The school was plunged into darkness. Only the faint light of the moon filtered through some windows, reflecting off empty corridors and closed doors. Isa hugged her coat tightly around herself, looking at Lucas cautiously.
Isa (whispering, nervous): "Are you sure about this?"
Lucas (adjusting his glasses): "Yes. With these copies, no one will notice we got in." — He discreetly showed the duplicate keys he had made earlier. — "The school looks locked, but I know exactly how to access everything."
Isa let out a relieved sigh.
Isa: "Then let's go. I don't want to be stuck here if someone suddenly shows up."
---
As they walked through the corridors, every step echoed ominously. Shadows cast by broken windows and old doors seemed to move, making everything even more frightening. But Lucas stayed focused, analyzing every detail, every possible clue.
Lucas: "Look at this." — He pointed to a partially torn bulletin board. Some papers were ripped, but among them, they found old notes about transferred students and suspicious schedules. — "There isn't much, but this could indicate who was in the school at night before."
Isa picked up the papers, trying to decipher them.
Isa: "Does this… match the time the body was found?"
Lucas: "Exactly. Someone was planning something."
As they moved forward, they heard light footsteps echoing from the corridor near the service exit. They quickly hid behind a slightly open door.
Outside, at the side entrance, Vice Principal Augusto appeared accompanied by a third-year student, wearing her uniform carelessly, as if trying to go unnoticed.
Isa (whispering, concerned): "What are they doing here at this hour?"
Lucas (narrowing his eyes, analyzing Augusto's behavior): "No idea… but this isn't normal. He clearly doesn't want to be seen."
They watched silently, trying to take in every detail. The student seemed nervous, glancing around while Augusto spoke in a low but firm voice. They didn't catch the words, but they noticed gestures indicating some kind of secret plan or rendezvous.
Isa (murmuring): "This just makes the mystery even deeper."
Lucas: "Yes… but we need to focus on our investigation." — He looked at the empty corridors. — "Let's follow the back halls. Maybe we'll find something connected to the body or the shadow."
---
Meanwhile, Matheus and Sabrina wandered around the school grounds, laughing quietly at something from earlier in the day. Diego and Julia followed, exchanging glances and subtle gestures of affection. Despite the tense atmosphere inside the school, these four seemed like an island of normality.
Julia (teasing Diego): "So… it looks like we finally got a quiet night."
Diego (smiling): "Thankfully… but with everything that happened today, I don't think anything will really be peaceful."
Matheus nodded in agreement, while Sabrina glanced at the school with curiosity.
Sabrina: "I know you're worried about the group's investigation… but we have to trust that they're prepared."
---
Back at the school, Isa and Lucas proceeded cautiously. In the side corridor, they found a slightly open door with recent footprints in the dust. Lucas approached slowly.
Lucas: "Looks like someone passed through here recently." — He pointed at the tracks. — "If we follow this, we might reach something important."
Following the tracks, they reached an old storage room. Inside, they found a small metal box hidden behind some cardboard boxes. Lucas opened it carefully, revealing a collection of strange items: keys to other doors, small torn pieces of clothing, and a notebook filled with coded notes.
Isa (whispering, looking at the notebook): "This is… incredible. Maybe it's the clue we've been looking for."
Before they could examine it further, they heard footsteps near the side exit again. They hid behind a tall shelf and observed: it was Augusto and the third-year student once more, this time leaving the school in a hurry. Augusto kept glancing around, as if fearing someone was following.
Lucas (whispering): "They're involved in something big… and we still don't know what."
Isa exhaled deeply.
Isa: "At least we got a clue. And we saw we're not alone in this investigation."
Lucas nodded, storing the notebook and some of the items in his backpack.
Lucas: "We need to get back before anyone notices we were here. But this changes everything. The vice principal and that student… they probably know more than they should."
As they exited through the back door, both felt the weight of what they had discovered. The school's mystery was growing deeper, and what had once seemed like just an investigation into a shadow and a body now involved secrets of the principal, suspicious meetings, and clues that could change everything.
Isa: "Tomorrow, we need to show this to the group." — back on the street. — "But without letting anyone know we were here at night."
Lucas: "Exactly. No one can know the school isn't really locked. That gives us an advantage."
The night was cold, but the air felt electrified. Aurora Academy, silent and dark, hid even more secrets than they could imagine. And as they walked home, the group knew they were only beginning to uncover a web of mysteries and dangers yet to come.