The bell had rung, signaling the end of the last class of the day. Aira, Zara, Josh, and Aelric gathered in the quiet corner of the common room, their devices in hand, each glowing softly in the dim late-afternoon light. The chatter of departing students and footsteps in the hall faded behind them, replaced by the quiet hum of their focus.
"Where do we even start?" Zara asked, scrolling through a tablet. "There's so much online. How do we know what's real?"
"By looking at everything," Aira said firmly. "Every forum, every blog, every student discussion about Ebonspire. Something has to lead us to Kyran."
Josh leaned back, rubbing his eyes. "Do you think… maybe he's behind Sunny's disappearance too?"
Aira froze, shaking her head. "No. He told me she's not in the jungle. He didn't take her."
Zara frowned. "And you believe that? Just like that?"
Aira's cheeks flushed. She remembered the first time she had seen him, the calm precision in his gaze, the quiet authority in his voice. For a fleeting moment, she had trusted him. But now, with everything she had seen and felt, she knew better. "What am I even thinking? Why did I even believe him?"
She took a deep breath and straightened her posture. "No. I don't believe him. We have to keep searching. We have to find Sunny—but not him."
They spent hours scrolling through forums, official school websites, and even obscure student blogs. Each site seemed more desperate than the last, filled with fragmented stories, warnings, and speculation.
"Do not approach the east wing. He waits there."
"Kyran is not human. He's dangerous. Stay away."
"Some of the teachers avoid him, even the principal. No one should be near him."
Josh groaned. "This is hopeless. Every site says the same thing—monster, danger, avoid, don't go near. How are we supposed to find anything concrete?"
Aelric leaned back, expression calm, almost unnervingly so. "We can't give up. Someone has to have seen him, or else it's all just exaggeration. There has to be a concrete lead."
They scrolled, clicked, and searched through dozens of forums, multiple news archives, even private discussion boards. The clock on the wall crept toward evening. Their frustration built, the tension between them quietly thickening.
Aira rubbed her temples. "We're getting nowhere. It's like… like he doesn't exist."
Josh muttered, "Or like everyone's too scared to admit they do."
Then, nearly when they were about to give up, Zara stopped mid-scroll. "Wait… look at this comment."
It was brief, almost buried among dozens of others, and it was recent—three weeks ago.
"I saw him. Be careful if you ever go near the east wing. Not many get the chance." —Lana
Aira's pulse quickened. "Three weeks ago… she actually saw him recently. And she's still around. That's recent enough for us to follow up."
Josh leaned closer. "Lana… who is she? Is she a student? Some old account?"
They searched further, cross-referencing school directories and student lists. Finally, Aelric's finger froze on the screen. "Here. Lana Evers. Third-year student. Dorm C, Section 2. She's at Ebonspire. She's here."
Zara's mouth dropped open. "You're kidding. She's in the school? Right now?"
Aira nodded, determination flaring. "Looks like it. We can… observe her. Learn what she knows. Figure out how she saw Kyran, and maybe understand a little more about him."
Over the next several days, they kept a careful, discreet watch on Lana. She moved like a shadow—quiet, solitary, with dark circles under her eyes. Her hair fell across her face, and she scribbled furiously in a worn notebook in almost every free moment. She didn't interact with anyone, never joining the dorm activities or group studies, always keeping to the shadows.
"She's… weird," Josh whispered one afternoon, hiding behind a bookshelf. "Look at her eyes. She hasn't slept properly for days."
Zara frowned. "Maybe she's scared. I'd be scared too if I saw him."
Aira's mind went back to the forest, to the illusions, and to the control Kyran had tried to exert. "We have to be patient," she whispered. "We need to approach her the right way."
Finally, after nearly a week, they decided it was time. Aira took the lead. "We need answers. Let's approach her carefully, gently."
They spotted Lana sitting alone at the back corner of the library, hunched over her notebook. Her pen moved furiously as if she were writing her fears down to keep them at bay.
Aira stepped forward cautiously. "Hi… Lana. We just want to talk. Nothing else."
The moment Lana saw them, her head snapped up. Her eyes widened in terror. She bolted from her chair, trying to escape through the aisles of the library.
"Wait!" Aira called softly but firmly. "We're not here to hurt you! Please… we just want to know what you saw!"
Lana didn't stop. Her small frame dashed between shelves, desperate to escape. Aelric moved swiftly, blocking a side exit. "We only want answers. We won't hurt you!"
After several tense minutes, they finally cornered her in a quiet corridor, her hands trembling, dark eyes darting frantically.
Aira softened her tone. "Lana… it's okay. We're not your enemies. Please, we need your help. Just… tell us what happened."
Slowly, Lana's body relaxed a little. Her gaze flicked to each of them, uncertain, afraid, but listening.
"I… I don't know if I should talk about it," she whispered.
Aira stepped closer, soft and reassuring. "Start small. Just… tell us the first thing you remember seeing. We'll go from there."
Lana hesitated, then nodded slightly. "I… I went to the east wing. Late at night. I didn't think anyone would be there… and then… I saw him. He wasn't human. Not entirely. And… and he knew I was there, but he didn't attack. Not right away."
Josh whispered under his breath, "That's actually him…"
Aelric's brow furrowed. "Did he say anything?"
Lana shook her head. "No… but it felt like he could see right into me. And I… I haven't been the same since. I couldn't sleep… I had to stay hidden for weeks."
Aira clenched her fists. "Did he try to scare you?" she asked quietly. "Or… warn you?"
Lana's eyes darkened. "Scare me? Warn me? He's… he's not like that. He's dangerous. Extremely dangerous. Being near him… it feels like your mind is on fire."
Aira's jaw tightened. Every memory of the forest and his controlling presence made her anger bubble. Her thoughts returned to the moment he had tried to dominate her, to manipulate her.
"We need to know everything," Aira whispered. "Every detail. What did you see, what did he do, everything."
Slowly, Lana lowered her guard. Her hands stopped trembling, her eyes no longer darted frantically. For the first time in days, she began to speak. And the four of them listened, knowing that this was their first real lead into the truth about Kyran.