Surviving in a School of Ghost Stories-Chapter 3

My Beloved Brother, Raven, is Dead.

His body was laid to rest in the Chesswind Village cemetery.

The entire village gathered around Raven’s gravestone, mourning his passing.

For an entire month, I did nothing but cling to his grave and weep.

“Melody, you need to stop now. You have to keep living.”

The villagers tried to console me as I sat blankly in front of the gravestone, my eyes swollen with tears.

But words like those could never persuade me.

“The only reason I’ve been alive until now is because of Raven. But now... what am I supposed to live for?”

Whatever Raven had written in that final letter didn’t matter.

He had always been the only reason I breathed, the only purpose in my life.

‘Big sister.’

If only I could hear him call me that just once more...

If I could hear his voice again, I would do anything.

It was all my fault. I should never have sent him to that school.

After thirty days of unrelenting grief, I came to a decision.

I had to go to the school.

If I die, it’ll be because of you.

So come to the school. I’ll be waiting.

The words in his letter haunted me.

Why had Raven asked me to come to the school?

And what did he mean when he said his death would be because of me?

Was it related to the “secret birthright” he mentioned?

The school handed over his body, claiming his cause of death was suicide.

But Raven was not the kind of child to take his own life without reason.

Not one school official explained how he supposedly killed himself, why he would have made such a decision, or what had happened to him in the days leading up to it.

I couldn't accept it.

‘Raven... he was my little brother....’

It happened right after our mother passed away.

At such a young age, life had felt like an overwhelming wave, drowning me in meaninglessness. I lost the will to live.

I stopped eating, wasting away in bed.

The only thing that saved me was Raven.

“Sister... Are you trying to follow Mom? You have to live. Please, at least try to eat.”

“Just stay alive. That’s all I ask. Even if all you do is breathe, it’s enough. So please...”

“I’m your family too. I need you, Sister. Don’t leave me alone. Please.”

Then, when Raven was fourteen, he decided to earn money. He boarded a fishing boat—only to suffer a terrible accident at sea.

He barely survived, brushing against death.

It was only after seeing him come so close to dying that I finally woke up.

I was a terrible sister, a heartless coward.

That was the moment I made my decision.

For the rest of my life, I would live for Raven. I would dedicate my existence to him.

I became a maid, scraped together everything I could, and somehow got him admitted to a prestigious school.

I wanted him to live happily.

But in the end, Raven came back to me as a lifeless corpse.

It was all my fault.

I was a worthless sister.

My vision blurred with fresh tears.

I clung to his gravestone once more and sobbed.

Had the school even conducted a proper investigation into Raven’s death?

Would they have handled this differently if we had been nobles?

The school officials remained silent, but I couldn’t just let it go.

‘I have to uncover the truth. That’s the only way I can find peace in this grief and anger.’

Saint Gloria Private School was located on a remote island, 118 miles from Ramsport Harbor on the southern coast of the Kingdom of Brenden.

A long journey lay ahead.

‘I need to steel myself.’

Determined, I returned home and began packing for the trip.

Knock, knock.

Just as I finished, a knock came from the door.

When I opened it, I found myself face-to-face with the same handsome postman.

“It’s been a while, Miss Hastings.”

I wiped my tears and spoke quietly.

“I doubt there are any letters left for me.”

“Today, my business is with you, Miss Hastings.”

“...With me? Not a letter?”

“I know how to get you into the school your brother attended. Will you come with me?”

At those words, my heart leapt.

But suspicion followed immediately.

The postman was dressed in simple, everyday clothes—without his usual mailbag.

Something was off.

Was this man really a postman?

I eyed him warily.

“Is that true? But how do you know I was planning to go there?”

His expression remained calm as he nodded.

“There are things you don’t know. If you follow me, I’ll tell you the truth.”

The truth?

What truth?

“What don’t I know? What is this truth? This is about Raven’s death, isn’t it?!”

“This isn’t the place to explain. Just trust me and come with me.”

I hesitated.

Trust him?

Seeing my hesitation, the postman added,

“My name is Noah Eugene Eglinton. I am the Student Council President of Saint Gloria Private School.”

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“What?”

I was too stunned to speak.

Now that I looked at him again, I realized how out of place he was as a simple postman.

I had thought he carried himself with an air of nobility, but...

“Aren’t Saint Gloria students forbidden from leaving school until graduation?”

“Top-ranking students have special privileges. I am the top-ranked student.”

The postman—no, the Student Council President—smiled.

I hesitated, but only for a moment.

Did I really have time to dwell on this?

Raven was dead.

And this man was offering me the truth.

Even if he was lying, I wanted to believe him.

Because I had no other choice.

I clenched my fists and made up my mind.

With my bag already packed, I stepped outside.

I finally had a way to uncover the truth about Raven’s death.

There was no time to hesitate.

The sun hung high in the sky.

I thought about saying goodbye ✧ NоvеIight ✧ (Original source) to Lady Lanatte and the villagers but remembered it was their nap time.

‘I left a note. That should be enough.’

And so, I followed the Student Council President.

As we walked, the village slowly disappeared behind us.

He finally slowed his pace, and an uncomfortable silence settled between us.

The only sound was the rhythmic crunch of our footsteps on the dirt path.

Then, at last, he broke the silence.

“How long have you lived in Chesswind Village?”

“About two years. I moved around a lot before settling here.”

“I’ve been wondering something...”

His face grew blank, devoid of expression.

Then, with a grave tone, he asked,

“Miss Hastings... What exactly were you doing in that village all alone?”

“...Huh? Alone? No, I was working as a maid at Lady Lanatte’s estate—”

“That village has been abandoned for years.”

“What?”

“Except for you, Miss Hastings, no one lives there.”