It was the first Wednesday in October and the rain was drumming on the windows of High School No. 8 like a child's drum. Lena, Victor and Zosia sat huddled together under the stairs, trying to disappear unnoticed from Mrs Wozna's sight. This was their regular meeting point, a place where they could just be themselves. Their moods were different today: Wiktor was angry at the whole world, Lena was visibly tense because of an upcoming test, and Zosia had tears in her eyes after talking to her parents. At the underground air vent, which I don't think anyone had opened in years, Zosia accidentally kicked her foot against a metal grate. To their surprise, it fell off with a bang, revealing a narrow passage. For a moment no one spoke. Finally, Lena whispered: "Hey, look, down there.... something's glowing." Victor was the first to drop to his knees. "It's just the basement," he muttered, although he looked more intrigued than frightened. Zosia hesitated, but Lena, as if forgetting her stress, was already pulling out the torch from her phone. Not a minute passed and all three of them slipped inside. Beneath the school, they came across a narrow corridor whose walls glittered with greenish light. The air was strangely thick, as if it carried with it not only the smell of old bricks, but also something almost tangible - their own emotions. Victor felt the anger rising in him and the light around him began to pulsate. Lena heard a whisper: "Don't be afraid", which resounded clearly in her head, although it was not spoken by any of her friends. Zosia stopped and touched the wall. A blue streak appeared where her hand made contact with the stone. Suddenly there was a crash - something behind their backs closed the entrance to the corridor. They all turned abruptly. Emerald letters forming an unfamiliar word flashed in the darkness. But before they had time to read, a quiet cry rang out from the depths of the tunnel, followed by a muffled laughter. All three of them froze, feeling their own emotions take on a life of their own in the emerald corridor.