The Longest Night

# Chapter Three: The Longest Night Aaron locked himself in his room, but the curse followed him home. In the corner of every mirror, in the reflection of his darkened phone, in the black of his window — the Zero Keeper waited. Then came the whispers. Pale children appeared around his bed, seated as if in class, murmuring the same word over and over: *"Zero... zero... zero..."* The Whispering Students had come. All night the red pen dripped. All night the mask drew nearer. Aaron pressed his hands over his ears and remembered Thomas's warning: *do not answer when it calls your name.* At 3:00 a.m., a voice like grinding stone filled the room. **"Aaron."** He bit his tongue until it bled. He would not answer. As the first gray light of dawn crept over the horizon, the whispers faded, the mask cracked further, and the figure dissolved into smoke. He had survived the night. But the academy was waiting, and Aaron knew the truth now — there was always another exam.