"Is this some kind of joke?" I snapped, losing my temper.
The figure in the chair slowly turned toward us.She stood tall, blonde hair twisted into a perfect bun, every movement radiating boldness and control.
But the nameplate caught my eye: Dark green background, bright gold text: 'Morticia Black Hollow.'
"So this place is named after whoever is sitting in that chair as if plotting when the world should end," I said.
Mila nervously moved behind us as Daniel said, "Jay, calm down. We will get out of here no matter what."
I took a deep breath.
"Hello students, my name is Morticia Black Hollow, and I am the principal of Black Hollow," she said.
"Sorry, Miss, I don't care if you're the founder. We're definitely not your students. We need to leave," Adrian said seriously.
The others stiffened, sensing warning.
The woman broke the silence with a cold, merciless laugh."Oh, children," she said. "You already are my students."
"What?" I snapped. "No, we're not."
Morticia rose and walked toward us, heels clicking like a countdown."You crossed the gates," she said calmly. "You stepped onto the ground. That alone enrolls you."
Daniel swallowed. "That's… not how schools work."
"Black Hollow does not follow outside rules," she replied.
Mila's voice trembled, "So… we can just leave then?"
"You may leave," she said. "When you earn it."
Bella frowned. "Earn it how?"
Morticia pressed a button. A wall slid open, revealing a tall board filled with names, ranks, and numbers."At Black Hollow University," Morticia said, "only the Top Ten students of the year are granted permission to exit."
My stomach dropped.
"And the rest?" Adrian asked.
"They stay," she said.
"You're trapping kids here," I said, voice shaking.
"I am educating them," she corrected. "Survival is part of the curriculum."
Barf cleared his throat."Principal, the registration forms."
She nodded. A stack of dark folders appeared, each stamped with the school crest in red."Sign," she said. "Refuse, and you'll be taken to a lower wing."
Daniel blinked. "There are… levels?"
"Many," Morticia smiled.
Mila grabbed my hand."Jay…"
I looked at my friends—Bella terrified, Mila trying to stay strong, Daniel thinking fast, Adrian forcing a brave smile.I hated this place already. But I hated the idea of leaving them even more.
I grabbed the pen."If we're doing this," I muttered, "we're doing it together."
One by one, we signed our names:
Jasper Jean Mariano – Jay
Adrian Nicolas Vega – Adrian
Daniel Elias Torres – Daniel
Camila Rose Valeria – Mila
Isabella Sofia Ruiz – Bella
As the last pen hit the paper, the lights flickered.Morticia closed the folders."Welcome," she said softly, "to Black Hollow University."
And just like that—We weren't visitors anymore—We were students at Black Hollow University.