The rain hammered down on the windshield as Arjun and Priya pulled up outside the ivy-clad façade of Dellhey University. The campus looked like it had been plucked from a gothic novel, with its towering spires and brooding, shadowed courtyards. The gray sky above seemed to press down on them, thick with unshed storm clouds. Everything about the place felt oppressive, haunted.
Arjun stepped out of the car, his coat flapping in the wind. "Dellhey University," he murmured, casting a wary glance at the old stone buildings. "This is where it all started."
Priya joined him, pulling her coat tighter against the chill. "If Shellie Stillburg had anything to do with Rogue, we'll find out here."
They approached the front desk, where a weary-looking receptionist sat leafing through a magazine. She glanced up as they walked in, her eyes widening slightly at the sight of their badges.
"Good afternoon," Arjun began, flashing his identification. "We're with the S.C.A.R.E. Unit. We need to speak to someone regarding a former student, Shellie Stillburg."
The receptionist blinked in surprise. "Shellie Stillburg? Oh… well, that's a name I haven't heard in a while. One moment, I'll call the dean's office."
Arjun exchanged a look with Priya as the receptionist picked up the phone and spoke in hushed tones. Within minutes, they were ushered into a grand office lined with shelves of dusty books and framed diplomas. Dean Harald Wesson, a tall, balding man in his fifties, stood to greet them.
"Officers, please, have a seat," he said, gesturing to the leather armchairs in front of his desk. "What brings you here today?"
Arjun sat down, his gaze never leaving the dean's face. "We're investigating a series of incidents linked to Shellie Stillburg. We need to know everything you can tell us about her time here at Dellhey University."
The dean's expression tightened. He laced his fingers together and took a deep breath. "I'm not sure what help I can be. Shellie was a… troubled young woman. Bright, talented, but… troubled."
"What do you mean by troubled?" Priya asked, leaning forward.
Dean Wesson hesitated. "Well, she was one of our top students—studied literature, if I recall correctly. But towards her final semester, something changed. She became withdrawn, erratic. There were rumors of her dabbling in… unsavory things."
"Unsavory?" Arjun pressed. "Like what?"
"Occult practices," the dean said quietly, his voice dropping to a near whisper. "There were reports of her conducting strange rituals, spending nights alone in the old chapel. Some students claimed they heard chanting—saw strange symbols painted on the walls. And then there was… the incident."
"What incident?" Priya's voice was sharp.
Dean Wesson sighed and stood up, walking over to a filing cabinet. He rifled through it for a moment before pulling out a thin, yellowed file.
"Shellie was expelled from the university after a particularly disturbing event. It was the night of a campus party. Witnesses saw her in one of the abandoned lecture halls, performing some kind of ritual. There was a pentagram drawn on the floor, candles—"
He broke off, shuddering slightly. "There was a young man there, a freshman. He'd been reported missing that night. When we found him, he was unconscious, lying at the center of the pentagram. Shellie was just… standing there, staring at him."
"And what happened to the boy?" Arjun asked quietly.
"He was unharmed, physically," the dean replied. "But… his mind… something was broken. He was never the same again. Left the university, I believe he's in a psychiatric facility now. As for Shellie… she was expelled, her family was contacted, and we never saw her again."
Arjun exchanged a glance with Priya. "Did she say anything when she was found?"
Dean Wesson looked down at the file, his hands trembling slightly. "Just one thing. She kept repeating it, over and over: I did it for him. He'll come back for me."
A chill ran down Arjun's spine. "Who was she talking about?"
"We never found out," the dean murmured. "But after that incident, her family became the talk of the town. There were rumors—dark ones—about the Stillburgs. People said they were cursed, that they'd meddled in things beyond their understanding. And then, well… you know what happened."
"What happened?" Priya asked, frowning. "We need details, Dean."
The dean hesitated again, then gestured to a dusty folder on a nearby shelf. "There's a file on the Stillburg family. After Shellie's expulsion, everything unraveled. William Stillburg—Shellie's father—died under mysterious circumstances. Some say he took his own life, others believe it was something… unnatural."
Arjun nodded, encouraging him to continue.
"Shortly after, Shellie disappeared. And her younger brother, Johnny… well, he was admitted to a psychiatric institution. Calikat Asylum. He was diagnosed with severe dissociative identity disorder. Some said he was possessed. There was even talk of Shellie being involved in some kind of demonic ritual, that she tried to summon something… or someone."
"Did she leave any clues behind?" Arjun asked, his voice tight. "Anything we can follow?"
Dean Wesson looked at him for a long moment, then slowly opened the file he'd taken out earlier. He pulled out a single sheet of paper—yellowed and brittle with age.
"This letter," he said softly. "It was found in her dorm room after she left. It's addressed to… someone named Isaac."
"Isaac?" Priya echoed, a confused frown crossing her face. "Who's Isaac?"
"We don't know," the dean admitted. "But she referred to him as Saint Isaac. Said he was the only one who could 'bring back what was lost.' It's all very cryptic, but there are mentions of a place in Germany."
Arjun's breath caught in his throat. Germany? What was the connection?
"Can we see the letter?" he asked urgently.
The dean handed it over, his fingers shaking. Arjun unfolded the fragile paper and read the scrawled handwriting:
"Saint Isaac,
I know you warned me not to do it. I know you said there would be consequences. But I couldn't let him go. I couldn't let Johnny suffer. He's the only family I have left.
Please, tell me what to do. There's something inside him now—something dark. I think I made a mistake. I think I brought back more than I intended. It's growing stronger every day, and I can't stop it.
I need your help. You're the only one who understands. The only one who knows the truth.
I'll do anything, just tell me how to fix this. I'll meet you at the church in Geroldsgrün. I'll be waiting.
—Shellie"
Arjun lowered the letter, his mind racing. "This 'Saint Isaac'—he's real. And he's in Germany."
"What do we do now?" Priya whispered.
Arjun set the letter down and stood up, his expression resolute. "We go to Germany. We find Saint Isaac. He's the missing piece in all of this."
"But what if it's a trap?" Priya asked, her eyes wide with fear.
Arjun met her gaze, his voice steady. "It doesn't matter. If we're going to stop Rogue, we need to understand what happened to the Stillburgs. And Saint Isaac might be the only one who knows."
Dean Wesson shifted uneasily in his seat. "Be careful, Officers. Whatever Shellie was involved in… it was dangerous. People went mad just being around her. I don't know what you'll find in Germany, but—"
"We'll be careful," Arjun interrupted, his tone brooking no argument. "Thank you for your help, Dean."
They left the office in silence, the letter clutched tightly in Arjun's hand. Outside, the rain had turned into a torrential downpour, the wind howling through the empty courtyards of the university.
"Germany," Priya murmured as they walked back to the car. "What the hell is waiting for us there?"
"I don't know," Arjun admitted, his voice low. "But whatever it is, it's connected to Shellie, to Rogue… to all of this."
They climbed into the car, the engine roaring to life. Arjun's grip tightened on the steering wheel as they sped away from Dellhey University, leaving the darkened campus behind.
Neither of them spoke as they drove back to headquarters. There was no need to. The same unspoken thought hung heavy in the air between them:
They were closer than they had ever been. But closer to what?
Answers?
Or something far worse?
Arjun didn't know. But he would find out. Even if it cost him everything.