CHAPTER 95: ECHOES IN THE SYSTEM

Craig’s grip loosened.

Not fast. Not all at once. But enough. His hand dropped from her arm like he finally seemed to register what he was doing.

Where they were, who might’ve seen. What it must’ve looked like, him standing there, tense, jaw clenched, holding her like he couldn’t let go. Like he didn’t care who saw.

God. This wasn’t him.

This wasn’t how he handled things. Not like this. Not outside a dorm building, not in the open with students walking by, not where anyone could catch pieces of something that wasn’t theirs to see.

He looked down at his hand, now empty. Like he wasn’t sure what the hell he’d been thinking.

Keith and Phoebe were walking up now, slowly, trying to act like they weren’t both low-key freaking out inside.

Merlina’s chest was tight, throat dry, eyes locked on Phoebe like she’d been caught red-handed. Which, in a way, she had.

It was like all the mess she’d been trying to outrun just came crashing down on her head.

Like the universe was punishing her for giving in, for letting her selfish desires take over, even just for a moment.

She thought she could keep it quiet. Hide it.

But now, standing here, caught in this exact moment, it felt like everything was screaming at her, demanding to know if it had been worth it.

"Merlina," Phoebe said, brows raised, voice just a little too casual, "I thought you already left?"

Merlina looked at her. Blinked. Nothing came out. Words. Hello?? Where were they when she needed them?

She opened her mouth, but her brain was buffering. So she just nodded too quickly and blurted, "I—I gotta go. I’ll see you later."

She paused, just for a moment, and looked at Craig’s face. It was fast, barely a glance, but it mattered. She needed to know if it was safe to leave.

If he was still mad? If he was going to stop her? She just needed to know he was calm.

But he didn’t move. Didn’t say a word.

His jaw was tight. His eyes were hard to read.

And that silence? That was green light.

She turned and left, immediately. Like if she stayed even one second longer, she’d fall apart right there on the pavement.

Phoebe blinked, turned to the guys, and dropped her voice like she was trying to sound casual, but her eyes were doing all the digging. "Okay... what was that?"

Keith just rubbed the back of his neck, eyes flicking between her and Craig. "Uhh..." he shrugged.

Craig didn’t answer, didn’t even move a muscle.

Still staring in the direction Merlina had gone like his brain hadn’t caught up yet. Like he was still mid-argument.

Then his phone buzzed in his jacket pocket. He didn’t move right away. Just stood there. Finally, he pulled it out.

Merlina: We’ll talk. Please.

Craig read it once. Then again. Jaw still tight, heart still doing that annoying stutter thing it did when it came to her.

Oh, now she wanted to talk?

After everything?

He didn’t reply, didn’t type, he didn’t even know what to say. So he shoved the phone back in his pocket, eyes fixed straight ahead, completely silent.

His thoughts were a mess. Everything in him was still buzzing with anger, confusion, that same damn ache in his chest he’d tried to ignore for weeks.

Phoebe and Keith waited. Like they thought he’d say something.

He didn’t.

Just stood there, in the cold, wondering if ’we’ll talk’ actually meant anything. Or if it was just another version of goodbye.

The air was crisp as Merlina met Louis just behind Belford’s library, the kind of winter wind that didn’t bite, just whispered and chilled softly.

He smiled the second he saw her, that same warm smile she used to hold onto like it was the only thing keeping her afloat.

Before she could say anything, he pulled her into a hug, wrapping his arms around her waist, his cheek brushing gently against hers.

She let herself rest against his chest for a second too long. Just enough to pretend. Just enough to forget the night she still couldn’t stop thinking about.

He leaned back slightly, his eyes searching hers, and then he leaned in.

His lips met her softly, and she couldn’t. Her body stilled. Her mouth barely moved. The guilt was immediate, sharp and heavy. This wasn’t a kiss. Not for her. Her hands on his chest curled into small fists and pushed lightly.

"I—I’m sorry," she whispered, stepping back. "I just...can’t. Not right now."

Louis blinked, hurt flickering across his face before he masked it. "Are you okay? You’ve been kind of... off throughout the break."

Merlina looked down, swallowing the thickness in her throat. Struggling to find the right words to say.

"It’s... my dad," she lied. "He got married over the holidays."

Louis frowned. "Already?"

She nodded. "One year. It’s barely been a year since my Mom died, and now he’s walking down the aisle like she never existed. I didn’t think it would hit me so hard but it just... it ruined everything lately."

He didn’t speak right away, just pulled her back in. His hug felt steadier this time. More careful. "I’m sorry, Mel"

She nodded against his jacket, eyes closed, lips pressed together tightly. And then, after a pause, he said something that made her breath seize.

"During the break," Louis said, "I found out something weird. About Conor Lesnar."

She pulled back slightly, heart already tightening.

"He didn’t leave Belford."

Her brows pulled together, waiting for more.

"He always travels. Even during exam season. But this time? Winter break? He stayed on campus."

"Maybe he had a reason," she said too quickly. "Not everyone leaves."

