Still silent, the roles are reversed: if before it was Noah who looked down and Leo who looked from side to side on the way to the party, now it is Noah who stares straight ahead and Leo who looks down on the way home.
Arriving home, Noah opens the door, quickly places his belongings on the living room table, and heads toward his room. He turns on the lights but remembers Lucien upon seeing him asleep in his bed. Noah quickly turns off the lights and goes to his father's room. He closes the door behind him and just takes off his shoes to lie down.
On the other hand, Leo, upon entering the house, closes the front door and, confused about where to sleep since Noah hadn't told him, places his belongings on the table next to the sofa. He sits down, puts his hands over his face, takes off his shoes, and lies down on the sofa, staring at the ceiling with a depressed air.
Noah, with Leo's words still echoing in his head along with all the events of the party, squeezes his eyes shut and begins to count to try to sleep. However, when he reaches the number 500, he remembers his father while lying in his bed. His attention is pulled by his imagination, and then Noah tries to restart the count. This repeats until he can only fall asleep hours later, out of exhaustion.
With the bright morning sun hitting his face, along with his cell phone alarm, Noah awakens. Still confused, looking around and wondering why he is in his father's bed, Noah looks at the alarm and sees that it's time to go to class. Getting up quickly for fear of being late, he goes to his room, looks for his backpack, but sees Lucien still lying there, asleep.
Upon seeing Lucien and remembering all the events of last night, along with the disappearance of the people, Noah feels the weight of the reality of the situation they are in.
He walks over to the bed and shakes Lucien's shoulders in an attempt to wake him.
"Lucien, wake up..."
Without any movement, he shakes him more forcefully.
"Wake up, man!" he continues, almost making Lucien fall out of bed.
"Hm?" Lucien responds in a dry, tired, and irritated tone.
"Wake up. There are things you need to know."
"Hm..."
"Things happened at the party. A guy tried to attack a girl with a knife!"
"Uhum..."
"What do you mean 'uhum'?! Come on, Lucien, get up!"
Lucien coughs before speaking.
"Forty 18-year-old students... isolated in a town where everyone has disappeared..." he swallows dryly, trying to clear his throat. "Someone decides to throw a party on the night of the first day..."
"What do you mean by that?" asks Noah, while shaking his shoulders.
"...in that script, the impressive thing was that no one died at the party..." he replies, adjusting himself in bed, almost falling back asleep.
"Max beat him until he was almost unconscious..." says Noah, indignant at Lucien's response.
"Uhum..."
"And the red sentences are back..."
Lucien falls silent. Noah, thinking he has fallen back asleep, shakes his shoulders for a few seconds.
"Noah," says Lucien, now in a clear tone, turning to Noah with his eyes wide open. "Tell me exactly everything that happened."
Lucien sits up with a speed that startles Noah, and the first thing he does is feel around the bedside table for his glasses. He gets up and goes directly to the kitchen. Noah, confused and without reaction, just follows him.
Arriving in the kitchen, Lucien begins to look around quickly.
"Coffee?!" he asks.
"Um... Yes, thank you?"
"Where is the coffee, Noah?!"
"Ah, second drawer."
Noah continues to stare at his friend, who moves quickly from one side of the kitchen to the other, opening drawers and grabbing cups while preparing the coffee.
"Here," says Lucien, giving the cup to Noah and then pouring coffee into it.
Noah, still slightly paralyzed by confusion, watches Lucien clumsily pour coffee into his cup.
"Ah! Just the thing to calm me down!" says Lucien, taking a sip.
"Um... so... about the party..."
"Not here, Noah," he takes a sip. "There's only one place in town to talk about this." He takes another sip and makes a dramatic pause while staring at Noah. "The 'Pendulum Thrones of Infinite Wisdom'."
"The swings at the park?" Noah laughs. "I can't believe you still remember the name we gave them when we finally managed to solve the riddle in that game."
Lucien finishes his coffee as Noah begins to drink his.
Noah turns to look at the living room and, upon noticing Leo's belongings on the table, finds his absence strange.
"Hm?"
"What?"
"Leo isn't here. Apparently, he slept on the sofa."
"He must have gone for a walk," Lucien replies, indifferently.
"I think I was a bit hard on him yesterday," says Noah as he approaches the sofa and sees a piece of paper on the table.
"He left a note," says Noah, picking up the paper. "It says here he went to get some fresh air."
"I told you," Lucien replies, shrugging.
