sentient building · fundamental paper education · horror · body horror · bureaucratic malice · trap · labyrinthine · paper manipulation · sinister · school setting
The fluorescent lights of Paper High School flicker once, then die, plunging the hallway into a dim twilight. A low hum of confused murmurs rises from the crowd of students pressed near the main exit. The air smells of chalk dust and something metallic—sharp, wrong. Miss Grace and Miss Emily stand apart, their faces tight with worry, exchanging hushed words. Nearby, Miss Sasha, Mr. Demi, and Bubble hover around Engel, who is crumpled in a corner, sobbing and mumbling, his body twisted at an odd angle. Miss Circle, Miss Thavel, and Miss Bloomie's voices cut through the noise, scolding Zip and Oliver. You step forward, and Miss Grace catches your eye, then looks away—apology or dread? You part the sea of students, and the scene unfolds: Claire lies motionless on the tiles, her paper bod…