Elysian Ridge High School stood tall at the edge of a lush valley, its ivy-clad walls a testament to decades of academic excellence. Known for producing intellectual elites and extraordinary talents, it was a place of discipline and dreams. Despite its prestigious reputation, the school prided itself on fostering a balanced and harmonious environment. There were no sordid tales of bullying, no whispers of despair—a sanctuary for young minds to thrive.

But every October, as the days grew shorter and the shadows stretched longer, a peculiar energy gripped the campus. The crisp autumn air carried more than the scent of fallen leaves; it carried the whispers of an ancient rumor.

"Hey, do you know that rumor?" whispered Lila, her voice barely audible over the distant hum of students in the hallway. Her hazel eyes sparkled with mischief as she nudged her friend, Cara.

Cara raised an eyebrow, adjusting the strap of her backpack. "Which one? You've got a whole library of rumors stored in that head of yours."

"The one about the demon," Lila replied, leaning in conspiratorially.

"Oh, not this again." Cara rolled her eyes, but the faintest hint of curiosity crept into her tone.

Lila grinned, undeterred. "Listen! They say there's a demon caged in the far storeroom behind the old south building. You know, the one they've abandoned."

"You mean the building that looks like it's one strong breeze away from collapsing?" Cara asked. "Pretty sure the only thing in there is dust and asbestos."

"I'm serious!" Lila insisted. "They say if you bring the demon a treat on Halloween, he'll grant you any wish you want."

Cara sighed, but the way her footsteps slowed betrayed her intrigue. "And who exactly is 'they'?"

"Everyone!" Lila said, throwing her hands up for emphasis. "It's been a thing for decades. My cousin told me about it when she went here. And guess what? She heard it from her senior when she was a freshman."

"Right. A demon granting wishes," Cara said dryly. "Sounds legit."

"You're such a skeptic," Lila teased, bumping Cara's shoulder. "Don't you ever wonder, though? What if it's real? What would you even wish for?"

Cara stopped in her tracks, her expression shifting. For a moment, she seemed lost in thought, her gaze drifting to the window where the late afternoon sun cast golden streaks across the lockers.

"I don't know," she said finally, her voice quieter. "Maybe something small. Something that wouldn't backfire."

Lila's eyes softened. She opened her mouth to respond but was interrupted by the shrill ring of the bell, signaling the start of their next class.

"We'll talk later," Lila said, pulling Cara along. "But mark my words, Cara, this Halloween is going to be different."

Cara didn't reply, but as they walked toward their classroom, she couldn't shake the eerie feeling that had settled in her chest. The thought of the abandoned building lingered in her mind, its shadowy halls seeming to call out to her, daring her to uncover the truth.

Once the girls went away, they didn't realize it but, there were ears listening to them. A girl with light brown hair leaned casually against a nearby locker, her lips curling into a sly smile.

"A demon granting wishes, hm?" she muttered to herself. "This looks interesting."

She pushed off the locker and made her way down the hall, her footsteps light and purposeful. Moments later, she slipped into an empty classroom where another girl sat near the window, her long black hair tied back in a neat ponytail. The girl glanced up from her book with a resigned expression.

"Evie," the newcomer said, her voice dripping with mischief. "I heard something interesting."

Evie sighed, closing her book with a soft thud. "What is it this time, Fiona?" she asked, her tone both weary and amused.

Fiona's smile widened. "Oh, you're going to love this."

Evie let out an exasperated sigh, her gaze fixed on Fiona, who was practically vibrating with excitement.

"Okay, spill it," Evie muttered.

Fiona leaned in, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "Have you heard the rumor? About the caged demon in the old storeroom?"

Evie raised an eyebrow. "You mean the one about the demon locked up in the abandoned building on school grounds? That rumor?"

Fiona grinned mischievously. "Exactly! And what better night than Halloween to check it out? Midnight, costumes, the whole spooky setup—"

Evie groaned, cutting her off. "You're seriously suggesting that you and I sneak into the school at midnight, dressed like idiots, just to poke around in some crumbling storeroom where a so-called 'caged demon' lives?"

Fiona nodded enthusiastically, her eyes sparkling. "Yeah! Doesn't it sound amazing?"

Evie stared at her, deadpan. "No. It sounds like a waste of time, energy, and brain cells. Count me out."

