The Vanishing
Elena stood at her bedroom window, watching the mist curl around the dark pine trees of their mountain village. The moon cast strange shadows on the snow-covered ground. Her brother Mihai's bed hadn't been slept in for three days now.
"He must be somewhere," she whispered, pressing her hand against the cold glass. The villagers had searched everywhere – the forests, the caves, even the old church ruins. But Mihai had vanished without a trace.
❄️ The Carpathian Mountains loomed silent and mysterious in the darkness ❄️
"Elena! Come down for dinner!" Mama called from downstairs. But Elena couldn't move. Her eyes were fixed on the mountain peak where the strange lights had appeared the night Mihai disappeared.
The kitchen was warm and smelled like sarmale – Mama's stuffed cabbage rolls. But neither Elena nor her parents felt much like eating.
"Did they find anything today?" Elena asked, pushing the food around her plate.
Papa shook his head. "Nothing. But old Maria from the village said something strange…" He hesitated.
"What did she say?" Elena leaned forward eagerly.
Elena's fork clattered onto her plate. Everyone in the village knew about the legendary school hidden somewhere in the mountains. It was said to teach dark magic to only ten students at a time. And only nine would graduate…
"That's just an old story," Mama said sharply. But her hands trembled as she cleared the plates.
That night, Elena couldn't sleep. She kept thinking about what the villagers whispered:
• The Scholomance appeared only to those chosen to study there
• It was hidden beneath a mountain lake
• Students learned secrets from the Devil himself
• One student would be claimed as payment each year
Could Mihai have been chosen? The thought made Elena's heart race.
A tap at her window made her jump. A large black raven perched on the sill, watching her with gleaming eyes. In its beak was a scrap of paper.
With shaking hands, Elena opened the window. The icy mountain air rushed in as the raven dropped the paper and flew away.
Written in what looked like dark red ink were three words: "Help me. -M"
Elena clutched the note to her chest. Her brother was alive! But if he really was in the Scholomance, she would have to be very brave – and very clever – to get him back.
Outside, wolves howled in the darkness. The sound echoed off the mountains, mixing with another noise – something that might have been laughter, or might have been screams.
Elena began to pack her backpack. She would need warm clothes, food, her grandmother's old cross necklace, and most importantly – her courage. Tomorrow, she would begin her search for the devil's school.
As she worked, the strange lights appeared again on the mountain peak. This time, they seemed to be calling to her.
"I'm coming, Mihai," she whispered. "Whatever it takes, I'll find you."
Whispers of the Dark School
The village library was small and dusty. Elena sneezed as she pulled another ancient book from the shelf. Her flashlight beam caught swirling dust motes in the early morning darkness.
“You won’t find what you seek in those books, child.” The voice made Elena jump. Old Madame Popescu emerged from the shadows, her silver hair gleaming.
Elena pulled out Mihai’s note, now crumpled from constant handling. “Please, I need to know more. My brother is there – I’m sure of it!”
Madame Popescu’s eyes softened. “Come with me.” She led Elena to a back room filled with strange objects – dried herbs, crystals, and old maps.
📜 The old woman’s fingers traced ancient markings on a yellowed map 📜
“Long ago, when my grandmother was young, she knew a boy who was taken. He returned… changed.” She pulled out a small leather journal. “These are his writings.”
Elena’s hands trembled as she opened the journal. Inside were drawings of dark corridors, strange symbols, and descriptions of magical lessons. But what caught her eye was a detailed sketch of a lake.
“Lake Hermanstadt,” Madame Popescu whispered. “The entrance lies beneath its waters, they say. But only those marked by dark magic can find it.”
A list fell from the journal’s pages:
• Signs of the Chosen:
- Ravens appear as messengers
- Strange lights on moonless nights
- Dreams of underwater towers
- Ability to read ancient symbols
“Last night,” Elena said slowly, “I had a dream. I was swimming deep in cold water, and I saw a black tower…”
The old woman gasped. “Then it’s true. The school is calling to you too.”
“But why? Why Mihai? Why me?”
Madame Popescu pulled out a small wooden box. Inside was a strange amulet. “Your grandmother left this for you. She knew this day might come.”
“My grandmother? But she died before I was born…”
“She was a guardian, child. One who watched the boundaries between our world and theirs. And now that power passes to you.”
Thunder rumbled outside, though the sky had been clear moments ago. The library’s electric lights flickered and died.
