Valmet slipped into the lunchroom, her gaze scanning the crowded tables until she spotted Steven and Melody. Steven sat at the corner, gently chewing on his sandwich with that oblivious innocence that used to make her smile. Melody, on the other hand, was surrounded by her usual entourage, laughing and tossing her hair back as if she owned the room. Today, however, Valmet had no patience for either of their routines.

She approached Steven first, her voice soft but insistent. “Hey, can I talk to you? It’s important.”

Steven blinked, taken off guard, but he nodded, setting his sandwich down. “Of course, Val.”

As Steven followed her out of the lunchroom, Valmet’s demeanor shifted entirely when she approached Melody’s table. Without any ceremony, she grabbed Melody’s wrist, her grip firm. “You. Library. Now.”

Melody yanked her hand back, glaring at Valmet. “Excuse me? You think you can just drag me around like some kind of—”

“Yes, I do,” Valmet interrupted, her tone sharp. “Unless you want everyone here to know what we’ve seen.” Her gaze was icy, leaving no room for argument.

With a huff, Melody shot a look at her friends and followed Valmet and Steven, muttering under her breath the whole way.

Inside the quiet of the library, away from prying eyes and ears, Valmet finally stopped. She turned to face them both, her eyes fierce with determination. “There are things going on that neither of you fully understand. But if you want answers, you’re going to listen. All of it.”

Steven looked between the two of them, his face full of confusion, while Melody crossed her arms, looking more annoyed than concerned. But neither protested, and that was enough for now.

Valmet paced in front of them, her fingers tapping her chin as she tried to gather her thoughts. The stakes were high, and she needed them to understand just how deep this went.

“Alright,” she began, her voice tight. “Let’s get one thing clear: Hue isn’t here to help us out of the kindness of his heart. He wants something, and he’s going to use all of us to get it.”

Steven’s brows knitted together, a mix of confusion and worry crossing his face. “What do you mean, ‘use us’? I thought he… saved you.”

Valmet stopped, meeting his gaze with a look that was almost pitying. “Yeah, saved me—because I’m useful to him. He’s got his own agenda, Steven, and he doesn’t care if we get hurt in the process. He’s only interested in one thing: whatever he thinks I can help him find.”

Melody scoffed, arms still crossed as she leaned back against a bookshelf. “And why do we have to be dragged into your mess? I didn’t sign up to play sidekick to your demon problems, Valmet.”

Valmet’s eyes flashed with irritation. “This isn’t just my problem, Melody. You think what we saw was just some random monster attack? Those murders we keep hearing about—they’re linked to it. I don’t know how or why, but Hue does. He’s got pieces of the puzzle that he’s keeping from us.”

Steven’s face paled as he processed her words. “So… what are you saying? That this thing is connected to the murders? And Hue knows?”

“Exactly.” Valmet’s voice dropped to a whisper. “But he’s not telling us everything. He says the truth will only come together when all the pieces are in place. He’s using us to find those pieces, whether we like it or not.”

For a moment, silence hung heavy between them. Melody’s defiance softened, replaced by a look of concern as she finally realized the gravity of what Valmet was saying. Steven, on the other hand, seemed lost in thought, as if trying to fit the pieces together himself.

Then, just as the tension reached a boiling point, Steven broke the silence, his voice laced with a quiet resolve.

Steven’s eyes brightened as Valmet’s words sunk in, though not quite in the way she’d intended. His mind leapt to an idealized vision, something out of a mystery novel. “So… we could all be detectives!” he exclaimed, his voice filled with excitement. “I mean, think about it! We could solve the case ourselves, track down clues, maybe even wear cool outfits, like those vintage detective coats…”

Valmet gave him a look that was equal parts disbelief and frustration. “shit Steven, this isn’t some kid’s adventure story. Those women who were murdered weren’t just names in a report.” Her voice softened, and she looked away, an old sadness in her eyes. “They were like family. Some of them practically raised me in the Night Parade. They were mothers to me.”

