"What the hell is going on? Is this some kind of joke? Are you kidding me? A prank?" Shawn asked, his voice rising in panic.
Michael placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and gave him a calm smile. Maybe that quiet strength was enough to help Shawn settle down, just a little.
Suddenly, the alarm clock blared through the silence.
"Damn, it's 5 a.m.," Jason muttered.
"Yeah… we need to be home before our parents realize we were gone all night," Aphrodite added quickly.
"Serena, this has to stay between us," Jared said firmly, turning to me. "It's better if your family doesn't know. Not now."
"But—" I began to protest.
"He's right," Tom cut in. "This is bigger than we thought. It's better we keep it secret."
"We'll all meet during recess. Something about this feels... wrong."
Everyone nodded in agreement and began to slip away into the morning fog. Jared lingered behind, watching me carefully.
"Are you okay?" he asked gently, noticing how I trembled.
I fought to keep my voice steady. "Y-Yeah. Thanks for being here... you know..."
"Shhh," he whispered, pulling me into a hug. At that moment, I needed it—just a comforting, friendly hug. I clung to him a little tighter than I expected.
"It's going to be okay. Don't worry," Jared murmured into my hair.
"But Jared—Uncle Ben..." My voice cracked.
"Shhh. Relax. Just breathe." I pulled away, feeling a sudden awkwardness between us.
"I should go," he said softly, and then—he kissed my forehead.
I froze.
"What the...?" I whispered, stunned. But before I could process anything, Tom appeared. We hugged each other, holding on through tears, all the way till dawn.
---
At school, I couldn't concentrate. Every single memory with Uncle Benjamin replayed in my head like a tormenting film. Finally, recess arrived. We gathered behind the school, the air heavy with tension.
"So... now what?" Jason asked, looking around.
"We forget all of this," Shawn said nervously. "This is way too dangerous. Maybe we should inform the authorities—"
"Are you insane?" Alan snapped. "Did you forget the police were part of this mess?"
"My uncle died trying to protect that book. Alan traveled miles to bring me this information. Now it's my turn. I have to end this curse. If you're too scared to help, I understand. But I'll do this alone if I have to."
"You're not alone, Serena," Aphrodite said fiercely. "We're in this together. Right, Shawn?"
She fixed him with a glare that could kill.
"Y-Yeah... of course," Shawn muttered.
"No more wasting time," Aphrodite continued. "Read the next clue, Serena. We need to solve this fast."
---
Hint: 1
How good is chemistry?
Find it in the cemetery.
42 at day, 43 at night — a mystery.
Only a mathematician, tied to history.
"What the fish?" Alan blurted.
"What is this? Chemistry, history, mystery... seriously?" Jason groaned.
"Wait—did it just mention a cemetery?" Tom asked.
"Everyone shut up. Let me think," Michael snapped, staring at the riddle again, piecing the words together.
"A cemetery... interesting," he muttered.
"Could it be the European cemetery? The one with 42 graves during the day, and supposedly 43 at night?" Shawn asked slowly.
"Exactly," Michael nodded. "And that 43rd grave... it's rumored to belong to a brilliant mathematician, murdered in cold blood."
"Holy hell," Tom whispered.
"I see where this is going," Maria murmured quietly.
"What?" I asked. But once again, she didn't reply.
"Wait—are we actually saying we need to visit that cemetery? At night? With some ghostly mathematician's grave appearing? And possibly... paranormal stuff?" Jason asked, wide-eyed.
"I think that's where the answers lie," Alan said grimly. "We won't know the truth unless we go."