Chapter 6 - Chapter 6: Intruders in the Night

The university campus, immersed in the darkness of the night, was a place Andrea struggled to recognize. The sky, covered by a thick layer of black clouds, seemed like an oppressive ceiling, devoid of stars or moon to offer comfort. The air was cold, sharp, carrying the scent of damp earth and rotting leaves that seeped into his lungs with every breath. Andrea moved with quick but measured steps, his boots brushing the wet pavement with barely a sound. Beside him, Giulia walked with the same caution, clutching an unlit flashlight in her right hand as if it were an anchor in that sea of shadows. They had decided not to turn it on, not yet. The light would be a beacon in the dark, a signal to anyone who might be lurking, and that night they couldn't afford to be seen.The silence was almost absolute, broken only by the rustle of dry leaves stirred by a light breeze that seemed to whisper secrets among the trees. Andrea paused for a moment, turning to Giulia. His eyes, faintly lit by the glow of a distant streetlamp, sought hers, pleading for reassurance he wasn't sure he could give. The tension between them was palpable, an invisible thread binding them in this madness."Are you sure this is a good idea?" Giulia whispered, her voice low but laced with a mix of fear and adrenaline. Her breath formed small clouds of vapor in the frigid air, and her hands trembled slightly—not from the cold, but from the nervous energy coursing through her veins.Andrea hesitated, running a hand through his hair in a gesture that had become a reflex over the past few days. "No," he admitted, his voice hoarse and cracked with exhaustion. "I'm not sure of anything, Giulia. But if we want to understand what was happening with Moretti, we don't have a choice. That reference to the hidden lab… it can't be a coincidence." He paused, looking into her eyes with an intensity that betrayed his anxiety. "Do you want to turn back?"Giulia shook her head slowly, biting her lower lip. "No," she said softly, her voice gaining strength. "You're right. We need to know." The tremor in her hands hadn't faded, but a spark of determination glinted in her eyes, one Andrea recognized immediately. It was the same spark that had driven him to involve her, the same one that had brought them here, to this moment, beneath a sky that seemed ready to swallow them whole.They resumed moving, heading toward the old natural sciences building, a red-brick structure that loomed like a forgotten shadow at the campus's edge. By day, it was just a dusty warehouse, a storage space for broken desks and obsolete equipment; but at night, with its shattered windows and cracked walls, it took on an almost spectral aura, as if it were alive and watching them. Andrea had crossed through it a thousand times over the years, but now each step toward it seemed to charge the air with an unsettling electricity, a portent of what awaited them.They had spent hours poring over Moretti's documents, scattered across the table in Andrea's room like fragments of an enigma. Handwritten notes scribbled on yellowed paper, confusing diagrams traced in faded ink, cryptic references to a "secondary site" that didn't appear on any official campus map. Between the lines, one detail had emerged clearly: a secret laboratory, hidden somewhere in that forgotten building. The code "A-13, lower level" had been their first concrete clue, a compass in that chaos of information. And now, beneath a moonless sky, they were there to follow that lead, driven by a blend of curiosity and fear.They reached a back door, almost invisible beneath a tangle of dry ivy hanging like a natural curtain. The metal was rusted, marked by years of neglect, and an old, corroded padlock dangled from the handle, locked but fragile to the touch. Andrea pulled his phone from his pocket, opening the photo of the note they had carefully transcribed. "A-13, lower level, rear access." He checked the faded number etched above the door: A-13. This was the place."We're here," he said, slipping the phone back into his pocket with a quick motion. "Give me a hand with this lock."Giulia knelt beside the door, pulling a small screwdriver and a paperclip from her jacket pocket. "Not exactly legal, huh?" she joked, a tense smile on her lips as she fiddled with the padlock. Her hands moved with surprising precision, a skill she'd honed dismantling old electronics as a hobby. Andrea watched her, admiring her calm under pressure. After a few tense seconds, a sharp click sounded, and the padlock sprang open with a metallic noise that echoed in the silence like a gunshot.Andrea flinched, looking around with his heart in his throat. "Nice work," he murmured, pushing the door cautiously. The hinges creaked loudly, a high-pitched wail that made him grit his teeth. He froze, holding his breath, listening. No sound, just the rustle of leaves in the wind and the pounding of his heart in his ears. "All clear," he said finally, stepping inside with determination.The interior of the building was a chaos of shadows and dust. The air was thick, steeped in mold and dampness, a smell that tickled his nose and made him want to sneeze. Andrea turned on his phone's flashlight, keeping the beam low to avoid drawing attention through the broken windows dotting the walls. The corridor ahead was narrow, its cracked concrete walls stained with dark patches of mold. Old lab benches, stacked boxes, and rusted equipment cluttered the space, creating a winding path that forced them to move carefully."We need to find the lower level," Andrea said, pointing to a rusted staircase descending into the darkness at the end of the corridor. "If the lab's here, it'll be down there."They descended slowly, the steps creaking under their weight as if they might give way at any moment. Each step seemed to amplify the cold seeping into their bones, a chill that had little to do with the outside temperature. Andrea felt cold sweat trickle down his back, an odd contrast to the trembling in his hands. At the bottom, they found a vast underground space, an area that seemed forgotten by time. The flashlight beam illuminated rows of tables covered with test tubes, dust-encrusted scientific instruments, and glass containers, many cracked or overturned. In the center of the room, a series of rectangular trays held dark soil, from which sprouted small plants with unnaturally bright green leaves, almost phosphorescent."This is the lab," Giulia whispered, approaching one of the trays with a mix of awe and unease. Her voice trembled with