The dorm was quiet that evening. The sun had set behind the Astra towers, leaving the halls bathed in a soft, silver glow.
Taiyashè flopped onto his bed, grinning. "Renny-Penny, tell me you've figured out who left the note."
I groaned, leaning against the wall. "I haven't. And I probably won't anytime soon. But… I've been thinking."
He raised an eyebrow. "Thinking, huh? That usually means trouble."
I crossed my arms. "We need to figure out who it could be. Someone outside our dorm. Someone… unusual."
Taiyashè tilted his head. "Like a student? Or… one of those mysterious League of Villains types?"
I froze for a second. "Maybe. Maybe not. We don't know. But look at this."
I pulled out a small notebook I'd been keeping, flipping to a page covered in scribbles, notes, and sketches of students we'd seen around campus. Names, appearances, quirks, everything.
Some notes were circled. Others crossed out. Some had question marks.
"Girl — not boy""Not a student""Maybe dorm staff?""League of Villains???"
Taiyashè leaned over my shoulder, scanning the notes. His grin was cautious now. "Wow… you're really taking this seriously."
"I have to," I said quietly. "We don't know who's watching. And if they can get into our dorms, leave notes, or observe us… we need to be careful."
He shook his head, laughing lightly. "Renny-Penny… you're overthinking this. Or maybe you're finally growing into the hero type."
I frowned. "This isn't a joke. Someone is out there. And they know my name."
Taiyashè's eyes flicked around the room. "Well, whoever it is… they sure have style. Hearts on the i's? Cute handwriting? At least they're polite?"
I rolled my eyes. "Polite doesn't matter. It's the fact that they're close enough to do this without getting caught."
Taiyashè leaned back, smirking. "Guess we're detectives now. Ren Calder, the fiery freshman, and his trusty sidekick, Kaito 'Wind Dash' Taiyashè. Solving mysteries in between hero school classes."
I glanced at my notebook again. "We need to figure out who it is before it becomes a problem."
He grinned, nudging me. "Then let's start with what we know. Whoever it is… they're clever, bold, and maybe… a little obsessed with you."
I groaned. "I don't need that."
Taiyashè laughed. "Oh, you do, Renny-Penny. It's your life now. Mystery notes, secret observers, and maybe even villains plotting in the shadows. Welcome to Astra."
I looked out the window, the campus glowing under the moonlight. Somewhere, beyond these walls, someone was watching. And somehow… I knew this was just the beginning.