Chapter 12 - Everyone Has Secrets
525 Words
Ravenwood Academy officially canceled all after-school activities after Sofia Ramirez's death.
No journalism club. No sports practices. No theater rehearsals.
Students were ordered to leave campus immediately after classes ended.
But fear still followed them everywhere.
By Thursday morning, the academy looked colder than usual beneath dark rain clouds and police tape.
Another memorial now stood beside Celestine's.
White candles. Flowers. Photos.
Some students cried openly.
Others only stared.
Because nobody at Ravenwood understood how things had become this horrifying so quickly.
Inside the hallway, whispers spread the second Adrian walked past.
"They found black fabric near Sofia."
"Adrian wore black at prom."
"My cousin said police questioned him again."
Adrian suddenly slammed his locker shut loudly.
The hallway instantly went silent.
"You people seriously need help," he snapped before walking away angrily.
Damien quickly followed after him.
"They're scared."
"They're idiots."
Adrian ran a hand through his hair frustrated.
"No matter what happens, somehow it always points back to me."
Damien didn't answer.
Because honestly-
Adrian wasn't wrong.
Meanwhile, Seraphina stood near the academy staircase watching police officers move in and out of the administration building again.
Officer Lucia Reyes now looked exhausted every time she appeared on campus.
Another murder. Another investigation. Another dead student.
"Miss Navarro."
Seraphina turned slightly.
Officer Reyes approached holding a small evidence bag.
Inside was the torn black satin fabric found beside Sofia's body.
"Do you recognize this material?" the officer asked calmly.
Seraphina looked at it carefully before shaking her head.
"No."
Officer Reyes studied her expression for a moment longer before nodding slightly.
"Thank you."
As the officer walked away, Damien approached quietly beside Seraphina.
"You okay?"
She nodded softly.
"Just tired of all this."
Damien glanced toward the evidence bag disappearing down the hallway.
"Police think the fabric belongs to the killer."
Seraphina crossed her arms slightly against the cold.
"Maybe."
Something about her answer felt strangely distant.
But before Damien could think about it longer, students suddenly crowded around their phones nearby.
Another confession page post.
" Pretty lies.Pretty masks.Pretty killers. "
Patricia Gomez looked genuinely terrified now.
"Okay, someone needs to shut that page down."
"They can't trace who's posting," Noah Valencia replied quietly.
"Then maybe the killer's posting them," Patricia whispered.
Nobody laughed.
Because at this point-
it honestly felt possible.
Later that afternoon, heavy rain forced most students to stay inside the academy while waiting for rides home.
The library became crowded with nervous conversations and glowing phone screens.
Seraphina sat near the large windows quietly reading while Damien searched online articles about the investigation beside her.
Then suddenly-
Damien froze.
"What?"
He slowly turned his laptop screen toward her.
A news article headline filled the screen.
POLICE CONFIRM SOFIA RAMIREZ DISCOVERED IMPORTANT EVIDENCE BEFORE DEATH
Below the headline was a blurry crime scene photo from backstage storage room B.
Most students would only notice the blood.
The mask.
The police tape.
But hidden near the corner of the image-
barely visible beneath a shelf-
sat a silver bracelet with a tiny moon charm attached to it.
Seraphina immediately recognized it.
Because Celestine used to wear that bracelet almost every day.
- Writer
