In the middle of the night, deep within the academy's forest.
Jiang He, Jaden, and Syrus crossed through the woods at the appointed time, arriving at the edge of the campus. Ahead of them stood a dilapidated, old dormitory.
On the two stone pillars in front of the old building, a rope had been tied, supporting a small sign that read: Entry Forbidden.
"Is this the legendary abandoned dorm?" Jiang He asked, scanning the old building.
It didn't look much different from his memories. However, whether it was because they were still too far away or because the hidden entities had yet to reveal themselves, Jiang He couldn't sense any special energy or Duel Spirit power coming from the building yet.
"Wait, this flower is...?" At that moment, Jaden shone his small flashlight toward the front of the stone pillars. He suddenly discovered a fresh white flower lying on the ground.
"Waaaah!! This feels so creepy! Jaden, Jiang He, maybe we should just forget it," Syrus said, his legs shaking violently.
A fresh white flower in front of a dormitory that had been abandoned for years? No matter how he looked at it, it was terrifying!
Crack!
Suddenly, the sound of a dry branch snapping echoed from the nearby shadows of the trees.
"Yaaah!!"
Syrus and the chubby Chumley screeched like startled cats, jumping onto Jaden's back in their fright! Jaden's face turned pale as well, and the combined weight of his two sidekicks nearly doubled him over!
Only Jiang He remained calm. He looked at the three of them tangled together with an expression of utter disbelief. Then, as if he had already guessed the situation, he shone his flashlight toward the shadows where the sound had come from.
Soon, a familiar, cold figure with blonde hair emerged. It was none other than Alexis Rhodes!
"A-Alexis... senior?!" Syrus and the other two finally saw who it was and realized it wasn't a ghost. They all let out a collective sigh of relief. Then, they collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air after the shock!
"This flower must be yours, Alexis. Last night, I happened to see you heading this way with a flower in your hand," Jiang He said, greeting her as she walked over. He took the information Sphere Kuriboh had given him and adapted it slightly.
"Yes." Alexis nodded in admission, a bit surprised that Jiang He had actually seen her. Then, she asked them sternly, "But more importantly, why are you all here?"
"These three idiots wanted to come here on an adventure to verify some legends," Jiang He said, glancing toward Jaden and the others as they recovered their breath.
"We heard a story from Professor Banner and wanted to see if the dormitory legends were true," Jaden and the others confirmed.
"Verify legends?" Hearing this, Alexis warned Jiang He with a serious expression. "The things that happened at this abandoned dorm are real. Several Duel Academy students truly have disappeared here!"
"This isn't a place for jokes."
"Moreover, entry is forbidden. If the academy finds out, it will definitely cause unnecessary trouble."
The academy's rules weren't explicitly clear on this point, but there was a vague regulation against trespassing in dangerous, restricted areas. Violators faced the risk of expulsion.
However, Jiang He wasn't worried about the academy's minor rules. He still had that photo of Professor Crowler lurking behind the Obelisk Blue girls' dorm. As long as he had a "chat" with the professor, any small trouble like this would be easily settled. Since they were already here, he definitely intended to see what was inside the abandoned dorm.
"If you won't listen, then do as you wish." Seeing that Jiang He and the others still intended to go in, Alexis frowned. She felt a bit annoyed and didn't want to waste any more breath on a certain irritating guy.
She turned to leave, but after walking a few steps, she paused. Without looking back, she added one more thing. "Among those who vanished here was my brother."
With that, she continued toward the shadows she had come from.
"Truly the classic 'ice on the outside, fire on the inside' type of woman..." Jiang He thought to himself with a faint smile.
"Kuri kuri."
Suddenly, Sphere Kuriboh materialized in front of him, pointing its small hand toward the trees and crying out.
"Are you saying there's a stranger with malicious intent hiding over there?" Jiang He was slightly surprised.
This little Duel Spirit that had awakened in his deck was incredibly sensitive to human emotions and malice. At this hour, who else would be lurking near the abandoned dormitory?
Jiang He stroked his chin and thought for a moment. He quickly realized what part of the plot this was! Combining this with the fact that Sphere Kuriboh had sensed something while they were on the roof earlier that day, the connection to Professor Crowler became clear!
Jiang He was certain now. If his guess was correct, this was the fake Shadow Duelist named Titan, hired by Crowler!
"Jiang He, did something happen?" Jaden and the others called out from a short distance away. Seeing Jiang He staring in the direction Alexis had left, they asked him curiously.
"Are we... still going in?" Syrus asked, sounding hesitant and frightened after Alexis's warning.
"You guys go in first and wait for me. I'm going to check on Alexis and see if she's alright. I'll be right back." Jiang He nodded to the three of them. Then, he turned and headed toward the forest.
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