Chapter 3
The next morning, the college campus looked normal again. Students were walking to their classes, laughing with friends, and enjoying the fresh morning air. Everything seemed peaceful.
But for Ran and Mariya, nothing felt normal anymore.
Ran was sitting on a bench near the library, holding the mysterious envelope they had found the night before. He looked at the strange symbol again and again.
Mariya arrived a few minutes later. She was holding two cups of coffee.
"Good morning," she said softly and handed one cup to Ran.
Ran smiled a little. "Good morning."
They sat quietly for a moment.
Finally, Mariya spoke. "Did you sleep last night?"
Ran shook his head. "Not really. I kept thinking about that message."
Mariya nodded. "Me too."
Ran opened the envelope again and took out the paper.
The message was still the same:
"The truth you seek is closer than you think… but beware, someone is watching."
Mariya looked around the campus carefully.
"Ran… do you think someone really is watching us?"
Ran looked serious.
"I don't know," he said. "But whoever wrote this message wanted us to find it."
Mariya thought for a moment.
"Maybe the symbol means something," she said.
Ran looked at the envelope again. The strange symbol—a circle with a triangle inside—was drawn with dark ink.
"Maybe it belongs to a group," Ran said.
"Or maybe it is some kind of secret sign," Mariya added.
They decided to go inside the library and search for information.
The library was quiet as usual. Rows of books stood tall like silent guards.
Ran and Mariya started looking through books about history, symbols, and secret societies.
Hours passed.
Just when they were about to give up, Mariya suddenly called Ran.
"Ran! Come here."
Ran walked quickly to her table.
Mariya had opened an old book about the history of the city.
She pointed to a page.
Ran's eyes widened.
On the page was the same symbol.
The circle with the triangle.
"What…?" Ran whispered.
Mariya started reading the old text slowly.
"This symbol belongs to an old secret group that existed in this city many years ago."
Ran felt a strange chill.
"A secret group?" he asked.
Mariya nodded.
"Yes. According to this book, the group protected a powerful secret hidden somewhere in the city."
Ran looked confused.
"What kind of secret?"
Mariya kept reading.
"It says… no one knows exactly what the secret is. But many people tried to find it."
Ran leaned closer.
"And what happened to them?" he asked.
Mariya looked at him quietly.
"They disappeared."
Ran felt his heart beat faster.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
Finally, Ran said, "Do you think this message is connected to that secret group?"
Mariya looked at the envelope again.
"I think so."
Suddenly, a loud sound came from the other side of the library.
Both of them turned quickly.
But when they looked, no one was there.
Ran stood up and walked slowly toward the shelves.
The place was empty.
But something strange caught his eye.
On the table nearby, there was another small piece of paper.
Ran picked it up.
His hands became cold.
There was another message written on it.
"If you want the truth… come to the old clock tower tonight."
Ran showed the message to Mariya.
Her eyes widened.
"Ran… someone really is watching us."
Ran looked toward the library window. Outside, the tall clock tower stood quietly in the distance.
He took a deep breath.
"Well," he said slowly.
"I guess tonight… we will find our first real answer."
Mariya nodded, but inside she felt both excitement and fear.
They didn't know that this decision would soon take them deeper into a dangerous mystery.
And somewhere far away…
Someone was smiling in the shadows.