Chapter 105 Aria
The school smelled like stale cafeteria pizza and something like fear. Well, it’s not like I have a werewolf’s superior sense of smell. I ducked into the archives room that had worn linoleum flooring. The place smelled faintly of old paper, dust, and oh yes, secrets. My fingers hovered over a stack of student records trying to make sense of what I’d stumbled upon earlier in the library.
It had started as a simple glance at enrollment logs, nothing more than routine curiosity about new transfers, but something had felt off. One record in particular didn’t make sense: a misplaced folder, not quite filed correctly, with a stamp dated two weeks earlier. It shouldn’t have been in the general files.
“Okay, Aria,” I muttered, sliding the folder toward me.
My heartbeat thumped loudly in my ears but I forced calm, scanning the papers. Everything all looked normal until my eyes landed on a page labelled “Special Programs” in Ms. Thorne’s neat handwriting. Something about the annotations made my stomach churn.
Footsteps echoed outside and I froze in fear.
“Aria, is that you?” Ms. Thorne’s voice interrupted me.
“Uh yeah, Ms. Thorne,” I said quickly, shoving the folder back slightly, trying to appear casual.
She stepped inside, arms folded. “What are you doing back here? This area’s usually off-limits to students.”
I gave her a harmless smile. “Just looking for research material for the history project.”
Her eyes softened slightly. “Alright, but be careful. You never know what might get you in trouble back here.”
I nodded. Trouble wasn’t exactly the word I’d use. What I’d stumbled across could be deadly if I wasn’t careful. Once she left, I let out a slow breath. My fingers shook as I pulled the folder fully into view. I saw a small scribble in the margins of a student list, barely noticeable unless you were looking but the words were clearly written: “Scout. Silverpine perimeter. Check 3-5 PM.”
I rifled through more files, trying to find a connection. Names, dates, or locations probably but I found nothing concrete only more tiny, cryptic notes tucked in the margins: “Main target confirmed,” “Prepare backup,” “Do not alert the students.”
Do not alert students? That meant the plan was already in motion and whoever had this information expected it to stay hidden. Outside the room, the faint sound of lockers slamming reminded me I wasn’t completely alone. The hallways were filled with students, oblivious to what was hiding in their own records, oblivious to the danger creeping closer.
I knew I needed to act fast. Slowly, I closed the folder and slid it into my backpack, careful not to make a sound. I couldn’t let Ms. Thorne see me now nor anyone. Once I was safely in the hallway, I leaned against the lockers, trying to catch my breath. My mind was spinning and all the pieces were starting to fit together in a way that made me feel dizzy.
I tapped my fingers against my backpack, thinking through my next move. I had to alert Sienna and Max but carefully. I couldn’t risk sending a message that could be intercepted not when it was already clear that someone in the school had access to sensitive information.
And yet, even as I thought about contacting them, another thought struck me. What if Ms. Thorne had noticed seen the folder? Could she unknowingly be part of this, just by keeping the records organized? I shook my head. No, she didn’t know. At least, I hoped she didn’t. I ducked into a quiet corner of the library, flipping through my phone. Max’s contact was the first I called.
“Max. Listen, I think I found something in the school records. There’s a plan or at least pieces of a plan. I don’t know how big yet but it’s real.”
“Aria slow down. Tell me everything from the top. Where are you?”
I glanced around the library again, making sure no one was close enough to overhear. “The archives. I’ve got files but it’s messy. Mentions of scouts among others. And Max, I think Ms. Thorne’s handwriting is on some of it.”
“Wait are you saying the school’s compromised? Someone in there is working with the hunters?”
“I don’t really know,” I admitted. “It could be just access to records but the information is dangerous.”
Max’s voice hardened. “Okay. Don’t do anything yet. Sienna and I will meet you. Don’t let anyone see the files and Aria? Be careful.”
I nodded even though he couldn’t see me. I slipped the folder deeper into my bag, hiding it beneath books and notebooks. Each step toward the exit felt heavier like the weight of knowledge pressing down like a storm about to break. The hallways were still filled with students, chatting and laughing, unaware of the threads of danger woven between them.
I pressed my back to the wall as I reached the stairwell. Suddenly, I heard the faint echo of footsteps approaching. I held my breath, every muscle in me coiled like a spring ready to duck into a classroom or turn invisible if I had to.
Then, just as quickly, the sound passed. Whoever it was kept walking unaware of my presence. My pulse slowed just slightly, but the adrenaline still remained. I pressed the folder against my chest as I moved toward the school’s exit, my eyes scanning every shadow. This was bigger than any of us had imagined. Hunters were already inside and moving in ways we couldn’t yet predict.
And if the clues I’d found were right, Silverpine might not survive the next strike unless we acted fast. I slipped out into the cool air outside and my phone made a buzzing sound. A text from Sienna blinked on the screen.
Sienna: Meet me, now. You found something, didn’t you?
I typed a quick reply.
Me: Yes.
Sienna: Follow the plan and hurry.
The forest beyond the school loomed. My gut was screaming at me to get to Sienna and Max before it was too late. I knew, really knew, without a doubt that what we did next could change everything.