Monday came too quickly.

  After the weekend that changed everything.

  After I chose my Exvertia mentor.

  Now I was back in my classroom, pretending nothing had changed.

  But something pressed faintly inside my chest...

  Unsettled. Awake.

  The school buzzed with festival fever.

  Hallways overflowed with students hauling wooden boards, fabric rolls, stacks of paper.

  Paint fumes mixed with laughter and sharp arguments.

  No teacher came to class.

  We gathered in a rough circle. Voices collided.

  “A play!”

  “Legends of the Exvertias!”

  “Boring—food stalls! Easy money!”

  Chairs scraped. Ideas clashed.

  I stayed in the corner, hugging my notebook, watching faces shine with certainty.

  I felt like I didn’t belong to that brightness.

  Why do I always hesitate to speak?

  Then Narina glanced at me.

  Just a small smile.

  Warm. Quiet. A lifeline.

  It’s okay. I’m here.

  I breathed in.

  My hand rose.

  Trembling at first, then forced steady.

  “I… I have an idea.”

  Silence.

  Dozens of eyes turned to me. My chest pounded.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  For a heartbeat, I almost pulled my hand back.

  “What if we do… a haunted house?”

  Murmurs spread. Laughter. Curiosity.

  Narina leaned closer, whispering urgently.

  “A haunted house? Ria, that’s a lot of work... decorations... planning... everything…”

  I met her eyes.

  “Trust me, Narin.”

  She froze. Surprise flickered across her face, then something else.

  Hesitation mixed with respect.

  Songwill, our class rep, tapped the desk.

  “A haunted house, huh?” He tilted his head. “Why haunted?”

  I swallowed.

  “The rumor,” I said. “The Smile Stealer. From the exam week.”

  The room shifted.

  “That’s just gossip,” someone scoffed. “But… a student did disappear,” another whispered.

  Unease crept in.

  “If we use a real story,” I said, forcing the words out, “our haunted house will stand out. More than any other class.”

  Silence held.

  Songwill crossed his arms, eyes glinting.

  “If we pull that off, we’ll steal the festival spotlight.”

  He grinned. “I can already imagine everyone screaming.”

  The class erupted.

  Half fear, half excitement.

  Warmth spread through me, shaky but real.

  For once, my words hadn’t vanished.

  “All right,” Songwill said, clapping his hands.

  “Let’s list everything first.”

  Chalk scraped across the board.

  Stage play. Food stand. Haunted house. Art exhibit. Courtyard games.

  “Now we vote,” he said. “Write it down.”

  The paper trembled in my hand.

  Art Exhibit.

  My idea.

  But doubt pressed down harder.

  Does my idea deserve to choosen?

  In the end, I wrote something else.

  Food stand.

  Beside me, Narina whispered softly, apologetic.

  “I’m not good with scary things.”

  I nodded. Smiled. Pretended it didn’t sting.

  Songwill began counting.

  “Food stand… stage play… haunted house…”

  My heartbeat climbed.

  “Haunted house… another haunted house…”

  I glanced at Narina. She stared at her desk, hands clasped tight.

  “…Haunted house.”

  The stack of papers settled.

  “It’s decided,” Songwill said.

  “The haunted house.”

  Cheers exploded.

  Desks pounded. Chairs scraped back.

  I stayed frozen.

  “Then we split tasks,” Songwill continued.

  “Design, props, sound, shifts, everything today.”

  Chaos surged.

  “Count on you, Ria!”

  “Make it amazing!”

  “We can’t lose!”

  Their eyes pinned me in place.

  I hadn’t even voted for this.

  Why did it feel like the weight had chosen me?

  Across the room, Narina met my gaze and smiled faintly.

  My chest loosened, just a little.

  By the time I noticed, the sky outside had turned red.

  Dismissal had long passed.

  And somehow, I’d been left with the role of planner.

  Concept. Story.

  My own idea.

  Heavy. Overwhelming.

  The family car waited by the gate, gleaming in the evening light.

  Inside, the world fell quiet.

  Kana glanced at me.

  “You look tired, Miss Ria.”

  “My idea was chosen,” I said. “But… I didn’t even vote for it.”

  “That means they trust you.”

  “I’m happy,” I admitted. “But scared. Everyone expects so much.”

  Kana’s voice was calm.

  “Responsibility unsettles everyone. What matters is not stopping.”

  “If I fail…?”

  “I’ll catch you,” she said gently.

  “And remind you to stand again.”

  I looked out the window as city lights flickered on.

  I was still uncertain. Still restless.

  But with Narina. With Kana. With Father...

  Maybe I could keep moving forward.