"Yeah," Louis said, watching her. "But it’s weird, right? He travels during school session, and stays behind during an actual break?"

She deflected. "Louis... I found out something too. About the messages."

His attention sharpened. "Yeah?"

"I think they’re coming from someone with access to Belford’s internal systems."

He blinked. "Wait...like a student?"

"No," she said. "Someone with administrative access. An employee, maybe."

"How do you know that?"

Merlina hesitated, just a beat too long. "Someone helped me. Over the break. A tech person. They traced the IPs."

Another lie. They were stacking now. One on top of the other, threatening to buckle under their own weight.

She couldn’t say it was Miles, not out loud. Not when he was Craig’s guy—and that was the last thing Louis would ever want to hear.

"You sure that’s legit."

"Yes."

Louis studied her for a second, then nodded. "So... what now?"

Merlina drew in a deep breath. "I think I wanna go into the admin building. Tonight. Check the old files, anything connected to my mom. Maybe there’s someone on record who worked with her—someone who had a reason to want her gone."

She knew this was something she could’ve done weeks ago, if she hadn’t let herself get so distracted. If she hadn’t let her feelings cloud her focus.

Louis gave a dry smile. "Breaking into school property. Romantic."

Merlina managed a small laugh, but her chest ached.

Later that night, the admin offices were quiet and dim, the halls filled with strange stillness buildings have when they’re closed.

Merlina walked beside Louis, trying to stay quiet, her heart pounding. Maybe it was the thrill of sneaking in or maybe it was fear. Or hope.

Louis picked the lock with the quiet confidence of someone who’d done it before. "Summer internship. Digital security. Don’t ask," he whispered.

Inside, rows of file cabinets stood in neat lines, like they were guarding something. Merlina and Louis split up, each going through names, folders, and old computer files.

The main lights stayed off. Just a small desk lamp lit the room, and the soft buzz of a slow computer filled the silence.

"Marjorie Sanchez," Louis muttered, typing as he sat in front of one of the computers.

They kept searching, the silence between them comfortable, broken only by the occasional rustle of papers or the low tap of keypads.

They didn’t know exactly what they were looking for, just following blind leads. Anything tied to her mom. A coworker. A name that showed up too often. A weird comment. A bad review. A warning sign. Anything they could hold onto, even if it was just a thread.

Merlina paused, eyes catching on the edge of a folder, but her mind drifted. She turned slightly, watching Louis as he bent over a drawer, completely focused.

The guilt twisted inside her again, not just about Craig, but about Louis. About everything she hadn’t said.

"I never even asked," she said softly. "About your dad."

Louis glanced up.

"I’ve just been going on about my mom and all this and... I know you’ve been going through it too."

He closed the drawer quietly and looked at her, the shadows under his eyes catching the low light.

"I’m sorry," she added. "That I’ve been dumping all of this on you."

Louis shook his head, stepping toward her. "Don’t worry about it. Seriously."

"But—"

"This is a distraction," he said with a small shrug. "Honestly? It’s better than being stuck in hospitals all day, pretending like everything’s okay. At least here I can... I don’t know, do something."

Merlina’s throat tightened again, but this time with something gentler. She gave him a small smile, one that didn’t quite reach her eyes but tried to.

"Thank you," she said.

He smiled back, and for a second they sat there, quiet and understanding, before Louis gave a playful nudge to her shoulder.

"Come on," he said. "We’ve got rats to chase."

She nodded, pushing her feelings down again, the way she’d gotten too good at. They turned back to the screen and kept searching—until a few folders popped up under her mom’s name.

One was archived under: Faculty Forum – Education Enrichment Program.

"That’s her," Merlina said, leaning closer. Her fingers hovered above the mouse. "She used to talk about that. A passion project."

Louis clicked it open.

It was like unlocking a room in her memory she didn’t know existed.

Her mother’s posts were all over the forum—warm, enthusiastic, intelligent. Thoughts on teaching philosophy. Messages to colleagues. Smiley face emojis after long days. Ideas about mentorship. About kindness.

Merlina’s throat tightened. She scrolled slowly, taking in every sentence. "She loved this," she whispered. "She really loved teaching."

Louis didn’t say anything, just let her have the moment. Her eyes were wet. She didn’t bother to hide it.

"I never saw this side of her," Merlina said quietly. "She was so... put together. At home. Always busy. Always strong. But here she was... soft."

She smiled, eyes still glistening, and reached out to scroll further but Louis’s hand stopped hers.

"Wait."

Merlina looked at him, confused.

He pointed to the corner of the screen. "That’s not right."

"What?"

"Look." He leaned in, tapping the timestamp at the bottom of the most recent post.

Last seen: one month ago.

Merlina froze. She looked again, like she must have read it wrong. But no, it was there, clear as day. One month ago.

Her voice was barely a whisper. "But... she died last year."

Louis sat straighter, suddenly alert. "Someone’s been using her login."

Merlina’s blood turned to ice.

Who the hell was still accessing her mother’s account?

And why?