The school bell rang just as Arkhan and Sandy stepped out of the classroom.
"Levan wasn't in the class next door. Looks like he left early," said Sandy, glancing down the corridor.
"But I don't think he's gone home yet. The school gate is still locked," replied Arkhan, glancing at the still-closed gate.
Suddenly, Sena appeared in front of them, wearing her white karate uniform. He looked impatient.
"Can you guys move? You're blocking the way," he snapped.
"Got extra practice today?" Arkhan asked.
Sena scoffed. "Obviously."
He started to walk off, but Sandy grabbed her arm.
"You're in the same class as Levan, right? Did you see him?" Sandy asked.
"He left class earlier with a basketball, then disappeared," Sena replied shortly before walking away.
Arkhan and Sandy then made their way to the back court — a place rarely used anymore, almost forgotten. In the quiet, empty space, they spotted Levan shooting hoops by himself.
They sat on the edge of the court, watching Levan bounce the ball repeatedly.
Thud.
The ball echoed through the empty court.
Levan turned toward them. "Better to play here than just wait around doing nothing."
"We've got something to talk about. Can you stop playing for a sec?" said Arkhan.
"Just a bit longer, chill," Levan replied.
"Hurry up!" Sandy urged.
"You guys should just play with me," Levan offered.
"I'll just watch," said Arkhan.
"Too lazy," added Sandy.
"You're always too lazy for everything!" Levan joked, then made a throwing motion with the ball toward Sandy.
Sandy instinctively shielded his face, bracing for impact. But nothing came.
When he peeked out, Levan was standing there with a teasing grin.
"You jerk!" Sandy shouted and immediately lunged after him, kicking off a playful chase around the court.
Arkhan just sat and watched them from the sidelines.
Ding!
A message popped up from "Unknown":
Look at Levan.
Arkhan frowned, then looked toward the basketball hoop. There, he saw something odd — a blackened area near the base, like it had been burned or welded.
"HEY! GET AWAY FROM THERE!" Arkhan shouted urgently.
Levan looked over, confused. Sandy, who had sharper instincts, caught the creaking noise and yanked Levan backward.
CRASH!
The hoop came crashing down — just seconds after they'd moved away.
Levan stared at the fallen pole in disbelief and frustration. "Damn… that 'Unknown' person knew this place was deserted. Knew I always train here alone."
****
Now, the three of them sat in a nearby stone garden, surrounding a round stone table.
"Honestly, I'm getting more curious. I didn't have time to check this footage yesterday," said Sandy.
He showed a video on his tablet to Arkhan and Levan.
The video showed Joan dragging someone. Unfortunately, the footage was from behind, making it impossible to identify who Joan was dragging.
"Looks like the person was unconscious. No signs of resistance. And we know Joan left the café carrying a taser," Sandy added.
"The person with taser marks before… Sena," said Levan.
"But this footage isn't enough to accuse him. We can only see an arm. Sena could easily deny it," Arkhan replied.
True — without a clear face, it could've been someone else entirely.
"Why did you suddenly come to this resindece?" Sandy asked Arkhan.
"I met with Chris at the café. He's an alum and a friend of Jeongin," said Arkhan.
"What did you two talk about?" Levan asked.
"I found out Jeongin had a close relative living in this district. But no one knows who it is," said Arkhan.
"Why keep it secret?" Levan asked.
Sandy rolled his eyes. "Probably to avoid getting targeted too."
"And you guys might be surprised by what I found out," Arkhan continued.
"Wow. I'm so shocked," Sandy raised both hands in mock surprise, his face still deadpan — which earned him a light slap from Levan.
"I wasn't even finished!" Arkhan protested, then pulled up something on his phone. "Joan and Jeongin share the same last name."
"Wait, being family and being relatives… are they the same thing?" Levan asked.
The three of them looked at each other, puzzled.
Ding!
A new message from the police came in.
"The police didn't find any ashes or remains of burned items in the house," Arkhan read aloud.
"Does this 'Unknown' guy clean up evidence like Sandy does?" Levan asked, confused.
"I don't know… but whoever it is, they're really good at erasing clues. Maybe even burned someone down to nothing," said Sandy grimly.