Page 87 of Shadowed Whispers

I think of spending the afternoon in the cave with Leo, and I feel my cheeks heat. The memory sends a warm flush across my face, mixing excitement with a touch of nervous anticipation. “What about the cave?”

“So you know how when you go in, it’s super dark, right?” Tori glances at me then looks away to focus on the winding road. The car’s headlights carve a path through the twilight, casting eerie shadows that dance just beyond our sight.

“It’s a cave.” I laugh nervously. Does she know about my secret chamber? “Of course it’s dark.”

“Yeah, but it’s like devoid of all light,” she presses and clears her throat, her tone serious.

“What does this have to do with the game, Tori?” I adjust in my seat, feeling a prickle of unease. It’s like she’s trying really hard to tell me something without telling me something, and it’s confusing the hell out of me.

“I’m messing this all up.” She shakes her head, frustration etched across her features. Then, as if struck by a sudden realization, she nods to herself. “Oh! You know how in Alice in Wonderland, she falls down a hole and lands in Wonderland?”

I just blink at her, the comparison throwing me off even more.

“She’s in Wonderland,” she says, as if that explains everything.

“Are you telling me the game is in Wonderland?” I cock my head to the side, trying to decipher her cryptic hints.

“Yes!” she exclaims, her face lighting up with excitement. “The game is totally in Wonderland. I knew you’d get it.” I don’t, but her enthusiasm is infectious. She beams at me as she pulls onto a highway. “It’s a crazy game every year when we have to play against Aurora, and they go back hundreds of years.”

“I don’t think I’ve ever heard of Aurora University.” I frown, my curiosity piqued.

“It’s a town over in the mountains,” she says as she navigates the car off the highway, following a line of other cars. “It’s said that Aurora isn’t just a school, it’s a gateway to unexplained things out of fairy tales or nightmares, depending on who you ask.”

I cock my head, intrigued and apprehensive. “So you’re saying the game... isn’t just a game?”

“Exactly.” Tori beams. “It’s part of the lore. The rivalry isn’t just about sports, it’s about the clash of hidden worlds. Tonight, we might see more than a rugby match.”

What is she implying?

Silence settles over us as music plays softly in the background, a soothing melody that contrasts with the growing tension of our conversation. My eyes stray out the window as I watch the world pass me by in shades of green and gray. It’s beautiful here. Trees and mountains pop up, just like the one that stretches ahead of us.

It’s always striking how much the scenery can change from mile to mile. I focus ahead, squinting as signs for tunnels pop up. I’ve never gone this way, and tunnels under mountains aren’t uncommon, but something about this one causes a strange flutter in my stomach, a whisper of foreboding that I can’t quite shake.

The light from the setting sun fades as we approach the tunnel’s mouth, its entrance looming like a portal to another world, echoing with the mystery and unknown of Alice’s Wonderland. As we drive into the shadowy depths, the sounds from outside dull into a hush, enveloping us in a cocoon that seems to pulse with secrets, heightening the sense of an impending revelation. Tori’s earlier words about Wonderland echo in my mind, blurring the lines between reality and fairy tales.

As we emerge from the dim embrace of the tunnel, the landscape transforms dramatically. The car bursts into the fading light of the evening, and ahead of us, perched majestically on the mountainside, stands Aurora University. It looks nothing like a modern educational institution, but rather like an ancient castle rising directly from the rugged stone of the mountain itself. Its towers, sharp and imposing, cut a dramatic silhouette against the twilight sky, while the old stone walls appear to hold countless stories whispered by the winds.

My breath catches at the sight, the university’s grandeur both awe-inspiring and slightly intimidating. It looks like a fortress, isolated and majestic, guarding ancient secrets and legacies. The architecture is a blend of Gothic spires and rugged stonework, creating a picture of a realm pulled from another era—or perhaps, as Tori suggested, another world entirely.

The road curves snugly against the mountain, with thick forests crowding close to its edges, their branches stretching toward the stony base of the university like curious spectators. The last rays of the sun paint the scene with a golden hue, highlighting the castle-like features of Aurora University and enhancing its mystic allure.

Tori slows the car as we approach a quaint stone bridge that arches over a stream, leading toward the main gate of the university. She turns to me with a grin, her eyes reflecting pride and excitement. “Welcome to Aurora University,” she announces, her voice imbued with a hint of ceremony, as if she’s revealing a long-kept secret.

I stare up at the imposing structure, feeling wonder and nervous anticipation. The scene is so perfectly surreal, like stepping into a page from a fantasy novel. Tori’s earlier words echo in my ears, blending with the mystical view before us—Wonderland indeed.

Chapter 30

Dorian

The steady tick of a clock echoes in my head, seemingly louder than it truly is.

Ticktock.

Ticktock.

Ticktock.

My nostrils flare with determination as I slink down the corridor of Aurora University, a place reminiscent of the haunted halls back at Shadow Locke. This university, one of three prominent institutions on the East Coast, pulsates with academic and arcane energy. Tonight is the only chance I have to access their ancient library—a sanctuary of forgotten lore—but the book I desperately need isn’t there. Worse, it isn’t even cataloged in their system.

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