After a pause, Axel spoke again,

"What you are about to witness may be completely different from everything you believe about ghosts. Do not let fear take root in your mind."

His lips curved faintly, but there was no warmth in it. "Because the moment fear takes over... that is when the spirit finds its way inside you."

Despite the warning, most of the students exchanged doubtful glances, clearly brushing it off as exaggeration.

But Lana did not.

Her expression turned serious, her fingers unconsciously tightening against her sleeve.

She had once faced a ten-thousand-year-old ghost, and in front of such an existence, all her courage had crumbled into nothing but foolish arrogance.

If it had not been for Axel...

Her gaze unconsciously shifted toward him. ’If he hadn’t used that forbidden power... I would have died back then,’ she thought, her throat tightening.

Later, she had learned from her head teacher that Axel had been on the verge of breaking through to the Spirit Monarch realm.

At that level, handling a three-thousand-year-old ghost would have been within his ability.

But that day, he had used a forbidden technique, forcefully elevating his cultivation to an accidental Eternal-level surge, allowing him to destroy the ten-thousand-year-old entity.

The cost, however, had been devastating.

He had fallen back, his cultivation shattered, leaving him stuck at the initial stage of the Celestial Core realm.

Only through immense effort, along with rare treasures provided by the principal, under the pretense that Lana was someone being specially cultivated by univesity and the university should bear some responsibility too, and compensation from Spine Ridge University, had Axel managed to recover to the advanced stage of the Celestial Core realm.

Even so, Lana’s guilt lingered.

’If not for me... he would have already reached Spirit Monarch by now,’ she thought bitterly. ’At the very least, it would have taken him another decade... not this setback.’

A faint ache spread through her chest, but she forced those thoughts aside.

Meanwhile, Axel clapped his hands softly, drawing everyone’s attention back. "Now, I will teach you an emergency signal. Memorize it carefully."

He began demonstrating a series of intricate hand signs.

Once satisfied, Axel nodded. "Good. Remember it well."

Soon after, the students were guided inside in an orderly group. They were led into a viewing room.

Inside, rows of chairs were arranged neatly, and each student was assigned a seat based on their height.

Since Lana was among the taller girls, she was seated toward the back. Even so, her position gave her a clear view of everything.

A thick glass partition separated their room from the exorcism chamber.

On the other side, darkness reigned.

The room beyond was completely black, like an abyss swallowing all light.

The moment Lana’s gaze fell upon the glass wall, her heart skipped violently.

A sudden chill ran up her spine, raising goosebumps along her arms.

’Why does it feel like... someone is already looking at me?’ she wondered, her breath hitching slightly.

She blinked rapidly, trying to calm herself, then leaned slightly toward Richard, her voice low and uneasy.

"Is it just me... or does it feel like the possessed girl is already inside... on the other side of that glass?"

Richard frowned faintly before shrugging. "I don’t know. Maybe you’re overthinking."

Before Lana could respond, Wade, seated on her other side, let out a light chuckle. "If you’re scared, you should drink some water."

Lana hesitated for a moment, then nodded. "Maybe... you’re right."

Wade handed her a bottle, and as she took a few sips, the cool water slid down her throat, easing the dryness but doing little to calm her nerves.

She set the bottle aside and turned her attention back to the glass.

Soon, Axel stepped forward, standing near the partition.

He began attaching talismans across the surface, each one faintly glowing as it adhered to the glass.

Alongside several head teachers, he performed a cleansing ritual, their low chants filling the room as an invisible barrier formed around the students.

Only after ensuring everything was secure did Axel nod toward the other side.

A signal was given.

Moments later, movement stirred in the darkness beyond the glass. The priest and the Celestial Master on the other side activated the lights.

The sudden illumination made everyone instinctively squint.

Then...a collective gasp rippled through the room.

In the center of the chamber sat a girl, bound tightly to a chair with heavy chains.

Her head hung low, her long hair disheveled and covering most of her face.

She wore a simple white garment that looked eerily out of place against the cold, sterile environment.

She wasn’t struggling. She simply sat there... unnaturally still.

Wade let out a low whistle before muttering, "These ghosts really do have an obsession with white clothes, don’t they?"

Lana shot him a flat, unimpressed look before returning her gaze to the girl.

A faint sense of dread began to seep into her heart.

Even with the thick glass, the talismans, and the protective barrier... she could feel it.

Something was wrong.

Then, slowly, the girl lifted her head. Lana’s breath caught in her throat.

For a brief moment, it felt as though the girl’s gaze locked directly onto hers.

Her fingers tightened against the edge of her seat as her pulse quickened. ’No... that’s impossible...’ she tried to convince herself.

But then...the girl smiled.

It was not a normal smile.

It was twisted, mocking... as if she knew something.

A cold shiver ran down Lana’s spine.

She leaned closer to Richard, her voice barely above a whisper. "Is it just me... or is she really looking this way?"

Richard stiffened slightly, his eyes narrowing as he observed the girl more carefully.

And it wasn’t just them.

Axel and several others had clearly noticed it too.

Ross suddenly chuckled, breaking the tension.

"It seems like the ghost has found a familiar face," he said with amusement. "No wonder it looks so... interested."

A few students laughed nervously, trying to shake off the discomfort.

But Lana didn’t.

On the other side, the ritual began.