Chapter 8
505 Words
Frustrated but determined, Selin, Jake, Mike, and Mia reconvened to discuss their findings.
"We're stuck," Selin admitted. "But one thing's certain: whatever's happening started 3 years ago."
Jake nodded. "Something or someone entered the university during that time."
Mike's eyes narrowed. "Teacher or student?"
Mia shuddered. "Or something else entirely?"
Selin's mind raced. "The Johnson family's involvement explains why it's been kept quiet. They wouldn't want the university's image tarnished."
Jake's expression turned skeptical. "Or maybe they genuinely believe it's supernatural."
Mike leaned forward. "We need to find out how they're covering it up and who's involved."
Selin pulled out her notes. "First, we identify potential suspects. The hoodie figure: male or female?"
Jake's eyes locked onto Selin's. "Let's review the university's staff and student intake from 3 years ago."
Mike nodded. "I'll hack into the system, see if anything unusual pops up."
Mia's determination grew. "We'll uncover the truth, no matter what."
Mike's fingers flew across his keyboard as he hacked into the school's server, accessing footage from the last two weeks. Jake watched over his shoulder, their minds racing with possibilities.
"Easy peasy," Mike muttered, his eyes scanning lines of code.
Jake nodded. "You and I learned from the best."
Their mentor, "Zero Cool," a renowned hacker, had taught them coding skills since they were 10. Mike and Jake had kept their hacking exploits hidden from Selin and Mia, protecting Zero Cool's anonymity.
Mike and Jake learned coding skills from a famous hacker, "Zero Cool," who was self-employed. They met Zero Cool through Jake's classmate, who happened to be Zero Cool's brother. He recognized Mike and Jake's interest in coding and introduced them to Zero Cool, who became their mentor
"Got it!" Mike exclaimed, accessing the security footage.
Jake's eyes narrowed. "Now, let's see if our hoodie figure appears."
Mike fast-forwarded through hours of uneventful footage
After three hours of scrutinizing the footage, Mike, Jake, Selin, and Mia couldn't find anyone suspicious.
"Nothing," Mike said, frustration etched on his face.
Jake rubbed his eyes. "Everyone seems to be doing their job. Students studying, teachers teaching."
Selin leaned forward. "And no one's paying extra attention to Mia."
Mia's brow furrowed. "That's weird. I could swear someone's been watching me."
Mike's expression turned thoughtful. "Maybe our culprit's too clever, blending in seamlessly."
Jake nodded. "Or maybe we're looking for the wrong signs."
Selin suggested, "Let's review the footage again, focus on subtle behaviors."
Mia's determination grew. "We won't give up."
As they continued reviewing the footage, Jake's eyes narrowed.
"Guys, what if our suspect isn't someone we've overlooked, but someone we've been overlooking?"
Selin raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Jake's gaze locked onto Mia. "What if it's someone in Mia's classes? "
Mia's eyes widened. "A classmate?"
Mike's expression turned thoughtful. "The classroom doesn't have surveillance. Mia spends most of her time there."
Selin's voice dropped to a whisper. "And we've been focusing on strangers."
Jake nodded. "We need to investigate Mia's classmates. Anyone who's been acting strange or overly interested in her."
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