.
He quickly got up, and the two of them shared a simple breakfast before preparing their things in a hurry.
They rushed out together, excitement filling their hearts.
The moment they stepped into the school, their eyes sparkled with amazement.
Everything was bigger… grander… different from anything they had ever seen.
Students gathered around large boards, searching for their class names.
Louis scanned the list quickly—then paused.
"…Charlotte! We're in the same class."
Charlotte's face lit up.
"Really? That's amazing!"
They hurried upstairs, but just as they reached the classroom—
A sudden voice echoed through the entire school.
It was the principal.
"Since today is your first day," his calm voice rang from the speakers,
"you are free to explore the school and get familiar with it."
Murmurs of excitement spread instantly.
"The school consists of eighteen floors," the principal continued.
"The first three floors are for classrooms. Each floor contains twelve classes."
"Floors four to eight are student dormitories."
"Floors nine and ten are cafeterias."
"Floors eleven and twelve are for teachers' residences."
His voice turned slightly more serious.
"The remaining floors are strictly forbidden for students."
A brief pause followed.
"And the eighteenth floor… is my residence. No one is allowed to enter it."
Silence fell.
Then—
Excitement exploded among the students.
Louis and Charlotte exchanged a look before smiling.
"Let's go explore," Charlotte said.
They spent the next hours walking through the school, learning every corner of it.
Eventually, they found their dorm room.
To their surprise… they were assigned to the same room.
They began arranging their belongings together.
Louis looked around, still in disbelief.
"I can't believe we're actually here… in this school."
Charlotte smiled softly.
"Me neither."
After finishing, they headed to the cafeteria to eat.
The place was huge, filled with students from all backgrounds.
Louis grabbed his food and sat down—
But suddenly…
His expression froze.
Across the room—
He saw her.
Lucy.
His grip tightened slightly.
His chest felt heavy… suffocating.
"…Why is she here?" he muttered under his breath.
And just like that—
The excitement of his first day began to crack.