The school grounds had become eerily quiet as the sun dipped below the horizon. Damian stood with his arms crossed, staring at the students milling about, their conversations light and carefree. Oliver, at his side, seemed more on edge than usual, his eyes darting around nervously.
"Damien," Oliver said in a hushed voice, his tone urgent. "It's happened again. Jacob West's gone missing."
Damien's expression darkened. Jacob West. The winner of the last tournament. The strongest competitor. The kind of student the school could least afford to lose.
Emma spoke almost too loud "Jacob West?!"
Oliver looked at her with a look that said I told you so.
"Is there any sign of where he went?" Damien asked, though he already had a sinking feeling in his gut. Oliver shook his head.
"No one's seen him leave. No clues. Just like the others."
Damien clenched his fists, his thoughts racing. This is no coincidence.
Suddenly, Oliver bent his head to pull something from his trousers pocket. He didn't speak, but his eyes were wide with shock. Damien turned, following Oliver's gaze to the floor where a tiny, almost imperceptible trace of blood had been left behind, near the entrance to the school's labyrinthine halls. It was so faint that it could easily be overlooked.
"What is that?" Damien asked, crouching down to examine the spot. The blood was fresh, just a slight drop. Nothing obvious, nothing alarming at first glance.
Oliver bent closer, his nose twitching. He sniffed the air cautiously, his eyes widening in recognition. "That scent... It's Mr. Saville's."
Damien's heart sank. Mr. Saville. He had been one of the last people to interact with some of the missing students. There had always been something off about the man, but this blood tie made things clearer.
"Mr. Saville?" Damien muttered under his breath. His mind raced as he connected the dots. There was no way this was a coincidence. The scent of Mr. Saville's blood was here, near Jacob West, the most recent student to vanish. He's involved.
Before they could discuss further, a familiar figure approached—Zoe, the school's resident werewolf. She was moving with a casual stride, but there was a keen sense of awareness in her eyes as she passed by. She stopped in front of them, her sharp gaze locking onto their tense expressions.
"What's going on?" she asked, her tone casual but with an underlying sharpness. Damian and Oliver exchanged a quick look. They needed to keep their findings under wraps for now.
"Nothing," Damien said quickly, masking his unease. "Just... dealing with some school stuff."
Zoe tilted her head slightly, narrowing her eyes. "You sure about that? You look like you've seen a ghost."
Oliver swallowed hard, forcing a smile. "We're good, just... making sure no one's causing trouble."
Zoe studied them for a moment longer, then shrugged, clearly unconvinced. "Alright. If you say so." She started to walk away but then turned back, her voice lowering slightly. "If you need anything, you know where to find me."
As Zoe walked off, Oliver's face twisted in frustration. "We can't let her know about this. If she gets involved, it's just going to complicate things."
Emma, who had been quietly listening, shifted uncomfortably. "Yeah, we can't have Zoe getting caught up in this. She's—"
But before she could finish her sentence, she let something slip.
"I mean, she's just... a werewolf. What's she going to do? If she knows too much, it could put everyone at risk."
Zoe, having stopped just out of sight, heard Emma's words and turned back around. Her expression shifted, eyes narrowing, her earlier casual demeanor gone. "What did you just say?"
Damien cursed under his breath, exchanging an awkward glance with Oliver. Emma had made a mistake, and now Zoe knew they were hiding something.
Zoe walked back toward them, her tone much more serious. "If you guys are involved in something this big, you can't leave me out of it. You want my help or not?"
Emma, looking uncomfortable, stepped forward. "Zoe, you don't have to—"
But Zoe interrupted, her voice firm. "I'm doing this whether you like it or not. I'll get myself into detention with Saville. That'll get me close to him. You can't trust him, and I can get answers. You'll see."
Damien sighed. He didn't want Zoe's reckless approach to complicate their investigation, but he knew she was right. They needed to get closer to Mr. Saville, and Zoe had the means to do so.
Emma shook her head, clearly not happy with the plan. "I don't like this. Zoe's too unpredictable. We don't need her getting herself caught up in something she can't handle."
But Damian and Oliver shared a look. They didn't have time for hesitation anymore.
"We need to take risks if we want to get to the bottom of this," Damien said. "And right now, Zoe's the best chance we've got."
Zoe smirked at their approval, her eyes gleaming with excitement. "Don't worry. I'll handle it."
Emma looked at her friends, clearly frustrated, but there was little she could do to change their minds.
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