Leon's POV
I don't know what's happening to me.
The moment Lemon texted me, I felt something spark inside. Like a thrill, but also peace. It's strange—how someone you barely know can suddenly take up so much space in your head. She wasn't like the other girls. There was something different. Bold, mysterious… and kind of stubborn too, which somehow made her even more interesting.
I lay on my bed, phone in hand, staring at our conversation from earlier. Then I started typing:
[Leon]: "Hey, I'll be coming there tomorrow with Mom for some work. Thought I could meet you guys while I'm there."
Almost instantly, the reply came:
[Lemon]: "Sure. We'll probably be in the library or around campus. I'll let you know."
I smiled. She didn't say no. That's a start.
I blushed. Actually blushed. What the hell is happening to me?
I dropped my phone on my chest and sighed.
This isn't just curiosity anymore.
And now they're trying to solve a murder? I don't know how deep they're into it, but if Lemon's involved… I want to be there too.
No matter how dark or dangerous this gets.
At the dorm room, the six girls sat together, a serious tension hanging in the air. They were rarely ever this quiet. Everyone had the same thought running through their mind
Who were those girls who died? And why?
Lemon took out the notebook where she'd written all the names and clues they had so far.
"We need to find something solid. Something real," she said.
"And that means going through the past," Hazel added, holding up an old yearbook. "Thanks to Daniel."
Scarlett clapped her hands dramatically. "Let's hope this isn't cursed."
They flipped through pages carefully, finding their 1st-year batch section. The numbers were clear.
Total students in the 1st year: 54.
Evelyn whispered, "There."
She pointed to a section of the page with the group photo.
There they were—Lydia, Sophia, Luna, Georgia—all together, smiling brightly.
They leaned in closer… and saw one more girl.
Right next to them. Slightly out of focus. Her face hidden halfway in the shadow.
"Wait—it's the fifth girl, I think?" Riley asked, frowning.
Lemon bit her lip. "I've never seen her before. Do any of you recognize her?"
Everyone shook their heads.
Autumn stood. "We need to ask Daniel."
They rushed out of the dorm and found Daniel near the staircase, sipping juice like he didn't have a care in the world.
"Daniel!" Hazel called.
He looked up. "What now?"
Lemon stepped forward, showing him the yearbook. "Who is this girl? The one next to Georgia?"
Daniel squinted. "Oh… that's Laven. She left the hostel after first year. Transferred."
"Where did she go?" Evelyn asked quickly.
He shrugged. "No idea. It was all hush-hush. Nobody really talked about her after that."
That made everyone even more suspicious.
The girls exchanged glances, silently agreeing this wasn't just a coincidence.
Back in their dorm, they sat in a circle, the yearbook open again in front of them.
"Wait," Riley suddenly said, "didn't Grace say there were six friends?"
Lemon looked at her notebook and nodded. "She said six girls who were inseparable. But here… only five."
Everyone fell quiet.
"Where's the sixth girl?" Scarlett whispered.
They stared down at the blurry group photo again, a strange chill settling over them.
One face missing.
One identity unknown.
One more secret to unfold.