Chapter 2

The rest of Evelyn's day passed in a blur of lectures, study sessions, and work at the admissions center. As she walked back to her apartment in the cool evening air, that nagging feeling of anticipation from the morning still lingered. She couldn't shake the sense that something was off, like a discordant note in an otherwise familiar melody.

Unlocking her door, Evelyn was greeted by Midnight's insistent meows. She smiled, bending down to scratch behind the cat's ears. "At least you never change, huh?"

After feeding Midnight and heating some leftover pasta for dinner, Evelyn settled onto her couch with her laptop. As she scrolled through her emails, her phone buzzed again. Expecting it to be her roommate, Lily, she reached for it absently.

The screen lit up with another message from the unknown number:

"Evelyn, I know you ignored my first message. But this is urgent. Your life may depend on it."

A chill ran down Evelyn's spine. This was getting weird. She hesitated, her thumb hovering over the delete button. But curiosity got the better of her.

"Who is this?" she typed back.

The response came almost instantly:

"A friend. Someone who wants to keep you safe. Meet me at the old oak tree by the lake at midnight. Come alone."

Evelyn's heart raced. This had to be some kind of prank, right? But how did they know her name? And why did she feel so compelled to go?

She glanced at the clock. 11:15 PM. If she left now, she could make it to the lake by midnight. But should she? Every logical part of her brain screamed that this was a bad idea. She had read and seen too many horror movies and articles of girls getting kidnapped or killed or worse.

Yet as she sat there, staring at her phone, Evelyn realized that for the first time in years, she felt truly alive. The predictable routine she had clung to for so long suddenly seemed suffocating.

Before she could talk herself out of it, Evelyn grabbed her keys and jacket. She scribbled a quick note for Lily, just in case, and headed out into the night.

As she walked towards the lake, the campus eerily quiet around her, Evelyn couldn't shake the feeling that she was being watched. Shadows seemed to move at the corners of her vision, but when she turned to look, there was nothing there.

The old oak tree loomed ahead, its gnarled branches stretching out over the still waters of the lake. Evelyn checked her phone. 11:59 PM.

Her heart pounding, she approached the tree. "Hello?" she called out softly. "Is anyone there?"

Suddenly, a figure stepped out from behind the trunk. Evelyn gasped, taking a step back.

"Don't be afraid," a familiar voice said. "I'm here to help you."

As the figure moved into the moonlight, Evelyn's eyes widened in shock. It was a face she knew well – one she saw every day at work in the admissions center.

"Professor Harris?" she whispered. "What's going on?"

The professor's eyes were grave as he replied, "Evelyn, there's something you need to know about who you are. And why you're in danger."