(Riven's POV)
The journalism building was supposed to be empty at night.
That was why Riven liked it. No crowds. No noise. Just the soft hum of yellow lights and the smell of old paper. He could focus here.
But tonight, something was off.
As he approached, the front door—usually locked by 8 p.m.—was wide open. A sliver of light spilled into the dark yard.
Riven stopped. Most people wouldn't notice something that small, but he noticed everything. And everything about that door screamed wrong.
He should've walked away.
Instead, he pushed it open.
Inside, the hallway was hazy dark, the usual sound of the vending machine strangely absent. His footsteps echoed too loudly against the tile.
Someone was here.
He wasn't sure why he cared. Maybe it was curiosity. Maybe it was instinct. Either way, he moved quietly, following the faint sound of movement down the hall toward the storage room—a place students almost never went.
He reached the door just as it clicked shut.
"Riven?"
He turned around, muscles tensing.
Kael stood at the other end of the hallway, holding a half-empty coffee cup, eyebrows raised like this was just another casual run-in.
"What are you doing here?" Riven hissed.
Kael shrugged. "Could ask you the same thing. I'm rehearsing lines for an audition. Theater building's locked, so…" He gestured vaguely. "This place is open."
Riven didn't answer. He didn't trust coincidences, and Kael showing up now didn't feel like one.
"Okay," Kael said slowly, reading his expression. "What's going on?"
"Someone's in the storage room," Riven said.
Kael blinked. "Like… stealing newspapers?"
"Quiet," Riven snapped.
Before Kael could respond, a crash came from inside the room. Metal against tile.
Riven moved without thinking, pushing the door open just in time to see a figure in a gray hoodie jumping through the opposite window, landing with ease before disappearing into the shadows outside.
Kael stepped in behind him. "What the hell—"
"Stay here," Riven ordered, heading for the window.
Kael grabbed his wrist. "Yeah, no. You're not chasing someone who clearly seems suspicious while I stand around like an idiot."
Riven glared at him, but Kael didn't let go.
"Fine," Riven muttered, yanking his hand free. "But keep up."
They followed the intruder across campus, weaving through empty grounds and deserted walkways. Riven moved like he'd done this before—silent, precise, always knowing where to step to avoid noise. Kael noticed, even as he struggled to match that pace.
"Do you… practice this stuff?" Kael whispered.
"Shut up," Riven whispered back.
The chase ended near the edge of campus, where the figure jumped across a tall fence and vanished into the trees beyond. Riven stopped, breathing hard but steady.
Kael leaned over, hands on his knees. "So… that wasn't normal, right? Please tell me this school doesn't just have ninjas running around."
Riven didn't answer. His mind was already racing. Whoever that was, they hadn't moved like an amateur. And whatever they'd been after, it was in the storage room.
Kael straightened, still catching his breath, and studied him. "You're weirdly calm about this."
"You're weirdly loud," Riven said flatly.
Kael grinned despite himself. "Guess we balance each other out."
Back in the archives, they found a single clue: a drawer left open, its folders scattered. Most were untouched, but one file was missing.
Kael picked up a stray paper and focussed at it. "Old student records? Why would anyone want this?"
Riven didn't reply, though he had the same question burning in his mind.
Kael watched him for a moment, then said lightly, "You know, for someone who claims to hate people, you're pretty quick to throw yourself into their problems."
Riven shot him a look. "This isn't about people. It's about patterns."
Kael's smile tilted. "And I'm guessing you like solving them."
As they left the building, Kael shoved his hands in his pockets and said, "You realize we just had, like, a movie moment, right? Mysterious break-in, daring chase, hovering over between two unlikely partners…"
Riven sighed. "Don't make this a thing."
"Oh, it's already a thing," Kael said, falling into step beside him. "Face it—we're a team now."
Riven didn't answer, but he didn't walk away either.
And that, Kael decided, was progress.