As they stepped out of their dorm, the cool evening breeze brushed against their faces. The sky was painted in hues of orange and pink, casting long shadows across the school grounds. Lemon led the way, hands tucked into her hoodie pocket, while the others trailed behind. Their mission was clear—talk to Grace and get whatever information they could about Luna.
Just as they were about to reach the ground, Riley suddenly stopped.
"Wait," she said, crossing her arms. "As far as I know, Grace isn't the type to gossip in groups. If all of us go together, she won't say a word."
Autumn frowned. "Then what do we do? We can't all just disappear."
"One of us should go alone," Riley said, looking at them.
Everyone turned to Lemon.
She blinked. "Wait—why me?"
"Because," Evelyn smirked, "you somehow manage to get people to spill their secrets."
Lemon sighed. "Fine, but you all better be watching from somewhere. If she tries to run or call a teacher, I'm not getting caught alone."
Hazel pointed to the second-floor balcony. "We'll be up there."
With that, they changed their course, the five of them heading up while Lemon made her way to the ground, where Grace sat with her group of friends on a bench.
Lemon took a deep breath and put on her most casual expression as she approached.
"Hey, Grace," she greeted, sitting down beside her without invitation.
Grace, a tall girl with neatly tied-back hair and perfectly manicured nails, looked at her in surprise. "Lemon? What's up?"
Lemon leaned back on the bench, crossing one leg over the other. "Nothing much. Just wanted to talk."
Grace raised a brow, clearly suspicious. "About?"
Lemon shrugged, playing it cool. "You heard about the murders, right?"
The reaction was instant. The other girls around Grace stiffened, exchanging uneasy glances. Grace nodded. "Of course. Who hasn't?"
Lemon tilted her head. "And Luna? You knew her, didn't you?"
Grace shifted uncomfortably. "We weren't close or anything."
Lemon pretended to sigh in disappointment. "That's too bad. I was hoping to get some inside scoop, you know?"
At that, Grace perked up slightly, her love for gossip battling against her wariness. But she wasn't completely convinced yet.
Lemon leaned in conspiratorially. "Can we talk in private?"
Grace hesitated before waving a hand. "Guys, give us a moment."
Her friends exchanged glances but got up and left, whispering among themselves as they walked away.
Lemon caught a glimpse of her own friends peering from the second-floor balcony. Unlike before, their faces were very visible—pressed right up against the railing, eyes wide with curiosity.
Scarlett gave her a thumbs-up. Hazel mouthed, Get that tea, girl.
Lemon suppressed a smirk and turned back to Grace.
"So," she said, lowering her voice, "I heard something interesting. Apparently, Luna used to be part of a friend group?"
Grace's eyes flickered with interest. She folded her arms. "Where did you hear that?"
Lemon shrugged. "Around. Is it true?"
Grace leaned in slightly, the temptation to spill the details overpowering her hesitation. "Yeah… they were a group. A very close one, too."
Lemon widened her eyes dramatically. "No way! Are you serious?"
Grace nodded, her voice dropping to a whisper. "There were six of them."
Lemon gasped, her face the picture of shock. "WHAT?!"
Up on the second floor, Evelyn clapped a hand over her mouth to keep from laughing. Riley, however, lost it. She had to grip the railing to keep herself from doubling over.
Autumn whispered, "Oh my god, look at her face. She looks like she just found out she's failing math."
Scarlett snorted. "I've never seen her so dramatic."
Hazel chuckled. "I swear, if Lemon ever quits solving mysteries, she should go into acting."
Meanwhile, Lemon was fully committed to her role. She threw in perfectly timed gasps and widened her eyes every time Grace revealed something new.
Lemon placed a hand over her mouth, feigning horror. "You mean… there were six of them? And now Luna is dead?!"
Grace nodded solemnly. "Yeah. And the weird thing is… people don't talk about them anymore. It's like the whole group just disappeared from everyone's memory."
Lemon narrowed her eyes slightly, but kept up her act. "That's so creepy. Like, they just stopped existing?"
Grace looked around as if making sure no one else was listening. "It's not just that. Sofia and Lydia were also the part of that group.And also one girl died when they were in the 1st year"
Lemon's expression stiffened
Lemon stole another glance at the balcony. Evelyn and Riley's expressions had shifted—this was serious.
Something wasn't right.
And for the first time since the murders began, Lemon felt like she was finally uncovering the real mystery.
But something told her…
She wasn't going to like what she found