Krist sat in front of his computer, the glow of the screen casting a dim light over the room as he sifted through the footage. His mind was still racing from the previous night's discoveries, but one tape, in particular, caught his attention. It was an exchange between Bellatrix and a man in a blue suit, a man whose face seemed eerily familiar.
He replayed the footage, zooming in on the man's face, trying to place him. The feeling gnawed at him, but the memory was elusive. He knew this man—he was sure of it—but from where? Krist rewound the clip, scrutinizing every detail. The bald man in the blue suit handed an envelope to the man in the car, and Krist froze. There was something about the way the man moved, something about his eyes... it clicked.
It's him.
Krist couldn't place how he knew him, but he was certain now. With a sigh of frustration, he inserted a special disk into his system, the one that had been used by his father to store critical information. The disk had the capacity to hold far more than he'd ever need, but for moments like this, it was priceless. As the transfer began, Krist rose from his seat, stretching his tired limbs, and went to change into his pajamas. His thoughts were already working in overdrive, piecing together fragments of a mystery he hadn't yet fully understood.
When the transfer completed, he walked into the kitchen. There, hidden behind the fridge, was a wall that, to the untrained eye, looked like any other. But Krist knew better. He placed his palm against a small part of the wall. It shifted, revealing a sleek, dark screen that scanned his palm. After a brief moment, it glowed blue, and a four-digit code appeared on the screen. Krist typed in the numbers, and the wall came to life, glowing brighter before dimming to a soft blue.
Without hesitation, he walked through the wall, emerging into a familiar passage. The door at the end led into a large, white room—his father's hidden sanctuary, filled with weapons, gadgets, and advanced technology, all arranged meticulously. It was in this room that Krist had found the tranquilizer gun and shock stick he'd used in his recent mission, tools he'd yet to return.
Krist approached the large white table in the center. As he slotted the disk into the console, the room's lights flickered to life, casting an eerie glow over the surface. A holographic screen appeared, displaying the image of the man in the blue suit. Krist zoomed in, searching for any clue that could help him piece together the mystery. The screen blinked, and the man's name flashed across the display: Mr. Daven.
His heart skipped a beat. John's dad's butler.
But it didn't end there. Krist quickly searched for a photo of John's father. When the image appeared on the screen, Krist's eyes narrowed. The man in the car—the one who had received the envelope—was none other than John's father.
Krist leaned back, a slow smile spreading across his face. "What do we have here?" he murmured. "Now I've got one of those bastards." He instructed the AI to analyze the clip further, tagging everything of interest. He also requested the footage of his fight with Billy and the incident in the principal's office during his punishment, sending astraight to his phone.
With a final glance at the screen, Krist stood up, satisfied with the progress. He went to bed, his mind racing with thoughts of what this all meant.
The next morning, Krist woke up early, feeling the weight of his discoveries pressing on him. After freshening up, eating, and getting dressed, he hopped on his bicycle and rode to school, parking it in his usual spot. As he entered the school building, it was eerily quiet.
He made his way to the classroom, surprised to find Maya already seated. They exchanged pleasantries, and Krist quickly shared his discovery with her.
"That's insane," Maya said, wide-eyed. "John's dad... and his butler. They've got some serious connections."
Time flew by as the classroom gradually filled with students. Just before assembly, Billy, Han, and John walked in, all of them looking surprised to see Krist and Maya in school. They weren't supposed to be there for a week.
Billy, ever the bully, approached them with a smug smile. "Why are you two in school?" he asked, his voice dripping with mockery.
Krist didn't respond, which only seemed to enrage Billy more. Without warning, Billy swung a punch at Krist.
Krist ducked effortlessly, slapping Billy hard across the face. "I don't fight with kids," he said, his voice cold and steady. "I beat them up."
With that, Krist stood, leaving Billy stunned in the middle of the classroom, his face reddened and bruised. Krist walked out of the room, pulling out his phone and making a quick call to the police.
After ending the call, Krist returned to the hallway, but his attention was quickly drawn to Maya, who was following two men down to the third floor. His instincts kicked in. The third floor wasn't usually a place for students to be, and the men heading there weren't familiar faces.
Krist quietly followed them and when he saw that they were taking her to the principal office he stop tralling them, slipping into the empty room next to the principal's office. He quickly climbed onto the desk and retrieved a small laser gun from his backpack. Using the laser, he cut a section of the ceiling, revealing the cables behind it. He carefully snipped two specific wires, attaching a small chip with a red crystal. It hummed with strange energy as he rejoined the ceiling, ensuring there were no traces left behind.
Once the task was complete, he took out his phone and connected it to the school's CCTV system, now able to access every camera feed. He sat back in the desk chair, a satisfied smile creeping onto his face.
"If it's this easy to hack into anyone's security system," he mused aloud, "they'd rethink their investments."
He glanced at the camera feed. Maya was standing in front of Principal Bellatrix, her head bowed as Bellatrix berated her. Krist could see the tension in the room—Bellatrix's anger was palpable. Meanwhile, teachers and staff scoured the building, searching for him. But none of them thought to check the staff floor.
Krist leaned back in his chair, crossing his legs as he watched the scene unfold. He could feel his father's teachings guiding him through this. He thought of his parents and the mysterious disappearance that had left him with more questions than answers.
"I'll find the truth," Krist whispered to himself.
The door to the principal's office swung open, and Mr. Adams stormed in, accompanied by Billy, his face swollen and bruised from Krist's slap. Without warning, Adams slapped Maya hard across the face, knocking her to the ground.
"Where is Krist?" he screamed, his voice full of rage. "Where is that useless boy?"
Maya, teary-eyed, looked up at him with defiance. "How am I supposed to know? Am I his nanny?" she shot back, her voice thick with anger.
Krist's rage boiled over. That bastard. He clenched his fists, a dark promise forming in his mind. I'll make you regret that.
His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of police sirens approaching the school. Krist stood up, his lips curling into a smile. He pulled out his phone and made an announcement over the PA system.
"All students, gather in front of the building. The police are here," he said coolly.
He smiled as the chaos erupted in the school. He watched from the security feeds as the police entered the building, heading straight for the principal's office.
The game had begun.