Unexpected Developments

"The darkness of the night forgives no one; One wrong step, and it's all over."

— Chapter 6 —

I was pacing around my room, unable to stand still from the excitement.

— What is all this? What exactly do you want me to do?

The voice in my ear carried a calmness. A tone that left no room for panic as it answered:

"Now grab a pen and paper. Listen carefully to what I'm about to say. Take notes when necessary."

I barely resisted the urge to say, "Yes, teacher." I sat at my desk and picked up the pen. My hand was slippery from sweat; even my stress seemed to be working against me holding it.

— I'm ready.

"The owner of your school, Rising College-Cengiz Kurtdoğan... he's our target. He has a sensitive video that belongs to my client. I had already hacked into his computer and wiped the files, but we found out Kurtdoğan backed it up on a flash drive. That's where you come in."

'Cengiz Kurtdoğan'. I wrote his name down in my notebook and couldn't help but roll my eyes. Those long-winded, hollow speeches. The way he looked at us while preaching "You are our future," completely unaware that he was crushing us. And his sons-somehow, all of them ended up as valedictorians. A genetic miracle. Meanwhile, I had to settle for being ranked 16th. And yes, that still stung a little.

"Your graduation ball is in a week. On the terrace above the hall, Kurtdoğan will meet my client for the exchange."

— Exchange? What kind of exchange?

Shadow's voice didn't waver a bit. It was like he had planned all this days ago.

"Kurtdoğan agreed to sell the flash drive to my client for $35,000. Your mission is to get the flash before the deal happens. Quietly, cleanly, leaving no trace."

While I was fumbling with my calculator to convert the dollars into lira, Shadow kept talking.

"Once the mission's done and the exchange is canceled, you'll hand the flash drive over to my client. In return, he'll give you $5,000. You'll send me $3,000 of it. The remaining $2,000 is yours."

The numbers on my screen stunned me. Two thousand dollars. I bit my lip. On one hand, I could feel the weight of the offer. On the other, the risk loomed large.

— "Shadow... what if I fail?" I asked, unable to hide the tremble in my voice.

"Don't worry. I'll be in constant contact. Just do exactly what I say. If something goes wrong, it's on me."

— What's in the video? Why is it so valuable?

"That's none of our concern. I take jobs and finish them. Now, your turn. Tell me."

— Tell you what?

"About that account you're trying to trace."

My eyes fell on my notes. My head was still ringing with 'two thousand dollars', but I gathered my voice.

— Username: Teddy. His profile picture showed a teddy bear hugging itself. He got banned after posting a photo of a man in the group chat.

"Hmm. If the account were still active, it'd be easier to trace. But I can still try to track him. I'll need more details."

I told him everything about my conversations with Teddy. When I mentioned that I was worried about him, Shadow's reply was cold:

"Why do you care so much about someone you don't even know?"

I didn't know that either. Maybe it was because I had the last image he ever shared. It felt like a responsibility. Or maybe it was just classic Lena: forming emotional bonds with strangers and their dramas.

"I need to see that picture."

— How?

"There's a micro camera in the box. But it's probably out of battery now, charge it later."

— And the other stuff in the box, what are they for?

"I'll explain them on the day you're getting ready for the ball. That's enough for today. I'll start looking for that teddy bear."

— Shadow, wait!

No response. But the faint light from the necklace still glowing told me the connection wasn't cut yet.

— Tell me something about yourself. Your name, your age, your eye color... anything. You know everything about me, but I don't know a single real thing about you. That's not fair.

As the silence stretched, I started regretting my words. What did a name even matter? It wasn't my business. We were just two people brought together by mutual interest. Nothing more. While I was drowning in these thoughts, his deep voice came through again.

"22"

I didn't even get a chance to reply before the connection was cut. Wow-just five years older than me. I thought he was 27 or 28 when I first heard his voice. Maybe the tone was deliberately misleading.

I lay on my bed. Staring at the ceiling, I mumbled to myself:

— Would it have killed you to just tell me your name?

---

Öykü was excited by a message from someone she never expected-Poyraz wanted to meet her. Could it be that she had caught his attention after what happened in the cafeteria? Did he want to apologize for the way he looked at her? These questions occupied Öykü's mind. I need to look good!

She decided to leave her hair down. She wore a cherry earring in one ear and a daisy in the other. She loved keeping the memory of her dog 'Cherry,' who had passed away a few months ago, alive. She put more effort into her makeup than she usually did for school. Later, thinking it was too much, she decided to remove her contact lenses.

This is a big deal. Should I tell my Happy Faces friends?

Then she remembered how she had abruptly closed the group without even saying goodbye the night before. She felt ashamed. She had taken her frustration out on them when she was in a bad mood.

I need to apologize later.

The sky was getting dark. Poyraz had said he wanted to meet at 10:00 PM in the wooded area behind the faculty building.

He's probably swamped with classes. That's why he can only talk late at night, she thought.

She snuck out of the dorm without her roommates noticing. It was darker than she expected. Only a few stars twinkled in the sky. She had to be back before 11:00 PM. She walked quickly down the hill, breathing heavily. She had to try hard not to scream at the occasional bugs crawling on the ground. She looked around. Poyraz wasn't there yet. She decided to send a quick message.

"Poyraz, I'm at the spot you mentioned. When will you be here?"

Message sent. Two ticks. But no reply. A wave of unease crept over Öykü. She didn't know what to do.

10:25 PM

He probably just lost track of time. Maybe he's rushing to get ready. That's why he hasn't replied.

The wind blew gently. The bushes rustled. Sounds that might normally seem poetic now grated on her nerves.

No. I should go. I really should go.

Just as she turned to leave, a sound came from the distance. Then a pair of headlights… A white car was speeding toward her.

The car came to a stop right behind her. A strong voice inside Öykü screamed "Run!" but her legs were frozen to the ground. She couldn't move-only feel the muffled thudding of her heart.