The whisper had become an insult for Niles.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡLurucKca1b
It wasn't fear Niles felt inside his dorm room, but a sharp frustration. The sound was a constant, low-frequency hum just below the threshold of hearing. It was noise, irrational and inefficient noise. And he had enough. For the past three nights, it had been louder, a persistent buzz at the edge of his consciousness that made him have difficulty focusing.
Enough.
He threw his textbook to the wall out of frustration, making his roommate jolt. Niles didn't care, and he wanted this nonsense to stop, once and for all.
He left his dorm room during mid-night, with a paper map of the entire school in his hand. He couldn't sleep with all that whispers around his ears. He tracked the whisper and reached the library's front door. At 2:17 AM, the corridors of Blackwood Academy were tombs, their silence broken only by the creak of settling stone. The library was a cavern of shadows, the moonlight through the leaded glass windows painting everything in silver and ink.
The hum was strongest here. He entered the library, moving through shelves and tracking it like a bloodhound, until he found himself standing in front of a locked door. There was a wooden plaque hanging on the door - Restricted Area, NO ENTRY.
The source was on the other side.
His hand went to the door handle, he pushed it slightly. Locked, as expected. Niles knelt and took out his lock pick made from paper clip from his pocket.
The moment he inserted the lock pick inside, a small, keychain flashlight illuminated his face. Its beam was shaking slightly. Niles turned and saw a girl standing behind him. Alice Solace, a quiet classmate from his history class. She was from the fencing team, who fenced with such fierce, private grace. Now, Her face was slightly pale, with a pair of serious eyes wide with alarm.
"You need to step back," she whispered, her voice tight. "Right now. Don't touch it."8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡQ0BZMJkTqB
Niles rose slowly and didn't retreat.
"What were you thinking? You can't just... go poking at things like that in the dark!" Alice lowered her flashlight and whispered. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡiOCMQDmj3j
"I am gathering data," Niles said, calmly with his usual demeanour. "The auditory anomaly is disruptive. I was trying to locate its source."8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡSShgugcRsi
"It's not an anomaly," she hissed, stepping closer. Her voice was still a whisper, but it was fierce now. "It's a warning. And if you set off a bigger one, they'll know. They'll know you were listening!"
"Who?"
Niles immediately took a step closer to Alice, his usual calm was replaced by an intense focus.
"Start talking."
"I-I don't know... the teachers..." She hugged her arms around herself, the gesture making her look younger. "You really think they brought you here just because of your test scores? You must know there's more..."8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡF9IDY6qpul
"You have observed this phenomenon before." Niles was sure of it, it wasn't a question. 8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡAE8XJZHKS4
Her shoulders slumped, giving him a weary resignation. "You're not the first clever person they've brought here, Niles. Just... be clever quietly. Please. Don't get caught."8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡxFNnKLBmhG
She turned to leave, melting into the shadows, and Niles stopped her.
"Alice, Wait!"
She stopped and looked at him for a long moment, her intelligent eyes searching his, seeing a mind that couldn't stop solving for the anomaly. She seemed on the verge of saying more, but instead, she just shook her head.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡFigSJEJKpn
"Just... be careful, Niles..."8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡjqIsBsYv0d
Then she was gone, her footsteps silent on the old carpet, leaving Niles alone in the vast, humming library. The whisper was still there, but it was no longer just an annoyance. It was a message, for him.8Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡGmMPi5v5eW
and then Add to home screen.