The sun dipped low as the team met once again at Liam's house. The air buzzed with nervous energy. They had planned everything the night before, but this time—it was real.
Akiko spread the map on the table. "Alright, listen up," she said with a sharp tone. "We split into Team A and Team B."
"Team A is Liam and Yui," she continued. "You'll keep eyes on Grandma. Watch her every move from the hallway—no matter what. If she heads toward Team B, signal. Team B—me and Ethan—we're going in to find the real book."
Everyone nodded. Bags zipped. Plans memorized. This wasn't just a search—it was an operation.
Inside the Grandma's House...
Creeaak.
The door barely made a sound as they slipped in. Team A took position down the hall behind a half-closed door, crouched low. Liam peeked out carefully. "She's in the kitchen, washing something," he whispered.
Team B moved silently, their feet soft on the wooden floor. They reached the living room bookshelf—the same place the grandma had pulled a book from last time.
Akiko scanned the shelves. "Here," she said.
Ethan reached for a thick, dusty book. As he pulled it, something clicked. The shelf shifted slightly with a soft rumble.
"What was that?" Akiko whispered.
The shelf creaked open—revealing a hidden door behind it.
Ethan's eyes widened. "No way..."
They slipped inside the narrow space. Cobwebs. Old furniture. And a locked cabinet.
"We have to find that book fast," Akiko said. "Before she—"
Suddenly, Liam's voice hissed from the hallway. "She's coming this way!"
Team B's heart jumped. Akiko searched the cabinet—locked. Ethan tugged on the drawer beneath it—and it opened. Inside, an old, worn book with golden corners.
"This is it," he whispered.
Yui peeked around the corner. "You guys! Hurry! She's almost here!"
They ran out from the hidden room—only to see Grandma's shadow stretch across the hallway.
"We can't get out the front!" Akiko said, panic rising.
"There's a window!" Ethan pointed.
The group ran to the back room. Grandma's footsteps echoed closer. Akiko struggled with the lock—Ethan joined in, forcing the latch upward.
It snapped open. One by one, they climbed out.
Yui was last.
She slipped through just as the door behind them opened—Grandma stepped into the room.
But it was too late.
The team was gone.
They dashed through the backyard, breath heavy, legs pumping. No one said a word until they reached Liam's terrace, climbing up the old vine-covered trellis.
Hearts pounding, they collapsed inside his room.
"Guys," Ethan said, holding up the book, "I think we just found the truth."
Everyone sat, breathless, wide-eyed. No one spoke.
But they all knew:
The real mystery had just begun.