CHAPTER 104: THE WEIGHT OF TWENTY-FOUR HOURS.

Elias clutched the folder under his jacket as he left the greenhouse, the cold night air biting at his skin. The words of Mallory, Mr. Thorne, and Mrs. Hendricks echoed in his mind: Bella Rivers is a Moonblood. A weapon. A threat.

He had twenty-four hours to decide, join their cause to document Bella’s supposed danger or risk everything to warn her. The choice loomed like a storm cloud, and every step back to his dorm room felt like a step towards doom.

Back in his room, Elias locked the door and shoved a chair under the handle, his paranoia spiking. He was being watched.

He sat on his bed, the folder open in front of him, its pages spilling out reports, about Bella’s behavior. Her late-night disappearances, her unnerving silver eyes, the glowing hands during the dining hall fight. It was damning, but something about it felt too neat, too orchestrated.

Could he trust Mallory’s group, or were they manipulating him to serve Principal Maren’s agenda?

He needed to verify the information, to find something concrete before the clock ran out. But subtlety was key. Any serious move would draw attention. He started with the folder, flipping through the pages under the light of his desk lamp.

One note caught his eye, buried in the middle of a report: "Bella seen near the old chapel at 2 am, carrying a leather-bound book. Suspected contraband. No further action taken."

The old chapel was a crumbling structure at the edge of the campus, off-limits to students due to "structural concerns." Elias had never seen anyone near it, but the mention of a book piqued his curiosity. If Bella was hiding something there, it could be a clue to her true nature, or proof that the faculty’s accusations were exaggerated.

He glanced at his watch: 1:15 a.m. Too risky to go now, with the night watchman still patrolling. He’d have to wait until morning. For now, he hid the folder under a loose floorboard beneath his bed.

Sleep was out of the question, every creak of the dorm made his heart race, but morning came finally. Elias dragged himself to the dining hall, his eyes scanning the crowd for Jasmine or Leina. He needed to talk to them, to gauge their reactions to the dining hall fight now that he knew more about Bella’s supposed powers.

Jasmine sat with her usual group, her eyes darting nervously. Leina was at another table, pale and withdrawn, picking at her food. Corrine, as always, sat alone. Elias felt her eyes on him again, like a predator sizing up prey. Did she know he was investigating Bella? Was she protecting her roommate, or was there something more?

He couldn’t shake the feeling that eyes were on him. He needed to check the chapel, but first, he had to get through his classes without drawing suspicion.

During a free period, he slipped into the library, hoping to find something on Moonbloods. The folder mentioned their ancient lineage, but the details were vague. He scanned the shelves in the restricted section, where older, dustier books were kept under lock and key.

Pretending to browse, he waited until the librarian was distracted, then slipped behind a shelf and picked the lock on a glass case with his borrowed tools. His hands shook as he worked.

Inside the case was a leather-bound tome titled ’Lineages of the Wolves’. He flipped through it quickly, finding a section on Moonbloods. The text described them as a rare werewolf bloodline with heightened abilities, enhanced strength and rapid healing.

One line stopped him cold: "Moonbloods are often misunderstood, their powers mistaken for malevolence. Historical purges by rival clans sought to eradicate them, fearing their potential to unite supernatural factions." Elias’s stomach twisted. Was Maren’s group part of a similar purge? Were they framing Bella to justify eliminating a threat to their control?

He snapped a photo of the page with his phone, then froze as a shadow fell across the shelf. He slipped the book back into the case and turned to find Corrine standing there, her arms crossed, her eyes cold.

"What are you doing, Elias?" she asked, her voice low and dangerous.

His heart pounded. "Just... researching for a project." He tried to sound casual, but his voice cracked.

Corrine stepped closer, her gaze piercing. "Don’t lie to me. You’re digging hard and making serious inquiries. About Bella."

Elias’s mind raced. Corrine was Bella’s protector, but why? Was she a Moonblood too, or just loyal to her roommate? He decided to take a risk. "I know about the dining hall fight. What really happened, Corrine? Why are you protecting her?"

Her expression hardened, but for a split second, he saw fear in her eyes. "You’re in over your head," she said. "You think you’re clever, sneaking around, asking questions. But you don’t know what you’re dealing with."

"Then tell me," Elias said, his voice steady despite the fear coursing through him. "What is Bella? Why is everyone so scared of her?"

Corrine hesitated, her jaw tightening. "She’s not what they say she is. That’s all you need to know. Stop poking around, or you’ll regret it." She turned to leave, then paused. "And stay away from the chapel. It’s not safe."

Elias’s breath caught. How did she know he was planning to go there? Had she overheard him, or was she involved in something deeper? Before he could ask, she was gone, leaving him alone with the weight of her warning.

That night, Elias couldn’t wait any longer. The chapel was his best lead, and Corrine’s warning only made him more determined. At 11 p.m., he slipped out of his dorm, the folder’s note about Bella and the book burning in his mind. The campus was eerily quiet. He stuck to the shadows, his heart racing wildly.

The old chapel loomed at the edge of the campus. The door was padlocked, but his lock-picking skills were good. The lock clicked open, and he slipped inside, closing the door behind him.

He pulled out his flashlight, its beam searching the altar, the pews, the corners, looking for anything that might be the leather-bound book from the folder.

In the back corner, behind a rotting curtain, he found a trapdoor, its edges marked with fresh scratches. His pulse quickened. This was no coincidence. He pried it open, revealing a narrow staircase descending into darkness. The air that wafted up was cold and damp, like the basement where Elara and Corrine had found the strange symbols.

He hesitated, Corrine’s warning echoing in his mind. But he’d come too far to turn back. He descended, the stairs creaking under his weight. At the bottom was a small chamber, its walls lined with shelves of dusty books and artifacts. In the center, on a stone pedestal, was a leather-bound book, its cover embossed with a crescent moon.

Elias approached, his hands trembling as he opened it. The pages were filled with handwritten notes, diagrams, and symbols, some matching the scratches he’d seen in the basement. One page was titled ’Moonblood Legacy’. It described a prophecy: a Moonblood would rise to unite supernatural factions, challenging the "old clans" who sought to maintain control. There was a sketch of a girl with silver eyes, and beneath it, a name: Isabella Rivers.

His breath caught. This was Bella. But before he could read more, a noise above made him freeze, a soft thud, like someone stepping into the chapel. He snapped the book shut, tucking it under his jacket, and scrambled back up the stairs. The trapdoor was still open, and he could hear footsteps now, slow and deliberate.

He extinguished his flashlight and pressed himself against the wall, his heart pounding. The footsteps stopped at the trapdoor, and a voice called down, a voice he recognized.

"Elias," Mallory said, her tone calm but laced with menace. "I know you’re down there. You’re making this harder than it needs to be."

Panic surged through him. How had she found him? Had Corrine betrayed him, or was he followed? He didn’t wait to find out. He bolted for a side door he’d noticed earlier, shoving it open and sprinting into the night. The book felt like a lead weight under his jacket, but he didn’t dare drop it.

He ran until he reached the dorms, slipping inside and locking his door. His hands shook as he hid the book with the folder under the floorboard. Bella wasn’t just a threat; she was part of something that terrified the academy’s leaders.

As he sat on his bed, catching his breath, he realized his relationships with Jasmine and Leina were fraying. They were too scared to help, too entangled in their own fears. But Corrine, she knew more than she was letting on. Her warning about the chapel wasn’t a threat; it was a plea. She was protecting Bella, but why?

With only hours left until his meeting with Mallory’s group, Elias’s moral compass wavered. Joining them meant betraying Bella, a girl who might be innocent. Warning her meant risking his own safety, maybe his life.