The fire had eaten half the gym by dawn. Charred walls. Melted metal. Police tape
around everything.
Ayla sat on the curb, covered in soot. Her hands wouldn't stop shaking. Elian was gone
when firefighters got inside. No body found. No trace. Only his watch—melted near the
exit.
She stared at it in a plastic bag while the officer spoke. His words faded in and out.
Suspended investigation. Possible arson. No survivors confirmed.
She couldn't breathe.
By the next day, the school reopened half its buildings. The board called it a "controlledaccident." Students whispered in hallways. Some blamed Ayla. Others pitied her.
She ignored them all.
Elian's dorm room was locked, but she found a way in. Empty drawers. His books gone.
Only one thing left—a black envelope under his pillow. Her name written on it.
Inside, one sentence in his handwriting:
"If I'm gone, find the file marked Red String."
Her stomach twisted. She turned the envelope over. A small photo was taped on the
back. Elian at a party, standing beside a student she recognized—Lara Voss. The head
girl. The principal's favorite.
And the date stamp was tonight.
By evening, the academy buzzed. The annual winter party. Glitter, music, champagne
glasses that weren't supposed to exist on campus.
Ayla slipped in wearing black. Her mind wasn't on the music. Every move felt calculated.
She scanned the crowd until she saw Lara laughing near the balcony.
She approached slowly.
"Nice party," Ayla said.
Lara turned, her smile sharp. "Didn't think you'd show up after what happened."
"Where's Elian?"
Lara blinked, then smirked. "You're still asking about him? He always loved leaving
messes behind."
Ayla stepped closer. "You knew him well?"
"Well enough to know he was dangerous."
Ayla's grip tightened on her glass. "You were in that photo with him."Lara's smile didn't waver. "Oh, that. Old memory."
"From tonight."
The smirk faded.
Ayla pressed. "Where is he?"
Music pounded around them. Students danced. No one noticed the tension.
Lara's gaze flicked to Ayla's bag. "You went through his room."
"You planted that envelope, didn't you?"
Lara leaned close, whispering. "You think you're the first person he fooled? You're not
special."
Ayla's voice went cold. "Then why did you try to kill him?"
For the first time, Lara's eyes faltered.
Ayla didn't miss it. "You were in the gym that night."
"Watch your mouth," Lara snapped. "You have no idea what's happening."
"Then tell me."
Lara's hand brushed against her dress pocket. Ayla noticed the glint of metal.
A needle.
Before Ayla could react, Lara lunged. Ayla caught her wrist. The needle fell to the floor.
Gasps rose around them as a few students turned. Lara straightened fast, forcing a
laugh. "She's drunk. She attacked me."
Teachers rushed over. Ayla's breath came fast. "She tried to drug me!"
But Lara's expression stayed calm, flawless. "Search me then."
The teacher did. The needle was gone.Ayla's heart sank.
"You need rest," the teacher said. "Go to your dorm."
Lara gave her a pitying look. "Get help, Ayla."
Ayla turned away before she could punch her.
As she pushed through the crowd, a familiar hand caught her arm.
"Elian?"
Her heart jumped, but it wasn't him. It was a boy she barely knew, holding a folded
napkin. "Someone told me to give you this."
She opened it. Inside was a message written in black ink:
"Meet me in the west library. Midnight."
The handwriting was his.
She looked up to ask who gave it, but the boy was gone.
The west library was silent. Half the lights were out. Dust clung to the shelves. Ayla
stepped in, heart racing.
"Elian?" she whispered.
No answer.
She walked deeper between the shelves. Then she saw it—a light glowing near the old
archive cabinet.
He was there.
"Elian."
He turned slowly. No burns. No bruises. Just the same calm, dangerous look that always
made her forget how to breathe."You're alive," she said, voice shaking.
He looked at her like he'd seen a ghost. "You weren't supposed to come."
Her chest tightened. "You sent the note."
"I didn't."
The air shifted. Behind him, something creaked.
A door in the wall opened—one Ayla had never seen before.
"Elian, what's that?"
He shook his head. "I don't know."
Before they could move, a cold voice echoed from inside the darkness.
"You two really never learn."
Lara stepped out, holding a phone in one hand and a small device in the other. The red
light on it blinked.
Ayla's eyes widened. "What did you do?"
Lara smiled. "Let's see how much fire you can handle this time."