Noah finishes his coffee, returns to the kitchen, and leaves his cup in the sink, next to Lucien's.
"Ready to go?" asks Noah.
"On your lead, boss."
And so, Noah grabs his notebook, which he had left on the living room table, and both head out toward the park.
On the way, shortly after leaving the house, both of their cell phones vibrate at the same time. Noah, curious, picks his up to see what it is.
"It's a notification from the school's announcement board."
"I didn't know it was still working," Lucien replies, surprised. "What does it say?"
"It's about the meeting we heard about yesterday that was scheduled for this morning. Apparently, they're postponing it until the late afternoon to give Sophia time to recover from last night." Noah pauses. "Probably some student who has access to the board posted it."
"Sophia?"
"The girl who was threatened with a knife."
"Ah, right..." Lucien replies, thoughtfully.
"You'll understand."
Arriving at the park, both sit on the swings. Lucien swings a few times and comments on how much he missed the place and how it had the power to stimulate his brain. Meanwhile, Noah takes out his notebook and tries to organize his thoughts.
About thirty minutes later, with the help of his notebook and his memory, Noah finishes telling everything that happened, from when he left the house to go to the party until he got back. After all of Lucien's questions are answered, the two open a discussion.
"So, that's what happened," Noah concludes.
"Wow, I expected a lot of content, but this is really on another level," Lucien replies. "However, I think there's something that needs to be discussed first."
Noah looks on, confused.
"Noah, you know that if there's something I care about more than solving this mystery, it's you. So, I have to ask you something..."
"You can ask..." Noah replies, skeptically.
"This Teresa... are you in love with her?"
Noah's eyes widen, and he grips the swing's chains. He tries to say something, but only stammers come out.
"Can you tell me more about her?" asks Lucien, pushing himself to swing a few more times.
Noah takes a few more minutes to tell Lucien about Teresa: all the details, from when they met during the building inspection, the conversations they had, and their interactions at the party.
"Uhum... I think I get it," Lucien replies, looking at the blue sky. "Noah, at any point, did you notice any strange behavior from Teresa?"
Noah, conflicted and confused by his friend's question, furrows his brows and begins to think. He remembers the time Teresa called Class D "rotten trash" at the meeting but decides not to tell Lucien.
"No..." Noah replies.
"Don't you find it all a bit too coincidental? You meet this girl for a few minutes, she compliments your eyes and your appearance, decides to sit next to you at the meeting, on the same day buys a costume to please you, throws herself into your arms at the party, and asks you to take her home."
"And what's the problem?" Noah replies, thoughtful and slightly irritated.
"It just seems like something is wrong, Noah," Lucien replies, hesitating, afraid of offending his friend.
"I don't see anything wrong."
"To give an example, I feel like I'm reading a love story. A superficial and poorly written love story."
"What do you mean, man? What's your problem?" Noah replies, irritated.
Lucien pauses, thinking while swinging gently.
"Noah, did you ever stop to think why Teresa would be in Class B? Why would someone so vulnerable, submissive, and superficial be in the second-best class?"
Noah can't answer. He just stares at the horizon with his mouth slightly open, a tense look in his eyes, and his eyebrows furrowed.
"Don't get me wrong, Class B is also incredible," Lucien continues. "But, if there's one thing I know about them, it's that they are a nest of vipers."
Noah starts to get even more irritated and conflicted.
"And how the hell do you know so much about the other classes?! How do you know that your beloved Class A isn't also full of liars?! What has Max done that's so special so far for you to think these things?!" asks Noah, irritated, getting up from the swing.
"Class A is not full of liars."
"And how are you so sure?"
"The same way I'm sure that angels don't need to lie," Lucien replies, head down, still sitting on the swing.
"Max lied about the sentence on the board."
"He lied to show the truth."
The two pause for a moment. Noah walks around the park to organize his thoughts and regain his composure.
"I'm going to ask one more time," says Noah, now calmer. "How do you know so much about the other classes?"
Lucien sighs.
"As you know, in the recent period when I started skipping a lot of classes... I was busy with other things..."
"Busy with what?"
"That's not a topic for today..." Lucien replies, staring at the ground.
Silence takes over the atmosphere as Lucien sits still on the swing and Noah paces with his hand on his chin. Ten minutes later, enough for both to feel the breeze and the discomfort of the city's silence, which should be bustling on a Monday morning, Noah tries to resume the discussion.
"So... how about we get back to talking about the party?"
"That's a wise decision," Lucien replies, lifting his face with a slight smile.
