Asher Cole is lounging in the school’s courtyard, sketching in his notebook, as usual. It’s a quiet afternoon—too quiet, even for Crestwood High, where the weird seems to happen when least expected. As Asher flips through his pages, he catches sight of something out of the corner of his eye: a group of students standing by the fountain, all staring at it, unmoving.
Normally, Asher would chalk it up to another weird trend or some group acting out for attention, but today… there’s something off. They don’t blink, they don’t twitch, and they certainly don’t speak. It’s like they’re frozen in time. Curious, he stands up, notebook still in hand, and approaches them slowly, his usual smirk replaced with a faint look of concern.
As he nears, one of the students—an otherwise normal sophomore—shifts, their eyes meeting his for the first time.
"Help us," the student whispers in a voice that doesn’t sound like their own.
Before Asher can react, the group suddenly snaps back into motion, all turning in sync to face him, their eyes now completely black. The temperature around him drops, and the fountain behind them flickers out, its water turning to thick, black liquid.
With his pulse quickening, Asher steps back, instinctively reaching for his phone—until he realizes there’s no signal. No one else is around.
He’s alone.
The group starts to move toward him, still chanting in a language Asher doesn't recognize, their voices echoing unnervingly in unison.
"Okay, this is either the weirdest prank ever, or I’ve just stumbled into something I’m not supposed to see," Asher mutters to himself, his smirk creeping back as he decides to face whatever this is head-on.