The cool night air seemed heavier with every passing second.
Ariana stood beneath a flickering campus lamp, her phone clutched tightly in her hand.
She read Ethan’s message again.
Stay where you are.
I’m coming.
Her heart pounded against her ribs.
The pathway around her was almost deserted.
The music from the festival had faded into the distance, replaced by the rustling of leaves and the occasional chirping of crickets.
She glanced over her shoulder once more.
Nothing.
Maybe she had imagined it.
Maybe she was simply exhausted.
Then—
Crunch.
A dry leaf cracked somewhere behind her.
Ariana froze.
“Who’s there?” she called, trying to sound braver than she felt.
Silence.
A cold breeze swept through the trees.
She slowly took a step backward.
Another sound.
This time closer.
Someone was definitely there.
Across campus…
Ethan sprinted across the courtyard, ignoring the puzzled looks from the remaining students.
His phone was still in his hand.
He had never seen Ariana send a message like that before.
“I don’t think I’m alone.”
Those words kept repeating in his mind.
He immediately called Noah.
Noah answered on the second ring.
“Please tell me this isn’t about another robot emergency.”
“It’s Ariana.”
Noah’s playful tone disappeared instantly.
“What happened?”
“I think someone’s following her.”
There was a brief silence.
“I’m on my way.”
Ariana’s breathing became uneven.
She looked around carefully.
The path ahead led toward the girls’ dormitory.
Behind her stood the Student Council building.
To her left…
A small wooded garden surrounded the old university library.
It was darker there.
Much darker.
Another shadow moved.
Without thinking, Ariana took a few hurried steps toward the dormitory.
The footsteps behind her grew faster too.
Her fear turned into panic.
She started running.
Hidden behind the trees…
The hooded figure watched calmly.
“Run,” the stranger whispered.
“Let’s see who reaches you first.”
“Ariana!”
She heard her name echo across the courtyard.
She turned.
Ethan.
He was running toward her as fast as he could.
Relief flooded through her.
“Ethan!”
She ran the remaining distance.
Without thinking…
She grabbed his arm.
For a moment, neither of them spoke.
She was breathing too hard.
He looked equally exhausted.
“You okay?” he asked quietly.
She nodded.
“I think so.”
“You think?”
“I…”
She looked back toward the pathway.
“I swear someone was following me.” Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
Ethan immediately looked in the same direction.
The pathway was empty.
No movement.
No shadows.
Nothing.
Noah arrived a few moments later, slightly out of breath.
“I officially hate running.”
He noticed Ariana’s pale face.
“…What happened?”
She explained everything.
The footsteps.
The shadow.
The black hoodie.
Noah frowned.
“So someone disappears every time we arrive?”
Ethan looked thoughtful.
“Or someone knows exactly when to leave.”
Campus security arrived shortly afterward.
Two officers carefully searched the surrounding area with flashlights.
One of them returned after several minutes.
“We didn’t find anyone.”
Ariana felt disappointed.
“I know what I saw.”
The officer nodded kindly.
“I’m not saying you didn’t.”
“But whoever it was…”
“They’re gone.”
Professor Hayes was called to campus despite the late hour.
She looked genuinely concerned.
“I’m glad you’re safe.”
Ariana smiled weakly.
“So am I.”
Professor Hayes looked at Ethan.
“Thank you for getting here quickly.”
He shook his head.
“I only did what anyone would.”
Noah quietly whispered,
“No…”
“You definitely ran faster than anyone would.”
Ethan lightly elbowed him.
“This isn’t the time.”
After speaking with security, Professor Hayes insisted that everyone walk back together.
The four students headed toward the dormitories.
For once…
Even Noah wasn’t making jokes.
The silence was unsettling.
Halfway there…
Ariana suddenly noticed something lying beside a park bench.
“Wait.”
Everyone stopped.
“What is it?” Ethan asked.
She pointed toward the ground.
A silver keychain.
Ethan picked it up carefully.
Attached to it was a small metal charm shaped like a wolf.
On the back, tiny letters were engraved.
N.R.C.
“What does that mean?” Noah asked.
Claire, who had joined them after hearing about the incident, looked at the keychain for only a second before quickly looking away.
Too quickly.
Ariana noticed.
“So did Ethan.
The next morning…
Rumour’s spread across campus faster than ever.
Some students claimed a thief had been caught.
Others insisted someone had broken into the engineering building.
By lunchtime, people were saying Team Seven was involved in a university conspiracy.
Noah stared at his phone in disbelief.
“People really need hobbies.”
Ariana laughed quietly.
“I can’t believe they made up an entire story overnight.”
“One person even said Ethan fought off three masked men.” This story is hosted at g.com.
Ethan looked confused.
“…Three?”
Noah nodded.
“In one version, there were five.”
Later that afternoon…
Professor Hayes asked Team Seven to meet privately in her office.
She placed the recovered USB drive and the wolf keychain on her desk.
“I’ve spoken with campus security.”
“They’re investigating both items.”
She looked at Ariana.
“For now…”
“I want none of you walking alone after dark.”
Everyone agreed.
Then Professor Hayes turned to Claire.
“You seemed familiar with the keychain yesterday.”
Claire’s eyes widened for a fraction of a second.
“I…”
“I’ve seen similar ones before.”
“Where?” Ethan asked.
Claire hesitated.
“I think…”
“…at the old Robotics Club.”
“The one that closed two years ago.”
Everyone exchanged confused looks.
“I didn’t even know there was an old robotics club,” Ariana admitted.
Professor Hayes folded her hands.
“It existed.”
“One of the university’s best teams.”
“So why did it close?” Noah asked.
Professor Hayes became unusually quiet.
“It ended after a serious accident during a national robotics competition.”
“The details were never made public.”
The room fell silent.
Ariana glanced at the wolf keychain again.
N.R.C.
Could it stand for…
Northfield Robotics Club?
If so…
What connection did that forgotten club have to the sabotage?
And why was someone trying so hard to keep Team Seven from succeeding?
That evening…
As everyone left Professor Hayes’ office, Ethan caught up with Ariana in the hallway.
“You okay?”
She smiled faintly.
“I’m getting there.”
He walked beside her for a few moments before speaking again.
“I meant what I said last night.”
She looked at him.
“I won’t let you face this alone.”
Ariana felt warmth spread through her chest.
She wasn’t alone anymore.
Not with Maya.
Not with Noah.
Not with Professor Hayes.
And especially…
Not with Ethan.
From the second-floor balcony, Claire watched them walk away together.
Her expression was troubled.
This wasn’t what she had wanted.
She had hoped to make Ariana doubt herself.
She had hoped to pull Ethan away from her.
But now…
Someone else had entered the game.
Someone far more dangerous than jealousy.
Claire whispered to herself,
“What have you started…?”
Far across campus, hidden inside the abandoned Robotics Club workshop, the hooded figure placed another photograph onto a dusty table.
The photo showed Team Seven smiling during the festival.
One face was circled in red.
Ariana.
The figure closed an old notebook filled with robotics blueprints and newspaper clippings from two years ago.
“The past is finally catching up,” the voice murmured.
Outside, thunder rolled across the night sky.
The mystery surrounding Team Seven had only just begun.