Dead End

HUXLEE

“Damn it!” Cleovon curses before immediately taking off after Number 6.

“Hey, babe!” Signy calls out as she hurries after him, not even bothering to wait for the rest of us.

“Let’s go,” Ciela says, looking directly at me.

I stare at her in disbelief. “What? We’re running too?”

I really don’t want to run. My legs are already tired, and the last thing I need right now is to chase some random guy across campus.

“We need to, Huxlee,” Ciela insists as she reaches out her hand toward me.

Before I can complain again, Cyprus suddenly steps in front of me and turns around, showing me his back. “If you like, I can give you a ride,” he says with a teasing wink.

I roll my eyes at him. “No, thanks.” I take Ciela’s hand instead, and together, we start running after the three people ahead of us.

My shoes repeatedly hit the pavement as we hurry through the campus, but despite how fast we are going, the distance between us and Number 6 only seems to grow. Cleovon and Signy are already far ahead, while Number 6 continues running without looking back.

Eventually, we slow down when we can no longer see them.

“Where did they go?” Jacob asks, looking around anxiously.

I glance at him, slightly surprised. For once, he isn’t complaining about wanting to leave or asking us to stop. He actually looks invested in what we are doing. Maybe he is starting to realize that finding the person behind the video matters just as much to him as it does to us.

“There!” Cyprus suddenly points toward the distance.

I follow the direction of his finger and spot three figures running near the other side of the campus.

“There they are,” I breathe.

Signy is already slowing down, clearly struggling to catch her breath. Honestly, I’m not doing much better. If Cyprus suddenly decides to start running again, I might actually collapse before we catch up to them.

“Let’s go,” Ciela says, immediately grabbing my hand again.

“Wait—” Before I can finish, she pulls me forward.

We run again.

At this point, I feel like my lungs are about to give up on me.

After what feels like forever, we finally reach the back of an old building and stop. I immediately clutch my chest, bend my knees, and try to catch my breath. My lungs burn with every inhale, and sweat sticks to my forehead.

Damn it. I really hate running. It completely drains me.

The building behind us looks like it hasn’t been used in years. Rust covers parts of the walls, and the windows are either cracked or covered in dust. Some of the paint has already peeled away, exposing the old concrete underneath. Despite its condition, the building is still within the school campus, hidden away from the busier areas where students usually pass by.

I straighten myself a little and look ahead. Cleovon is standing several feet away from us, while Number 6 faces him with his body tense and his fists slightly clenched. His gym bag is already lying on the dirty ground beside him.

What are they doing? Are they going to fight or something?

“We just want to talk,” Cleovon says, trying to keep his voice calm.

I lift my head and focus on Number 6. His expression is completely different from before. He looks defensive, almost as if he is preparing himself for whatever comes next.

“You tell me why you’re following me!” Number 6 snaps.

“Like I said, we just want to talk. We’re not here to fight you,” Cleovon replies.

“Bullshit!” Number 6 shoots back. “If you really wanted to talk, you could’ve just called me over and asked me whatever you wanted. Why the hell did you have to follow me?”

“You need to calm down,” Ciela says between breaths.

Number 6 suddenly looks at her. “Wait.” He tilts his head slightly, his eyes narrowing as he studies her face. His posture remains tense, however, and he doesn’t seem any less defensive. “You’re the girl from the video, right?” he asks. His expression changes into something almost mocking. “What? You’re going to put me in a coma too?”

My eyes widen. “Hey!”

Anger immediately rises in my chest, but before I can say anything else, Cyprus steps forward. “Why are you asking her if she’s the girl from the video?” he asks calmly. “Aren’t you the one who asked Jacob for the original copy?”

Number 6’s brows immediately furrow. “What the fuck are you talking about?”

“If you’re not guilty of anything, then why did you run?” Signy asks.

Number 6 lets out an irritated laugh. “Why wouldn’t I? A group of suspicious people suddenly starts following me around. What exactly am I supposed to do? Stop and invite you all to chase me?”

I finally manage to straighten up, my breathing slowly returning to normal. “So you’re denying the accusation?” I ask.

“Of course I am!” he answers without hesitation. “Why would I do something like that? I don’t even know her.” His eyes briefly move toward Ciela before returning to us.

I look at Jacob. He has been staring at Number 6 this entire time, studying him carefully as though he is trying to match his body to the person he remembers.

“Jacob,” I call. He turns toward me. “Are you sure he’s our guy?”

Jacob doesn’t answer immediately. Instead, he turns back toward Number 6 and continues examining him. His eyes move over the other guy’s face, shoulders, and overall build, as though he is comparing every detail in his memory. Finally, he lets out a quiet sigh and shakes his head. “I don’t know.”

My shoulders drop in disappointment.

“What do you mean?” Ciela asks, her brows furrowing.

“I’m sorry,” Jacob says, lowering his head. “Seeing him up close, I’m not really sure anymore. I thought he was the guy, but his shoulder is broader than the person who asked me for the video.”

I stare at him in disbelief.

“So we just wasted all that time for nothing?” Signy asks angrily.

Number 6 looks at all of us, his expression becoming even more irritated. “So you’re following random people around without any concrete evidence?” he asks.

Nobody answers.

“You didn’t just waste your time,” he continues, his voice filled with frustration. “You wasted mine too.” He bends down, grabs his gym bag from the ground, and swings it over his shoulder before marching away from us.

“Damn it.” Cleovon kicks a small stone lying near his foot. It skitters across the pavement before disappearing beneath a patch of weeds. He turns away from us, and from where I’m standing, I can barely see his face.

I let out a long breath and rub my palms over my face. “It’s another dead end.” The words come out quieter than I expect.

I lower my hands and look at Jacob.

“I’m really sorry,” he says. “At first, I was really sure he was the guy. But after seeing his features up close, I’m not sure anymore. Something feels different.”

I shake my head. “Can you remember anything else about him? Anything that could help us identify him? His physique alone isn’t enough.”

Jacob looks at me for a moment. “I…” He stops. His eyes fall to the ground, and his shoulders slump. “I’m sorry.”