Chapter 95: The Figure’s Identity. Elias didn’t sleep that night. He lay in his bed staring at the ceiling, replaying the encounter in Jasmine’s room over and over in his mind. The voice had been familiar but somehow distorted, like the person was deliberately disguising it. He cycled through everyone he knew at the academy, trying to match the voice to a face, but nothing clicked. "I know you’re there, Elias." The way they’d said his name, with that mix of warning and invitation. They wanted him to continue investigating. But why? When morning finally came, Elias dragged himself out of bed feeling like he hadn’t rested at all. His reflection in the mirror showed dark circles under his eyes and hair sticking up in all directions. The dining hall was buzzing with the usual breakfast chatter when he arrived, but something felt different. As he walked toward an empty table, he noticed people watching him. Not obviously, but out of the corners of their eyes. Whispering when he passed. Was it real or was his paranoia making him see threats everywhere? He sat down with his tray and tried to eat, but his stomach was too tight with anxiety. Across the room, he spotted Jasmine sitting with her friends. She was deliberately avoiding looking in direction. Leina looked even worse. Her face was pale and she kept glancing toward the doors like she expected something terrible to burst through at any moment. When someone mentioned Bella’s name in conversation at the next table, Leina actually flinched. And then there was Corrine. She sat alone as always, but her eyes were fixed on Elias with an intensity that made his skin crawl. She didn’t look away when he noticed her staring. Just kept watching him like she was waiting for something. During his first class, Elias was barely paying attention to the teacher when a folded piece of paper landed on his desk. He glanced around but couldn’t tell who had passed it to him. The student beside him was focused on taking notes and showed no sign of having given him anything. Elias unfolded the note carefully under his desk. "Midnight. Old greenhouse behind the east wing. Come alone if you want answers about what Bella Rivers really is." His hands trembled slightly as he read it again. This was either a genuine opportunity or a trap. And he had no way of knowing which until he showed up. He spent the rest of the class debating what to do. Should he tell someone? But who could he trust? The figure he’d been reporting to had warned him not to trust anyone. And last night’s encounter in Jasmine ’s room suggested that multiple people were watching his investigation. By lunchtime, Elias had made no decisions. That afternoon, he made his way to the abandoned classroom for his regular meeting with the figure. He needed to report what he’d learned and maybe get guidance on what to do about the midnight meeting. But when he unlocked the door and stepped inside, the classroom was empty. For the first time in three weeks, the figure wasn’t there. But he wasn’t ready to quit. He’d gone too far, learned too much, risked too much to just walk away now. The note inviting him to the greenhouse promised answers. Real answers about what Bella was and why the school treated her differently. He would go. Even if it was a trap. The rest of the day crawled by. Elias attended his classes mechanically, his mind already at midnight, already at the greenhouse. He tried to eat dinner but couldn’t manage more than a few bites. At eleven thirty, he left his dormitory, using the same routes he’d learned from watching the four boys sneak out. The school was quiet, most students already asleep. A few prefects patrolled the main corridors, but Elias knew how to avoid them. The old greenhouse stood behind the east wing, barely visible in the darkness. It had been abandoned years ago, its glass panels cracked and overgrown with vines. No one came here anymore except students looking for private places to meet. Elias approached carefully, his heart pounding so hard he could hear it in his ears. The door was slightly ajar, a sliver of light visible through the gap. He pushed it open slowly. Three figures stood in the shadows at the far end of the greenhouse, backlit by a single lantern. They were positioned so he couldn’t make out their faces clearly, but he could tell they’d been waiting for him. "You came," one of them said. A male voice, older, maybe a teacher or staff member. "You said you had answers about Bella Rivers." "We do. But first, we need to know if you’re ready to hear the truth. The real truth, not the sanitized version the academy tells students." Elias stepped further into the greenhouse. "I’m ready." The second figure spoke, a woman’s voice. "Bella Rivers is a Moonblood. Do you know what that means?" "A werewolf bloodline," Elias said, piecing together what he’d learned from the library book. "One of the ancient families." "More than that. Moonbloods are the most powerful werewolf lineage that exists. They can do things other wolves can’t. Heal faster, fight harder, access abilities that were thought to be extinct." The third figure stepped forward into the light, and Elias gasped. It was Mallory Woods, Principal Maren’s assistant. "Hello, Elias," she said calmly. "I’m glad you’re smart enough to seek out the truth." Elias’s mind raced. Mallory was involved in this? "You’re the one who’s been watching me." "We’ve all been watching you. And we’ve been watching Bella since the moment she arrived at this academy." "Why?" The male figure spoke again. "Because she’s a threat. To the order of this school, to the safety of every student here, to Principal Maren’s authority." "But she hasn’t done anything wrong." "Not yet," Mallory said. "But she will. It’s in her nature. Moonbloods always become violent eventually. They can’t help it. Their power corrupts them, makes them believe they’re superior to everyone else." "The four boys who disappeared," the woman said. "Luca, Killian, Cassian, and Rafe. They