As if sensing William's presence, the stranger quickly sat up, yawning with his arms stretched high above his head. "Just how long should you make me wait? I believe the person I was expecting was Mr. Ralph, right?" Then, turning to William with a slight squint, he tilted his head. "You're not Ralph Hilton, are you? He's a professor… and you look far too tragic and undercaffeinated to be anything but a student."
William's eye twitched. "Who are you— and how did you even get inside here?"
"I apologize," the stranger replied, almost theatrically. "I'm an expert in opening doors. That's why." Then, with a self-satisfied shrug, he added, "But isn't it more appropriate for you to introduce yourself after rudely waking me from my dignified slumber?"
William blinked. Did he just confess to being a professional trespasser? He resisted the urge to rub his temples and instead raised his voice. "Excuse me, sir, but you're the one trespassing here! And by your earlier statements, it sounds like you're not even acquainted with Mr. Ralph. So why exactly are you here?"
"Well," the stranger said calmly, "I do agree I'm a trespasser. But coming from you, I'm guessing you and Mr. Ralph are acquainted. Close ties, professor and student? That's why you're so casual, strolling in like you pay rent? So, where is Ralph Hilton?"
In disbelief of how the young man wants his questions to be the only inqury to be answered, William gave in, temporarily. "I also expected him to be here," William replied flatly. "So no— I have no idea where he is."
"Hmm, so he didn't show up today?" the stranger muttered with a disappointed sigh.
William narrowed his eyes. "Wait… today? You mean you've been here since this morning?"
"Of course," the stranger answered, brushing dust from his sleeves. "This involves serious matters. I needed to meet him as soon as possible." He then stood and walked toward William, closing the distance between them. Although close in age, William noticed he was slightly taller than the stranger—small victories.
"Since you seem to have a good relationship with him," the stranger continued, "I assume you know his address? This is urgent."
William sighed. If Mr. Ralph isn't here, I suppose what we planned yesterday is postponed… And now this guy wants an address I don't even have. He thought for a moment, then responded, "I apologize. I don't know what your business with him is, but even if we're close, it's not like professors hand out their addresses like club flyers. So… no. I don't."
The stranger paused, then looked oddly impressed. "You didn't need to turn that into a whole speech." He exhaled, then turned toward the door. "Celeste. That's my name."
Without another word, Celeste walked out into the corridor.
William stared after him. He doesn't seem like a professor. And I don't recall Mr. Ralph getting close to many students either… Who even is this guy? Calling Mr. Ralph by his full name like it's a normal Tuesday? He frowned, the unease rising. Despite Celeste's strange behavior, William's concern returned to his professor.
"If you really are looking for Mr. Ralph," he called out, "and you find him… please update me on his situation."
Celeste paused mid-step. "If you really care about him…" he said without turning back, "you should start looking now—before it's too late."
And with that, he walked off into the hallway.
"Find him now before it's too late?"
The words echoed in William's head like an ominous bell. What did Celeste even mean by that? It sounded vague… but purposefully vague. The kind of vague that made the hair on the back of your neck stand up and politely request a transfer.
Still unsure whether he had just been threatened, warned, or both, William rushed out of the room, determined to ask Celeste what that cryptic line was supposed to mean.
But the hallway was empty.
Not a soul.
No footsteps echoing down the corridor. No smart-mouthed, blazer-wearing trespasser leaning against a wall with a smug smirk. Just the slow hum of fluorescent lights and William, blinking in confusion.
"Did he evaporate?" William muttered. "Maybe he was the experiment..."
But before he could even spin a theory too wild to say aloud, he noticed two figures approaching.
It wasn't just students passing by anymore— it was the police.
One of them was built like a fridge and wore the signature blue collared shirt of the Lilac City Police Department. The other was unmistakable.
"W-Wyne?" William blinked. "What are you doing here?"
"I should be asking you that, Will," Wyne said, frowning as she stepped forward.
"Wait," William's eyes narrowed, "why is the police going into Mr. Ralph's lab?" A bead of sweat slid down his cheek. The timing was too perfect. Celeste's warning had only just happened. Now this?
