Zoe and Todtmoos' Secret

Zoe's life had always been rather ordinary, at least until the day she crossed the threshold of the classical high school in Varese. Fourteen years old, with curious eyes and a slightly ironic smile on her lips, she was the kind of girl who found wonder even in the little things, especially if they involved animals or the mysteries of the human mind. Psychology had always fascinated her, but a strange series of events led her to choose the classical high school, influenced by the charm and charisma of its principal, a man who seemed more like a character out of a novel than a teacher.
The first day of school was charged with an electrifying atmosphere, a mix of nervousness and expectations. The students, mostly dressed modestly, whispered among themselves, casting furtive glances towards the imposing entrance of the institute, as if awaiting the arrival of a celebrity. And in a way, it was true: the principal's speech at the start of the school year was an event everyone looked forward to, a kind of rite of passage that marked the beginning of a new adventure.
Zoe, with her backpack heavy with books and her mind full of expectations, couldn't help but feel part of something special, even though a small voice in her mind kept wondering if she had made the right choice. As she made her way through the crowded hallways, she felt the piercing gaze of the principal from a photo on the wall, as if he were evaluating her, weighing her destiny in the hands of an invisible narrator.
At that moment, she didn't know that the real beginning of her story would be tied to a journey, to a distant and dark place known as Todtmoos, hidden among the shadows of the Black Forest. She couldn't imagine that what started as an exciting school trip would turn into a spiral of mysteries, legends, and disturbing secrets, leading her to face a forgotten past and a reality too strange to believe.
But every story has a beginning, and for Zoe, it all started on that September morning, under the watchful eye of a man who had made a pact with the shadows.