thought they could help her. They thought they could control what she becomes. They were wrong." Elias felt cold spreading through his chest. "What happened to them?" "They’re in the forest," Mallory said. "With Bella. Trying to protect her from the consequences of her own power. But they don’t understand what they’re dealing with. By now, they’re either dead or wishing they were." "How do you know that?" "Because we sent wolves after her. Wolves that should have killed her easily. But she awakened her Moonblood abilities and fought back. She killed some of them. And now she’s more dangerous than ever." The male figure stepped into the light, revealing himself as Mr. Thorne, one of the younger teachers. Elias had seen him around campus but never paid much attention to him. "We’re part of a group within Whitethorn Academy," Thorne said. "We serve Principal Maren and her vision for maintaining order in the supernatural world. For decades, she’s kept dangerous elements under control. Moonbloods, rogue wolves, creatures that would destroy the balance if left unchecked." "Bella Rivers is the most dangerous element we’ve encountered in years," the woman said, stepping forward. It was Mrs. Hendricks, the literature teacher. "Her mother was a Moonblood who managed to hide her abilities and live among humans. But Bella inherited even stronger powers. If we don’t stop her now, she’ll become unstoppable." Elias looked between the three of them. "You want me to help you kill her." "No," Mallory said. "We want you to help us contain her until Principal Maren can deal with her properly. There are rules, ancient laws that even Maren must follow. She can’t just execute Bella without cause. But if Bella attacks students, breaks more rules, proves herself to be a danger, then Maren can act." "You want me to provoke her into doing something that justifies killing her." "We want you to document her behavior," Thorne corrected. "Watch her, record her abilities, gather evidence of how dangerous she is. When the time comes, that evidence will be crucial." Mrs. Hendricks pulled out a folder and handed it to Elias. "These are reports from other students. Observations about Bella’s strange behavior, her disappearances, her relationships with the boys. Add your own observations to this file and report back to us weekly." Elias took the folder with numb hands. "And if I refuse?" Mallory smiled, but it didn’t reach her eyes. "Then you’ll be considered an accomplice to whatever destruction Bella causes. And when Principal Maren moves against her, anyone who stood in the way will be dealt with accordingly." "That’s not a choice. That’s a threat." "It’s reality," Mallory said. "Elias, you’ve already seen what Bella can do. You’ve heard the reports from the students who fought her. You know she’s not normal. We’re giving you the chance to be on the right side of what’s coming." "What is coming?" The three of them exchanged glances. Then Thorne spoke. "A war. Between Maren’s clan and the remaining Moonbloods who haven’t been eliminated yet. Bella’s awakening has sent ripples through the supernatural community. Other Moonbloods who’ve been hiding for years are starting to emerge. They think Bella is some kind of savior who will restore their bloodline to power." "But she’s not a savior," Mrs. Hendricks said. "She’s a weapon. And if we don’t control her, she’ll be used against us." Mallory stepped closer to Elias. "You have a choice to make tonight. Join us and help protect this school from a genuine threat. Or refuse and mark yourself as an enemy. But understand this, once you make your choice, there’s no changing your mind." Elias looked down at the folder in his hands. Inside were pages of notes, photographs, documented observations about Bella. These people had been watching her even more closely than he had. "The four boys," he said quietly. "You really think they’re dead?" "Or dying," Thorne said. "The forest is Maren’s territory. Once they entered it to help Bella, their fates were sealed. They chose loyalty to a Moonblood over loyalty to the academy. That’s a choice that always ends the same way." "How much time do I have to decide?" "Twenty four hours," Mallory said. "Meet us here tomorrow night at midnight with your answer. If you agree to help, we’ll give you resources, protection, and information. If you refuse, well, we’ll have to assume you’re working against us." The three figures began walking toward the exit, leaving Elias alone with the folder and his thoughts. Mrs. Hendricks paused at the door. "One more thing, Elias. The figure you’ve been meeting with in the abandoned classroom? That was me. I was gathering preliminary information about Bella through you. But now the situation has escalated beyond simple observation. Now we need active cooperation." She walked out, leaving Elias standing in the dark greenhouse, his world tilted on its axis. Everything he thought he understood about Whitethorn Academy was wrong. The teachers, the staff, Principal Maren herself, they were all part of a supernatural war he’d stumbled into without realizing it. And Bella, the quiet new student who’d seemed so lost and vulnerable, was apparently powerful enough to threaten everything. Elias looked down at the folder again. Inside was a photo of Bella from her first day at school, smiling nervously at the camera. She looked so normal, so human. But he’d heard alot. He’d heard about her inhuman scream. He’d read Jasmine’s documentation of her changing eyes and strange behavior. Maybe Mallory and the others were right. Maybe Bella was dangerous. Or maybe they were afraid of her for a different reason. Maybe they wanted to eliminate her before she could challenge their power. Elias tucked the folder under his jacket and walked out of the greenhouse. He had twenty four hours to make the most important decision of his life. Choose to help hunt Bella Rivers. Or find a way to warn her that an entire faction of Whitethorn Academy wanted her dead.