"I think that sentence, due to the fact that it was written during the party, shows that there really is some student conspiring against the other people."
"Yes..." Lucien replies, reflectively. "However, a more useful piece of information than that, Noah, is that Max's reaction when he saw the sentence makes it clear that he is on our side."
"That's true. However, I don't know how we could get to Max, much less if it would be right to ask him directly."
Lucien looks at Noah with a one-sided smile and then looks back at the horizon.
"Noah, don't you find the timing of the knife incident a bit strange?"
"I do, ever since I saw the phrase 'Gates of Hell' written above the gym door."
"A distraction?"
"A distraction."
"It would be absurd to think that whoever wrote the sentence was counting on luck for something to happen inside the gym that would make the students outside come in," says Lucien, adjusting his glasses.
"And, considering the short period of time the conflict lasted, the only plausible conclusion is that the person who wrote the sentence already had the red ink before the commotion started," Noah complements.
"The problem remains in two possibilities. The first is that the student who created the distraction left the gym at the moment of the confusion to write and then came back. The second is that it was the work of more than one person: one inside, to create the distraction, while another, outside, wrote the sentence."
"Do you remember the drug dealer I told you I met at the party?"
"Yes, the one who tried to sell drugs to Leo..."
"I was thinking... about the possibility that the boy with the knife was drugged by someone. I can't say how, but his manner and his look were too strange for someone who was just drunk."
"It would certainly be easier to manipulate someone who is drugged, especially if the person is in the paranoia stage."
"I completely agree."
"Well... anything else you want to add, Noah?" asks Lucien, with a smile.
"I don't think so," Noah replies, thoughtfully, looking at the sky.
"Let's go meet Max, then!" Lucien laughs.
"Wait, are you serious?"
"It's about time! Only he can clear things up now!"
"Are you kidding, Lucien?! How do you plan on finding him?"
"I... kind of know where he lives," Lucien replies, giving Noah a wink.
Lucien gets up from the swing, approaches Noah, and hurries him along, patting him on the back. Noah, still skeptical, is convinced after a few seconds, with Lucien telling him it was the best option.
Thus, the two walk together toward Max's house, which is not very far. About twenty minutes later, they arrive at a complex of mansions. Noah is impressed by the number of extravagant houses he sees, all with different styles, yet gigantic.
"This is it," says Lucien, enthusiastically, pointing to one of the houses, with a full basketball court in front of it.
"Are you sure?"
"I am."
Both approach slowly, still uncertain about what will happen. They reach the door, look up, and observe that it is about four meters high. Noah rings the doorbell.
"It's a fitting door," comments Lucien.
They wait for a few minutes, but nothing happens.
"He must not be home... Let's go," says Noah, relieved.
"Ring it again."
Noah sighs and rings it again.
A few seconds later, when they least expect it, the door is opened slowly. They see Max, shirtless and only in shorts, with tired, hungover eyes. What before seemed like just a professional-level physique hidden behind the uniform, they can now see is truly flawless.
"Hm? Who are you?" asks Max, his voice hoarse and tired.
"Hi. Well... good morning. We wanted your help to talk about the conspirator of the red sentences," Noah replies.
"Not interested. Go home, I'm busy," Max replies, closing the door.
"Wait!"
"What is it?" Max replies, slightly irritated.
"We have information that might help you."
"Hm... And how do I know you're not just trying to get information from me to try and screw me over later?"
Noah and Lucien look at each other, not knowing what to do. Noah thinks for a few seconds about how he could convince Max, then puts his hand in his pocket and hands him his notebook.
Max takes the notebook from Noah's hand and begins to flip through it.
"Hm..." he responds, as he reads some notes.
"You kids are really smart as hell. I think I can help you with the investigation," Max completes, giving a slight smile and handing the notebook back to Noah. "Alright, come in."
The boys look at each other and enter Max's house. Right after the entrance, they pass by an extensive gym with the most modern equipment and then by shelves and more shelves of trophies, as they follow Max.
Arriving in a room, Max sits down, almost lying on one of the sofas, and asks the boys to sit on the other and make themselves comfortable.
A few seconds later, Noah and Lucien see a girl in lingerie entering the room and handing a can of beer to Max on a tray.
"Thanks," Max says, as he takes the can. "Oh! And bring two more for the boys!"
"No... no need. Thank you," Noah intervenes.
"So, what do you want to know?" asks Max, opening the can and taking a sip.
"Everything you know about the red writings and who could be behind them."
