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Astrid POV

We didn’t waste any more time.

No one argued.

No one lingered.

One by one, students filed into the buses, the earlier energy completely gone. The campsite—what was supposed to be a place of laughter and memories—felt like something we couldn’t leave fast enough.

I got on the bus and took my seat without saying a word.

Didn’t look at anyone.

Didn’t try to start a conversation.

My mind was… loud.

Too loud.

Three deaths.

In less than twenty-four hours.

I stared out the window, watching the trees blur as we finally pulled away, my thoughts circling the same thing over and over again.

It didn’t make sense.

And yet—

Nothing pointed to it being anything else.

No signs of struggle.

No signs of anything unnatural.

Just… accidents.

One after the other.

“You shouldn’t think too much,” Dove said softly, sliding into the seat beside me.

I blinked, pulled back from my thoughts, and turned to her with a small, almost automatic smile.

“I wasn’t thinking,” I said.

She scoffed immediately.

“Astrid,” she said, reaching over to rub my thigh gently, grounding me, “I’ve been your roommate for how long? I know when you’re thinking.”

I exhaled softly.

“Yeah,” I admitted. “You’re right.”

She took my hands in hers, squeezing lightly.

“We’ll get through it,” she said. “We’ll go back, reset, and just… move on. Velmora, normal life, everything.”

Normal.

The word felt strange.

“I hope so,” I murmured.

She smiled at me.

Warm.

Reassuring.

And for a second, it worked.

The bus filled up gradually, students taking their seats, conversations low and scattered. Then finally, the engine roared to life, and we were moving.

Leaving it all behind.

“I’ll text the driver later,” Killian’s voice came from behind me. “Let him know where we are.”

“Yeah,” Jason replied. “That’s needed.” So our driver would get to school before us so we wouldn’t need to wait long for him.

I leaned my head against Dove’s shoulder, letting out a quiet breath.

“Why aren’t you sitting with Zora?” I whispered.

Dove chuckled softly.

“I’ve been glued to her the whole ‘one-day camp,’” she said. “A little space won’t kill us. Besides, she’s probably more excited about getting home to her cat.”

I huffed out a small laugh.

“I forgot about the cat.”

“Exactly.”

The ride continued.

But it wasn’t like before.

No loud music.

No teasing.

No chaos.

Just silence.

A heavy, suffocating kind.

Like everyone was afraid that if they spoke too loudly, something else would go wrong.

I thought it would stay that way.

Until—

“Alright,” a voice cut through the quiet. “Since no one wants to say it, I will.”

I lifted my head immediately.

A guy stood up from his seat, gripping the backrest in front of him as he looked around the bus, his expression dark with anger.

“What is it now, Shawn?” a girl groaned. “Sit your ass down.”

“Oh, I will,” he snapped, “but not before I say this.”

The tension shifted instantly.

Everyone was listening now.

“I’m pissed,” he continued, his voice rising. “And I know I’m not the only one.”

He turned sharply—

Pointing.

At the girl.

Gracie.

She shrank slightly in her seat.

“Who the hell lets someone walk into the woods alone?” he demanded. “At night. After everything that already happened?”

No response.

“You don’t have anything to say?” another guy added, leaning forward. “Or are you just going to sit there like nothing happened?”

Gracie swallowed, her hands gripping her sleeves.

“What do you want me to say?” she shot back, her voice shaky but defensive.

“What were you even arguing about?” Shawn pressed, his tone turning colder. “What kind of argument makes you so heartless that you let someone walk off like that?”

“Maybe it was over a boy,” a blonde girl from the back chimed in casually. “Girls do dumb stuff like that all the time.”

I grimaced.

“Seriously?” Jason cut in sharply. “That’s what you’re going with?”

The blonde shrugged.

“I’m just saying—”

“Don’t,” Jason snapped. “Just don’t.”

Shawn let out a harsh laugh.

“Regardless of what it was about,” he continued, his voice dropping, more dangerous now, “your stupidity just cost someone their life.”

Gracie’s head snapped up.

“Don’t you dare—”

“Oh, I will,” he cut her off. “Because now the lecturers are going to get dragged into this mess. Authorities, investigations—everything. All because you couldn’t use your brain for five seconds.”

