Night – Bellmont School
Silence cloaked Bellmont that night. A light rain lingered outside the window, leaving behind the scent of damp earth drifting through the cracks of Room 203. Rossie sat on her bed, staring at an old photo she had found earlier in the school archive.
The woman's face in the photo was clear. Her smile was warm—and hauntingly familiar. It wasn't just anyone. It was her mother.
But why wasn't her mother's name listed in the Bellmont alumni records? Why did it feel like her past had been erased?
Liam, sitting quietly in the corner of the room, his eyes locked on a thick book written in Latin, spoke softly.
"Are you sure you want to know more?"
Rossie turned quickly. "What do you mean?"
Liam sighed. "Bellmont isn't just any school. Some stories from the past… were never printed in the yearbook."
⸻
The Next Day – Library
The next day, Rossie returned to the library—this time with a clearer plan. She borrowed an old map of the school she had seen hanging on the history wall of the second floor. On that map, a hidden underground space was marked. A space that no longer existed on Bellmont's official brochures.
"Record Room," Rossie murmured as she traced the halls.
She followed a back corridor near the arts room and descended a narrow, dusty staircase. At the bottom, an old iron cabinet blocked the path. But when she touched the right side of the frame, she heard a soft click—a mechanism activating.
The wall shifted open slightly, revealing a dim, narrow tunnel.
She was about to step in when footsteps echoed behind her.
"If I were you, I wouldn't go in there," a voice warned.
Rossie turned around. It was Liam, standing with his hands in his pockets, face unreadable.
"Why not?"
Liam looked at her, eyes steady. "Because not all secrets want to be found."
⸻
Later That Week – In Class
Over the next few days, Rossie noticed something else—she was becoming the center of unwanted attention. Sienna and Nichole, who had only whispered insults before, now mocked her openly in class.
"Must be nice getting in on a scholarship. Too bad the attitude didn't come with it," Nichole sneered during group presentations.
Rossie forced a small smile, holding back the frustration. She knew the queen bees were turning on her. But what they didn't know was that Rossie didn't come to Bellmont to socialize.
She came to find the truth.
✦✦✦
Room 203 – Late Night
That night, in the quiet of Room 203, Rossie and Liam sat in silence. Then Liam spoke, almost too softly.
"Your mother was the top student of Bellmont—class of 1998."
Rossie jolted upright. "You knew her?"
Liam didn't answer. He just stared out the window.
"Some names… disappeared from school records because they chose to disappear."
⸻
End of Chapter Scene
At the end of the chapter, Rossie stared at the map of Bellmont, marking a red dot on a hidden spot.
"Whatever this school is hiding… I will find it," she whispered.