Chapter 1: In the Wrong Tunnel

Ina looked at the clock. Half an hour to one o'clock noon. Everything was still quiet in the deserted corridor at the end of which she was waiting for her best friend. But soon all hell would break loose here, she knew that from her own experience. Because then the morning class was over and all the students would ruthlessly rush down the aisle, jostling and pushing, for one reason: to get to the canteen as quickly as possible, to eat and then, after an hour's break, to rush into the afternoon class! It was a good thing that she snuck out of class half an hour earlier than usual because of an alleged upset stomach. At least that way she wouldn't run the risk of being crushed.
But now she was leaning against the corridor wall alone and bored with her feet in her stomach. It was only a matter of twenty-five minutes at most before the relieving bell rang, but Ina felt as if she had been doing nothing for hours but standing by this much too cold, gray wall and waiting for Salvia.Well, she thought, what don't you do for your friends!
She used the time to review the last four months, after all, quite a lot had happened!
So how did it all start? Exactly, it was her parents' work that made it impossible for them to take care of Ina. That was why her father had looked for a boarding school that he said was good enough for his daughter. After a long search, by chance he came across a Russian boarding school about 70 km from the nearest major city.
And right here she was now.
It took Ina a while to get used to the prevailing gloom (only one third of the monastery looked out of the ground, the rest was underground!) And was accepted to some extent by the other students. The lesson times had also taken getting used to, but since she got along better with Salvia, Tala (and Kai) everything had got better anyway.It didn't take long and the four (actually only three, because Kai didn't really trust Ina yet) were inseparable. Only Kai apparently didn't like it that he had to share his friends with her now, because he always secreted something when she came near him. Ina was sure that she would be able to get rid of this "problem" too! Actually everything was like in a normal school and yet everything was different!
Since arriving and being guided through the corridors, she had developed her own methods of getting to know the building better. So she was z. B. often secretly went on a discovery tour at night. These sometimes had very exceptional results, such as B. Secret passages and doors, strange signs on the walls, and, and, and. But she had never come across anything really exciting. At least that was the case until a week ago. Because her last tour had taken her to the smaller houses that stood around the main building.And what she found there made her shudder: Pupils from the higher grades stood at small stands and trained in handling weapons of all kinds! Ina had been so shocked and surprised that she hadn't dared speak to anyone about it. Not even her friends. It would stay that way until she knew the background and the purpose!
At least that's how she planned it.
"Hi you, have you been waiting a long time?" Asked a voice next to her. With these words Salvia had frightened her quite a lot, as was also shown by Ina's reaction. She flinched and couldn't suppress a scream that was not very faint.
"Sorry, that I tore you out of your daydreams.", Salvia apologized immediately, but not without being able to suppress the hint of a malicious grin.
"How do you get here so early? It won't ring for twenty minutes." Ina asked her after checking her watch."Well, I have my tricks too! Officially, I have to help cook lunch as a punishment for my cheeky mouth. Well unofficially, too, but I don't care at the moment. I bribed Sven to do it for me ! " she explained to her friend, who just looked up from the laundry rather stupidly without even batting an eyelid. Then she added:
"How's it going? Are you coming with me, or should I pick you up when you have finished dreaming and looking stupid?" Well, after Ina had got herself under control again, she also started to grin slightly, grabbed her school bag and hooked her free arm on Salvia instead of wasting the time talking. Salvia had understood the gesture and together the two strolled side by side down the hall towards the canteen.