“Look,” she said, her voice rising, “you can’t blame me entirely—”

“Watch me,” he fired back.

She stood up now, her composure cracking.

“It wasn’t a big argument!” she insisted. “And it wasn’t about a boy! Ellie left like—like she was talking to someone, okay? She said she needed to pee, and she sounded normal!”

“Gracie,” someone interrupted sharply, “she was sleepwalking. She’s dead.”

Gracie turned, eyes blazing.

“Oh please,” she snapped. “Are you a dimwit? She wasn’t sleepwalking!”

The bus erupted into murmurs again.

“So what?” Shawn scoffed. “A ghost came to get her?”

“Why are you so worked up?” Killian’s voice cut in, calm but edged. “Is it the trip or something else?”

Shawn turned to him immediately.

“Everything!” he snapped. “Everything is wrong with this whole situation!”

Gracie let out a bitter laugh.

“Oh, so now everyone’s pointing fingers at me?” she said. “Why don’t you blame me for the other two deaths too, huh? Since we’re doing that?”

No one answered.

Because no one had an answer.

“I was asleep,” she continued, her voice cracking now. “Deep asleep. She woke me, said she needed to go. Are you telling me you would’ve jumped up instantly? No confusion, no hesitation?”

She pointed at Shawn.

“You?” she challenged. “I’ve seen you in class. You sleep like a damn sloth. You wouldn’t have done anything better.”

A few students shifted uncomfortably.

“Wow…” Dove whispered beside me.

Shawn’s face darkened instantly.

“Shut the fuck up,” he snapped. “That was my cousin out there.”

The words hit hard.

A pause followed.

Then Gracie laughed.

Not softly.

Not nervously.

Bitter.

“Oh, fuck you,” she said. “Cousin? The same cousin you hit a few weeks ago? Now you care because she’s dead? Or because your parents are going to blame you that you couldn’t watch your own cousin? Do they even know you hit her?”

My jaw dropped slightly.

That—

That was too much.

“You little—” Shawn lunged forward.

Fast.

Angry.

But he didn’t reach her.

Hera stepped in.

Grabbing his wrist mid-motion.

Gasps filled the bus.

“You might’ve gotten away with hitting her before,” Hera said, her voice calm—but cold enough to freeze the air, “but you’re not doing it here. Not in front of me.”

Shawn yanked against her grip.

“And who the hell are you supposed to be?” he sneered.

Riven’s voice came from the side, quiet but firm.

“I’d listen to her if I were you.”

Shawn laughed.

Mocking.

Then leaned closer to Hera.

“Let me go,” he said. “Unless you want your pretty face rearranged.”

Silas glanced back from his seat.

“Shouldn’t someone help her?” he muttered.

“She’s fine,” Killian replied without hesitation.

Hera didn’t even blink.

“Do you want a countdown?” she asked Shawn, her grip tightening slightly.

He scoffed.

“You’re crazy—”

He swung.

Bad move.

She caught his other hand mid-air, twisted sharply, and kicked the back of his leg.

Hard.

He dropped to his knees instantly, a pained yell ripping out of him.

“I warned you,” she said.

“The hell—my leg!” he groaned. “I think you broke it!”

Hera released him slowly.

“Not yet,” she replied coolly.

From the front, one of the officials shouted—

“Enough! All of you! We don’t need another problem on our hands!”

Silence fell.

Heavy.

Hera stepped back, returning to her seat like nothing had happened.

And me?

I couldn’t help it.

A small smile tugged at my lips.

Because honestly?

He deserved that.

Killian POV

The ride felt longer than it should have.

Not because of the distance—

But because no one really knew what to say anymore.

After the whole scene on the bus, things had quieted down again. Not the peaceful kind of quiet—more like the kind where everyone had already said too much… or not enough.

Either way—

No one wanted to push it further.

By the time we pulled into the school grounds, I was already done with the entire trip.

Completely.

The buses came to a slow stop, one after the other, engines humming low before finally cutting off. For a second, no one moved.

Then the doors opened.

And just like that—

Reality hit.

“Alright, everyone,” one of the officials called out as we stepped down. “Listen carefully.”

Students gathered loosely, bags slung over shoulders, eyes tired, movements slower than usual.

“No one is to spread unnecessary panic,” another added. “Incidents like this are unfortunate, but they happen. We will handle the situation accordingly.”

