7:34 AM, Thursday, October 16
The gentle sunlight streamed through the window, and outside the glass pane, the sounds of the early morning filled the air: the slow footsteps of leisurely strollers, the hurried steps of those chasing the rhythm of life, alongside the green trees dotted with a few yellow leaves signaling the autumn weather, and a bicycle gliding smoothly with each turn of the pedals. The atmosphere was infused with a scent from the canal, the damp aroma of dew mingling with the warmth of the sun, all carried by the breeze into the shared space of Swoods Street. A door of a house next to the canal swung open and quickly shut again, revealing a tall figure with chestnut-brown hair running out. From a distance, he could be seen dashing to the nearby bus stop, and two girls waiting for the bus turned to look at him, both sighing as if this delay had become a habit. One of those girls was Violetta Collins; her life had completely changed since Jolly and Jocelyn Greens came to live with her.

Violetta's father, Maximilian Collins, and Alvar Greens, the father of Jolly and Jocelyn, were both researchers. The two fathers hoped that the three children living together would add a touch of family atmosphere, as all three had grown up without the care of a mother by their side. While the two fathers desired this, for a girl like Violetta, having a boy who attracted every gaze with his looks like Jocelyn, and a cold, reticent girl like Jolly beside her, everything had gone awry from the very beginning. As the Indians say, "The friend you meet is the friend you need to meet." Indeed, life has nothing random about it; everything needs to unfold as it is meant to be.

11:28 PM, October 16

Violetta opened the door and stepped inside. The light from outside spilled into the pitch-black room. The sound of the switch clicked as the yellow light flickered on. She tiredly sank into the nearby armchair, thinking that those two must have gone to bed early, especially since today was the first time she hadn't prepared dinner. Suddenly, a rustling sound came from the sofa next to her, and Jolly's voice rang out:

"Back already? Did class run late?"
"Why are you both sleeping here? Have you eaten yet?" Violetta was surprised to see Jolly and Jocelyn sprawled lazily on the sofa, waiting for her.

"Class sounded interesting, huh?" Jocelyn took off her headphones, slowly sitting up with a grimace at the sudden light. "Interesting enough that you forgot all about us."

"Very interesting!" Violetta said as she got up and headed to the kitchen. "Late-night snack? Spaghetti?"-silence was the answer, as it always was among the three of them.

They sat neatly at the dining table after more than twenty minutes of Violetta cooking. She had come home late today because she had to attend the annual supplementary class at school. This was an event organized each year by the faculty council to select students from various classes to participate in after-school classes aimed at increasing students' interest in the natural and social sciences. In reality, nobody in Violetta's class liked it, and she had been "prioritized" for this due to her "never-say-no" nature. Jocelyn was twirling a forkful of noodles:

"So, you really enjoy natural science, huh?" she glanced at Violetta.

"That's impossible! But this time, the school council ran into some fun situations, so I think this class might not be too bad," Violetta replied, her eyes sparkling with curiosity and a rare glow of anticipation lighting up her usually stoic face.

"Right," Jolly said, her tone knowing, as she was well aware of Violetta's fascination with strange occurrences. It was evident that her curiosity was something she couldn't hide. "What's it about?"

"It really can't be quiet," Jocelyn added, noticing Violetta's inquisitive gaze.

"I know you both will want to hear about it."

After flashing a smile, Violetta began to recount the story. The school would organize supplementary research classes in natural science as usual, but one week before today's introductory session, the school's email inbox received a threatening letter along with a similar document through the mail.

"Have you confirmed it?" Jolly continued to listen intently.

"Not yet. But the school representatives have informed the police to keep an eye on it. However, the police won't start an investigation without concrete evidence." Violetta replied to Jolly, then continued "But something quite interesting happened tonight in the biology lab where we'll be studying tomorrow."

All activity at the dining table came to a halt; both of them sensed that something had occurred. Jocelyn leaned in, focused:

"What happened?"

Violetta recounted everything about the students who had to stay late that evening. The simultaneous frown on both their faces was the most interesting reaction and satisfied her the most. Jolly crossed her arms, while Jocelyn interlaced his fingers, but both remained silent. Violetta broke the silence:

"So? Do you both think this is worth paying attention to?"

Another moment of silence passed. Then Jocelyn quickly finished his plate of noodles and stood up to leave the kitchen, turning back with a mock-serious tone

"Dear Miss Violetta! The noodles would taste better if you didn't come home late, worrying my stomach! Goodnight."

With that, he went back to his room. Violetta felt that his remark was somewhat different from his usual sarcastic comments. After all, the girls who admired Jocelyn outside probably hadn't seen or heard these expressions. She turned to Jolly, who was still silent beside her:

"What about you? Are you going to look into this matter?"
The sound of a spoon being placed on the table drew Jolly's serious gaze back to her:

"Are you going to attend that class?"

It seemed Violetta was being paid attention to:

"Huh?"

"You can't say no!" Jolly stood up, taking her plate with her. "I'll find out about it, but on one condition."