"But, Evie—"

"Nope." Evie stood, crossing her arms. "If you want to get yourself haunted, possessed, or whatever, go right ahead. I'll be at home, enjoying my demon-free life."

Fiona pouted. "You're no fun."

"And you're too much," Evie shot back, turning away, though she couldn't help but smirk at her friend's unshakable enthusiasm.

Fiona grins mischievously, leaning in closer to Evie. "Come on, it'll be an adventure! Besides, what's the worst that could happen? It's just a rumor, right?"

Evie crosses her arms, rolling her eyes. "A demon locked up in an old storeroom? Yeah, sure. And what if it's not just a rumor, huh? What if there's something actually dangerous in there?"

Fiona waves off her concern with a playful laugh. "Oh, please. If it were real, the school would've shut it down ages ago. It's Halloween, Evie! The whole point is to have fun and get a little scared. Plus, if it's a dud, we can just head back and have some candy."

Evie shakes her head, clearly unconvinced. "Fine, but if we get caught or something goes wrong, I'm not taking the blame."

Fiona chuckles, winking. "Deal! It'll be fun, I promise."

Evie sighs once more, but a small smirk tugs at the corner of her lips. "Alright, fine. But if we end up face-to-face with an actual demon, you owe me all the candy for the rest of the night."

Fiona sticks out her tongue, trying to look annoyed, but her eyes gleam with amusement. "Fine, fine, but I'm still not giving up on that candy! You're gonna be the one regretting this when we find out it's a real demon, and I'll be too busy running away to share with you."

Evie smirks, raising an eyebrow. "You? Running? You'll probably trip over your own feet before anything even happens."

Fiona dramatically gasps, hands on her hips. "Excuse me? I am an expert at running away from danger! You've never seen me in action!" She pauses, then adds with a sly grin, "But I guess I'll leave all the 'dangerous' stuff to you, Miss Braveheart."

Evie laughs again, rolling her eyes. "Yeah, sure, whatever helps you sleep at night, Fiona." She leans back, crossing her arms. "I'll just be ready to watch you squeal when that 'demon' shows up."

Fiona playfully pouts, but then her face lights up with excitement. "This is gonna be the best Halloween ever, you'll see!"

Evie can't help but smile at her friend's enthusiasm. "Yeah, yeah. Just don't drag me into any haunted house scenarios afterward, okay? Plus, you need to grow up a little although we are 18 this year."

Fiona gasps, clutching her chest dramatically. "Excuse me? Grow up? Says the person who still wants to exploits all my candies? I'm just being resourceful. Candy is a treasure, Evie."

Evie bursts into laughter, clutching her stomach. "Resourceful? You're just greedy! And don't act like you wouldn't do the same thing if the tables were turned."

Fiona pouts, crossing her arms. "I wouldn't whine that much. You're just meaner than me, that's all."

Evie smirks, leaning in teasingly. "Oh, really? You literally just said I'm a five-year-old because I'm mean to you. You're proving my point, you know."

Fiona huffs and turns her back on Evie with exaggerated flair. "Fine. If we find the demon, I won't share the glory with you. You'll just be a boring, candy-thieving meanie while I become a legend."

Evie grins, patting Fiona on the shoulder. "You'll be a legendary five-year-old, that's for sure."

Fiona can't help but laugh, despite herself. "Okay, fine! Maybe we're both five-year-olds. But at least I'll be a fun one."

Then, Fiona froze mid-pout as two familiar figures strolled up to them with an air of overconfidence. Ethan, the tall, cocky basketball player, flashed his trademark smirk while his best friend, Richard—better known as Richie—stood beside him, offering an apologetic smile.

"Well, lookie here," Ethan drawled, leaning casually against a locker. "It's Fiona and… Miss Creep. What are you two scheming about now?"

Evie raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. "Miss Creep? Really, Ethan? That's the best you've got?"

"Shh," Richie whispered to Ethan. "You're supposed to sound cool, not rude. Remember, first impressions!"

"I am cool!" Ethan hissed back before straightening up, clearing his throat. "Ahem. What I meant to say was… we overheard you talking about something fun, and as the school's most adventurous duo—"

Fiona groans, turning to face Ethan and Richie. "Oh great, the dynamic duo of chaos. What do you two want now?"

Ethan smirks, leaning against a nearby desk with a cocky tilt to his head. "Come on, don't be like that, Fiona. We're just curious. You two seem like you're planning something... juicy."

