Zara convinced Kairos to help her investigate. They broke into the yearbook room after school, where Lyra Chen was working late, organizing photos.
"Looking for old pictures?" Lyra asked, not turning around. "I know why you're here. Miguel got what he deserved."
She pulled out a box labeled CLASS OF 2024. Inside were photos of Isaac—tied to a chair while Vince poured chemicals on his laptop, Jazz posting humiliating videos of him online, Miguel holding him down while Lyra cut his hair with scissors.
But one photo caught Zara's eye: Isaac standing with Nora Santos, both smiling, holding a science fair trophy. "BEST FRIENDS" was written on the back in Isaac's handwriting.
"Nora was the only one who was nice to him," Lyra said quietly. "Then he died, and she changed. Got colder. Started planning things."
As Zara slipped the photo into her pocket, the door locked itself. The lights went out, and metal panels slammed down over the windows—they were trapped.
A speaker crackled to life. Nora's voice, distorted: "You shouldn't have looked for answers, Zara. Now you'll be part of the puzzle."
The floor began to tilt. Zara saw spikes rising from the far end of the room—a trap. Kairos grabbed her hand, pulling her toward a vent he'd spotted. They crawled through just as the floor fully tilted, sending desks sliding into the spikes with a sickening crunch.
When they emerged, Lyra was gone. Her laptop was left behind, open to a file titled "IKE'S DEATH—THE TRUTH."