I nearly scoffed at that.

Incidents like this happen.

Right.

“Let the school authorities deal with it,” the first one continued. “There’s no need for rumors or exaggerations.”

Murmurs broke out immediately.

Of course they did.

“You are dismissed,” he finished.

That was it.

No comfort.

No real explanation.

Just… dismissal.

Typical.

I adjusted the strap of my bag over my shoulder, exhaling sharply as I glanced around. Students were already scattering—some heading straight to their dorms, others sticking in small groups, talking in low voices.

No one looked normal.

Not after that.

“Let’s go,” Jason said beside me.

I nodded once.

We didn’t need to say more.

The group naturally fell together, like always. No one had to call it—we just moved.

Astrid, Jason, me, Damon, Elsie, Dove, Zora, Archie, Odin, Hera, Riven…

And then—

“Sable,” Astrid called out.

She was just about to head off in the opposite direction, her bag hanging loosely over her shoulder.

Sable paused, turning slightly.

“I’ll just head to my dorm,” she said. “I think I need a long sleep.”

Astrid frowned immediately.

“Or,” she said, stepping closer, “you come with us.”

Sable blinked.

“What?”

“To the mansion,” Astrid clarified. “We all just went through the same messed up day. No need to be alone right now.”

There was a brief pause.

Sable hesitated.

Then sighed.

“…yeah, okay,” she said. “That actually sounds better.” She smiled.

I smirked faintly.

Good choice.

We continued walking, heading toward where the van was parked—and right on time, the driver was already there, leaning casually against the side like he’d been waiting.

“Finally,” I muttered under my breath.

“Welcome back,” he said as we approached, straightening slightly. “Rough trip?”

“That’s one way to put it,” Damon replied dryly.

We didn’t waste time getting in.

Seats filled quickly, everyone settling in without the usual arguing over who sits where.

No one had the energy for that today.

The door slid shut.

The engine started.

And we were moving again.

This time—

Home.

For a while, no one spoke.

Just the low hum of the road beneath us, the quiet shift of bodies settling into seats.

Then—

“That trip was actually horrible,” Dove said finally, breaking the silence.

Zora nodded immediately.

“Completely pointless.”

“Understatement,” Archie added. “We literally went out for one day and came back with trauma.”

Odin hummed beside him.

“Statistically impressive, if you think about it.”

“That’s not funny,” Elsie muttered, though there was no real bite to it.

“It’s not supposed to be,” Odin replied calmly.

Riven leaned back slightly, his gaze distant.

“Still doesn’t feel right,” he said.

No one asked what he meant.

Because we all knew.

Damon exhaled.

“Three people,” he muttered. “Just like that.”

“Alright,” I cut in, running a hand through my hair. “Can we not?”

Heads turned toward me.

“We’ve talked about it enough,” I continued. “Trip’s over. We’re back. Let it go for now.”

A pause.

Then—

“Yeah,” Jason agreed. “He’s right.”

Dove sighed.

“Fine.”

“Change topic,” I added.

“Gladly,” Archie said immediately. “Because I refuse to spend the rest of my day thinking about dead people.”

“That’s… a choice of words,” Elsie muttered.

“But valid,” he shot back.

A few quiet chuckles followed.

Not loud.

Not lively.

But better than before.

The tension eased—just a little.

From the front, the driver spoke up.

“I had the butler arrange for something to be prepared,” he said. “Food should be ready by the time we arrive.”

That got more attention.

“What kind of food?” Damon asked immediately.

The driver chuckled.

“You’ll see.”

“Now that,” Archie said, sitting up slightly, “is the best news I’ve heard all day.”

“Agreed,” Dove added.

“Same,” Zora said.

I leaned back in my seat, exhaling slowly.

Food.

Rest.

Familiar walls.

Yeah.

That’s exactly what we needed.

“Thanks,” I said, glancing toward the driver.

Jason nodded as well.

“Appreciate it.”

The others murmured their agreement.

And for the first time since everything started—

It felt like we were finally leaving it behind.

Or at least…

Trying to.

“After today, after tomorrow class, I need a real trip, whichever city? Country?” Odin said and we all laughed.

“I doubt there’d be class tomorrow.” Riven said

“I hope so.”