The morning mist hung low over Bellmont School, as if the school itself was tightening its grip on its secrets. After the tense encounter with Ms. Arlena, Rossie couldn't stop thinking about the brown envelope handed to her the night before.
She now sat in the far corner of the library with Liam. The envelope remained sealed on the table between them.
"Aren't you going to open it?" Liam asked, eyeing the envelope cautiously.
Rossie took a deep breath. "We don't know what we're going to find inside."
"But if we don't open it, we'll never know anything," Liam replied, his voice unusually serious.
Rossie slowly broke the seal. Inside was just one thing: an old map of Bellmont School.
But there was something off. The map differed from the modern-day layout. One room stood out—a space that didn't appear on any current blueprint. It was labeled "Special Archives 1999." Its location: beneath the library, hidden behind a wall of dusty storage shelves.
"Special Archives?" Liam frowned. "Why hide something like that?"
Rossie stared at the map. "Maybe that's where Alya—and my mom—hid something important."
⸻
That afternoon, once classes ended and the school began to quiet down, Rossie and Liam slipped into the library's basement archive. They brought a small flashlight and the laminated old map.
They passed row after row of shelves. Dust-covered books and decaying files surrounded them. Until finally—they spotted it: a large wooden shelf that didn't quite sit flush with the wall.
"Help me push it," Rossie whispered.
They heaved it aside together. Dust clouded the air, revealing a small wooden door hidden behind.
Heart pounding, Rossie gripped the handle. The door creaked open slowly, revealing a steep staircase descending into darkness.
"Are we really going down there?" Liam asked.
Rossie nodded. "We have to know what Bellmont is trying to hide."
⸻
The underground room felt more like a bunker than an archive. Rusty cabinets, creaking metal racks, and a large bulletin board covered in yellowed black-and-white photographs filled the space.
At the center was a large table cluttered with files marked:
"Drama School Project – 1999"
"Alya Putri – Case Notes"
"Internal Discipline – Confidential"
Rossie and Liam exchanged glances. They sat and opened the first file.
Name: Alya Putri
Admission Year: 1997
Status: Missing – April 4, 1999
Notes: Involved in controversial theater project.
Last seen in the underground stage room. No eyewitnesses.
Rossie held her breath. "It's… a missing person report."
Liam pointed to a handwritten note clipped to the corner:
"Additional note from supervising teacher:
Footage shows Alya entering backstage storage. Recording cuts out afterward.
All documentation sealed under Headmaster's order."
Rossie bit her lip. "And they just… buried this?"
Liam reached for a small envelope buried under the pile. Inside were photos: the old theater, dressing rooms, and one that made Rossie freeze.
It was her mother. Standing beside Alya on Bellmont's stage, smiling. Behind them hung a cracked stage bell.
"My mom was really involved… and she hid all of this from me."
Liam looked at her gently. "Maybe she was trying to protect you."
Rossie shook her head slowly. "Or she was afraid… afraid I'd find out the truth."
⸻
Moments later, footsteps echoed above.
The wooden door creaked.
Liam quickly switched off the flashlight.
"Quiet!" Rossie whispered sharply.
They crouched behind one of the tall shelves as someone descended the stairs, holding a large flashlight.
A tall figure appeared, wearing a black coat and an old-fashioned bellboy cap. His steps were heavy, his gaze sharp as he scanned the room.
"Who is that?" Liam whispered.
Rossie held her breath. The figure wasn't anyone they recognized. He moved toward the center table, inspecting the opened files. His eyes narrowed. Then he swept his flashlight across the room—slowly closing in on their hiding spot.
And then… darkness.
The flashlight went out.
Total blackness.
The footsteps came closer.
Rossie grabbed Liam's hand and bolted toward the exit. Their breath hitched, feet slipping as they scrambled up the stairs.
Just as they shut the hidden door behind them—
BANG!
A violent thud echoed from below.
"Whoever that was…" Liam said, breathing hard, "they know we were down there."
⸻
That night, Rossie couldn't sleep. She sat near the window, staring at the faint moonlight breaking through the mist.
She opened the photo again—her mom and Alya. Together. Smiling in the past that now haunted her present.
"Why didn't you ever tell me about this, Mom…" she whispered.
Her phone buzzed.
A message from an unknown number:
"Stop looking for Alya. Some secrets are better left buried."
Rossie's eyes widened.
A second message followed:
"Or you'll end up just like her."