Chapter 4: First Encounter with Ryder

The rain had softened to a faint patter by morning, leaving the Oakwood University quad slick and shimmering under a gray sky. Ava hadn't slept much on Sarah's futon, her mind tangled with the note from The Ivy Codex and the image of the chapel gate from her sketch. She'd slipped out early, leaving Sarah a quick text—Gone to grab coffee, back soon—and headed for the campus café, The Grind, a cozy spot tucked between the science building and the library. She needed caffeine, clarity, and a plan. The book rested heavy in her bag, its weight a constant reminder of the mystery she'd stumbled into. Lily was out there, somewhere, and Ava couldn't shake the feeling that time was slipping away.

The café buzzed with the usual morning crowd: bleary-eyed students clutching laptops, professors murmuring over papers, the hiss of the espresso machine cutting through the chatter. Ava ordered a black coffee, her hands fidgeting with the strap of her bag as she waited. She found a table near the window, the glass streaked with raindrops, and pulled out The Ivy Codex. The handwritten note from last night sat beside it, its words stark against the crumpled paper: Meet me at the chapel. Midnight. Bring the book. She'd missed the midnight deadline, but the chapel loomed in her thoughts, a destination she couldn't ignore. She flipped open the book, skimming the chapter on "The Order of the Ivy," her eyes catching on phrases like secret rites and hidden influence. It sounded like a conspiracy theory, but the note made it feel real.

She was halfway through a paragraph about a rumored initiation when a shadow fell across her table. Ava glanced up, startled, and found a guy standing there, tray in hand, his dark eyes fixed on her book. He was tall, broad-shouldered, with a leather jacket slung over a gray hoodie and a jawline that looked carved from stone. His hair was damp, curling slightly at the ends, and he carried himself with a quiet intensity that made her sit up straighter. "Mind if I sit?" he asked, his voice low but clear, cutting through the café's noise. "Place is packed."

Ava hesitated, her fingers tightening on the book. She didn't know him, and after last night—the maintenance man's odd stare, the note—she wasn't in a trusting mood. But the café was full, every table claimed, and he didn't look threatening, just… observant. "Sure," she said finally, nodding at the empty chair across from her. "Go ahead."

He dropped into the seat with a casual grace, setting his tray down: a coffee, black like hers, and a bagel he didn't touch. "Interesting read," he said, tilting his head toward The Ivy Codex. "Not exactly light morning material."

Ava's stomach flipped. She slid the book closer to herself, her thumb pressing against the spine. "It's for a project," she lied, her voice steadier than she felt. "History class."

He raised an eyebrow, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "History, huh? You don't strike me as the secret-society type. Most people grab that book for the thrill, not the grade."

Her pulse quickened. He knew what it was—knew more than he should. She studied him, searching for a clue to his angle. His hands rested on the table, strong and calloused, like he worked with them, not just studied. A faint scar traced the edge of his knuckles, barely visible under the café's warm light. "And you?" she asked, deflecting. "What's your excuse for knowing it?"

"Curiosity," he said, leaning back in his chair. "Name's Ryder, by the way. Ryder Carter. Engineering major, fourth year. I've seen you around—art building, right?"

Ava nodded, surprised he'd noticed her. She wasn't exactly memorable, always tucked in the back of the studio with her sketchbook. "Ava Grey," she said, her guard still up. "Second year. How do you know the book?"

"Picked it up once," Ryder said, taking a sip of his coffee. "Oakwood's full of stories—half of them nonsense, half worth a listen. That one's got some wild stuff about the Ivy group. Ever hear the rumors?"

She shook her head, though she had—whispers from Chapter 1, about students vanishing, the chapel's eerie reputation. She didn't want to tip her hand, not yet. "Just skimming it," she said, keeping her tone light. "Sounds like a ghost story."

"Maybe it is," Ryder said, his eyes locking on hers. "But ghost stories start somewhere. You look like you're digging for more than a grade, though. Something up?"

