Crossing Fates

Chapter 8: Cracking the Code

The cryptic message on Supa's phone haunted Pond for the rest of the evening. As he lay awake in bed, staring at the ceiling, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched. Whoever was behind the strange notes and messages wasn't just playing pranks anymore. This was serious.

The next morning, Dunk and Pond met in the library, determined to figure out what was going on. Joong, ever the opportunist, had tagged along, though his primary focus seemed to be distracting Dunk with his usual antics.

Pond wasn't amused.

"We need to take this seriously, Joong," Pond muttered, flipping through one of the books Dunk had pulled from the shelves.

Joong, who had been dramatically balancing a pencil on his upper lip, let out a sigh. "Alright, alright. I just think we're missing the bigger picture here. I mean, someone's obviously got too much time on their hands if they're sending cryptic messages in Portuguese."

Dunk, focused on his laptop, shot Joong a glance. "Or they're trying to throw us off."

Pond leaned back in his chair, rubbing his temples. "The question is, why target Supa? She doesn't seem to have any connection to this whole thing."

Joong's face grew slightly more serious. "Maybe it's because she's close to you now. Someone might be trying to send a message through her."

Pond frowned at that thought. Was he the real target all along?

A New Ally

As the three of them continued to pore over books and articles, trying to find anything that could explain the mysterious events, a familiar face appeared at the end of the aisle—Nawin Pichit.

Nawin approached cautiously, a hesitant smile on his face. "I heard you guys talking about the messages yesterday. Do you mind if I help?"

Pond exchanged a glance with Dunk, then nodded. "Sure. We could use all the help we can get."

Nawin pulled up a chair, setting his own stack of books on the table. "I've been looking into some things on my own," he explained, adjusting his glasses. "There's a rumor going around campus—about strange activities near the dormitories at night."

Pond's interest piqued. "What kind of activities?"

"People say they've seen shadows, figures lurking around. But no one's been able to catch them," Nawin replied, his voice low.

Dunk raised an eyebrow. "So it's not just us?"

Nawin shook his head. "No. I think whatever's happening, it's affecting more people than we realize."

Pond felt a chill run down his spine. The cryptic notes, the shadowy figure near the dorms, the message on Supa's phone—it was all connected. But to what?

Connecting the Dots

The group spent the next few hours cross-referencing the information they had gathered, looking for patterns or anything that could explain the mysterious messages. Nawin, with his quiet intelligence, quickly became an invaluable asset, pointing out details that the others had missed.

Joong, surprisingly, was also proving to be helpful—though his contributions were often punctuated by sarcastic remarks.

"So let me get this straight," Joong said, leaning back in his chair. "We've got shadowy figures creeping around the dorms, weird messages in multiple languages, and a general sense of being watched. Sounds like the plot of a bad horror movie."

Pond rolled his eyes. "It's not funny, Joong. Whoever's behind this is serious."

Joong raised his hands in mock surrender. "Hey, I'm just saying. We need to look at this from every angle. What if it's not one person? What if there's a group involved?"

Dunk frowned, considering Joong's words. "A group? Like some kind of secret society?"

Joong shrugged. "Could be. Or maybe it's just a bunch of bored students playing a game."

Nawin, who had been quietly scanning the articles on his laptop, suddenly spoke up. "I don't think this is a game."

The group turned to him, curious.

"I found something," Nawin said, pointing to his screen. "There's been a rise in strange incidents on campus—missing items, strange noises, and, more recently, people reporting that they feel like they're being followed."

Pond leaned in closer, his heart pounding. "How far back does this go?"

Nawin scrolled through the article. "A few months. But it's been escalating recently."

Dunk crossed his arms, deep in thought. "If it's been happening for that long, why hasn't anyone reported it?"

"They probably have," Nawin replied. "But it's being brushed off as paranoia or coincidence."

Pond clenched his fists. "We need to figure this out before someone gets hurt."

Supa's Revelation

Later that evening, Pond met Supa outside the campus gym. She had finished her practice and was cooling down when Pond approached, his mind still racing from the day's discoveries.

"Supa," Pond called, jogging up to her.

She turned, smiling when she saw him. "Hey, Pond. What's up?"

Pond hesitated for a moment, unsure of how to bring up the subject. "About that message you got yesterday..."

Supa's smile faltered slightly, but she nodded. "Yeah, it was weird. I've never gotten anything like that before."

Pond's gaze was serious. "We think it's connected to something bigger. There have been other incidents—strange figures, notes, people feeling like they're being watched. I think you're part of it now."

Supa frowned, her expression thoughtful. "But why me?"

"That's what we're trying to figure out," Pond admitted. "It could be because you're close to me and Dunk. Or maybe there's something else we're missing."

Supa crossed her arms, clearly unsettled by the news. "So, what do we do now?"

Pond sighed, running a hand through his hair. "We keep looking for answers. Dunk, Nawin, Joong, and I are trying to piece it together, but it's slow going. I just wanted to make sure you were aware."

Supa nodded, her eyes narrowing in determination. "If I'm part of this, then I'm not going to sit on the sidelines. Let me help."

Pond smiled, grateful for her support. "We could use it."

A New Threat

That night, as Pond made his way back to his dorm, the campus felt eerily quiet. The usual bustle of students heading to and from their rooms was absent, leaving the pathways empty and the air still.

Pond's heart raced as he approached his dorm building, the events of the past few days swirling in his mind. The shadowy figure, the cryptic notes, the strange message on Supa's phone—it all pointed to something bigger, something dangerous.

Just as he reached the door, Pond heard a rustling sound behind him. He froze, his breath catching in his throat. Slowly, he turned, scanning the empty courtyard.

Nothing.

He shook his head, trying to shake off the feeling of being watched. But as he stepped inside the dorm, he couldn't shake the sense that something—or someone—was following him.