Don't Be A Detective

The night had grown deeper, the air colder, as Sebastian and Jake stood in front of the school gates. The silence was deafening, each step echoing like a countdown to something inevitable. Sebastian felt a knot tighten in his stomach as they approached, his unease growing by the second.

"Hi," Sebastian greeted, his voice quieter than usual.

Jake's expression softened slightly as he turned to him. "Finally, you're here," he said, trying to mask his own anxiety. "Let's go in."

Sebastian hesitated, glancing back toward the street. "What about Andy and Vault?" he asked, his concern evident.

"They won't come," Jake replied flatly, his tone almost dismissive.

Sebastian frowned. "Why not?"

Jake didn't answer immediately. Instead, he grabbed Sebastian by the arm, pulling him along. "Just come with me," Jake insisted. "I'll show you why."

The two moved deeper into the shadows, their search for Mr. Black growing more desperate with each passing minute. Time seemed to stretch, each second feeling like an eternity.

After nearly half an hour of fruitless searching, Sebastian finally broke the silence, his frustration boiling over. "What are we doing here?" he snapped, his voice thick with anger. "Why can't we just stay far from this? Why are we doing this to ourselves?"

Jake's face hardened, his voice quiet but firm. "Because he killed Dave," he said, the weight of the words hanging in the air. "He was my friend."

Sebastian stopped dead in his tracks, a mixture of disbelief and anger flashing across his face. "Okay, then," he said, his voice cold. "You keep searching for your friend. I'm going."

Jake's expression darkened, his temper flaring. "Okay, then. Get lost," he snapped, his voice seething with frustration. "Go!"

Sebastian turned to leave, but as he walked halfway down the street, something made him stop dead in his tracks. He felt his heart skip a beat as he saw him—Mr. Black—standing just a few feet away in the shadows.

Sebastian's breath caught in his throat. "What the...?" His voice faltered, terror creeping into his words. "Jake! Jake!" he shouted, his voice high-pitched with panic. "I found him!"

Jake, hearing the panic in Sebastian's voice, broke into a sprint, racing toward him. "What?" Jake shouted back, his heart pounding in his chest. "I'm coming!"

The shadows seemed to swallow them both as they stood before the figure—Mr. Black, taller and more menacing than either of them had imagined.

Mr. Black's voice, cold and calculating, cut through the silence. "Hmm... I heard that you were searching for me."

Sebastian took a hesitant step forward, his eyes narrowing. "Wait... are you a robot?" he blurted out, his words slipping from his mouth in disbelief. "If not, then why do you sound like one?"

Jake, still out of breath from his sprint, rushed to Sebastian's side. "Seb," he said, his voice tinged with concern. "Bro, are you alright?"

Sebastian blinked rapidly, trying to shake off the lingering shock. "Yup... at least now," he replied, his voice trembling slightly.

Jake's eyes locked onto Mr. Black, his suspicion growing by the second. "So, Mr. Black," he began, his tone sharp, "you killed Dave when you had the chance to kill Sebastian, which would've been easier, but you didn't do that. That means you like him. You're his friend. And you're left-handed."

Sebastian's eyes widened as Jake continued, piecing together the clues. "This all points to one person..." Jake's eyes narrowed as the realization dawned on him. "Vault," he said, his voice dripping with certainty. "So, you're Vault. Am I right?"

For a moment, the world seemed to hold its breath. Then, from Sebastian's right, a voice cut through the tension. "He's not me," Vault said, his voice low and menacing. "Don't be a Sherlock Holmes, you fucking idiot."

Jake's heart stopped. He turned sharply toward the voice, his eyes narrowing in disbelief. "Oh no," he whispered, dread creeping into his chest. "If you're here, then..."

The words hung in the air, unfinished. The pieces of the puzzle were falling into place, but the truth was darker and more twisted than either of them could have anticipated.

Jake could feel his pulse racing as he realized they were standing at the edge of something far more dangerous than they had ever imagined. The silence between them grew heavy, thick with the weight of the revelation, as the night around them seemed to grow even colder.

Something was about to give.