—
Theo sat on the edge of his bed, bouncing one knee without realizing it.
He'd changed twice already.
Now he wore a soft hoodie over a clean shirt, sleeves pushed up just enough to fidget with.
His silky black hair fell neatly—too neatly, like he'd tried to calm himself by fixing it.
His glasses kept slipping a little crooked every time he sighed, and he kept nudging them back up with one finger.
He checked his phone again.
Nothing.
"I thought he'd come," Theo muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "I sent it to the group chat. He had to see it."
Rex leaned against the desk, arms crossed. "Maybe he's busy doing… Eliot things. Overthinking. Dramatic silence."
Theo frowned. "That's not funny."
Leon stood near the door, calm as ever, but his eyes flicked once more to the hallway like he expected Eliot to just appear.
"He would've said something," Leon said quietly.
Theo swallowed, worry creeping in. Then he forced a breath out.
"Okay. Fine. If he's not coming…" He waved a hand, trying to sound annoyed instead of scared. "Let's just get this over with quickly."
Leon nodded once. "Sure. Let's go."
Theo sighed, shoulders slumping.
Just then—
The door burst open.
Elara rushed in, breathless, eyes wide. "Have you guys seen Eliot?"
All three of them froze.
Theo's heart dropped. "No," he said slowly. "He didn't come here."
Leon's jaw tightened. "He didn't come to school either."
Elara's face went pale. She swallowed hard. "He… he hasn't gone home."
The room went silent.
From the corner, Lunara lifted her head, eyes narrowing as something clicked into place. Her voice came out low, almost a whisper.
"I think…" she said slowly, fingers tightening around her amulet, "…I might know where he is."
Every head turned toward her.
And just like that, the worry sharpened into something far more dangerous.
--
Lunara led them deeper into the forest.
The trees grew tighter, older, their branches knitting together like they were trying to keep secrets in.
Every few steps, pale blue crystals jutted from the ground—bonding stones. Some were cracked.
Some still hummed faintly.
Theo swallowed hard."Those things aren't supposed to be out here," he muttered. "They're… monitored."
Rex slowed, his usual grin gone. "Yeah. And they're definitely not supposed to feel like they're watching me."
Leon's eyes tracked the shadows, careful, calculating. He didn't speak—but his hand never left the hilt at his side.
Lunara stopped.
Her amulet pulsed once.Then again.
Blue light spilled across her fingers.
"This way," she said quietly.
They pushed through the last line of trees—and the forest ended.
An old warehouse loomed ahead. Massive. Wooden. Half-rotten with age. Its walls leaned inward like it was tired of standing. But beneath the warped door, a thin blue glow leaked out, steady and alive.
Theo's voice came out tighter than he meant it to."That place should've collapsed years ago."
Rex tilted his head. "So why does it feel like it's breathing?"
Leon finally spoke."Because someone's using it."
Silence fell.
Lunara stepped forward, her face calm but her jaw set. "My amulet led us here. Which means whatever's inside is tied to a bond. Or breaking one."
Theo shook his head. "That kind of energy? That's dangerous."
Leon's gaze flicked to her. "You knew that before you brought us."
"Yes," Lunara said. "And I still did."
Rex exhaled slowly. "Okay. Cards on the table. Who else feels like this place knows our names?"
No one laughed.
The blue light beneath the door pulsed—once—like a heartbeat.
Somewhere else.
Eliot's room was unnaturally neat.
Maris frowned as she straightened his desk, muttering under her breath."He never cleans this well when I ask him to."
She reached for the door—then paused.
A coat lay folded over the chair. Dark fabric. Familiar. A beanie tucked into one sleeve.
Lunara hadn't worn it today.
Maris picked it up to dust it—and something slipped free.
Clink.
A small blue crystal hit the floor.
It glowed.
Maris froze.
Her breath hitched as she crouched and picked it up carefully. The crystal was warm. Too warm. Faint lines pulsed inside it, like light trapped under skin.
"…What is this?" she wondered silently.
Her eyes darted to the doorway.
Lunara didn't wear things like this.
And Lunara didn't leave glowing crystals in Eliot's room.
Maris swallowed, setting the coat aside—carefully, like it might bite.
Where is Eliot? she thought.
She straightened, heart beating faster than it should, and quietly left the room—questions burning brighter than the crystal itself.
--
Leon reached the door first.
The wood groaned as he pushed it open, the sound echoing too loudly in the empty forest. The blue light spilled out fully now, washing over them like cold moonlight.
They stepped inside.
The warehouse was huge.
Rows of metal tables filled the space, cluttered with gadgets—scanners, restraints, cracked monitors still humming faintly. Thick glass tubes lined the far wall. Some were shattered. Others still stood, mist curling inside them like trapped breath.
Theo went pale.
"…Those are containment tubes," he whispered. "For wolves."
Rex stared, jaw tight. "Not for wolves. For keeping them."
The tubes were tall—tall enough for a person. Claw marks scored the inside of the glass. Chains hung loose from metal frames, swaying slightly, like they'd been disturbed moments ago.
Leon crouched near a console, brushing dust away.
"There's no real dust," he said slowly. "Just… settling."
Lunara hadn't moved.
Her ear twitched.
Once.
Then again.
A low growl rolled out of her chest—not loud, not wild. Controlled. Dangerous.
"This place was used," she said. "Recently."
Theo's voice cracked. "But the systems—look. They're powered down."
"Not shut off," Leon corrected. "Disconnected."
Rex turned in a slow circle. "So whoever was here didn't leave in a rush."
Lunara's eyes traced the floor. Faint drag marks. A dropped glove. The air still smelled wrong—metal, energy, fear.
"They moved them," she said. "But not long ago."
The blue lights flickered.
For a split second, one monitor flashed—ACTIVE—before going dark again.
Theo took a step back. "I don't like this."
Neither did Lunara.
Her growl deepened.
Then—
"Guys."
The voice came from behind them.
Every one of them spun around.
Eliot stood in the doorway.
Breathing hard. Hair messy. Glasses slightly crooked. His eyes locked on the tubes, then on Lunara—and something unreadable crossed his face.
"…You weren't supposed to find this," he said quietly.
The warehouse seemed to hold its breath.