Chapter 1
🕵️ Chapter One: The Vanishing Hour
The rain had a rhythm that matched the ticking of the old grandfather clock in the corner of Luca’s study. Outside, Newcastle’s streets glistened under the amber glow of streetlamps, slick with drizzle and mystery. Inside, three friends sat in a triangle of lamplight, each nursing a mug of something warm and strong.
Dami leaned back in the leather armchair, legs crossed, eyes scanning the room like he was already solving a puzzle that hadn’t been presented yet. He was the quiet one—sharp, observant, with a knack for remembering details others missed. Oscar, on the other hand, was sprawled across the couch like he owned the place, which he didn’t. He was loud, impulsive, and had a talent for getting into trouble that only Dami could get him out of. Luca, the host and the glue of the trio, perched on the windowsill, watching the rain like it held answers.
“So,” Luca said, finally turning from the window. “You two remember Professor Walbridge?”
Oscar groaned. “The one who taught that cursed philosophy module? Yeah. Why?”
“He’s gone.”
Dami sat up straighter. “Gone as in retired?”
“Gone as in vanished,” Luca replied. “No one’s seen him in over a week. His office is locked, his flat untouched. No travel records, no calls. Just… gone.”
Oscar whistled low. “That’s dramatic. Maybe he’s just off-grid. People do that.”
“Not Walbridge,” Luca said. “He was obsessive. Routine-driven. He’d never miss a lecture, let alone disappear without telling anyone.”
Dami rubbed his chin. “Did you check with the university?”
“They’re being cagey. Said it’s a ‘personal matter.’ But I know one of the admin assistants—she said campus security found something odd in his office.”
Oscar leaned forward. “Odd how?”
“She wouldn’t say. Just that it wasn’t normal. And get this—his last lecture was about ‘The Ethics of Secrets.’ He kept repeating this phrase: ‘Truth is a shadow, not a light.’”
Dami’s eyes narrowed. “That sounds like Walbridge. Cryptic to the end.”
Oscar grinned. “So what, we’re investigating a missing professor now? Like amateur detectives?”
Luca shrugged. “Why not? We’ve got time. And curiosity.”
Dami stood and walked to the bookshelf, pulling out a dusty volume. “If we’re doing this, we do it properly. We start with his office.”
Oscar clapped his hands. “Finally! Something better than bingeing crime dramas.”
Luca smiled, but it didn’t reach his eyes. “There’s something else. I went by his flat yesterday. The door was locked, but I peeked through the mail slot. There was a single envelope on the floor. Addressed to me.”
Oscar blinked. “You’re joking.”
“I’m not.” Luca pulled the envelope from his coat pocket and handed it to Dami. It was cream-colored, thick, and sealed with red wax. The seal bore a symbol none of them recognized—an hourglass with wings.
Dami broke the seal carefully and unfolded the letter. His eyes scanned the page, and his brow furrowed.
“It’s a riddle,” he said. “Listen to this:
’When the hour vanishes, the truth begins. Seek the shadow where light should live. Three keys. Three minds. One door. Begin where silence is loudest.’”
Oscar looked baffled. “What does that even mean?”
Luca took the letter and read it again. “Three keys. Three minds. That’s us.”
Dami nodded slowly. “And ‘begin where silence is loudest’… that could mean the library.”
Oscar groaned. “Of course it does. Creepy old buildings and dusty books. Classic mystery setup.”
Luca stood. “Then we go tonight. The campus library closes at midnight. We’ll have it to ourselves.”
Dami grabbed his coat. “Let’s not waste time. If Walbridge left this for you, he wanted you to find something.”
Oscar stretched. “I swear, if this turns into some cursed treasure hunt, I’m out.”
But he wasn’t. None of them were.
—
The university library loomed like a cathedral of forgotten knowledge. Its stone façade was streaked with rain, and the windows glowed faintly from the inside. Luca led the way, swiping his ID to unlock the side entrance. The air inside was warm and smelled of old paper and secrets.
They moved quietly through the aisles, past rows of books that hadn’t been touched in years. Dami paused at a junction and looked up. “There,” he said, pointing to a plaque above a door: Rare Archives.
Oscar raised an eyebrow. “That’s locked, isn’t it?”
Luca smiled. “Not to me.” He pulled out a key card and swiped it. The door clicked open.
Inside, the room was dimly lit and lined with cabinets. A single desk sat in the centre, covered in papers. Dami approached it and began sorting through the documents. “These are Walbridge's notes,” he said. “Philosophy, ethics, some personal reflections…”
Oscar wandered to a cabinet and opened it. “Guys,” he said, voice low. “You need to see this.”
Inside the cabinet was a box. Inside the box, a small device—metallic, with wires and a blinking red light.
Luca stepped forward. “Is that… a recorder?”
Dami examined it. “It’s a voice recorder. But it’s been modified. There’s a timer on it.”
Oscar squinted. “Timer for what?”
Dami pressed a button. The device crackled to life.
“If you’re hearing this,” Walbridge's voice said, “then I’ve failed. Or succeeded. The truth is buried, and only those who understand shadows will find it. Trust no one. Not even yourselves.”
The recording ended.
Silence fell.
Luca looked at the others. “This is bigger than a missing professor.”
Dami nodded. “This is a game. And we’ve just made our first move.”
Oscar grinned. “Then lets play''
A smug smile appeared on his face
