Chapter 33 The Trap Strings.

The house was filled with a tense silence, an ominous stillness that seemed to permeate the air. Kai and I had been on edge for weeks, ever since we confirmed Kali’s true identity. Every interaction, every glance, carried the weight of our secret mission to expose him. But Kali, or rather Kaleb, had been a step ahead of us. That morning, I woke to find a note on the kitchen counter, written in Lily’s neat handwriting. “Went for a run with Kali. Be back soon. Love, Lily.” My heart skipped a beat. I hadn’t heard her leave, and she never went running this early. “Kai!” I called, my voice trembling. He rushed into the kitchen, concern etched on his face. “What’s wrong?” he asked, taking the note from my hands. “Lily… she’s with Kali. We have to find her,” I said, panic rising in my chest. Kai’s expression darkened. “We’ll find her. Let’s move quickly.” We grabbed our phones and raced to the school, calling Marcus on the way to alert him. Every second felt like an eternity. We arrived