May 25th , 2035 - 10:04 AM
Noho stood there, shocked and confused. She flipped the piece of paper back and forth, checking both sides frantically. It was blank. Completely blank. She took off her backpack, her fingers trembling as she searched through its contents.
Maybe this is a different piece of paper that's been in my backpack for a long time? She thought.
Desperation crept into her movements as she rummaged deeper, but all she found was a small pink sticky note covered in math equations.
"The paper he gave me was white and rectangular," she muttered, shaking her head. "This can't be it."
Noho pulled out the blank paper again and held it up, scrutinizing it under the sun. It did look like the right size of the paper he had originally handed her. She turned it over again. Still blank. Her mind raced. This must be the same paper, but why is the address gone? She stood still for a moment, her brow furrowed in concentration. Then, the realization hit her.
"It must have been written with disappearing ink!" she exclaimed, her voice echoing in the empty street. A smile spread across her face as her eyes sparkled with admiration.
"Wow! Mr. Fake Homeless is so smart, using disappearing ink."
She carefully folded the paper and slipped it back into her bag. "I'll keep this and ask him about it tomorrow," she decided, her voice firm with resolve.
Noho grabbed her phone and glanced at the screen. 10:05. Wow, I have so much time left. I wish I stayed back and asked more questions about the Order. She thought, disappointed. I guess all I can do for now is head back to school.
She broke into a run, her dress shoes pounding against the pavement. For about five minutes, she ran uninterrupted, her thoughts focused on getting back to school.
But then she stopped.
A strange feeling washed over her, a chill that ran up her spine. She found herself standing in front of the 6th Avenue alleyway—the site of this morning's murder.
The alley loomed before her, dark and foreboding, as though it carried its own sinister aura. Noho's gaze drifted toward the entrance. Nothing seemed particularly unusual at first glance. The trash bins were lined up against the walls, and faint graffiti decorated the brickwork. But there was something unnerving about the scene, something she couldn't shake. The murder must have happened deeper in the alley, she thought, narrowing her eyes. Should I go investigate?
A quiet unease settled in her chest. She knew something wasn't right about the events surrounding the murder. And as much as she tried to push it aside, the gnawing curiosity wouldn't let her walk away. Slowly, Noho stepped toward the alley. Her heart pounded in her chest, but her resolve was stronger. If she wanted to uncover the truth, she had to see it for herself.
With measured steps, she walked into the darkness, determined to find the answers no one else could.