Eash remained silent.
A small, clever smile played on his lips-like a detective who already knew the ending of the story.
Then, without warning, he spoke.
"Okay guys," he said casually, "let me surprise you a little."
He turned slightly, eyes locked on the elevator gate.
"Come in, Mr. Ukohama."
The students gasped.
The elevator door slid open with a soft chime.
And there-stepping out into the cold rooftop air-was another Mr. Ukohama.
Everyone stared in shock.
This second Ukohama was calm, serious. In his arms, he held something small and white : Ena.
The cat blinked slowly, tail swaying.
Whispers rushed through the crowd. Eyes darted between the two Ukohamas.
Eash didn't say a word.
He just watched them. Quiet. Ready.
The real twist had just begun.
The rooftop was tense, wrapped in a heavy silence.
The digital lights lining the rooftop flickered faintly, casting soft glows on the stunned faces of the students.
"Thanks to Ena," he said, his voice smooth and steady. "She helped us a lot in this case."
He turned to Riyushi and Spark, eyes gleaming.
"Last night, she suddenly ran off like she sensed something. I followed her-and ended up on the 3rd floor. And guess what... there it was. Room 17H." He paused. "Mr. Ukohama's room."
Gasps rippled through the crowd.
The students exchanged confused glances, whispers rising like wind across the rooftop. Some stepped back in disbelief. A few looked straight at the first Mr. Ukohama, whose face had turned pale and unreadable.
Inspector Kartiz's eyes narrowed. He quickly began scanning data from his wrist tablet, his fingers moving faster now. Suspicion hardened his features.
And just then-
A mechanical flutter echoed through the air.
Everyone looked up. A small blue robotic bird zipped through the sky and landed on the rooftop railing.
Its eyes blinked twice-and a bright hologram flickered to life, rising above the bird's head.
It was Headmaster Mr. Selius Helhed.
His tall figure stood projected in glowing blue light, arms crossed, eyes sharp as crystal.
"Good evening, everyone," his deep voice echoed, calm yet commanding.
"It seems... the truth is finally unfolding. Let me join please. "
Eash smiled-a small, clever curve of his lips, like a detective enjoying the final moves of a chess game.
"Things are getting more exciting," he muttered under his breath. But he said nothing else.
Then, calmly, almost too calmly, he began to walk-step by step-toward the first Mr. Ukohama.
The crowd grew tense. The wind felt heavier. Even the hologram of Headmaster Helhed paused, watching silently.
Mr. Ukohama's eyes twitched. Sweat glistened at his temples. His body stiffened, lips parting slightly as if to speak-but no words came. He backed away one step, then froze.
Eash stopped in front of him. His eyes were sharp, locked onto Ukohama's.
And then, without warning-Eash reached out and pressed two fingers to the side of Ukohama's neck.
There was a soft clicking sound.
Ukohama's body stiffened, then collapsed to the ground like a puppet with its strings cut.
Gasps broke out.
But what happened next silenced everything.
As Ukohama's body hit the floor, a small panel at the back of his neck snapped open with a faint hiss.
Wires. Metal. A blinking red light.
The man everyone thought was Ukohama began to shift-his face rippling unnaturally, his skin changing color.
Within seconds, the truth was revealed.
He wasn't human.
He was a robot. A near-perfect replica of the real Mr. Ukohama.
And now, lifeless on the ground, his identity was exposed to all.
Silence.
Only the faint hum of the rooftop wind remained.
Eash bent down and gently picked up Ena from the real Mr. Ukohama's arms. Holding her close, he stood up straight and turned to face the crowd again.
"Reaching the 3rd floor," he said clearly, his voice cutting through the heavy silence, "I heard a faint noise coming from the door of room no. 17H."
His eyes scanned the students, pausing briefly on each face.
"And of course... that was the real Mr. Ukohama. Tied. Gagged. Locked inside."
Gasps echoed softly, but no one dared speak aloud.
Eash took a step forward, his voice lowering into something cold, almost whisper-like.
"Now..." he paused, then looked directly into the crowd. "That same question remains."
He narrowed his eyes.
"Who did this?"
Inspector Kartiz stood completely still, his arms folded, listening sharply. His gaze didn't move from Eash.
Around them, the rooftop was frozen in time.
Students weren't moving.
They weren't even blinking.
It was as if the entire airship had stopped breathing-
Waiting.
Watching.
Wondering what Eash would reveal next.