"Really?" A look of excitement appeared on Violetta's face, overwhelming all other thoughts. "I'll agree to any condition."

Her smile was bright and rare, following her words.

"Be careful."

Violetta quickly moved her plate over to Jolly:

"I will be careful! But what's the reason? It's quite intriguing."

Dinner officially ended quite late, with two people in deep thought and one eagerly awaiting the mystery to unfold.

2 PM, Thursday, October 16

The school bell rang, and Violetta, with a blank mind, made her way toward the old science research wing. After more than two minutes of walking from the central area, she reached room 5005, which was marked "Experimental Biology," but only two people were inside.

"Hey there!" an upperclassman called out to Violetta. "You're early, little one!"

Aside from the upperclassman who spoke, another student was busy organizing equipment inside. Violetta glanced around and replied:

"Yes! It's a pleasure to meet you!"

"I'm Leonard Nimoy; you can call me Leo. And this is Gideon Sinclair. We'll be in charge of this program. It's great to meet you."

As he spoke, he extended his hand for a handshake, but his friend Gideon was still focused on his task and chimed in:

"It's best if you guide the newcomer to the library to gather the necessary materials. Don't leave all the work for me while you lounge around."

"Don't mind that experiment-obsessed guy," Leonard said with a chuckle. "Just pick a spot to sit."

With the activities at a standstill and a glance from Gideon, Violetta understood somewhat:

"I hope I can be helpful, so it's no problem at all."
Leonard, with an accepting expression, handed her a list of materials:

"Alright, we'll rely on you then. Take your time; there's no rush!"
As Violetta's figure gradually faded toward the library, Leonard turned and placed his hand on Gideon's shoulder:

"Looks like she doesn't know we... this is strange."

"Use this free time to organize your work. Are you just going to chat with the girls and then stand there watching me?" Gideon replied, still focused on checking the equipment. "And I don't think we're that famous; don't get carried away."

"Our Natural Science Club is quite popular too; we hold a special place in the hearts of the girls... don't be so indifferent, genius!"

Leonard laughed, his tone slightly upbeat.

"We're not the same anymore, Leonard."

The atmosphere grew tense. Gideon sensed the shift and turned away, aware that their friendship used to be different. But when someone touches your ego and shatters it, it can never be repaired, much like trying to mend a broken piece of porcelain with milk-pointless.

Meanwhile, Violetta struggled alone with the pile of documents in the library, searching for and printing materials, while also dealing with a stack of books to take back. She sighed, just as a girl approached her with a friendly greeting:

"Let me help!"

"Oh... thank you! But who are you...?" Violetta asked, handing over the papers.

"Just call me Isolde. Didn't anyone come to help you?"

Isolde's voice was incredibly soothing, something Violetta had never heard before. With lightly curled long hair and a delicate face that exuded the grace of a young lady, she wore a school uniform. Without it, Violetta would have thought she was a teacher.

"I'm Violetta; nice to meet you... oh, thank you." Violetta paused for a moment, feeling a strange familiarity in Isolde's gentle gaze. "These are the documents for the annual Natural Science class. I'm participating, so the upperclassmen asked me to prepare them."

"The class sounds interesting... can I join too?"
"I'm not sure..."

Violetta hesitated, but Isolde's gentle smile seemed to break through her uncertainty, making her feel at ease.

"Hello!"

Another girl interrupted their conversation. "I... I came to help prepare for the class... two upperclassmen told me to come here!"

Now, it was Violetta and Isolde's turn to focus on the newcomer. The petite girl had a round, rosy face and long, wavy golden-brown hair that shone like the evening sun, dressed in the same uniform as the two of them.

"Hi! I'm Violetta; I'm also here for the class."

"Hello, I'm Alicia! Nice to meet you, Isolde!"

"Hi! You're the advisor for the History Club, right?"

Violetta considered the class to be quite interesting, as both the advisor of the History Club, Alicia, and the advisor of the Biology Club mentioned that they would join as well. Nevertheless, she didn't feel too strongly about this event; she had no objections when her classmates pushed the tedious work onto her. However, she hoped that this change in her routine would provide her with some new motivation. After nearly two hours, the three girls returned to the old Biology lab, laden with stacks of papers and books.

At 8:30 PM, a knock came at the door. The five students, busy arranging their experimental tools, looked up to see the face of the janitor.

"Wow, future scientists are so passionate! It's getting late, so you should wrap things up and not overexert yourselves."

"Thank you! We'll be done soon!" Leonard replied with a smile.
"Ah, right, moving all the stuff from the Physics room here must have taken quite a while, huh?" The janitor, Ango, remarked. "Let me give you a hand."

With this extra help, the last test tube was finally placed neatly on the rack, and in just ten minutes, everything was in order.
"Mr. Ango, if you pass by later, could you please give me the key to the main locker?" Gideon asked as the janitor locked the door.

All of them wore tired expressions after being worked hard. Violetta felt indifferent about the situation; if she hadn't spent this time on the class, she would have been at her part-time job, and then home-everything would return to normal. She knew how things would unfold; everything remained the same.

