The corridor remained silent long after Morris's door clicked shut.
Adam stood there, unmoving, as if still waiting for the air to rearrange itself into something that made sense.
He could go back in.
He should go back in.
Press harder. Ask sharper questions. Force Morris to dig deeper into whatever blank space had swallowed the previous night whole.
Someone had gotten to him. That was the only explanation. Memories did not simply evaporate. Not selectively. Not surgically.
Adam took one step toward the door.
And then he felt it.
That sensation.
Subtle at first. Like a draft where there should not be one. The prickle at the back of his neck, the faint tightening between his shoulder blades. The awareness that his movements were not entirely his own anymore, that somewhere unseen, something was measuring him.
Watching.
The exact same feeling from last night.
His pulse steadied rather than spiked.
He did not turn immediately.
Instinct told him not to.
Instead, he let his gaze drift casually down the corridor as though considering which direction to take next. His breathing stayed even. Controlled.
But inside, every nerve was alert.
The hooded figure.
It had to be.
He had felt those eyes on him atop the castle tower, right before the green blast tore through the water. He had dismissed it as coincidence in the chaos.
Now it did not feel coincidental at all.
Who are you?
The thought pressed forward, sharp and heavy.
He resisted the urge to look up toward the vaulted ceilings or down the branching staircases. Whoever it was, if they were there, they wanted him unsettled.
So he did the opposite.
He rolled his shoulders once, as if shaking off tension. Adjusted his posture. Let out a quiet breath.
Play it cool.
If someone was watching, let them watch.
He would not give them panic.
But he made a promise to himself in that quiet corridor.
He would find them.
He would hunt them down if he had to. There were only so many places someone could hide within this castle. Only so many vantage points.
And if they could erase memories, he needed to understand how.
Because if they could reach Morris…
They could reach him.
Adam turned deliberately and walked toward his room at a normal pace.
No rushing.
No glancing back.
Each step echoed softly against the stone as sunlight streaked across the floor in thin, golden lines. The castle's interior seemed to hold its breath with him.
He reached his door, stepped inside, and closed it gently behind him.
The quiet felt heavy.
He grabbed his swimming cap from the desk where he had carelessly tossed it earlier. For a moment, he stared at it in his hands.
Normal.
Everything about today was aggressively normal.
He slid the cap into the pocket of his Bahamas shorts, ran a hand over his thin dreads to smooth them back, and headed out again.
By the time he reached the eastern gate of the courtyard, the world had resumed its bright, chaotic rhythm.
Music thumped. Laughter spilled across stone. The scent of grilled meat and sweet drinks lingered warmly in the air.
And standing near the gate were three identical silhouettes.
Adam slowed.
There all here?
Abigail stood in the center.
Amber to her left.
Anissa to her right.
From a distance, they were almost indistinguishable. Same height, same facial structure, same smooth bronze skin that caught the sunlight beautifully. But as he approached, their personalities announced themselves through fabric and posture alone.
Abigail wore a one piece swimsuit in deep muted teal, the color calm and steady like still water at dusk. The neckline dipped softly but modestly, revealing just enough to accentuate her shape without demanding attention. The fabric hugged her curves naturally, emphasizing her waist before flowing down over full hips and strong thighs. It was undeniably sexy, but in a restrained way, as if the confidence came from knowing rather than showing.
Her dark hair was twisted neatly into a bun at the back of her head, a few strands framing her face delicately. She stood with her arms loosely crossed, weight balanced evenly, composed but slightly guarded.
Amber, by contrast, was pure sunlight.
Her bikini was a riot of bright coral and electric blue, the top tied with playful strings at her shoulders and the bottoms cut high at the hips. The colors popped against her skin in a way that felt deliberate, attention seeking, joyful. Her pink pixie cut caught the sun like a spark, vibrant and unapologetic.
Unlike her sisters, her hair remained uncovered.
"I'm getting it wet," she had probably declared earlier.
She bounced lightly on her heels as Adam approached, barely containing excitement.
Anissa was something else entirely.
Her swimsuit was black with subtle gold detailing that shimmered when she shifted. The cut was daring, sculpted to highlight every curve with precision. High on the hips. Low at the back. It looked exotic without trying, like something chosen casually but calculated carefully.
Her hair, like Abigail's, was secured in a sleek bun, though hers was tighter, sharper. Her posture was immaculate. Chin slightly lifted. Expression unreadable.
She looked like she would rather be anywhere else.