Max laughs.
"I like you, kid! I like people who get straight to the point!"
"Well, let's get to it, then," Max continues. "Do you remember what was written in the room in Building B, the one I searched?"
"'The fallen angels of Class B swear vengeance'."
"Did you stop to think about what that could mean? Like, those phrases that mean other things? I forgot the name."
"A metaphor?"
"Yes, that!
"It seems we lack information to figure out what it refers to."
"Well, let's go back to the past, then." Max takes a sip of his beer. "Thomas, that tall boy with the smooth talk and green eyes, used to study with me in Class A."
"Interesting. I knew Thomas had been transferred to Class B, but I didn't know if it was from C or A."
"Yeah. He was from Class A, but that was a long time ago. I only remember because I've always hated him. He's always acted this way: comes in with that little smile on his face, behaves in the exact way people expect and admire, and talks a bunch of bullshit."
"Did he ever do anything suspicious when he was in your class?"
"Not exactly. But I can feel when something stinks."
"What do you mean by that?"
"Kid, my instinct never fails me. I've been hired by ten different teams to play and be the captain of the U-20 team." Max pauses, taking a sip. "All ten ended up winning the championship. If there's one thing I know how to do, it's read my opponents. I read Thomas, and he stinks."
"Impressive..." comments Lucien, his eyes shining.
"I'll tell you what the phrase means. If there's any 'fallen angel' from Class B who swears vengeance, it can only be him. He's the one who fell from Class A," Max replies, taking the last sip of his beer and crushing the can in his hands.
The two boys look at each other, and Noah takes out his notebook to write down the information Max is giving him.
"Do you think it was Thomas who wrote the sentences?" asks Noah.
"No. It's impossible for it to have been him."
"Who do you think it is, then?"
"I don't know," Max replies, frustrated.
"Do you have anything else to say? Something your instinct tells you is wrong?"
"Yes. There is one thing. The sentence mentioned 'fallen angels' in the plural, and there was another person who fell from Class A a little before Thomas. They fell at practically the same time."
"Do you remember who the other person was?"
"I don't remember, it was someone quite indifferent to me," Max replies, still frustrated. "But my instinct also tells me there's something there."
"Do you think you can find out who it is?"
"I think I can ask my friends, maybe someone remembers."
"That fits with what Lucien and I considered: the possibility that what happened at the party yesterday was the work of two people."
"Hm... So you also think the fucker with the knife was a distraction."
"It's what makes the most sense."
"Want to know what I think? There's no way Thomas could have written the sentence at the entrance, but he could very well have drugged the kid with the knife and created that situation. Especially considering that Thomas was next to the beverage table the whole time," says Max, irritated.
"Uhum... Speaking of which, what did you say in Thomas's ear at the beginning of the party?"
"I told him that if I caught him trying to boycott the party, I would kill him. Ha ha ha! I've never seen someone freeze up so much."
"Makes sense. Anything else?" asks Noah, writing everything down.
"No. That's all I can help you with. Now it's your turn to help me."
Noah is speechless, slightly scared of what Max would ask.
"Don't go around spreading this information to everyone. You know the situation with the disappearances is tense; the last thing we need now are scared students doing irrational things. The purpose of the party was really to try and calm people down. You know, I really care about Grand Four, I consider all the students as family, regardless of their class."
"Alright, you can count on us not to spread the information."
"You told me the blonde's name is Lucien. Now, what's your name, kid?" asks Max, pointing to Noah.
"My name is Noah."
"Ah! So you're the Noah!" Max laughs.
"Have you heard of me?" asks Noah, confused.
"Yeah! A short, busty girl stopped me to ask if I knew you! Ha ha ha!"
"Hmm..." Noah replies, thoughtful and still conflicted with his thoughts about Teresa, because of what Lucien had told him hours ago.
"Now, I'm going to have to ask you to leave. I need to get ready to go out for lunch soon," says Max, extending his arm to shake Noah's and Lucien's hands.
"Of course, no problem. Thanks a lot for the help, Max," Noah replies, shaking his hand with a slight smile. Lucien does the same afterward.
"Do you want me to call Catarina to escort you to the exit?"
"Oh, no need, thank you. We remember the way."
And so, Noah and Lucien, both with looks full of determination, leave Max's house through the same corridor they entered.
"Noah?" says Lucien.
Noah turns to him.
"That was... incredible," Lucien completes, his eyes full of life and a wide smile. "I'm still speechless..."