The morning at Aurora High began in silence, but it was heavy with tension. Every corridor seemed to watch the students, as if the walls themselves hid secrets no one dared to say out loud. Claws walked beside Matheus, feeling the weight of the latest discoveries. The second death still echoed in his mind, and the air felt colder than usual.
Rafa, Isa, and Lucas were in the study room, each analyzing different leads. Rafa tapped her fingers on the table, restless.
— We can't ignore this anymore, — she said, her voice tense. — There's someone inside this circle who knows too much, someone manipulating everything.
Isa opened the folder with records of the black car, suspicious movements, and symbols found in papers left by Vice Principal Augusto.
— This isn't coincidence, — Isa said, pointing at the paper. — Both victims had ties to gangs and politics. Someone is trying to wipe this out systematically.
Lucas frowned.
— And the fact that the black car shows up near the school and the murder sites… Someone knows the city, the school, the gangs… it's too organized.
Rafa took a deep breath, trying to stay calm.
— So we have three main suspects: Claws's grandfather, because of all his power and knowledge; Marta, who's always tied to Augusto and seems to know too much; and… well, my brother. But… it can't be him. — She looked away, trying to push aside the thought growing inside her.
Claws, who had remained silent until then, noticed the tension in Rafa's voice. He knew her brother was an important piece of the puzzle, but also knew she wasn't ready to accept the possibility that someone so close could be involved.
— We need to separate facts from suspicions, — Claws said firmly. — We can't act on emotions.
---
Later, Isa and Lucas decided to follow a lead on the black car. They discovered it had passed near a quiet street linked to the city's abandoned warehouses. As they walked, they noticed a familiar figure hurrying by: Marta.
— What is she doing here? — Lucas whispered, intrigued.
— I don't know, — Isa replied. — But she always shows up in the right places… and almost always with excuses.
They decided to watch her from afar. Marta entered a small building but came out minutes later with a bag that looked far too heavy to be just books. Lucas carefully documented everything, and Isa began piecing the details together.
— This is getting serious, — Isa murmured. — We can't rule out anyone. Not a single one.
---
Meanwhile, Claws was summoned again to his grandfather's mansion. Antônio sat at the table, his expression cold, but his eyes carried an intensity that made Claws hesitate.
— Claws, — his grandfather said, his voice firm — I know you're watching, looking for answers. But there are forces bigger than you can imagine. These deaths, these gangs — it's all part of a game you don't fully understand yet.
— So you do know everything? — Claws asked, trying not to show his unease.
— I know enough for you to survive, — Antônio answered with a faint smile. — But remember: trusting doesn't mean surrendering. You must learn to move the pieces on your own.
Claws swallowed hard. He knew every word his grandfather spoke carried layers of meaning, and everything he said could be either a trap or a lesson.
---
Back at school, Rafa couldn't stop thinking about her brother. She remembered every strange movement, every unexplained absence. But Marta continued to confuse her — the senior student always seemed to be present in every suspicious moment.
— Isa, — Rafa said, taking a deep breath — I know my brother seems… trustworthy. But every detail I notice makes me afraid. And Marta… she's always around when strange things happen.
— So we have three suspects, — Isa concluded. — Grandfather, Marta, and Rafa's brother. One of them — or maybe all of them — is manipulating what's happening here.
Lucas looked out the window at the street. The sky was darkening, and a black car drove by slowly, almost imperceptibly.
— And this here, — Lucas said, pointing at the car — just confirms someone is controlling every move. Someone who knows the school, the gangs, and… probably what we do at every step.
Rafa clenched her fists.
— Then we can't waste time. We need to put everything we know together and start building a plan to uncover who's behind this.
Claws took a deep breath, feeling the weight of responsibility. He knew he was caught in a dangerous game, surrounded by monsters and shadows. But he also knew he couldn't back down.
As the group planned their next moves, Rafa's brother watched silently from a distance, making sure his steps remained hidden. Marta followed the group's trail discreetly, and Claws's grandfather remained in his palace of power, pulling strings from the shadows.
The city was silent, but no one could ignore the danger. Every clue, every move, every suspicion could mean the difference between survival and the next victim.
And the black car, like a merciless shadow, slowly disappeared into the night, leaving behind only the feeling that the game was just beginning.