Alternate start

Cortney McElroy adjusted the strap of her backpack as she stepped into the bustling dorm lobby, her medium dirty blonde hair catching the fluorescent lights overhead. The orientation packet had been overwhelming—classes, clubs, Tabz, and that weirdly vague warning about the castle. But right now, all she cared about was finding her room before her roommate claimed the good bed. The elevator was packed, so she took the stairs, her sneakers squeaking against the polished steps. Third floor, room 312. The door was slightly ajar when she arrived, and she hesitated before pushing it open.

Inside, a girl with jet-black hair tied in a messy bun was already unpacking a pile of band t-shirts onto the left bed. She turned at the sound of the door, flashing a grin that showed slightly crooked canines. "Hey! You must be Cortney," she said, tossing a crumpled shirt onto the growing pile. "I’m Jules. Claimed this side ‘cause the outlet’s closer. Hope you don’t mind." Cortney shrugged, dropping her duffel bag onto the other bed. "As long as the mattress isn’t a brick, we’re good." Jules snorted. "Oh, it is. But hey, free education, right?"

Cortney groaned dramatically and flopped onto the mattress, bouncing slightly. "Ugh, figures. My sister Dinea warned me dorm beds feel like sleeping on a cafeteria tray." Jules laughed and tossed her a Twinkie from her open snack box. "Here, carb therapy helps. So, what’s your major?" "Pre-med," Cortney said, peeling the wrapper. "You?" "Occult studies." Jules wiggled her eyebrows when Cortney choked on her bite. "Kidding. Journalism. But I do have a midnight class tonight—that weird ‘bonus’ one they mentioned. You going?"

Cortney- no..I declined the email, their was no information telling what it was about, as a med student, I saw no reason to bother without knowing what it was about.

Jules smirked, tossing a crumpled wrapper into a half-open drawer. "Suit yourself. But if it turns out to be some secret society thing, I’m not sharing the free robes." She grabbed a battered notebook from her desk and flipped it open, revealing pages crammed with hasty handwriting .Cortney rolled her eyes but couldn’t help glancing at Jules’ notebook. The scrawled notes were hard to decipher, but one underlined phrase caught her eye: Midnight Lecture—truth or trap? Jules caught her looking and snapped the notebook shut with a grin. "Curious? You should be. People talk about that class like it’s some urban legend. Last year, a guy swore he went and came back with his hair turned white. Total BS, probably, but I’m gonna find out." Cortney frowned. "That’s ridiculous. And why would the school even offer something sketchy?" Jules leaned in, lowering her voice.

Jules leaned in, lowering her voice. "Because it’s not the school offering it. Rumor is, it’s something way older—something that was here before the university. They just... tolerate it." Cortney scoffed, but a prickle of unease crawled up her spine. "You’re seriously buying into this?" Jules shrugged and checked her watch. "Guess I’ll find out in"—she paused dramatically—"three hours." She flopped onto her bed, pulling out her phone. "Wake me up at 11:30, yeah? I need caffeine before facing ancient academic demons"

Cortney rolled her eyes but nodded, unpacking her duffel bag with deliberate slowness. The dorm mattress was a brick, just like Jules had warned.

By 10 PM, Jules was snoring softly, her phone still clutched in one hand. Cortney sighed and shook her awake at 11:30 sharp, as promised. "Ugh, five more minutes," Jules groaned, burying her face in her pillow. "Ancient academic demons wait for no one," Cortney deadpanned, tossing a crumpled energy drink can at her. Jules caught it with surprising reflexes, cracking it open with a hiss. "Damn right they don’t."