Pieces Of The Puzzle

Aria spent the night tossing and turning, her mind racing with fragments of conversations, unanswered questions, and the haunting weight of Julian's games. By morning, her resolve was set: she needed answers. The first person she needed to talk to was Maya.

She found Maya in the library, sitting alone with a stack of untouched books in front of her. Her normally sharp features were softened with exhaustion, dark circles framing her eyes.

“Maya,” Aria began as she slid into the chair across from her.

Maya glanced up, her lips pressing into a thin line. “If this is about Liam or Samuel, I don’t want to talk about it.”

“It’s not,” Aria assured her. “It’s about Julian. And Alex.”

At the mention of their names, Maya froze. Her fingers clenched the edge of the table, and her eyes darted around the quiet room as if Julian might materialize out of thin air. “Why are you bringing that up?”