"You all go ahead to the supervision room and wait there for a bit. I'll check the art room first." After saying this, the five students left together, and since the janitor's path coincided with Gideon's, he went along too.

Suddenly, Violetta asked, "Leonard, why do we have to practice in the Physics room? Moving everything from the Physics room to the Biology room takes quite a bit of time."

"Yesterday, there was a small incident in the Physics room, so to ensure safety while conducting experiments, and since all three traditional rooms for the Natural Science Club are similar, we had to make the move. We need to make sure we don't drown in alcohol!"

"Just a bunch of careless new students." Gideon scolded, his brows furrowing in annoyance behind his glasses.

"You all are working really hard!" Alicia exclaimed.

With her questions answered, Violetta displayed a satisfied expression, not noticing Isolde quietly observing her. Isolde wondered what kind of expression this was. A person who seemed uninterested in anything could be puzzled yet satisfied with something as simple as this, as if everything were running smoothly.

In the supervision room, a few minutes passed, and the five students plopped down at the table in the middle of the room. They all felt similarly light, as if floating, possibly because they were finally resting or perhaps their empty stomachs made them feel so light. On the wall, a system of surveillance cameras displayed over fifty screens from various angles around the school, showing areas where the lights were still on.

"Look, Mr. Ango is coming out of the teacher's room!" Alicia whispered as she glanced at the surveillance monitor.

"Wait a minute, everyone!" Gideon said loudly, running to the right corner and squinting at a lit square, which was the Physics practice room.

"What's going on? Move aside so we can see!"

Leonard and eight eyes were glued to a lit square! A faint flame enveloped the room. Gideon quickly stumbled over to turn off the large switch, plunging everything into darkness. Isolde turned on her flashlight and scanned the area.

"Is everyone okay?"

"Let me call the police right away," Leonard said as he pulled out his phone.

"Everyone, quickly head to the lab!" After saying this, Gideon rushed out the door.

They all followed, with no one having time to react further. Upon reaching the corner, the five encountered the janitor, Ango.

"Are you all alright? The power's gone out."

"We saw the lab was on fire," Leonard replied quickly.

Then they continued running. Within minutes, the lab was in front of them, but in the darkness, the room looked the same-no flames, and of course, no signs that it had been on fire. Everyone stood frozen in shock when they saw everything was unchanged. In the light from the janitor's flashlight and Isolde's, nothing had changed.

"What the hell!" Gideon exclaimed in frustration.

"What are you talking about?"

"How can this be? We clearly... we saw it burning! Gideon rushed to cut the power... then we came here..." Alicia stammered in surprise as she responded to the janitor.

Leonard approached the door, took his flashlight out of his pocket, and shone it into the lock. After checking, he turned back, his voice strained, brows furrowed.

"The lock shows no signs of tampering."

"Who the hell did this!" Gideon remained agitated. "Sorry for making everyone worry; I'll report this to the school immediately. Tomorrow's class will likely have to be postponed."
"Alright, kids," the janitor, Ango, patted Gideon on the shoulder. "It's not anyone's fault; let's go back to my room and discuss it."
"Do we need to check around?" Violetta spoke up.

"Don't worry too much; just head back. I'll report and request the school's security system be activated tonight. If anything happens, the security team will be there immediately."

What was the intention behind this incident? Violetta thought as she walked with the others, a sense of curiosity and excitement rising within her, mixed with her emotions. At this moment, each person had their own thoughts-worries, questions, and surprise, with unanswered queries lingering that made them ponder and plan.

Arriving at the control room, the janitor turned on the switch, and they all saw Alex, a security officer from Zone B, rushing in.
"Mr. Ango, what's going on? Suddenly, the power's out in both zones."

"We're sorry; just now, from the security cameras, we saw the Biology lab was on fire, so..."

"What? It was on fire?" Alex interjected. "Did you call the fire department?"

"It's nothing. Calm down... It was just a misunderstanding, Alex," the janitor Ango sighed.

"Huh?"

The five students found themselves in an awkward situation, unable to articulate their emotions, then they all began recounting what they had seen, ten eyes observing closely, not just one. Leonard added:

"Mr. Ango, I don't think this was just us mistaking things. I believe the school informed you about the threatening letter from last week, and they advised the class guidance to be cautious."

"I was also informed to keep an eye on your classroom, so I know this is no joke. I've just reported it to the school and will activate the general security system within the next week."

"Now this situation seems more complicated. I'll report back and discuss the situation regarding tomorrow's class. You'll have to wait for the results of the meeting tomorrow, and I'll post the announcement on the school bulletin board afterward."

After Gideon suggested what to do about tomorrow, everyone headed home since it was late, and the students had already encountered something strange that day.

On the bus, through the glass window, the dimstreetlights flickered past Violetta's gaze in rhythm with the vehicle. Thestillness of the late-night air and the atmosphere of the enveloping darknessled to deep thoughts, stirring up curious questions and evoking old memories.The bus stopped at a station. Violetta opened the door and stepped into herhome, the streetlight spilling into the dark void.