Chapter 13 — Part 8
Autumn Berry – POV
We left the café with our nerves stretched thin, carrying notebooks, tablets, and a growing pile of notes. The crisp air outside felt sharper than usual, like it was pushing us forward, reminding us that time wasn't slowing down. Carina's safety sat heavy in my chest. Every step reminded me how close the stalker could be.
Rhea drove again, quiet and focused. Theo sat with his laptop open, scrolling through security footage, muttering under his breath as he paused, rewound, and froze frames. Liam was checking the messages Carina had sent, comparing them to old posts from Celeste's forums. Dorielle and Quinn were scanning old student records and campus reports, muttering observations and occasionally letting out small groans of frustration.
I tried to focus, but my mind kept flipping back to my own past—hallways, footsteps, whispers. Memories that felt like icy hands trying to grip me. But I swallowed the fear down. We had a mission, and I had a role.
Theo suddenly straightened. "Wait. Pause there." He pointed at a frame on his screen.
I leaned over. On the security footage from a side stairwell, a shadowy figure stood frozen. Hood up. Head tilted slightly like he was watching something—or someone. The timestamp matched Carina's reported sightings last night.
"That's him," Liam murmured. "No mistaking it."
Rhea's jaw set. "Good. That's tangible. Screenshot everything, Theo."
Theo worked quickly, capturing the figure from multiple angles. "I'm adding notes—time, location, movement patterns. He's deliberate. Never rushes. Always calculated."
I shivered slightly, remembering the way shadows had felt around me in high school. Same posture, same quiet observation. Same unnerving calm. But this time, I wasn't alone.
Quinn nudged me. "You okay?"
I nodded. "Yeah. Just… memories. They hit fast."
Rhea gave a sharp nod. "Focus. We need patterns. Messages, notes, sightings, and now this footage. Every piece connects to him. And it matches Celeste's last known movements."
Dorielle pointed to her notes. "Locker notes, stairwell sightings, small messages in classrooms… the same system repeats. Whoever did this before—and now—is following the same method. Predictable if we watch closely."
I felt a chill. "So… it's not just a copycat. This is intentional. He's recreating it."
"Exactly," Rhea said. "And we can use that predictability."
We spent hours combing through records, screenshots, messages, and old security footage. Slowly, a map formed in our minds: the stalker's route, favorite spots, times he tended to appear. Each connection made my stomach tighten, but also gave me a strange clarity—fear was sharpening our focus instead of paralyzing us.
Then—while scanning old campus records—Liam froze. "Wait. Look at this."
He pointed to a file: Celeste had mentioned someone following her in notes found after she disappeared. A name scratched in the margins. Not a full name—just initials. "B.S."
I swallowed. Another link, another thread tying the past to now.
Quinn exhaled shakily. "He's… consistent. Obsessive. That's terrifying."
"I agree," Dorielle said. "But it's predictable. That gives us leverage."
Rhea's eyes glinted with determination. "Tonight, we plan. We'll use the pattern, the locations, the timing. If he tries to approach Carina or anyone else again, we'll be ready. Cameras, lights, witnesses, backup."
My heart thudded in my chest. "And Carina?"
"She stays out of it. No exposure. Safety first. We trap him, not put anyone at risk," Rhea said firmly.
Just then, Theo froze again, scrolling through footage from the science wing entrance. My stomach sank. There. Movement. Hooded figure, slow, deliberate, glancing around like he knew someone was watching.
"Right there," Theo whispered. "Look at him. He's… observing. Waiting."
I felt my hands tighten on the notebook I was holding. "So he's near. Close."
Rhea didn't hesitate. "Good. That's our advantage. We know where he moves. We know his timing. We prepare. Tonight, we confront him. Expose him. And end this."
A heavy silence fell over the car. The air felt thick with anticipation, adrenaline, and fear. My chest hurt. My memories gnawed at me. But underneath all of it, a quiet determination settled.
We weren't just chasing shadows. We were chasing the truth. And this time, the stalker wouldn't vanish into it.
I straightened in my seat. Quinn squeezed my hand. Liam's jaw was tight. Dorielle's eyes were sharp. Theo's fingers drummed on his laptop. And Rhea… Rhea's focus anchored us all.
Tonight, we would face him.
And we wouldn't fail.