Gallowgate

Sebastian Wight has always seen ghosts, at least ever since both of his parents were shot dead in front of him. His memories of that are vague, and his Aunt Dahlia has taken good care of him, so he doesn't want to tell her about his alarming abilities. It's hard enough to have people at school look at him strangely, with his hair white from shock and his habit of behaving oddly while seeing ghosts. Lately, it's gotten worse, and he sees a figure in a porcelain mask following him around. His new friend, Aaron, becomes possessed by a demon in the school cafeteria. When the evil spirits get too close to the house and let Sebastian know that he is marked for death, Aunt Dahlia finally notices. She's not surprised; she has powers of her own. She isn't happy that the wards she put on the house were violated, and decides to send Sebastian to the Gallowgate school for his own protection. Willow, a ghost, transports him to the school, but not onto the grounds, and the figure in the porcelain mask gives chase once again. Sebastian barely makes it through the school's iron gate because he looks over his shoulder while he is being chased! Once in the school, he is matched with a roommate, Harold Watts, who was raised at the school. Since students are supposed to be 13, Madame Ardea, the headmistress, is reluctant to allow Sebastian to take classes, but Harold says he doesn't mind. The classes include the four pillars of summoning, conjuring, alchemy and necromancy, and the students learn how to vanquish ghosts. All of the students have some trauma in their background; the only way to continue seeing the ghosts after the age of thirteen is to have seen a violent death. Some students, like Andromeda, have this ability because their parents purposefully let them see one. All of the students dress in "post apocalyptic chic" that consists of a lot of Goth and Steampunk clothing; much black, cowls with raven feathers, belts, and buckles. Sebastian is glad for once that he won't be the odd one out, but even at a school where people share his powers, he has trouble fitting in. He does find out that he can't bring his parents back to life since they have been dead too long and will have been damaged by the experience, but he does find out secrets about their past, like the fact that his mother was a teacher there.

When Bastian starts his training, he finds that he has some powers he is not supposed to have, and the shadowman seems to have infiltrated the school even with all the wards that have been put up. Madame Ardea is constantly telling Bastian that he is imagining things, and dismisses all of his concerns, even though he knows he is experiencing odd things. When he hears his father's voice and finds a ghost named Virgil who offers to teach him the fifth pillar that Gallowgate is now suppressing, Descending, Bastian starts his training and tries to make sense of everything. His skills sometimes serve him well, as when he defeats the Snowbeast in the annual school games, but seem less than helpful when his Aunt Dahlia shows up at the school injured, in what was clearly an attack by the shadowman. Will Sebastian be able to learn the skills necessary to keep ghosts from hurting him, and will he be able to finally make some friends?