Night had fallen over the academy once again.
The halls were silent.
The wind outside pushed softly against old windows.
Inside the abandoned training room, the hidden boy was finally asleep.
His breathing was uneven, but calmer than before.
A thin blanket covered him.
Food crumbs were still scattered near him from where he had eaten desperately earlier.
Mary stood near him quietly.
"He really was starving…"
David crossed his arms.
"How long do you think he was trapped down there?"
No one answered.
Because none of them wanted to imagine it.
Daniel stood near the broken window, staring into the dark academy grounds.
His thoughts were still on the boy's final words.
One of them is already controlled.
Who?
A teacher?
A guard?
A student?
Or someone worse?
Mary quietly broke the silence.
"We can't just sit here."
Daniel turned.
"What are you thinking?"
Mary looked serious.
"We go back to the basement."
David's eyes widened.
"Again?"
She nodded.
"We missed something. Files, clues… anything."
Daniel slowly agreed.
"She's right."
David sighed.
"We're going to die because of curiosity."
Mary rolled her eyes.
"Stop complaining and move."
Before leaving, they quietly left more food and water beside the sleeping boy.
If he woke up—
at least he wouldn't panic.
Then the trio slipped out of the abandoned training room and moved carefully through the academy.
Curfew had already begun.
Every hallway felt dangerous.
Every corner felt like someone was watching.
They avoided guards.
Moved through side corridors.
Hid when footsteps echoed nearby.
Finally—
they reached the basement entrance again.
The cold air felt heavier than before.
Mary whispered:
"Stay close."
Slowly, they descended.
Their footsteps echoed softly through the underground halls.
The basement looked darker tonight.
More silent.
Almost waiting.
They searched carefully.
Old shelves.
Broken experiment tables.
Dust-covered files.
Strange black marks on walls.
David checked one room.
"Nothing."
Mary searched another.
"Only broken papers."
Daniel walked deeper.
His eyes narrowed.
"Wait."
At the far end of the corridor—
movement.
A shadow.
Someone was there.
The three instantly ducked behind a cracked stone wall.
Mary's breathing quickened.
David whispered:
"Who is that?"
Daniel slowly peeked.
And froze.
"It's… Mr. Stone."
The strict teacher stood alone near the far wall.
But he wasn't patrolling.
He was doing something strange.
He carefully pulled an old iron key from his coat.
Mary's eyes widened.
"A basement key?"
Mr. Stone inserted it into a small hidden lock built inside the wall.
CLACK.
A narrow stone panel slowly opened.
Behind it—
an old hidden compartment.
David whispered:
"What is he hiding?"
The trio watched silently.
Mr. Stone reached inside and pulled out an old file.
Dust covered it.
Black stains marked its edges.
He opened it quickly.
His face turned tense.
Like he was checking something important.
Then—
he touched one strange black symbol carved near the wall.
The same symbol they had seen earlier.
Mary's voice shook.
"He knows about all this…"
David clenched his fist.
"He's the traitor."
Daniel stayed silent.
His chest tightened.
Everything looked wrong.
Mr. Stone quickly hid the file inside his coat again.
Then he shut the hidden wall.
The basement returned to silence.
Mary whispered:
"We should follow him."
They moved carefully behind pillars and broken walls as Mr. Stone walked deeper through another corridor.
He never saw them.
At least—
they thought he didn't.
Suddenly, Mr. Stone stopped.
The trio froze.
He stood still in darkness.
Then, without turning around, he quietly spoke:
"…You really shouldn't be here."
Daniel's eyes widened.
Did he know?
But before anyone could move—
Mr. Stone continued walking.
As if he had said it to himself.
Or maybe…
to something else.
The trio stayed hidden.
Mary's heart pounded.
David whispered:
"He knows."
But Daniel wasn't watching Mr. Stone anymore.
He was staring at the hidden wall.
Something about that file felt important.
Dangerous.
Then Mr. Stone disappeared into the darkness.
Silence returned.
Mary slowly exhaled.
"That's it."
"All suspicion goes on him."
David nodded.
"He has keys."
"He knows symbols."
"He hides files."
"He's definitely involved."
Daniel looked uncertain.
Everything pointed toward Mr. Stone.
Yet something felt… strange.
Why would a traitor walk openly into danger?
Why hide files instead of destroying them?
Why look worried?
Still—
they had no answers.
As they prepared to leave—
a soft sound echoed from deeper inside the basement.
A whisper.
Very faint.
Very cold.
Daniel slowly turned.
"Did you hear that?"
Mary gripped his arm.
The darkness ahead looked endless.
And from somewhere inside it—
something moved.