“Listen carefully,” Madame Popescu said urgently. “The path to Lake Hermanstadt is treacherous. You’ll need these…” She pressed a bundle into Elena’s hands – herbs, crystals, and an old compass that seemed to point in impossible directions.
A raven’s cry pierced the darkness. Elena looked out the window to see dozens of black birds circling the library.
“They’re watching,” the old woman whispered. “You must go now. But remember – in the Scholomance, nothing is what it seems. Trust your heart, not your eyes.”
Elena clutched her grandmother’s amulet. It felt warm against her skin, almost alive.
“Be careful who you trust, child. Even the teachers are not what they appear. And Elena…” Madame Popescu caught her arm. “If you hear singing beneath the water – cover your ears and swim away. Some songs are not meant for human ears.”
As Elena hurried home through the misty streets, she felt eyes watching from every shadow. The amulet pulsed with each step, like a second heartbeat.
In her room, she added the new items to her pack. The map seemed to shimmer in the moonlight, revealing paths she’d never seen before.
“Tomorrow,” she whispered to herself. “Tomorrow I find Lake Hermanstadt. Hold on, Mihai.”
That night, her dreams were filled with underwater bells and distant voices calling her name in languages she shouldn’t understand – but did.
Dark Paths and Ancient Signs
The forest loomed before Elena, ancient trees stretching into darkness. Her grandmother’s amulet pulsed warmly against her chest as she checked her strange compass one last time.
🌲 The needle spun wildly before pointing to a path no normal eyes could see 🌲
“This way,” Elena whispered to herself, stepping between two twisted oaks. The morning mist curled around her ankles like hungry fingers.
A raven landed on a nearby branch. Its eyes gleamed with an unnatural intelligence.
“Are you here to help or stop me?” Elena asked.
The bird cocked its head and spoke in a voice that sounded like crackling leaves: “Neither. We watch. We wait.”
Elena’s heart jumped, but she stood her ground. “Then watch me find my brother.”
As she walked deeper into the forest, the air grew thick with magic. Shadows moved wrong. Flowers bloomed and died in seconds. Time itself seemed to hiccup around her.
A soft voice drifted through the trees: “Little guardian, little seeker… are you sure you want to find what’s lost?”
Elena clutched her pack tighter. “Show yourself!”
From behind a gnarled tree stepped a woman – or something that looked like one. Her skin was pale as moonlight, her hair dark as cave water.
“I am Mirela,” she said, smiling with too-sharp teeth. “I guide those who seek the school.”
“Can you take me to Lake Hermanstadt?”
“Oh yes. But first, a test.” Mirela held out three items: a silver key, a black feather, and a small mirror.
“Choose wisely, little seeker. One leads to truth, one to power, one to loss.”
Elena studied each item carefully. The key felt cold, the feather whispered secrets, but the mirror… the mirror showed her brother’s face.
She reached for the mirror.
“Wait!” The amulet burned against her skin. Elena remembered Madame Popescu’s words: Trust your heart, not your eyes.
She picked up the feather instead.
Mirela’s smile widened. “Clever girl. The mirror shows what we wish to see. The feather shows what is.”
The forest path suddenly became clear – marked by black feathers that hadn’t been there before.
“Follow them,” Mirela said, fading into mist. “But beware – others walk these woods. Dark things. Hungry things.”
As if on cue, howls echoed through the trees – not wolves, but something worse.
Elena ran, following the feather trail. Branches grabbed at her clothes. Roots tried to trip her. The very forest seemed alive and angry.
She burst through thorny vines into a clearing. There, in a perfect circle of black stones, stood an old man drawing symbols in the dirt.
“Stop!” he called. “The wards must be completed before nightfall!”
Elena froze at the edge of the circle. The old man worked frantically, his fingers leaving trails of blue fire in the soil.
“The dark ones hunt tonight,” he muttered. “Stay within the circle until dawn. Then I’ll show you the lake’s secret path.”
The howls grew closer. Shadows with red eyes gathered between the trees.
As darkness fell, Elena sat in the circle’s center, watching the old man strengthen his magical barriers. The amulet hummed, adding its power to the wards.
She pulled out Mihai’s journal, reading by the light of the magic flames. One passage caught her eye:
“The school transforms us, sister. Each lesson changes us more. Soon I may not be the brother you knew. But I will always remember…”
The words faded there, as if Mihai couldn’t bring himself to finish.
