The campus library was unusually quiet.
Most students were still in class, leaving only the occasional sound of turning pages and tapping keyboards.
Stacy Bennett sat in front of one of the public computers.
A notebook rested beside the keyboard.
On the first page, she had written one sentence.
Find the truth.
She opened Blackwood University's digital archive.
Search:
Lucien Ashford.
Hundreds of results appeared.
Scholarship awards.
Sports competitions.
Student council events.
Academic achievements.
She frowned.
"...Seriously?"
She clicked one article after another.
Every result painted the same picture.
Perfect student.
Perfect grades.
Perfect reputation.
Nothing unusual.
Nothing suspicious.
It was almost...
Too perfect.
"There has to be something."
She leaned back in her chair.
Then she remembered the photograph.
The one the librarian had quickly taken away.
It had never appeared in the archives.
Almost as if...
Someone had erased it.
"Looking for something?"
The sudden voice startled her.
She turned around.
An elderly librarian stood nearby, holding a stack of books.
His name tag read:
Mr. Howard.
Stacy smiled awkwardly.
"I'm just researching university history."
"The history section is downstairs."
He pointed toward a staircase at the back of the library.
"Most students never go there."
"Thank you."
The lower level smelled of old paper and polished wood.
Unlike the modern library upstairs, this section was filled with shelves of aging books, newspapers, and handwritten records.
Dust floated through the air.
It felt untouched.
Almost forgotten.
Stacy wandered slowly between the shelves.
Yearbooks.
Old campus maps.
Newspaper clippings.
Then...
She noticed a thin leather-bound register tucked behind a row of encyclopedias.
There was no title.
Only the university crest embossed on the cover.
Curious, she opened it.
Inside were lists of names.
Students.
Faculty.
Visitors.
Most entries were ordinary.
Then one caught her eye.
Lucien Ashford
She frowned.
The handwriting looked decades old.
But beside the name...
There was no student number.
No graduation year.
Only one word.
Restricted.
"What..."
She flipped through more pages.
The name appeared again.
And again.
Different years.
Different handwriting.
Always the same note.
Restricted.
Her heartbeat quickened.
"So..."
"You really are investigating."
Stacy spun around.
Lucien stood at the end of the aisle.
He looked tired.
As though he hadn't slept.
She closed the register.
"Were you following me?"
"No."
"I came here to return a book."
She raised an eyebrow.
"What are the chances?"
"They're not great."
For the first time in days...
They almost smiled at the same time.
Almost.
Lucien noticed the old register in her hands.
His expression immediately changed.
"Where did you find that?"
"On the shelf."
"It shouldn't be there."
"That's what I'm starting to notice."
She held up the book.
"Your name is in here."
He didn't deny it.
"You've been looking into me."
"You've been giving me reasons to."
Silence.
Lucien slowly walked toward her.
"This archive contains records that were never meant to be public."
"Then why are they here?"
"Because someone forgot to remove them."
He carefully took the register from her hands.
For a moment...
Stacy thought he was going to hide it.
Instead...
He placed it back on the shelf exactly where she'd found it.
She frowned.
"...You're not taking it?"
"No."
"Why?"
Lucien looked at the old shelves.
Then quietly answered,
"Because if I keep hiding everything..."
"...you'll never believe me when I finally tell you the truth."
Stacy stared at him.
It wasn't an explanation.
But...
It was the first time he'd admitted there was a truth to tell.
Before she could respond...
Footsteps echoed from the staircase.
Mr. Howard appeared.
His eyes immediately settled on the old register.
For the briefest moment...
His calm expression faltered.
"You found that book."
Stacy nodded.
"I was just looking through it."
The librarian smiled politely.
"I'm afraid that collection isn't available to students."
He reached for the register.
Lucien handed it over without protest.
Mr. Howard looked at Lucien for a second longer than necessary.
Then quietly said,
"...Your father would be disappointed."
Lucien's face hardened.
"I doubt that."
The librarian gave a slight nod.
Then walked away with the book.
Stacy watched him disappear.
"...That wasn't just a librarian, was it?"
Lucien looked toward the staircase.
"No."
"...Who is he?"
Lucien hesitated.
Then, for the first time...
He answered.
"Someone who knows more about Blackwood than anyone else."
It wasn't much.
But it was more than he'd ever told her before.
As they left the library together...
Neither noticed the security camera above the entrance slowly turning to follow them.
Far away...
A monitor flickered to life.
Two figures watched the screen in silence.
One finally spoke.
"They're getting closer."
The other nodded.
"Let them."