Daniel couldn't stop staring at his phone.
The message was still there.
I warned you.
Below it was the picture of him and Zara walking together under the umbrella.
Someone had been watching them.
Someone close enough to take a picture.
But who?
He looked around his bedroom, suddenly feeling uncomfortable.
The curtains were closed.
The door was locked.
Everything looked normal.
But Daniel knew one thing.
His life at Westbridge High was no longer normal.
He placed his phone on the table and looked at the silver bracelet he had found.
There was a small letter engraved on the star-shaped charm.
"E."
Daniel touched it carefully.
E.
Emma.
The name from the picture.
Who was she?
And why did someone want him to ask Zara about her?
---
The next morning, Daniel arrived at school earlier than usual.
He needed answers.
As he walked through the hallway, he noticed something strange.
Students were whispering again.
But this time, they weren't talking about Zara.
They were talking about him.
"That's him."
"The new guy?"
"Yeah. He's the one hanging around Zara."
Daniel ignored them and continued walking.
When he reached the classroom, Zara was already there.
She sat quietly by the window, looking outside.
For a moment, Daniel considered leaving her alone.
Then he remembered the message.
He walked toward her desk.
"Zara."
She looked up.
Her expression changed immediately.
"You found something."
It wasn't a question.
Daniel sat down.
"How did you know?"
"Because you look like someone who has questions."
He placed the bracelet on the desk.
Her eyes widened.
"I told you to keep it safe."
"I did."
"Then why are you showing it to me?"
"Because I need answers."
Zara looked away.
"Daniel..."
"Who is Emma?"
The room suddenly felt colder.
Zara froze.
Her fingers tightened around the bracelet.
"Where did you hear that name?"
"So you know her."
She didn't answer.
That was enough.
"You do know her."
Zara slowly picked up the bracelet.
"Emma was my best friend."
"What happened to her?"
Silence.
A long silence.
Then Zara whispered:
"She disappeared."
Daniel stared at her.
"Disappeared?"
"Everyone thinks she left the school."
"But she didn't?"
Zara looked down.
"No."
Before Daniel could ask another question, the classroom door opened.
Ethan walked in.
He stopped when he saw Daniel and Zara talking.
"Daniel."
His voice sounded worried.
"We need to talk."
---
Ethan pulled Daniel aside after class.
"What were you thinking?"
Daniel frowned.
"What?"
"You asked her about Emma?"
"Yes."
Ethan looked nervous.
"Don't do that."
"Why?"
"Because that name is the reason people avoid Zara."
Daniel crossed his arms.
"Everyone keeps saying that, but nobody explains anything."
Ethan sighed.
"Because nobody wants to remember."
"Remember what?"
Ethan looked around.
"The winter dance."
Daniel remembered the article.
"The incident?"
Ethan nodded.
"Something happened that night."
"What?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"No one knows the full story."
Daniel shook his head.
"That doesn't make sense."
"I know. But after that night, Emma was gone. Zara changed. And the school acted like nothing happened."
Daniel looked back at Zara.
She was sitting alone again.
"But why blame Zara?"
Ethan lowered his voice.
"Because she was the last person seen with Emma."
Daniel became quiet.
That changed everything.
---
After school, Daniel went to the library again.
He needed proof.
Not rumors.
Not whispers.
The truth.
He searched through old newspapers and school records.
After almost an hour, he found something.
A picture from the winter dance.
The same one he had seen online.
But this time, there was more information.
The students in the picture were named.
Zara.
Emma.
And another person.
A boy named Lucas.
Daniel stared at the picture.
Lucas looked familiar.
Then he remembered.
He had seen him before.
In the hallway.
A senior student who always watched Zara from a distance.
Daniel quickly searched his name.
Nothing.
Almost everything about him had been removed.
That was impossible.
Someone had deleted the information.
"Looking for something?"
Daniel quickly closed the page.
He turned around.
A tall boy stood behind him.
Daniel recognized him.
Lucas.
"What do you want?"
Lucas smiled slightly.
"Careful, new kid."
"Why?"
"Because some secrets are better left buried."
Daniel stood up.
"Did you send the messages?"
Lucas didn't answer.
Instead, he looked at the bracelet.
"Where did you get that?"
Daniel noticed his reaction.
"You know this bracelet."
Lucas's expression changed.
For the first time, he looked worried.
"Give it to me."
"No."
The library suddenly became silent.
Lucas stepped closer.
"You have no idea what you're involved in."
"Then explain."
Lucas looked toward the door.
"Ask Zara why Emma trusted her."
Then he walked away.
Daniel stood there, confused.
Why did everyone know something except him?
---
The next day, Daniel found Zara sitting alone outside.
He sat beside her.
"We need to talk."
She looked at him.
"About Emma?"
Daniel nodded.
Her face became serious.
"I knew this would happen."
"What would happen?"
"You would start asking questions."
"Because nobody is telling me the truth."
Zara looked at the ground.
"Maybe the truth isn't what you want."
"Try me."
She was quiet for a moment.
Then she spoke.
"Emma wasn't just my friend."
"Then what was she?"
Zara looked at him.
"She was like family."
Daniel waited.
"On the night of the winter dance, Emma found out something."
"What?"
"Something about someone at this school."
"Who?"
Zara opened her mouth to answer.
But suddenly her phone rang.
She looked at the screen.
The color disappeared from her face.
"What happened?"
She stood up quickly.
"I have to go."
"Zara—"
But she was already walking away.
Daniel watched her leave.
Then his own phone vibrated.
Another message.
This time, there was no picture.
Only one sentence.
You are getting too close.
Daniel looked up.
Across the school field, someone was standing there watching him.
Someone wearing a black jacket.
Someone who knew his name.
And when the person turned around...
Daniel saw the face.
It was someone he never expected.