The dorm was quiet.
Too quiet.
I had just started to drift into sleep when a thud at the window jolted me upright. My heart thumped like a drum in my chest.
"Kaito?" I whispered.
He sat up immediately, eyes wide. "What was that?"
I slid out of bed, careful not to wake anyone else. Taiyashè's curiosity was a hurricane waiting to happen.
We crept across the room to the window. Moonlight spilled across the floor, casting long shadows over the walls.
Something fluttered against the glass.
I froze. There, stuck to the outside of the window, was a small piece of paper. A sticky note.
I peeled it off cautiously, and my eyes widened as I read the message:
"Hello Renny Penny, how you doing cutie?"
Both hearts were perfectly dotted on the i's.
Taiyashè leaned over my shoulder, squinting. "Uh… that's… really specific."
I frowned. "Renny Penny… cutie… hearts…"
"Yeah, it's like someone's… flirting… or… messing with you?" Taiyashè muttered.
I held it at arm's length, studying the handwriting. Curly, almost playful, but deliberate. Smooth strokes. Careful.
"No idea who would leave this," I said. My stomach did that weird flip-flop.
Taiyashè snorted. "Well, congratulations, Ren. You have a secret admirer. Or a prankster. Or both. Probably both."
I muttered under my breath. "Great… just what I needed. Midnight messages at Astra."
He grinned. "Maybe it's someone in Nova-1. Or… someone watching. Could be anyone. Makes things… exciting."
I looked out the window again. The courtyard below was empty. No sign of anyone. Just shadows, the moon, and the whisper of wind.
A tiny spark of unease crawled up my spine.
"Are we… supposed to reply?" Taiyashè asked, half-joking, half-serious.
I shook my head. "No. We wait. We figure out who left it. Later. Carefully."
Taiyashè grinned, leaning back on the bed. "Oooh, mystery. Midnight messages. Love it. Renny Penny, huh? Guess that's your new nickname now."
I groaned. "Please don't call me that."
He laughed. "Too late, buddy. Too late."
I rolled my eyes but couldn't hide the tiny thrill of curiosity. Someone at Astra had just made the first move.
And I had no idea who it was.