Connecting the Dots

The night air hung heavy as Hana and I stood outside Wilburt's pub. The doors were locked, just like the last time I'd checked, but I wasn't ready to leave empty-handed. Something about this place held answers, and I needed to get in.

Hana glanced at me, then at the locked door. "Are you sure about this?"

"I need to know what's inside," I said, my voice steady but tense. "Maybe there's a clue here—something he left behind."

Hana nodded, pulling a small set of tools from her jacket pocket. "Let me handle it."

I raised an eyebrow, surprised but grateful. "You know how to pick locks?"

"Comes with the territory," she said with a wry smile as she knelt by the door, carefully working the lock. In moments, there was a soft click, and the door creaked open.

We stepped inside, and the familiar space of the pub felt different—eerily quiet, like it hadn't seen life in days. The usually warm and lively atmosphere had been replaced by an unsettling stillness. Dust gathered on the countertops, and the empty chairs felt like silent witnesses to Wilburt's disappearance.

As I settled onto one of the leather couches, Hana closed the door behind us, the lock clicking back into place. We needed privacy.

"I don't like this," I muttered, scanning the room. "Something's off."

Hana took a seat across from me, her gaze sharp and searching. "We'll figure it out. We just need to connect the dots."

I looked around the pub, the weight of Wilburt's absence settling over me. He had been gone for days now, and no matter how much I tried to ignore it, I knew something was wrong—something bigger than what Professor Park had hinted at. The conspiracy surrounding the Oculus Aeternum weighed on me, and it seemed like every hour I spent not finding Wilburt was an hour wasted.

"He wouldn't just disappear like this," I muttered again. "Not without telling someone."

Hana's gaze lingered on the empty seat where Wilburt usually sat, then shifted back to me. She hadn't said much about her suspicions, but I could sense her holding back—like there was something she wasn't ready to reveal.

"Look," she said finally, her voice low and cautious. "There's more going on at the university than you realize. More than just the Oculus Aeternum."

I narrowed my eyes. "What do you mean?"

Hana leaned forward, her expression serious. "Before I came to the Art Academy, my father—he's high up in the military—had heard whispers about illegal activities at some of these elite universities. They were experimenting on students, using them as test subjects for cutting-edge technology. He warned me to stay vigilant, to keep an eye out for anything suspicious. I didn't think much of it at first, but then… I met you. And Wilburt."

I swallowed hard, realizing the weight of what she was saying. "You've known all along?"

"Not everything," she admitted, shaking her head. "But enough to know that something wasn't right. The Oculus Aeternum—I've seen similar tech before, during my dad's briefings. Experimental projects that push the boundaries of what's ethical. It's dangerous. People have died from failed experiments, and universities like ours? They're the perfect cover. No one asks questions when it's all hidden behind 'research.'

I felt a chill run down my spine. "So, you think Wilburt got caught up in this?"

Hana nodded slowly. "He knew something. Maybe more than we do. That's why he's gone. I think they took him."

My mind raced, connecting the dots. Wilburt had been secretive for weeks, ever since he first found out about the Oculus Aeternum. He must've uncovered something—something big enough that it made him a target. But what scared me the most was that Hana was right. The university was no longer just a place of learning. It was a front for something far darker.

"Why didn't you tell me this sooner?" I asked, my voice barely a whisper.

"I didn't want to drag you into it unless I had to," she replied, her eyes softening. "But you were already in deeper than you knew. The day you stumbled on the Oculus Aeternum, everything changed. And after Wilburt disappeared, I couldn't keep quiet anymore. You deserve to know the truth."

I looked at her, the room spinning as reality settled in. Hana had been watching out for me all along, keeping me safe in ways I hadn't even realized. And now, with Wilburt missing, we were in this together—whether we liked it or not.

"Hana," I said, my voice catching. "Thank you. For everything."

She smiled, a small but genuine smile, and for the first time, I felt something shift between us. We had been through so much, and I realized that what we had wasn't just a casual friendship anymore. There was a deeper connection now—a bond forged in trust, danger, and something more than I could put into words.

"I've got your back," she said softly. "I always will."

The warmth in her words settled the fear twisting in my gut, and I found myself leaning closer to her, our knees almost touching. The room around us seemed to fade, leaving only the two of us in this quiet moment. I couldn't deny it anymore—I had feelings for Hana. She had been there for me through it all, and now, as everything came crashing down around us, she was the only person I could truly count on.

"What do we do now?" I asked, my voice steadier than I felt.

Hana straightened, the calm military resolve I had come to admire creeping back into her posture. "We find Wilburt. And we take down whoever's behind this."

I nodded, my mind already racing with plans. "Do you think your father can help?"

She hesitated for a moment. "He's already involved. I didn't want to use my connections unless we had no other option, but we're out of time. If Wilburt really knows something that could expose them, they won't keep him alive for long."

The weight of her words settled heavily in the air. Wilburt's life was on the line, and the clock was ticking.

"We start by tracking his last known location," Hana said, her voice determined. "There's a good chance they've left a trail. I'll call in some favors, get access to military-grade surveillance. We'll find him."

I nodded, feeling the urgency of the situation. This wasn't just about us anymore. It was about stopping whatever dark force was at play before more people ended up like Wilburt—or worse.

As we left the pub, I felt a strange mix of fear and hope. Fear for what lay ahead, but hope that together, Hana and I might just have what it takes to bring down the people responsible. Our relationship had grown into something I hadn't expected, and though everything was crumbling around us, I found strength in knowing that I wasn't alone.

And I knew, with Hana by my side, we could face whatever came next.