The Promise

Mariza pressed her face against the cold metal bars of her cell. The Paper School's detention room smelled like old chalk and fear. Her roommate Luca sat on his narrow cot, his sea-green scales catching the dim light from the single bulb overhead.

"They killed Jenny today," Luca whispered, his voice barely audible. "Bad grades in math."

Mariza's green eye flashed with anger while her black-and-purple one seemed to swirl with something darker. The small demon sign on her cheek tingled. She had heard the screams echoing through the halls during third period.

"Promise me something," Luca said, standing up. His webbed hands trembled slightly. "If something happens to me while you're gone, you have to get revenge. Make them pay."

Mariza grabbed his cold, scaly hand through the bars. "Nothing will happen. But I promise."

Tomorrow she would leave for her grandmother's funeral. Just two days away from this cursed place.

Empty Hallways

Two days felt like forever. Mariza's grandmother's funeral was sad, but all she could think about was getting back to Luca. The bus ride to Paper School seemed to take hours longer than usual.

The moment she stepped through the front doors, something felt wrong. The hallways were too quiet. No students rushing to class, no teachers shouting orders. Her boots echoed against the tile floor as she walked deeper into the building.

Then she saw the blood.

Dark red stains covered the walls like paint splatters. A girl's backpack lay torn open, papers scattered everywhere. Mariza's heart started racing. Her demon sign began to tingle.

She ran toward the detention wing, her red and black outfit flashing as she turned corners. More blood. Bite marks in the walls. Someone had been eating the students.

When she reached Luca's cell, her world crashed down. His sea-green scales were mostly gone, revealing raw flesh underneath. Bite marks covered his body like he was someone's snack. Multiple stab wounds dotted his chest.

Her roommate, her only friend, was dead.

Something deep inside Mariza cracked. Her black-and-purple eye began to swirl with fury. The promise echoed in her mind.