Beatrix's eyes shot open. The world moved around her.
And the ceiling was getting closer.
Beatrix passed into an upstairs dorm room. But before she could take it in, she continued upward through another ceiling.
"Spectra!" Beatrix yelled, panicked.
She rose through the rafters into the dorm building's attic, then found herself looking at the bright, full moon.
You're not paralyzed, Beatrix! Spectra's voice echoed. Move! You can do it!
Beatrix tried to wiggle her fingers and toes, but she didn't feel anything at all. She attempted to reorient herself but to no avail.
Spectra popped up beside her in the night sky. "You're overthinking it," she said. "Stop trying to control it and just go. Think and it will be."
Taking Spectra's advice, Beatrix imagined herself floating upright, and it happened. She shifted and found herself hovering above the dorm rooftop, no longer adrift like a lost balloon.
"Holy… this is insane!" Beatrix yelped. Her hands appeared translucent, her dark hair floated around her as if submerged in water. Clad in her black pajamas, Beatrix began twirling and spinning in the vast expanse of air, embracing the weightlessness of her spirit-form. Like navigating a dream. "It's like I'm not even real!"
Spectra floated beside her. "Yeah…" Spectra said, her eyes distant. "That's the essence of being 'out of body.' You feel… nothing."
Beatrix scanned her surroundings, observing different ghosts and specters gliding through school buildings and over the grounds. Their glowing figures emitted various colors—some similar to Spectra's purple, others light greens, pinks, blues, teals. They resembled glowing night lights against the dark sky, floating around campus, some in pairs, others moving solo.
"Where did they all come from?" Beatrix asked Spectra. Beatrix was starting to hover closer to the Monster High bell tower, nearing a group of ghost teenagers engaged in lively conversation despite the late hour.
"Those are the inhabitants of the other side. Limbo. The spirit world," Spectra called after Beatrix. "Remember, you've only got a few minutes to find your 'friend' before you're drawn back to your body. I saw Grey on the south end of school. Go ahead, I'm right behind you."
Beatrix floated by the group of ghosts, recognizing a couple from the creepateria. Sometimes ghost students would slip through the spirit veil to attend classes.
Feeling friendly, she smiled as she passed, free from any grogginess, exhaustion, hunger, thirst, or other physical ailments.
"Hey there, boo-tiful," a green-hued ghost greeted Beatrix, spray paint bottles peeking out of his immaterial satchel.
Another ghost, dressed like a '50s greaser, chimed in, "Have we met before, dollface? Feels like I know you from somewhere."
"You might have seen me around," Beatrix replied with a grin, but she couldn't linger. She had to find Grey within the limited time she had.
She glanced around, but Spectra was nowhere in sight. Beatrix called her name, but she knew the clock was ticking and she had to locate Grey before time was up.
Beatrix moved swiftly through the night, quicker than she had expected.
In no time, she reached the south side of the school. Ghostly travel was far easier than trudging through the night in her normal body.
Beatrix spotted someone familiar at the campus edge and hid on the library's roof to spy on them.
It was Grey — moving stealthily through the night, scanning the woods along the perimeter fence. There were no school security guards around.
Grey paused, tilting his head to listen to a sound in the forest.
There was movement in the trees beyond.
Suddenly, Grey began to scale the fence, ready to heave himself over in pursuit of something.
However, Grey stopped mid-climb when someone flew down from the sky and settled on the fence.
Beatrix couldn't see the newcomer's features clearly, away from the lit paths on campus, but she could recognize those wings and horns anywhere.
Astar perched on top of one of the fence spires and looked down at Grey.
Grey was taken aback by Astar's arrival and stepped back from the perimeter.
Beatrix saw Astar's lips move, probably taunting Grey, if she had to guess.
Astar leapt from the fence, and in an instant, Grey closed in, clutching the devil's shirt collar violently.
Astar uttered something inaudible before shoving Grey off him.
The two argued quietly, and Beatrix thought about moving closer to eavesdrop.
However, she reconsidered, because she caught Astar's yellow eyes looking up, briefly meeting hers, then flicking away.
And to her horror, Grey noticed Astar's glance and followed it to Beatrix on the roof.
Grey stared straight at her.
If Beatrix could feel her heart, she was sure it would've dropped.
Both Astar and Grey could see her ghostly form, something she should've expected—Grey could spot her unique orange-tinged soul easily, while Astar, bonded to her as her devil familiar, seemed to sense her presence even when she wasn't in her body.
Feeling stupid, Beatrix slipped down through the library roof, trying to escape.
She glided as fast as she could through the dim library, past the towering bookshelves.
She heard a door swing open behind her and heavy footsteps entering the building.
"Beatrix!" Grey's voice echoed. He sounded desperate.
Beatrix was about to dart through the far wall, but she hesitated. She turned to see Grey dashing toward her.
"What are you doing?" Grey shouted mid-run.
"I should be asking you that! What are you doing in the dead of night—"
"What are you doing out of your body?!" Grey's thunderous voice startled Beatrix.
"Don't worry, I'm not dead," Beatrix reassured.
"Then where is your body?" Grey demanded, stopping before her, chest rising and falling rapidly.
"In my room!" Beatrix was terrified by his intensity. "I can leave it alone for a few minutes—"
"You can't leave your body vacant! Go back! Now!"
"I don't—"
"Go!"
Beatrix flew back as quickly as she could. She still trusted Grey enough to know that something was amiss.
Spectra's plan failed, Beatrix thought bitterly, resenting the ghost for ditching her.
She whipped back up to the fifth floor of her dorm building, eager to rejoin her body.
Autumn still slept peacefully.
However, at Beatrix's own bed, Spectra hovered strangely over her empty form.
Beatrix's empty body shifted back and forth unnaturally, like a puppet controlled by a demented puppeteer. Her body's head teetered back and forth on her pillow, and the bed sheets shifted as her lifeless feet twitched.
It almost looked like Spectra was attempting to enter her body.
"Hey! That's mine, back off!" Beatrix yelled.
Autumn jolted awake; Beatrix's ghostly voice must have stirred her from her dreams.
"Bea?" Autumn whispered, looking at Beatrix's bed. "Bea!" She patted Beatrix's arms, trying to rouse her from what seemed like a nightmare.
Beatrix realized that Autumn could only see her body convulsing without any sign of her or Spectra nearby.
Spectra recoiled, visibly annoyed at Beatrix's return.
As Spectra released her hold on Beatrix's physical form, Beatrix instantly reunited with her body, like magnets clicking together.
Beatrix took a deep breath as her eyes opened, a slight tingle in her limbs.
"Bea!" Autumn said with concern, leaning over her. "You had a bad dream."
Beatrix sat up, the tingly sensation fading, as if the ghostly encounter was just a distant memory.
She looked around the dark dorm room. Spectra was gone.