Eash's voice shifted-calm, but with a mysterious edge.
"Anyway," he said quietly, "let's step aside the question... for the future."
He paused, letting the silence stretch like a string pulled tight.
Then, slowly, he turned to face the crowd.
His eyes were sharp now-burning with a quiet fire.
He didn't say it loud, but his gaze shouted something powerful.
Finally, he spoke.
"Riyushi..."
A heartbeat passed.
"I know the HCD is with you."
The words dropped like thunder.
The entire rooftop went numb.
Eyes widened. Mouths opened, but no words came.
It was as if time cracked-just a little.
Even if the earth split in two right then, the students would still be stuck in the same question: What is going on?!
The silence was no longer silent.
It screamed.
Eash could listen everyone's thinking. Yuri's brain catches his ear : " No way this can be true! "
Riyushi stepped forward slowly, his footsteps sounding louder than ever in the dead silence.
His face was pale, not from fear-but from the weight of unspoken questions.
Without hesitation, he reached into his coat and pulled out a sleek silver device-the real HCD.
He handed it over to Eash.
Eash took it calmly, as if someone had just passed him a pen.
"Thank you, Riyushi Izume," he said with a quiet nod, like it was nothing serious.
He added, still composed:
"Don't worry. None but I noticed you when you were coming back from Viva."
Inside, he smiled. But on the outside, his expression stayed flat-cool, focused, unreadable.
Just then, Kartiz stepped forward, raising his voice:
"You are under-"
Eash held up a hand.
"Wait, Mr. Kartiz. There's nothing to be hurried about. I didn't say Riyushi is the culprit."
Kartiz tried again, "But, as the proof-"
A voice interrupted. Calm. Cold. Final.
"Nothing is truly proved yet," said the Headmaster, his hologram flickering gently in the evening air.
Eash nodded.
"There is someone. Yes... someone who gave a false signal to Spark's watch during the Viva.
Someone who created a robotic Mr. Ukohama and hacked into the security system.
Someone who stole the HCD before Mr. Kalhen could take it ..."
Kalhen's mouth opened to object-but the Headmaster's sharp glance silenced him instantly.
Eash's voice deepened.
"And that same person slipped this valuable device into Riyushi's pocket.
I don't know why they couldn't keep it with them- maybe a plan gone wrong..."
Riyushi, standing beside Eash now, looked at him quietly-
For the first time, seeing not just a student,
But a mind sharper than his own-
A boy with the calm presence of a man twice his age.
The rooftop was wrapped in silence again.
The breeze gently lifted the edge of someone's coat.
The sky above looked heavier than before.
Finally, Kartiz asked:
"So who is that person?"
Eash looked straight into his eyes and replied:
"It is unfortunate... and I'm so sorry to say, Inspector...
that I don't have enough evidence to prove or detect that person."
The Headmaster's hologram looked around once before declaring:
"This gathering on the rooftop is now officially ended. Everyone may return to their rooms. Thank you for your time."
Slowly, the crowd began to disperse.
Professor Kalhen and Inspector Kartiz stepped into the elevator, quiet, their minds clearly racing.
Riyushi followed, thoughtful and pale. Spark walked beside him, deep in thought, his brows furrowed.
Yuri and Liliyan stayed silent, their footsteps softer than usual, glancing back at Eash once.
The elevator doors closed with a quiet hiss.
The robotic blue bird still hovered above, wings clicking softly.
Eash walked closer to it.
Mr. Helhed's voice returned, low and pleased:
"Well done, Eash Lorenas. Just as I expected. You're as wise as your father."
Eash gave a clever smile.
"Sir, I ask your permission to keep Ena with me."
"Permission granted."
With that, the bird flapped its metallic wings and vanished into the sky, leaving a fading trail of blue light.
Eash stood alone on the rooftop.
Or maybe... not entirely alone.
The sunlight had faded behind thick clouds, casting a dim grey glow over the digital surface.
The breeze felt colder, almost alert-like it carried whispers.
He could smell something faint in the air.
He could sense someone-or something-close.
But his eyes saw nothing. His ears heard only silence.
A moment stretched... so long, it felt like a year had passed.
Then, calmly, Eash spoke to the invisible air:
"How long are you going to hide from me? We're meeting face to face soon."
With that, he turned and walked away.
The rooftop remained behind him-vast, empty, humming quietly beneath neon lights-
like a forgotten stage waiting for its next scene.
Be continued...