Riven stood at the edge of the university campus. It was huge. Too big, maybe. This wasn't where he wanted to be. He should be home, but he was here because of his brother. His brother died here last year. A mysterious death,He was here to find out the real story.
The big sign over the main gate read: BLACKWOOD UNIVERSITY. It looked fancy, but Riven felt cold just looking at it.
He pulled his small suitcase up the path. The sun was out, but the air felt heavy. Like a secret was sitting right on top of everything.
As he walked past the main lecture hall, a guy came running out and almost crashed right into Riven.
"Whoa, man! Sorry!" the guy said. He had a big, easy smile. He looked like he owned the place. This must be Alex. Riven knew his name from the documents he studied.
"It's cool," Riven mumbled.
Alex stopped, looking Riven up and down. "New guy, right? I'm Alex. Need help finding the dorms?"
Alex was too friendly. Riven felt his guard go up.
"Yeah, the dorms," Riven said, keeping his voice flat.
Alex pointed with a confident hand. "I'll walk with you. Listen, I know why you're here."
Riven froze. "What are you talking about?"
Alex leaned closer, his smile dropping a little, showing something serious. "Your brother. He was a good guy. And what happened... it wasn't right. Everyone here is scared or they don't care. But I want to help you, Riven. I can help you find out what really happened."
Riven stared at Alex. This was weird. It felt like a trap. But Riven needed answers more than he needed safety right now.
"Why would you help me?" Riven asked.
Alex looked around quickly, then back at Riven. "Because I was here. I know things. And because I owe someone. Come on. I know a better way to the dorms, and we can talk about the first steps of your case."
Riven knew he shouldn't trust Alex. But standing on the outside was getting him nowhere. He nodded. "Alright, Alex. Show me."
Alex smiled again, that easy, big smile that didn't quite reach his eyes. "Follow me, detective. This is going to be interesting."
Riven followed, his suitcase rolling over the smooth stone path. The campus looked beautiful, but Riven could only think about the mystery. He had arrived. And the game had already started.