S.P.E.L.T (Completed ✅️)

Yeonjun tells the truth🧩

The bustling sounds of students filled the corridors, the usual hustle of college life in full swing. I weaved through the crowd, gripping my books tightly.

As I entered the ICT lab, the cool air-conditioned space offered a brief escape from the chaos outside.

The room was empty, with no staff around, just the hum of computers waiting to be used. I found a quiet spot near the back, thinking I could get a little work done before my next class.

But then, the door opened, and in came Yeonjun, followed by Rickey, Jake, and Tessa, Yeonjun's girlfriend.

Yeonjun's usually cocky demeanor was replaced with something more serious, a look of urgency in his eyes.

I immediately tensed up, unsure of what to expect. The last time we'd crossed paths, it had ended in a heated argument, with Yeonjun throwing accusations at me about Emra. But now, he looked different. Determined.

"Tamrah, we need to talk," he said, cutting straight to the point.

Tessa was close behind him, her face looking a bit pale, clearly uneasy. She nodded, stepping closer, "I... I want to apologize. I lied about you." She swallowed hard, her eyes downcast.

"I spread rumors about you being mean to me. I was jealous, okay? But... with everything happening to my mom, I think it's karma. I'm sorry."

Before I could even respond, Yeonjun stepped forward.

"But this isn't just about the past, Tamrah. There's something you need to know about Emra."

My heart skipped a beat at the mention of her name. "What do you mean?"

Jake pulled out a laptop, clicking a few times before spinning it around to face me. A blurry old photo appeared on the screen. It was unmistakably Emra, but there was something off, something haunting about the image.

"This picture is from 15 years ago," Yeonjun said, his voice low. "We used an AI tool to track her picture. "

"And this news article...is from new Jersey" Jake raised an eyebrow 

"She was involved in a crime-a murder. They never charged her, but her friend disappeared mysteriously, and later, they found her body... with this mark on her back."

He clicked again, and the screen zoomed in on the mark.

My stomach churned-it was the same beast-shaped symbol I had seen on the page of my notebook. The very one Emra had laughed off as a prank. My breath caught in my throat.

"No... No, that can't be right," I whispered, shaking my head in disbelief. "Emra's only 19... How could she have been involved in something 15 years ago?"

"Exactly," Yeonjun pressed on. "None of this adds up. But the evidence is here. She's hiding something big."

Rickey chimed in, his usually laid-back demeanor now serious. "We don't know how she's still that age, but we've got proof of her involvement in that case. We think she might be dangerous."

"We don't even know how.long they've been in oregon" Tessa put a hand on my shoulder.

My head spun as the information hit me. I felt my knees buckle, and Tessa quickly grabbed my arm to steady me. "It's all real, Tamrah. We wouldn't be telling you this if it wasn't."

"And you need to be careful," Yeonjun added, stepping closer, his eyes narrowing. "I know you've got this fantasy about her father , we just...know and that pizza delivery thing...remember? I wanted to check on you but overheard your fantasy ...sorry...but we think it's a trap. His name wasn't in any criminal records, but he could be just as dangerous. You need to keep your distance. This weird obsession could be exactly what Emra wants."

I thought of the time Erma told me about Taehyung's fear of love, and how the thought of love scares him.

Was that a lie? Was it? Was everything I felt a lie?

The room spun around me, the weight of everything they'd just told me crashing down all at once. How could Emra be involved in a crime that happened before she was even born? How could she still be 19? And Taehyung... the person I'd been so drawn to, was he part of this twisted game?

I pulled my hands through my hair, trying to think straight, but all I could see was that cursed symbol. The beast-shaped mark that had been right in front of me, all along.

Yeonjun, Rickey, Jake, and Tessa exchanged worried glances as I struggled to process it all.

"You have to be careful," Tessa whispered, squeezing my hand. "Please... for your own sake."

Yeonjun nodded, his voice grim. "Emra and her father... they aren't who they seem."

I couldn't hold it together any longer. My legs gave way, and I sank into one of the empty chairs in the lab. The cold plastic beneath me contrasted with the heat flooding my body. I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to contain the overwhelming rush of emotions tearing through me.

First, it was quiet. Just a few tears slipping down my cheeks. But then, the floodgates opened. My quiet sobs soon turned into choked cries, my chest tightening as the truth hit me harder than anything I'd ever felt before.

I had trusted her. I had let myself get close to her. And now... now I didn't know what was real anymore.

The sobs grew louder, uncontrollable, as my body trembled with each breath. My hands covered my face, as if I could somehow hide from the storm of emotions swirling inside me. But it wasn't enough. The weight of it all-Emra, the mark, Taehyung-it was too much. Too much to bear.

The tears burned in my eyes, hot and relentless, as if they'd never stop. I felt like I was drowning in them, like I'd never breathe normally again. I tried to speak, to say something, but all that came out were broken sobs and gasps for air.

Suddenly, I felt warmth-arms wrapping around me, pulling me into a solid chest. Yeonjun's familiar scent filled my senses, but there was nothing mocking in his embrace this time. It was comforting, strong, as if he was trying to hold me together when I was falling apart.

He gently pressed my head to his chest, his hand soothingly brushing through my hair. "It's okay, Tamrah. Let it out," he murmured softly.

His words were like a dam breaking, and I couldn't stop the sobs that turned into full-on screams. The sound echoed off the empty walls of the lab, raw and filled with pain. I clutched at his shirt, my fingers gripping the fabric as though it were the only thing grounding me in that moment.

"I trusted her!" I wailed, my voice breaking with each word. "How could I not see it? How could I be so stupid?"

Yeonjun held me tighter, his hand rubbing slow circles on my back. "You're not stupid, Tamrah. You couldn't have known. None of us knew... not until now."

The words did little to ease the ache in my chest. All I could think about was the friendship I thought I had, the person I believed Emra to be. And now, all of it felt like a cruel joke, like I had been walking into a trap from the very beginning.

Tears blurred my vision as I pulled away slightly, looking up at Yeonjun through the haze of my sobs. "What do I do now? What am I supposed to do?"

Yeonjun's expression was one of genuine concern, his eyes soft as he cupped my face in his hands, wiping away some of the tears. "We're going to figure it out, okay? You're not alone in this. We'll get through it... together."

His voice was steady, like an anchor, and for a brief moment, I allowed myself to lean into that comfort. But deep down, I knew that things would never be the same again. Not with Emra. Not with Taehyung. And certainly not with the truth now out in the open.