Steven’s smile faltered, his excitement tempered by her words. Melody, on the other hand, scoffed, rolling her eyes. “Oh, please, Valmet. They were prostitutes, not saints. Let’s not turn this into some grand tragedy.”

Valmet’s jaw clenched, her hands curling into fists. “fuck sake Have some respect, Melody,” she snapped. “They may not have been saints, but they were human beings—ones who deserved a hell of a lot better than what they got.”

But Steven’s mind was already wandering, caught up in the romanticized vision he’d conjured. He looked at Valmet, as if picturing her in a Sherlock Holmes-inspired outfit, complete with a detective hat and magnifying glass. “You’d look cute in a detective coat, though,” he mumbled with a sheepish smile, clearly oblivious to the gravity of the situation.

Valmet’s frustration reached its limit, and she opened her mouth to snap at him, but before she could speak, a voice echoed from the shadows of the library, low and amused.

“Well, isn’t this precious?”

They turned in unison to see a figure step into the light. It was a girl around their age, dressed in a high school uniform, with long, flowing blue hair that almost seemed to shimmer under the dim library lights. She wore an exaggerated, knowing smile, her eyes glinting with a mixture of mirth and condescension.

The girl with blue hair sauntered forward, her steps light and almost graceful. She stopped just a few feet from them, her piercing gaze settling on each one of them in turn. Though she looked like any other high schooler, her eyes held a wisdom far beyond her years—an unmistakable glint of something otherworldly.

“Aw, how adorable,” she cooed, voice dripping with mock sweetness. “Playing detectives in the library, talking about ‘cool outfits’ and heroic missions. You all think this is some game, don’t you?”

Steven’s face turned red, his earlier excitement replaced by a mixture of confusion and embarrassment. Valmet, however, narrowed her eyes. “Huebert,” she said, her voice low, recognizing the familiar sharpness in the girl’s tone.

Huebert grinned, giving a playful twirl of his blue hair. “Oh, you noticed. Good job, Valmet.” He winked, his voice shifting from teasing to something far darker. “But let me make this clear, darlings: this isn’t a game. You’re dealing with monsters, murderers, and things that go bump in the night. The stakes here aren’t ‘fun’ or ‘cute.’ They’re life and death.”

Melody crossed her arms, scoffing again, but there was a hint of uncertainty in her expression now. Huebert noticed and leaned in closer, his tone both playful and cutting. “You, Melody, think being queen of high school means something? Or maybe you’re hoping for that family wealth to keep you safe forever?” He laughed softly. “Honey, you’re one tragedy away from being as vulnerable as the rest of them. All that luxury can vanish faster than you’d think.”

He turned to Steven, who shrank under his gaze, looking down at his feet. “And Steven, so sweet and naïve, playing pretend detective. But tell me, how long do you think you’ll last in the real world? Are you going to be a high school dropout or some cashier clinging to your childhood dreams of heroics?”

Steven’s face went pale, the earlier spark in his eyes dimming. Valmet’s fists clenched, but she held back, knowing Huebert wasn’t done.

Huebert’s gaze settled back on her, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “But you, Valmet… You’ve already seen what happens to people like us. You’ve lived it. And yet here you are, still clinging to the scraps of normalcy.” He stepped back, sweeping his arm wide, gesturing to the three of them. “I’m offering you something more than any of that. A chance to be powerful. To be more than just rich kids lounging on a couch or scraping by on minimum wage.”

His eyes gleamed, and his voice softened, almost enticing. “But if you want to survive—if you want to win this little game—you’ll have to accept that there’s no turning back. And there’s more than just you three in this little web. You’ve got bigger enemies than you can imagine.”

They stared at him in stunned silence, the weight of his words settling over them like a heavy cloak.

“Oh, and by the way,” Huebert added, with a nonchalant wave of his hand, “you’re not the only ones being hunted. There’s an elf out there—a born necromancer—picking off mafia members one by one.” He leaned closer, his voice barely a whisper. “The same ones tied to those murders you’re so curious about.”

A tense silence followed, each of them realizing just how serious their situation had become. Huebert straightened, casting them one last amused smile. “Now, do you want to play detective, or are you ready to survive?”