*

After a ten-minute "hike" through some corridors, they reached the canteen, looked around and immediately found what they were looking for: Kai and Tala were sitting in the far left corner of the room, drinking tea and discussing something excitedly.The boys didn't seem to have noticed them, at least they didn't interrupt their conversation when Ina and Salvia made their way through the mess of tables and chairs (towards the boys). Kai was just about to protest loudly against Tala's assertion when Ina gave him a friendly
"Hi, how are you? Have you been waiting a long time?" the word section. However, that earned her an angry, but also frightened look. Apparently he really hadn't heard her coming, and hadn't just pretended she was air, as he had been doing more and more recently. When Ina realized that she would not get an answer from Kai, she turned to Tala with the same question.
"No, we were only here about ten minutes ago. Why do you ask?" Was the answer.
"Oh, because it seemed like you've been arguing for a while," she replied and casually added, "What about?" A few seconds passed before he answered again:"Oh, that's not so important now. I suggest that we get on our way now, otherwise the afternoon off won't work. It's already one o'clock, which means that the first students will show up here soon and then it gets really critical, not to say ..... "
"It's okay. Say it right away if you don't want to talk about it!" Ina interrupted him a little petulantly. I know it was about me anyway, she added in her mind. She looked sadly from Kai to Tala and back again, then at the floor. She couldn't understand that Kai and Tala had secrets from her. She hadn't done anything to them. Especially not with Tala, with whom she had gotten better and better lately. Or maybe she didn't want to understand. Salvia had stood there looking from one to the other the whole time, but now she took the initiative:
"I think we should really go now! I can already hear the first ones coming down the aisle!", She said in a somewhat energetic tone.She looked from one to the other again, then went around the table and opened the secret door hidden in the wall, which Ina had found on one of her secret tours of discovery through the monastery. Now the other three started moving and followed Salvia.
It was pitch black. Ina couldn't even see her own hand in front of her eyes. And the longer they ran, the more uncomfortable it became. She herself had walked this corridor several times, but never before had it taken as long as this time. Something was wrong. Rubbish, she thought, trying to put the bad thoughts aside. It was probably just because she wasn't alone today, she told herself. What do you mean, she at least tried, but failed miserably. And when Kai asked angrily how long it was going to take, the dull feeling turned into bitter certainty. But what, what went wrong? And then the realization hit Ina like a slap in the face: they were in the wrong gear!The corridor that Ina had discovered began not in the left but in the right rear corner of the canteen. She could have slapped herself for this mistake.
Suddenly Kai, who was walking in front of her, stopped so that she just ran over him.
"What ... what's going on? Why are you stopping?" She asked him. A venomous look and an excited murmur that she couldn't understand were the answer. Ina looked around and noticed - as far as the prevailing darkness allowed it - that not only Kai but also Tala and Salvia had stopped to listen carefully to the silence. She pricked up her ears too. Indeed, she could hear a faint noise in the distance that looked strangely familiar. It was pretty short and regular.
"What is that? That wasn't the last time, was it?" Tala asked the group.
Ina swallowed the lump in her throat and tried to banish the fearfulness from her voice when she replied:"No, Tala, that wasn't the last time. That is probably because we walked down the wrong aisle today! We caught the one in the left corner, but we should have taken the one in the right! Sorry!", She wanted to continue, but at that moment Kai interrupted her with a healthy dose of anger in his voice:
"Say, are you totally stupid now? Can't you tell left from right? Can you at least tell us how we can get out of here unseen and what stupid noises are?"
"Hey, Kai it's enough again! She can't help it, I opened the corridor and went ahead, didn't I?" Salvia silenced him. But only for about ten seconds, then it started again! Ina, who was getting smaller and smaller under the insults and curses, stood there and did nothing. Until she couldn't take it anymore.
"Quiet", she roared, "Shots, they're shots!" and a little more quietly she added: "I'm sorry!"Immediately it went quiet! Even Kai eyed her attentively and horrified, while Ina waited for the big bang.
After half an eternity he asked, still a little perplexed:
“What do you mean? Shots? Now he looked her up and down with a slightly suspicious look.
Ina took three deep breaths before she answered as calmly as she could:
"Yes, I am! Two weeks ago! I just didn't tell you about it because I didn't know how you'd react. Besides, I had to digest it myself first." It was still as quiet as a mouse. This time it was Salvia who broke the uncomfortable silence: "And what do you mean about the shots? I don't quite understand that."
Everyone looked at Ina expectantly. She took two more deep breaths and waited a few more moments to look for suitable words.
"Well, ...", she began, "when I got to the end of the corridor last time, there were