The days following Kanya's chilling plea were a blur of tense whispers and restless nights. Praew couldn't shake the memory of her haunting words: *"Make them answer for what they did."* The weight of Kanya's pain now hung over her like a storm cloud, and each step forward felt like treading into a minefield.
The group convened in Praew's room that evening, surrounded by stacks of old yearbooks, scribbled notes, and newspaper clippings. Pim clutched a blanket to her chest, her eyes darting nervously at every creak of the wooden floor. Meen leaned forward, her brow furrowed in concentration as she scanned another faded article.
"We need to find out who these Drama Club members were," Praew said, pointing to the blurred photograph they had found earlier. "Someone has to know what happened back then."
Tan leaned back in his chair, tapping his pen against his palm. "The principal mentioned they all left the school after the fire, right? What if we track them down?"
"And ask them what?" Pim interjected, her voice shaky. "Hey, did you help kill a girl decades ago? Care to chat about it?"
Meen rolled her eyes. "We can be more subtle than that, Pim. But Tan's right. If any of them are still alive, they might have the answers we need."
Praew opened Kanya's diary, her fingers trembling as she flipped to the page where the names were scrawled in delicate handwriting. "Narumon. Supachai. Voranuch. Chaiwat. Kanokwan." She looked up, determination gleaming in her eyes. "These are the names. Let's start with Narumon."
---
**The First Lead**
The group's first stop was the home of Narumon, now an elderly woman living in a modest house on the outskirts of town. The air outside was crisp, but as they approached her gate, an uneasy stillness seemed to envelop them.
Tan rang the doorbell, and after a few moments, the door creaked open to reveal a frail woman with sharp eyes that seemed to pierce right through them.
"Yes?" she asked, her voice wary.
Praew stepped forward, clutching the yearbook. "We're students from Sathit Chao Phraya High School. We're doing a project on the school's history, and we came across some old photos of the Drama Club." She held up the picture of Kanya and her group. "We were hoping you could tell us more about this."
Narumon's eyes widened, and she quickly stepped outside, glancing nervously over her shoulder before shutting the door behind her. "Why are you asking about this?" she hissed.
"We just want to know what happened," Meen said gently. "We think Kanya is still... still there. She's trying to tell us something."
At the mention of Kanya's name, Narumon's expression darkened. "You shouldn't be meddling with this," she said. "That girl's death was a tragedy, but it's in the past. Leave it there."
"We can't," Praew insisted. "Her spirit won't rest until the truth is uncovered. Please, we need your help."
For a moment, it seemed as though Narumon would shut them out, but then she sighed and motioned for them to follow her to the small garden behind her house.
"I was part of the Drama Club," she admitted, her voice trembling. "Kanya was our star, the one everyone admired. But she wasn't perfect. She had enemies—people who envied her talent, her beauty, her... confidence."
"Enemies?" Tan pressed. "Who?"
Narumon hesitated, her gaze fixed on the ground. "Kanokwan was the worst. She hated Kanya, always accusing her of stealing the spotlight. Supachai and Chaiwat were her lackeys, always following her lead. I... I just wanted to fit in. I never wanted any of it to go so far."
"What went too far?" Pim asked, her voice barely above a whisper.
Narumon's hands trembled as she clasped them together. "The ritual," she said finally. "Kanokwan convinced us to perform it. She said it was just a game, something to scare Kanya, to put her in her place. But it wasn't a game."
"What happened during the ritual?" Praew asked.
Tears filled Narumon's eyes as she shook her head. "We didn't mean to hurt her. But something went wrong. The fire... the screaming... it all happened so fast. And when it was over, Kanya was gone."
The group exchanged uneasy glances.
"Do you know where Kanokwan is now?" Praew asked.
Narumon shook her head. "She left town not long after the fire. She was always good at hiding things—her guilt, her lies. If anyone knows the truth, it's her. But if you find her, be careful. She's dangerous."
---
**The Warning**
As they left Narumon's house, the weight of her words settled heavily on their shoulders. The streets felt colder, the shadows darker.
"Kanokwan," Meen muttered. "If she was the ringleader, she's our next target."
Praew nodded, but her mind was racing. If Kanokwan was as dangerous as Narumon suggested, what would she do to keep her secrets buried?
That night, as Praew lay in bed, clutching Kanya's doll, she couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. She glanced at her window, half-expecting to see Kanya's spectral figure staring back at her. But the window was empty, reflecting only the pale moonlight.
Suddenly, a whisper filled the room, soft and chilling: *"Find her."*
Praew bolted upright, her heart pounding. The doll lay still in her hands, its glassy eyes unblinking. But Praew knew she wasn't imagining things. Kanya's spirit was growing restless, and time was running out.
---
As the clock struck midnight, Praew whispered back to the shadows, "We'll find her. I promise."