The day ends in the same thick silence as it began. The final bell was less a ring of freedom and more a signal for a perfectly choreographed, silent retreat. The other students filed out, not one of them meeting your eyes, their footsteps muffled by the strange paper floor. You stand in the empty classroom doorway. The air is heavy, stale, like the breath of an old book. You’ve noticed three things that refuse to align with the sterile order of Paper School:

1. Miss Circle’s Desk: A pristine, sharp-edged object, yet a single, small, hand-drawn paper Circle is taped under the edge of the desk, just barely visible. It’s colored in a frantic, imperfect crayon red—a stark contrast to the white and black equations everywhere else.
2. The Burned Desk: The empty seat in the back corner. The warping and blackening look deliberate, like a symbol of punishment. Tucked just under the lip of the desktop, a single piece of paper is folded multiple times into a tight, hard Square.
3. The Whisper: The final message that rippled through the air, chillingly clear: “Don’t become like her.” You are certain it came from the direction of the long, bright hallway leading toward the locked, taped door: “\DeltaLICE – DO NOT ENTER.” You are the only person left on this floor. The silence is now an oppressive physical force. Your transfer form—the only solid, normal thing you brought with you—feels warm and dry in your hand. You have a brief window before you must leave the building. What do you do next? Your Choices You must choose to investigate one of the three clues before leaving. Choice A: Investigate Miss Circle's Desk • Tension: Direct risk. Investigating the teacher’s area is a high-risk, high-reward move. • Action: You approach the front of the room, kneel down, and peel off the small, crayon-red Circle taped under the desk. • What you might find: A clue to Miss Circle's true nature or motivation. Choice B: Investigate the Burned Desk • Tension: Indirect mystery. This desk is tied to the tragedy (Claire?) and the students' fear. • Action: You walk to the back corner, sit briefly in the empty chair, and pull the tightly folded Square from beneath the warped desktop. • What you might find: A personal message or a record of what happened to the previous student. Choice C: Investigate the \DeltaLICE Door and the Whisper • Tension: Immediate source of the haunting. The whisper directly warned you. • Action: You move quickly down the hall toward the sealed door, stopping just outside. You carefully run your fingers over the tape and the letters \DeltaLICE, listening closely for the tapping sound again. • What you might find: A direct encounter with the source of the unsettling atmosphere or the key to a larger conspiracy. Which choice defines your first move at Paper School?