Wyne folded her arms. "I was promoted— don't look so surprised. I'm part of the investigatory team now. This is my senior partner, Sir Kalwein." She gestured to the human mountain beside her. "There's a matter involving Mr. Ralph. We came here to interview him."
So that's where the red bill came from earlier, William thought with a click in his head. He gave Kalwein a quick, polite nod, though the man barely reacted.
"I'm afraid Mr. Ralph hasn't shown up at all today," William said. "I was actually hoping to meet him here. You could try his home."
Wyne shook her head. "We already did. His house was empty— and by the looks of things, he never came back last night."
That… didn't sound good.
William's stomach sank slightly. His gut started doing backflips.
Then, without much warning, Kalwein stepped forward and asked, "May I ask—what's your relationship to Mr. Ralph?"
"I'm one of his students. I assist him in his research and tech projects."
Kalwein stared at him for a moment, then tilted his head. "How close are we talking?"
William blinked. "Close— but like… appropriate close? Professional close? Not— the- kind- of- close- that- gets- you- in- trouble close?"
Kalwein raised a brow.
"I mean, he once showed me a book he said was a relic of the past," William added quickly, "Something ancient— he said it was important."
Kalwein finally smiled. A thin, satisfied sort of smile. The kind that said: Exactly what I was hoping to hear.
He looked over to Wyne. "This investigation might be easier than expected."
Wyne looked at him, puzzled. "Wait, what do you mean by—"
But Kalwein had already turned back to William. "I hope you'll cooperate with us. This is a matter of public interest. The safety of Lilac City may depend on it."
William didn't like the sound of that one bit. He felt like he had just been drafted. Still, with Mr. Ralph missing, and strange guests appearing in labs and disappearing into thin air, what choice did he really have?
"…Alright," William said. "I'll help however I can."
...
In a certain corner of the corridor where the stairs were situated, Celeste stood, gasping. Just as the police had entered the building from the other entrance leading to Mr. Ralph's laboratory, Celeste— sensing their presence— had quickly merged with the stream of students. He fast-walked toward the stairwell corner, doing his best to remain unnoticed.
"I expected the police to come into play, but they arrived sooner than I thought... Fortunately, I'm familiar with Kalwein's aura. Just his arm entering the hallway gave him away." Celeste exhaled slowly, relieved. He only hoped he hadn't been seen.
Peeking from the corner, he confirmed the corridor was now empty. The officers were inside. Without wasting a second, Celeste darted off, planning to escape the school grounds.
...
Inside Mr. Ralph's room, three individuals sat on the sofas. On one side was William, and across from him sat his sister Wyne, and her senior partner, Kalwein. William was in the middle of explaining the encounter he had earlier with the stranger named Celeste— how he appeared in the lab, mentioned Mr. Ralph, and gave an ominous warning.
"Celeste also said I better find Mr. Ralph as soon as possible. I still don't get what he meant... but it's been bothering me," William said, his brows drawn.
Kalwein leaned back, exhaling through his nose as if something had been confirmed in his mind. Then, in a steady voice, he replied, "The person named Celeste— don't dwell too much on his words. This matter is under the jurisdiction of the Lilac City Police."
How can I not think about it? William thought grimly. The whole thing moved too fast— it's disturbing.
But he remained silent. After all, the person across from him represented the law.
Kalwein stood up, brushing invisible dust off his uniform. "We didn't get Mr. Ralph's location, but we've gathered enough for now." He turned toward Wyne. "Let's not waste more time here— we'll return to headquarters and update the chief."
Wyne rose and glanced at her brother. "Thanks for cooperating, William. I'll probably get home late, so use that bill I gave you wisely."
And with that, the officers exited the room, likely heading off school grounds.
William sat in silence for a moment. "That was... a fast investigation," he muttered. "They didn't even bother checking the rest of the lab."
They're telling me to stay out of it... but I can't ignore this. His gut told him something was wrong—seriously wrong. Mr. Ralph was missing, Celeste's warning hung over him, and now the police were involved.
I need to find clues. Anything that can point me to where Mr. Ralph is now. But a part of him whispered another possibility—What if I do find him... and he's the danger?
A chill slid down his spine.
There were too many possibilities. And each one was worse than the last.