Evie rolls her eyes. "It's none of your business, Ethan. Go practice your bad-boy act somewhere else."

Richie chuckles, nudging Ethan. "See? Told you they wouldn't spill. You're too... what's the word? Intense." He looks at Evie and Fiona, his tone friendlier. "But seriously, if it's something fun, we might want in. Ethan's just bad at asking nicely."

Ethan puffs his chest. "I can ask nicely. Watch this." He clears his throat dramatically and flashes a wide, fake smile. "Pretty please, ladies, can we join your super-secret Halloween mischief?"

Fiona snorts. "Wow, Ethan. That's erm…. Charming? AHahahaha, are you trying to charm us or scare us?"

"Pfft, charming?" Evie interrupted with a deadpan look. "Last week, you fell off the bleachers during gym class because you were trying to balance a basketball on your head."

Ethan flushed but didn't back down. "Ok, cut, cut! Ehem! Details! Anyway, rumor has it you two are planning something wild, and we want in. Right, Richie?"

Richie gave a sheepish grin, rubbing the back of his neck. "What he means is, we're curious. What's this 'caged demon' thing? Sounds… interesting."

Ethan pouts at Richard's correction. "Hey! I was trying to be mysterious and cool. Why you gotta ruin it for me?" Then he turns to Fiona and Evie, his grin returning. "So, what's this about a demon? You two really thinking of checking it out? Sounds like some fun trouble."

Fiona perked up instantly, her earlier pout replaced with excitement. "Finally, someone who gets it! Evie thinks it's a waste of time, but I say it's the ultimate Halloween adventure!"

Ethan's eyes lit up, clearly intrigued. "So it's really about the 'caged demon'? Now that sounds cool. Where is it? The gym? The science lab? No, wait—don't tell me it's in the cafeteria!"

Evie rolled her eyes and sighs. "The abandoned building next to the school, genius. Apparently, there's some old storeroom there with a spooky legend attached."

Richie tilted his head thoughtfully. "The abandoned building? Isn't that place off-limits? The principal banned students from going there after that one kid claimed he saw ghosts."

"Exactly why we have to check it out," Fiona said, practically bouncing on her heels. "It's the perfect Halloween story! Think about it—four brave students uncovering the mystery of the caged demon!"

Ethan grinned. "I'm in. Let's do it."

Evie sighed. "You're a meathead, of course you are. But I'm still not convinced. This sounds like a ticket straight to detention—or worse."

Richie shrugged, offering a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Evie. I'll make sure Ethan doesn't do anything too reckless. Besides, if it's just an old storeroom, what's the harm in taking a look?"

Fiona clapped her hands together. "That's the spirit! Okay, here's the plan. We'll meet at midnight in front of the building, in costumes, of course. No adventure is complete without costumes~"

Ethan looked delighted. "Costumes? Sweet. I'm going as a vampire. Classic bad boy vibes."

Richie sighed. "Guess I'm going as your reluctant sidekick again."

Evie groaned. "Fine. But if we get caught—or if something weird actually happens—you're all on your own."

Fiona grinned wickedly. "Aww don't worry, Evie. If we find the caged demon, I'll let you have the first selfie with it."

Then, Richie rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Wait a second. But we don't have much access to the old building. It's locked up tight. We'll need… an insider."

Evie immediately perked up, clasping her hands together dramatically. "Oh no! What a shame. Looks like this whole ridiculous plan is canceled! Thank you, universe—"

"Damien!" Fiona blurted out, cutting Evie off mid-celebration.

Evie froze, her relief replaced with a deadpan glare. "Damien? Really? You're calling Damien for help? Please tell me this is a joke."

Ethan nearly doubled over with laughter. "Oh man, seriously? You wanna call in Mr. Perfect for this? What's he gonna do—lecture the demon into submission?"

Fiona puffed up defensively. "Look, he's the class president, the head of the school discipline committee, and a student council member. If anyone has keys or access, it's him. Plus, he's super organized, so—"

Ethan interrupted with a loud, mocking snort. "Super organized? You sound like you're writing his dating profile. What's next? 'Hobbies include ruining everyone's fun and acing every exam'? Admit it, Fiona, you've got a crush on him!"

Fiona gasped, her face turning pink. "Excuse me? Crush? On Damien? Are you out of your mind?"