Adam stopped in front of them, eyebrows lifting.
"Why do I feel like I accidentally signed up to teach a masterclass instead of a swim lesson?"
Amber laughed immediately.
"Because you did."
Abigail's cheeks colored faintly.
"Amber," she muttered.
Amber grinned. "Abi told us she had a swim lesson with you. Obviously we're not missing that."
Adam looked at Abigail.
She avoided his eyes for half a second before meeting them again.
"I mentioned it," she said evenly. "They invited themselves."
"Of course we did," Amber said. "What kind of sisters would we be if we let you drown privately?"
Anissa exhaled softly.
Adam turned to her.
She raised an eyebrow.
"What?" she asked, defensive before he even spoke.
"You joining too?" he asked.
Her jaw tightened slightly.
"I would prefer somewhere somewhat private," she said after a pause, voice controlled. "I'm not fond of crowded beaches."
There it was.
Reluctance masked as indifference.
Adam studied them for a moment.
Three identical faces. Three completely different energies.
Under different circumstances, he might have dissected it all. Wondered about motivations. About underlying currents.
But his mind was already too full.
Memory erasure. Hooded figures. Being watched.
He did not have the capacity to overthink this too.
So he chose simplicity.
"Alright," he said lightly. "Let's go before the entire courtyard decides this is the new hotspot."
Amber clapped once. "Adventure!"
They moved together through the eastern gate, leaving behind the thickest part of the noise. The music faded gradually, replaced by the softer sounds of wind brushing through trees and the distant lap of water against stone.
The eastern side of the lake was quieter. Wilder.
Grass thinned into sand and smooth rock formations that curved naturally along the shoreline. The sunlight here felt less filtered, more direct, reflecting off the lake's surface in dazzling shards of silver.
They walked along a narrow stretch of beach, the sand warm beneath their feet. Adam led them toward a rocky outcrop that curved inward like a protective arm.
"You're sure this isn't some horror movie setup?" Amber asked cheerfully.
"Trust me," Adam replied.
They rounded the bend.
And the cave revealed itself.
It was breathtaking.
Carved into the rock like nature's own cathedral, the entrance arched high and wide, edges softened by time and water. The exterior stone was pale gold and warm beige, layered in smooth curves that resembled folded silk turned solid. The formation immediately called to mind the Benagil Sea Cave, with its open dome ceiling that allowed sunlight to pour in from above.
But this was freshwater.
And the effect was even more surreal.
The ceiling opened in a near perfect circular skylight, through which the midday sun streamed down in a radiant column. Light struck the lake water below and refracted against the cave walls, casting shimmering patterns that danced like living things.
The interior sand was fine and pale, forming a small crescent beach within the cave itself. The water glowed faintly turquoise where the light touched it, deepening into rich sapphire toward the edges where shadows lingered.
It felt hidden.
Sacred.
As if the world outside did not exist here.
And in the center of the glowing water, Aiva floated on her back, arms spread, eyes closed.
She opened one eye when she heard them.
"Well," she called lazily, "look who finally decided to show up."
Adam grinned despite himself.
"You started without me."
"I was beginning to think you got lost in the castle," she teased, flipping smoothly upright in the water. Droplets clung to her shoulders, catching the sunlight like tiny crystals.
She glanced toward the triplets and her smile widened.
"Oh. We multiplied."
Amber waved enthusiastically.
"This is insane!" she exclaimed, spinning slowly to take in the cave. "Are we actually allowed to be here?"
"Probably not," Adam said.
"Even better."
Aiva swam closer to the small sandy interior shore.
"Bryce is coming," she added casually. "He's bringing a speaker. I say we turn this into our own party before the rest of the school catches on."
Amber gasped in delight. "Yes. Yes. This is about to get wild."
Abigail remained quiet, eyes scanning the cave walls, the water, the sunlight. She looked captivated but cautious.
Anissa's lips pressed thin.
"More people?" she muttered.
Adam caught the shift in her tone.
She had wanted privacy.
Instead, this was evolving into something louder.
He stepped closer to the water's edge, the glow reflecting faintly against his skin.
In the back of his mind, a quieter thought surfaced.
Luna.
He wished she were here.
The cave felt like something she would appreciate. The stillness beneath the surface. The way light and shadow coexisted without conflict.
But Luna was elusive by nature.
And lately, more distant than usual.
He swallowed the thought and forced himself back into the present.
He could focus on Luna later.