Suspicious New Professor

Emile's Suspicions

12

The early morning light filtered through the tall windows of the library, casting a warm glow over the rows of books and study tables. Jenissa was already immersed in her laptop, furiously typing, her brows knit in concentration. She hardly noticed as Emile took the seat beside her, carefully placing his backpack on the floor and studying her intense expression. He had been watching her for days, her face etched with sleepless determination and growing suspicion.

"Jen," he whispered, trying not to startle her.

Jenissa’s head jerked up, her eyes briefly unfocused before they landed on Emile. She quickly closed her laptop screen, a reflex that didn’t go unnoticed.

"Emile! You scared me," she said with a forced laugh.

"You’ve been diving pretty deep into this ‘Professor Noir’ mystery," he remarked, a faint frown on his face. "Maybe a little too deep. Are you sure this is safe?"

Jenissa’s expression hardened. "Safe or not, I can’t just ignore this. I’ve seen enough to know he’s hiding something serious, Emile. And I can’t shake the feeling that if I look away, I’ll regret it."

Emile sighed, leaning back in his chair. "Look, I get it. The guy gives me the creeps too, and yes, he acts weird sometimes, but digging through his past, hacking into his stuff… Jen, this isn’t you. What if you’re in over your head?"

She bit her lip, feeling the weight of Emile’s concern. She hadn’t told him everything—not about the list of names she’d found or the encrypted files she’d broken into. She knew he’d be even more worried if he knew the full extent of her discoveries.

"You’re right. I know it’s risky," she admitted softly, "but I just… I have to know the truth. I can’t explain it, but it feels like something terrible will happen if I don’t."

Emile exhaled, raking a hand through his hair. "Fine, if you’re going to do this, I’m not letting you do it alone. Promise me you’ll tell me everything, no more secrets. And we’ll figure it out together."

She gave him a grateful smile. "I promise."

"Good." Emile reached into his bag, pulling out his notebook and flipping it open. "So, any new clues from our dear Professor Noir’s encrypted files?"

Jenissa hesitated, her fingers resting lightly on the closed lid of her laptop. She had been cautious about sharing everything with Emile, but maybe it was time. "Actually… I did find something. A list of names. Each one seems to be linked to strange disappearances or relocations. I’m not sure what it means yet, but I’m certain it’s connected to him."

Emile’s eyes widened. "A list of disappearances? Are you sure it’s him?"

Jenissa nodded. "There’s no other explanation. Why else would he have a list like that? It’s like… these people were part of some kind of pattern, something he’s involved in."

Emile stared at her, clearly troubled. "This sounds serious, Jen. If those disappearances are real, this isn’t just some academic scandal. We might be dealing with something dangerous."

A heavy silence fell between them, the realization settling over them like a dark cloud. For the first time, Jenissa felt the full weight of what she had uncovered, and a flicker of fear crept into her resolve.

---

Later that day, during their CGR class, Jenissa felt the tension between herself and Professor Noir more than ever. She kept her gaze focused on the lecture slides, aware of every small movement he made, every subtle glance he cast toward her. If he suspected she was onto him, he didn’t show it. His smile remained friendly, his demeanor as calm as ever. Yet, beneath the surface, she sensed something else—a quiet, watchful intensity that made her skin crawl.

Emile, seated beside her, seemed equally unsettled. Every so often, he’d glance at her, his brow furrowing in silent concern. Jenissa did her best to keep her expression neutral, nodding along to Elias’s explanations of rendering techniques and image processing, all the while feeling as if she were balancing on the edge of a cliff.

Halfway through the lecture, Elias made an offhand comment that sent a chill down her spine.

"Sometimes," he said, adjusting his glasses, "we come across errors in a system that seem insignificant at first—tiny cracks, really. But when ignored, those cracks can spread, compromising everything. The trick is to know when to stop digging… before you find something you didn’t want to see."

He met Jenissa’s gaze directly, and for a moment, the room seemed to fall away. Her pulse quickened, her mind racing with the implications of his words. Was he warning her? Threatening her? Or was it just another twisted game, a way of letting her know he was always one step ahead?

She forced herself to look away, her heart pounding. Emile shifted beside her, noticing her discomfort. Underneath the table, he squeezed her hand in reassurance.

"Remember," he whispered, "we’re in this together."

---

After class, they found a quiet corner in the campus courtyard, away from the bustling students and faculty. Jenissa took out her laptop, opening the document with the list of names she had discovered. Emile leaned in, scanning the screen with a concerned expression.

"Alright, let’s see if we can dig up any background on these names," Emile suggested. "Maybe we can find out more about who these people were and if there’s any common thread that ties them to Elias."

They spent the next hour researching, cross-referencing each name with online records, news archives, and social media profiles. Most of the names were difficult to track, with minimal online presence, but they found a few scattered clues—a missing person’s report here, a brief news mention there. None of the cases were directly connected, but the more they uncovered, the more disturbing the pattern became.

"It’s like each of these people just vanished," Emile muttered, scrolling through yet another news article. "No clear reasons, no explanations. And they all disappeared after having some sort of connection to a professor or academic setting. It’s… eerie."

Jenissa nodded, her mind racing as she absorbed the information. "What if… what if Elias has been targeting people like this all along? Moving from one place to another, leaving a trail of missing persons in his wake? He’s careful, but maybe not careful enough."

Emile’s face was grim. "If that’s the case, then we’re in way deeper than we thought. Jen, this isn’t just some mystery to solve—it’s dangerous. If Elias realizes we’re onto him…"

Jenissa held his gaze, the weight of their discoveries heavy between them. "I know the risks, Emile. But if he’s hurting people, we can’t just sit back and do nothing."

Emile sighed, running a hand over his face. "Alright. But we have to be smart about this. We can’t confront him directly, and we definitely can’t let him know how much we’ve found out. Let’s keep our distance for now and gather as much evidence as possible."

Jenissa nodded in agreement, though a part of her was brimming with a fierce, unyielding resolve. She knew the risks were mounting, but the thought of stopping now, of leaving Elias to continue his dark secrets unchecked, was unbearable. If there was even a chance of preventing more harm, she had to see this through to the end.

As the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the courtyard, they made a pact. They would continue their investigation, careful and cautious, and would only take action once they were certain of what they were dealing with. For now, the game continued—a delicate, dangerous balance of curiosity and caution.

Yet, as they walked away, Jenissa couldn’t shake the feeling that Elias Noir was watching them, his shadow lurking just beyond the edge of her vision.