NUNNE

PROLOGUE

There were always two choices.

Stay still or keep moving. To do something or do nothing at all. To accept the consequences or to go against it.

But this wasn't the case.

Ellaine Garcia knew it was wrong to sneak inside the main building after hours, but she was getting desperate. Exams are coming in fast and she never got the chance to review for anything. Her class standing was dangling by a thread now and her socialite friends won't even help her get out of this mess.

It was all their fault in the first place. They dragged her to parties till dawn and let her hook up with boys from Desmond University, one of which was Professor Gilmore –their Chemistry teacher-'s son. She had to admit though, he was pretty hot.

But she was a scholar.

All those nights partying when she should've been reviewing finally came back to haunt her. She even slept through class either drunk or exhausted from her adventures the previous night. Now there she was, trying to pick the lock on their school head's office door.

Luckily, her friends managed to tell her how to get what she needed. They told her about how the school's head honcho – a bachelor in his early 20's – keeps all the tests in his office the day before the exams.

The old doorknob opened with a click and soon granted her access to the workplace. A musty smell immediately filled her nose the moment she stepped in –the aroma of dusty books and old-people furniture. She closed the door behind her and lit up the flashlight she brought.

She then scanned the whole room hoping to find what she was looking for.

Saint Barbara's University, a prestigious collegiate institution, was known for their high academic standards and the fact that they're able to produce most of the top-notchers in board exams around the country... but apparently not for their security measures.

Shortly after entering, she found out that she didn't need her flashlight that much. The light coming from the moon that peeked through the coloured glass-stained window was enough. It illuminated a portrayal of a dove with its wings spread-open. Tacky much?

Near the office table was a peculiar stack of papers that didn't go well with the room's rather unkempt appearance.

"Bingo." She uttered under her breath.

She tried to calm herself down for a bit knowing that she's only a step away from acing her exams.

Unfortunately, her celebration was short-lived.

The doors suddenly opened with a slam catching her off-guard. She instantly dove under the table and turned off her flashlight, hoping that whoever it was out there didn't see it. She can feel her pulse-rate sky-rocketing and her breathing getting hitched.

The floorboards creaked as the footsteps made their way towards her hiding place. She heard a loud thud hit just above her and instantly covered her mouth with her hand to prevent the surprised yelp from getting out.

It seemed as though time was going slower, like she was getting stuck in a warp or something. The air around her became heavier as the presence of someone else in the room made her feel perturbed.

Her vision started to get blurry even in the dark surroundings. She started to feel nauseous as she struggled to keep her focus and despite the cold air around her, she was sweating profusely.

She needed to get out of there. Forget the exam copies, she can weasel her way out of there somehow. What she needs to do at the moment is to escape. What was she even thinking? This kind of action can get her expelled! How is it that she can only manage to regret her decisions after she gets in too deep? It's like realizing she can't breathe underwater when she's practically drowning already.

What if the headmaster caught her? That would be impossible, it's practically midnight and everyone should be fast asleep by now. But then again, what if he got up to fetch some important documents from his office? What kind of excuse can she make then?

She can't just say, "Hey there Headmaster, what a coincidence bumping into you here. Is that a new tie? It looks great on you."

No, that would be stupid. If she's caught somehow, she'll say it was a dare from her friends. That's much more believable right?

Moments passed and she was getting anxious to escape. What bothered her was the fact that despite the obvious presence in the room, the lights were still out. Was there some power interruption or something? That can't be, the school had a generator that activates immediately during black outs.

Ellaine felt something shift by the table then heard the footsteps leave the room. She let out a sigh of relief once the door has been closed. With as little sound as possible, she got out of her hiding spot and hastily exited the office, leaving no evidence of a break in.

After checking if the coast was clear, she bolted towards the staircase that lead to down to the building's nearest exit.

"This is it!" she thought to herself, "Once I leave this building, I'll be home free!"

By the time she reached the stairs and was about to descend, something stopped her. The same cold, uneasy feeling she felt at the office seemingly surrounded her and immobilized her on the spot. It was as if a huge, cold hand grabbed her whole body out of nowhere and slowly squeezed the life out of her.

There was nothing else she can do but dart her eyes all around searching for the cause of this overwhelming state. By the time her gaze landed on the foot of the stairs, a ghostly figure started it's ascend; darkness overcame her and it was too late.