The Devil In Disguise

The Next Victim

The night air was colder than usual, a sharp breeze cutting through the quiet streets of Ashford as Gianina and Marcus walked side by side. The streetlights flickered, casting long, eerie shadows on the ground. Gianina hugged her arms around herself, trying to shake the uneasy feeling that had settled deep in her chest. It had been two days since the group's heated argument in the parking lot, and while things had seemed to calm down on the surface, the tension between them hadn't really gone away. Destiny's death had changed everything.

They hadn't planned on being out this late, but after the argument and the lingering suspicions, Gianina couldn't stand being alone. Marcus had suggested they take a walk to clear their heads, and she had agreed, needing the distraction from the constant flood of thoughts that had been racing through her mind.

As they walked, Marcus was quiet, his arm around her waist, pulling her close as if to shield her from the world. He had been her rock through everything—steady, calm, reassuring—but tonight, even his presence couldn't chase away the sense of dread that hung over them.

Gianina pulled her phone from her pocket, the glow of the screen illuminating her face in the darkness. She hadn't heard from Jamie since the argument, and part of her was still upset at the way he had accused Rufus, at the way he had almost torn the group apart with his paranoia.

Her phone buzzed in her hand, and she jumped, startled by the sudden vibration. She glanced down at the screen and frowned. It was a message from Jamie.

Jamie: I know who did it.

Her heart skipped a beat. She stopped walking, her breath catching in her throat. Marcus noticed her sudden halt and looked over her shoulder at the screen, his brow furrowing.

"Jamie?" he asked, his voice uncertain.

Gianina nodded, her mind racing. What did he mean by that? Did Jamie really know who the killer was? Or was this just another one of his theories?

She quickly typed a response.

Gianina: What do you mean? Who?

She stared at the screen, waiting for a reply, but none came. Minutes passed in silence, the unease in her stomach growing with every second that ticked by. Marcus gently tugged at her arm.

"Come on, G. He's probably just messing with you. You know how he gets," Marcus said, his voice trying to sound reassuring, though there was a hint of tension in his tone.

"I don't know..." Gianina muttered, her voice trailing off. Jamie wasn't one to send messages like this for no reason. Something felt wrong.

Just then, her phone buzzed again. She looked down and saw another message from Jamie.

Jamie: Meet me at the old warehouse near the lake. I'll explain everything.

The old warehouse by the lake. Gianina's blood ran cold. The warehouse had been abandoned for years, a place no one ever went unless they wanted to be alone. It was far from town, isolated, surrounded by thick trees and the still, dark waters of the lake. It wasn't a place you went for casual conversations. The thought of meeting Jamie there, in the middle of the night, made her skin crawl.

Marcus frowned as he read the message over her shoulder. "No way, G. You're not going."

"What if he really knows something?" Gianina asked, her voice shaking slightly. "What if Jamie's in trouble?"

"Or what if this is just another one of his games?" Marcus countered. "He's been acting paranoid ever since Destiny died. You're not going to some creepy warehouse in the middle of the night just because Jamie says he has answers."