Outside the circle, the shadow creatures prowled and snarled, testing the barriers. Elena gripped the black feather tight and waited for dawn.
Depths of Deception
The morning sun scattered the shadow creatures, leaving Elena and the old man – who called himself Petru – standing at the edge of Lake Hermanstadt. The water was black as ink, still as glass.
“Your brother went below,” Petru said, pointing to the dark surface. “The school takes one student each year.”
Elena touched her grandmother’s amulet. “How do I follow?”
🌊 The lake rippled, though there was no wind 🌊
“First, you must understand their ways.” Petru drew a circle in the mud with his staff. “The Scholomance’s selection is never random. They choose those with the spark – the potential for dark magic.”
• They mark potential students from birth
• Send dreams and visions to lure them
• Make deals with desperate families
• Create “accidents” to test candidates
“Mihai didn’t just vanish,” Elena whispered. “They called him.”
Petru nodded grimly. “Through dreams, most likely. Did he speak of strange visions?”
Elena remembered her brother’s drawings – twisted towers under dark waters, faces in shadows. “Yes. But why him?”
“The same reason they’re watching you now.” Petru pointed to her amulet. “Magic runs in your blood.”
The lake’s surface broke. A pale hand reached up, followed by a girl’s face – but her eyes were solid black.
“Welcome, sister,” the water-girl said in a voice like drowning. “We’ve waited for you.”
Elena stepped back. “I’m not your sister. Where’s Mihai?”
“Learning. Growing. Changing.” The water-girl smiled with sharp teeth. “Would you like to see?”
Before Petru could stop her, Elena nodded.
The water-girl grabbed her ankle. Elena screamed as she was pulled into the freezing lake.
Down, down, down they went. Past schools of blind fish, past ruins of ancient temples, past things with too many eyes watching from caves.
Just when Elena’s lungs were burning, they broke through into an air pocket. A vast underground chamber stretched before her, lit by floating balls of blue fire.
“Behold the true Scholomance,” the water-girl said.
Crystal towers rose from underground pools. Dark shapes moved behind stained glass windows. Students in black robes walked on water between buildings.
Elena’s amulet pulsed frantically. Something was wrong. The scene flickered like a bad dream.
“An illusion,” she gasped. “This isn’t real!”
The water-girl’s face twisted. Her black eyes became holes in reality. “Clever little witch. But seeing through our glamour won’t save your brother.”
The chamber dissolved. Elena found herself in a flooded cave, surrounded by pale figures with shark-like grins.
“He’s one of us now,” they chanted. “Soon you’ll join him.”
Elena’s amulet blazed with sudden light. The creatures hissed, shielding their eyes.
A familiar voice cut through the darkness: “Elena, swim up! NOW!”
It was Mihai’s voice – but changed, hollow. Still, it was enough.
Elena kicked hard, fighting the grabbing hands. Her lungs screamed. The surface seemed miles away.
Something dark and fast shot past her – a shadow with her brother’s face.
Then Petru’s staff plunged into the water, glowing like a star. Elena grabbed it and was yanked up onto the shore.
“Foolish girl,” Petru scolded, wrapping her in his cloak. “Never trust what they show you. The real school lies deeper, and its secrets are far darker.”
Elena coughed up lake water. “But I heard him. Mihai’s alive!”
“What’s left of him.” Petru’s eyes were sad. “The question is – how much of your brother remains?”
On the lake, ripples spread from nowhere. The water-girl’s laugh echoed across the surface:
“Come back tomorrow, little witch. The headmaster wants to make you an offer…”
Shadows and Blood
Elena stood before the massive underwater gates of the true Scholomance. Black iron roses twisted around bars thick as tree trunks. Her amulet pulsed with warning heat against her chest.
“Welcome to my school,” said a voice like silk over steel. A tall figure emerged from the shadows – the Headmaster. His skin was pale as moonlight, his smile sharp as broken glass. “I’ve been expecting you, Elena.”
🦇 Dark shapes fluttered in the corners of her vision 🦇
“Where is my brother?” Elena demanded.
The Headmaster waved his hand. The gates creaked open, revealing a long hallway lit by floating blue flames. “Why don’t you ask him yourself?”
• Shadows moving against the current
• Students with too-sharp teeth
• Empty mirrors on the walls
• The smell of copper and smoke
A familiar figure stepped out of the darkness. Elena’s heart stopped.
“Mihai?” she whispered.
