The late afternoon sky hung heavy when Narey was summoned once again to the 9th floor of the BIN building. This time, she was accompanied by Brigadier General Ahmad Suwiryo, Head of the Covert Operations Division. He looked more exhausted than usual, his hand gripping a weathered file that had clearly been opened and closed many times. "Three students. Grovement University. No bodies. No witnesses. No trace. But we're certain this isn't an ordinary case." Narey opened the file. Those same faces stared back at her. She gazed at them briefly, then slowly closed the folder. "I'm sorry, Sir. I can't get involved," she said flatly. "Long-term undercover work isn't an option for me right now." Brigadier General Ahmad leaned back. "The reason… is it because of Rayna?" Narey nodded. Her voice softened, but stayed firm. "My sister died two years ago. Car accident. Her husband… left a week after the funeral. Never came back. Rayna is only five. I'm the only family she has left. I can't disappear for months, pretending to be someone else." The room was silent. Only the ticking of the wall clock dared to break the stillness. The General sighed. "We know you're the best detective in this city. But this is more than just a mission. We believe there's illegal experimentation happening. An underground network. Possibly even human trafficking." He leaned forward.
"We can't enter through official means. But you can. As a student. From the inside."
Narey looked down, her thoughts drifting to Rayna—the little girl just learning to write her name, always waiting for her at the table, crayons in hand. "I can't leave her," she whispered. "I promised my late sister." The General didn't push her. But just before Narey stood to leave, he looked into her eyes and asked one question that shook her to the core:
"If it were your daughter who went missing there… would you still stay silent?"
Three days later, Narey stood in front of the gates of Grovement University, undercover as Narey Marcelline, a first-year biology student. The backpack on her shoulder felt heavy—not from books, but from the weight of her decision. In her jacket pocket was a small photo of Rayna, the only reminder of why she couldn't afford to fail.
She wasn't just here as an investigator. She was here as a sister, as a protector. So no child would have to lose their parent again. So no sibling would have to become someone's entire world.
"I'll come back, Rayna," she whispered to herself. "But before that… I have to make this world a little safer for you."
Narey stepped out of an old taxi in front of Grovement University's gates. She was no longer Narey Ray, elite detective. She was now Narey Marcelline, a first-semester biology student. Casual clothes, simple backpack, new student ID tucked in her jacket pocket. She walked toward the administration office, every step calculated. Inside, a middle-aged woman greeted her warmly. "Welcome to Grovement, Narey," she said, handing her a campus access card and class schedule. "Girls' Dorm, Block E, Room 306." Narey nodded politely, but her mind was already at work—analyzing hidden cameras, security personnel, entry and exit points. Every tiny detail could be crucial later.
Her first night in the dorm was quiet. Narey sat on her narrow bed and opened a secret log on a hidden laptop. She wrote down the names of the three victims:
Rafi Ardana — Engineering, disappeared in the lower library.
Anjani Kusumo — Biology, vanished after a night lab.
Lucas Vanrah — Exchange student, resident of Block E, disappeared without a trace.
They all vanished on the same date: the 13th. No witnesses. No signs of violence. Strangely, no official panic from the university. Something was being hidden.
2:15 AM.
Narey, trained to be a light sleeper, jolted awake at the sound of hurried footsteps in the hallway. She moved silently and peeked through the door crack. A hooded student was heading toward the back emergency stairs—an area not marked on any official map. She quickly laced up her sneakers, grabbed a small flashlight, and followed at a distance. Every step was cautious. The back hallway ended at a rusted metal door… one that regular students weren't allowed to access. Narey took a deep breath. Her instincts screamed. Behind that door might be answers… or a trap. Her fingers brushed the small badge hanging on a hidden chain around her neck—the one thing that reminded her who she really was in this deception.
Narey's first morning as a new student began with light drizzle over Grovement's cobblestone paths. The neoclassical buildings stood tall, ivy crawling over stone like memories refusing to fade. She wore a grey hoodie and plain jeans—her look intentionally unremarkable, like a regular twenty-year-old fresh out of high school. There was no trace of the renowned detective she used to be. Now, she was just Narey Marcelline, a biology major transfer student from abroad.
Grovement University was famed as one of Southeast Asia's top science institutions. With state-of-the-art labs and globally trained faculty, it was a dream school for aspiring scientists. Her cover as a biology student gave Narey access to places the public couldn't reach. Her first mission: blend in. She joined the Intro to Molecular Biology class, sitting mid-row and observing her classmates. Most looked shy or indifferent. But one caught her attention—a skinny boy in a black hoodie with shifty eyes, scanning the room like he was expecting danger. His name was Arka.
After class, Narey casually introduced herself. Arka hesitated but replied. "You're a transfer?" "Yeah," Narey said. It was a short exchange, but telling. Something about Arka's unease stood out. His gaze had lingered too long on the emergency door before they parted.
Digital Log Update:
Arka: 2nd year. Suspicious behavior. Needs monitoring. Investigate emergency door.
That evening, Narey explored the library's rarely used basement. She overheard two students whispering about someone named "Professor Vellan." Once a lecturer in Applied Neural Science, he hadn't taught in years—but some claimed to see him wandering labs late at night, doing… something. The name burned into her mind.
Digital Log Update:
Professor Vellan: former faculty. Night activity. Potential suspect? Follow up.
Narey still didn't know who was behind the disappearances, but her gut told her the professor's name was no coincidence. She maintained contact with BIN through a small hidden device in her watch. They offered occasional guidance, but most of the mission rested on her shoulders. And without her realizing, someone was already watching her. The first trail had been laid. But in the shadowy corners of Grovement University… Narey was only beginning to uncover the edge of something far darker.