"That's not him," Mina murmured, staring at the frozen footage from camera D-4. "He just placed the device... but someone else took it."
"So he really is just bait," I said. "And the real player stays hidden."
We all fell silent. Me, Mina, and Aoi. We were in the tech room of Sector B-2. Only a few students had access here. From this place, we could monitor the cameras without raising suspicion.
"What now?" Aoi asked. "Call the supervisor?"
I shook my head.
"No. This is our game. If the supervisor steps in, the real player will dive deeper. Right now, he's sure no one has seen him."
Mina straightened up.
"What if we set a trap?"
"Exactly," I nodded. "We'll create another 'vulnerable' spot. But this time — it's under our control."
The next evening, I installed the device in Sector C-1 myself. From the outside, it looked identical to the one we'd found in D-4. But this time, it was connected to a hidden camera, sending a live feed directly to us.
"Now we wait," Mina whispered, sitting beside me.
"As long as it takes," I replied.
She looked at me. That quiet, steady gaze — like silent support. A reminder that even in this game, we're still human.
Two hours later — movement. Someone entered the sector. A shadow. A hooded figure. But the face stayed hidden.
He stopped by the device. Inspected it. Then — reached to remove it.
"Now," I whispered. "Just a little more..."
Then a second figure stepped out from the darkness. Fast. Confident. The first one didn't even have time to turn before getting struck in the neck and collapsing.
We froze.
"What the—" Aoi began, but I raised a hand.
The second figure turned. For a brief moment, the camera caught her face.
Ai Sanado.
> She isn't just watching. She's hunting.
Later that night, I met her on the rooftop.
"Why did you step in?" I asked.
"You set traps. But you're not yet good at hiding them," she said. "The one you tried to catch — just a courier. The real player is still off the board."
"Do you have a name?"
"Not yet. But I'm close."
"Why are you helping?"
She looked at me. The wind tousled her hair, but her gaze was steady.
"Because you're balance. As long as you're on the board — they won't go all-out."
"And if I disappear?"
"Then the game becomes war."
When I returned, Mina was waiting in the hallway. She had been there the whole time.
"You went alone again?"
"Not exactly," I replied. "I just... stepped outside the map for a bit."
She moved closer. Touched my hand.
"When you go into the shadows — I'm afraid you'll forget how to come back."
I looked into her eyes.
"I won't forget. As long as you're here — I remember the way back."