Her brother smiled, but his teeth were different now. His eyes held a red gleam. “Hello, sister. I’ve learned so much here.”
“What did they do to you?”
“They made me better.” Mihai’s voice echoed strangely. “Stronger. You could be strong too, Elena.”
The Headmaster placed a cold hand on Elena’s shoulder. “Your brother was born with the gift. Just like you. We simply… helped it grow.”
Blood dripped from the ceiling. The walls pulsed like living things. Elena felt the magic trying to sink into her skin.
“I won’t become like you,” Elena said, backing away.
Mihai’s face twisted. “You don’t understand. This is a gift!”
He raised his hands. Shadows wrapped around Elena like ropes.
“Please,” she begged. “This isn’t you!”
“The boy you knew is gone,” the Headmaster said softly. “But you can join him in transformation. Think of the power you’ll have.”
Elena’s amulet blazed suddenly, burning through the shadow bonds. Memories flashed through her mind – Mihai teaching her to climb trees, telling her stories, protecting her from bullies.
“No,” she said. “My brother is still in there. And I’m going to save him.”
She grabbed her amulet and ripped it from her neck. Light exploded through the hallway.
The Headmaster hissed, shielding his eyes. Mihai stumbled back, his face flickering between human and monster.
“You dare challenge me in my own school?” The Headmaster’s voice boomed. His shape grew, twisted, became something ancient and terrible.
But Elena stood her ground. “You stole my brother. I’m taking him back.”
She held up the glowing amulet. “Grandmother taught me more than you know.”
Magic crackled between them like lightning. The battle for Mihai’s soul was about to begin.
Behind her, Petru’s voice rang out: “Remember, child – true magic comes from love, not darkness!”
Elena faced the monster her brother had become, ready to fight for his humanity – even if it cost her own.
The Price of Love
Magic exploded through the underwater halls of Scholomance. Elena’s amulet blazed like a small sun, pushing back the darkness that tried to swallow her brother.
“Fight it, Mihai!” she cried. “Remember who you are!”
The Headmaster’s shadow form loomed over them both. His laugh shook the walls. “You cannot undo my work with mere trinkets, child.”
🔮 Ancient power crackled through the water 🔮
But Elena wasn’t afraid anymore. She thought of summer days picking berries with Mihai, of his stories by the fire, of his hand holding hers when she was scared.
• Their shared childhood laughs
• Games in the village square
• Songs their mother taught them
• The love that made them family
“Remember, Mihai,” she said softly. “Remember home.”
Her brother’s red eyes flickered. For a moment, she saw the real Mihai looking back at her.
“Elena?” His voice cracked. “Help me…”
The Headmaster roared. “He belongs to the darkness now!”
Shadows wrapped around Mihai like chains. But Elena grabbed his hand.
“No,” she said. “He belongs with me.”
Light poured from her amulet into Mihai. The darkness in him fought back, but Elena didn’t let go.
“You want power?” she challenged the Headmaster. “This is real power. Love. Family. Things you can never understand.”
The monster that was once the Headmaster lunged at them. But Petru appeared, holding up an ancient book.
“Now, Elena!” he shouted. “The spell!”
Elena squeezed Mihai’s hand and sang the lullaby their mother used to sing. Her voice carried magic older than the school itself – magic of hearth and home.
Light filled the underwater halls. The Headmaster screamed as his darkness burned away. The walls of Scholomance trembled.
“We need to leave,” Petru warned. “The school is collapsing!”
Elena pulled Mihai close. His eyes were brown again, his smile human. “Let’s go home, brother.”
They raced through crumbling corridors as the dark school fell apart. Other students fled too, the Headmaster’s spell broken.
When they burst from the lake into sunlight, Elena looked back. The waters churned, then grew still. Scholomance was gone.
A New Dawn: The village welcomed them as heroes. Mihai needed time to heal, but he was himself again. Elena kept her amulet as a reminder that love’s magic was strongest of all.
That spring, flowers bloomed where dark roses once grew. Sometimes at night, Elena heard distant echoes of Scholomance’s power. But she wasn’t scared anymore. She had learned that light could always overcome darkness – if you were brave enough to love.
Petru smiled when she visited his shop. “You did well, child. But remember – magic never truly dies. It only changes form.”
Elena nodded, touching her amulet. She knew there would be other battles between light and dark. But now she was ready. She had discovered the greatest magic of all – the power of a sister’s love.
And somewhere in the mountains, new stories began…