Ava froze, her coffee halfway to her lips. He was sharp—too sharp—and she didn't know if that was good or bad. She set the mug down, buying time, and decided on a half-truth. "My roommate's missing," she said, watching his reaction. "Lily Parker. She left a weird note yesterday, and her stuff's still in our room. I found this book on her desk, thought it might mean something."

Ryder's smirk faded, his posture shifting slightly, like a switch flipping. "Missing how?" he asked, his voice dropping an octave. "When did you last see her?"

"Yesterday morning," Ava said, the words tumbling out now that she'd started. "She was fine—rushing to class, talking about meeting her boyfriend later. Then I got back last night, and she was gone. Bed messed up, phone off, coat still there. And this note said don't look for me."

Ryder leaned forward, his elbows on the table, his gaze intense. "You call security?"

"Yeah, and the police," Ava said, frustration creeping in. "They said it's too soon, that she's probably just off somewhere. But it doesn't add up. Then I found that slip in her textbook, for this book, and last night…" She hesitated, then pulled the handwritten note from her pocket and slid it across the table. "This was inside."

He picked it up, his fingers careful as he read it. "Meet me at the chapel. Midnight. Bring the book," he murmured, his brow furrowing. "You go?"

"No," Ava said, shaking her head. "Found it too late—almost midnight already. My friend Sarah talked me out of it. But it's the chapel, Ryder. I drew something last night, before I found the note. A gate, someone running. It matches."

His eyes flicked up to hers, sharp and searching. "You drew it? Like, saw it?"

"Kind of," she said, her cheeks warming. She didn't want to sound crazy, but he wasn't laughing yet. "I get these… feelings sometimes. They come out when I draw. It's not exact, just impressions. But this felt real."

Ryder didn't blink, just studied her for a long moment. Then he set the note down, his voice calm but firm. "You're not wrong to be worried. Lily's not the first to vanish around here. My dad was a cop—retired now—but he worked a case like this years ago. Students dropping off, no trace, school covering it up. Never solved it."

Ava's heart thudded against her ribs. "You think it's connected?"

"Maybe," he said, his jaw tightening. "Chapel's a weird spot—old, locked up most of the time, but people sneak in. If she went there last night…" He trailed off, then met her gaze again. "You shouldn't go alone. Not with this."

"I wasn't going to," Ava said quickly, though she'd considered it. "But I can't just wait. Security won't help, and I don't know who else to ask."

Ryder leaned back, his coffee untouched now, his expression unreadable. "I'll go with you," he said after a beat. "Tonight, after dark. We check the chapel, see if there's anything to your drawing. No charging in blind—just looking."

Ava blinked, caught off guard. She didn't know him, not really, but there was something solid about him, a steadiness that made her want to say yes. "Why would you do that?" she asked, her voice soft. "You don't even know me."

"Call it a hunch," he said, a ghost of a smirk returning. "And I don't like loose ends. If Lily's in trouble, someone's got to care. Might as well be us."

She held his gaze, weighing her options. Sarah would freak out—He's a stranger, Ava!—but Sarah wasn't here, and Ryder's offer felt like a lifeline. He knew the campus, knew the rumors, and if his dad had been a cop, maybe he knew how to handle this. "Okay," she said finally, her voice steady. "Tonight. Meet me here at eight?"

"Eight," he agreed, standing and grabbing his tray. "Bring the book. And that drawing, if you've got it. Might mean more than you think."

He walked off before she could reply, blending into the crowd with an ease that left her staring after him. Ava sipped her coffee, her mind buzzing. Ryder Carter—engineering senior, son of a cop, and now her unexpected ally. She didn't know what to make of him, but for the first time since finding Lily's note, she didn't feel alone.

Outside, the rain picked up again, tapping against the window like a warning. Ava tucked the book and note back into her bag, her resolve hardening. Tonight, she'd face the chapel—and whatever waited there—with Ryder by her side.