emotion, as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing. "Look at these plants… they don't seem natural."Andrea stepped closer, examining the samples carefully. There was something odd about those leaves, not just their vivid color but their texture: smooth, almost waxy, with veins that seemed to pulse faintly under the light. He pulled a small plastic container from his pocket and scooped some soil from the tray, sealing it carefully. "We need to analyze this," he said, slipping it into his backpack. "It could be the key to understanding what Moretti was doing."Giulia nodded, but her gaze shifted to a corner of the room where a stack of notebooks lay on a dust-covered table. She approached, flipping through one with trembling hands. "These are his," she said, recognizing the professor's messy handwriting. "There are formulas, diagrams… it looks like some kind of experiment on accelerated plant growth. Look here," she added, pointing to a page filled with numbers and sketches. "He mentions a chemical compound, something that speeds up photosynthesis."Andrea leaned in, reading over her shoulder. Moretti's words were a tangle of technical jargon and hasty notes, but one detail stood out: "Phase 3: stable results, commercial potential." "Commercial?" Andrea murmured, frowning. "Do you think he was working on something marketable?""Possibly," Giulia replied, turning another page. "If he found a way to make plants grow faster or more resilient… it could be worth a fortune."They were about to dig deeper when a sharp noise echoed behind them—a snapped branch, perhaps, or the sound of a step on the dusty floor. Andrea switched off the flashlight instantly, and darkness enveloped them like a suffocating blanket. They held their breath, motionless, eyes wide as they tried to pierce the gloom. Another sound, closer this time, followed by the rustle of something—or someone—moving through the shadows.The darkness was absolute, a stifling veil that seemed to press against Andrea and Giulia's eyes as they held their breath. The noise—that unsettling rustle that had shattered the silence—grew nearer, an echo of slow, deliberate footsteps reverberating in the underground lab. Andrea's heart pounded in his chest, a frantic rhythm thundering in his ears, while Giulia's hand, still clasped in his, trembled slightly. They didn't dare move, crouched behind a stack of crates that offered precarious cover. Every fiber of their being was taut, waiting."Someone's following us," Giulia whispered, her voice so low it was barely a breath. Andrea nodded, unable to reply, his eyes fixed on the darkness. The phone's flashlight, now off, weighed in his pocket like an unused weapon, a risk they couldn't take. Another step, then another, and the faint glow of a distant flashlight began to dance across the lab's walls, casting long, distorted shadows that seemed to move with a life of their own.The mysterious figure entered the room, a tall, indistinct silhouette framed against the weak glow of their light. Andrea gripped Giulia's hand tighter, sweat trickling down his back despite the underground chill. The figure moved with an eerie calm, their steps measured, as if they knew exactly what to look for. The intruder's flashlight swept over one of the trays in the room's center, the beam reflecting off the bright green leaves, making them appear almost luminescent. Then, slowly, the light shifted toward their corner.Andrea held his breath, his body rigid as a statue. The beam passed within inches of the crates, grazing the edge of their hiding spot. For a moment, he feared his heartbeat was loud enough to betray them. Beside him, Giulia was still, her breath held, eyes wide in the dark. The light lingered, hovering over an old cabinet next to them, and Andrea felt a knot tighten in his throat. Have they seen us? he thought, his mind racing through impossible escape scenarios.But then, with a sudden, swift motion, the figure turned and walked away, their footsteps echoing back down the corridor they'd come from. The light faded gradually, leaving them in darkness once more. Andrea waited, counting to twenty in his head, his body still taut as a bowstring. Only when he was certain the silence had returned did he exhale slowly, a shaky breath that released some of the pent-up tension."Who the hell was that?" Giulia asked, her voice low but thick with anger and fear. She stood slowly, leaning against the crate to steady herself."I don't know," Andrea replied, running a hand over his face. "But they weren't here by accident. They knew where to go." He stood as well, scanning the darkness. "We need to move. If they come back…"He didn't finish, but he didn't need to. Giulia nodded, clenching her fists. "Okay," she said. "But first, let's see what we can find. We didn't come this far to leave empty-handed."Andrea turned the phone's flashlight back on, keeping the beam low and shielding it with his hand to minimize the risk of being seen. They returned to the table where Giulia had found Moretti's notebooks, their steps light on the dusty floor. The stack of notes was still there, untouched, a treasure trove of information that seemed almost too valuable to be real. Giulia grabbed the first notebook, flipping through it with steadier hands now, while Andrea approached the trays to examine the plants more closely.The leaves were strange—not just their vivid color, but their texture: smooth, almost waxy, with veins that seemed to pulse faintly under the light. Andrea leaned in, studying them closely. "They look… alive," he murmured, more to himself than to Giulia. "Not like normal plants. It's like there's something inside them.""There's something here," Giulia said, drawing his attention. She held the notebook open to a page filled with sketches and notes. "Look at this. Moretti mentions an 'organic catalyst.' He says he found a compound in the soil that accelerates plant growth with no side effects. It's… incredible."Andrea stepped over, reading over her shoulder. Moretti's handwriting was a mess, but the words were clear: "Catalyst stable after 12 cycles. Yield tripled compared to standard samples. Potential for large-scale cultivation." Further down, another note: "De Santis informed. Discretion requested." Andrea frowned. "De Santis? The department head?"Giulia nodded, her eyes wide. "It looks like Moretti told him something. But why keep it secret?"Andrea didn't answer right away. His mind drifted to a memory from a few months back, a seemingly insignificant day that now took on new meaning. It had been in the botany lab, one of the last times he'd seen Moretti alive. The professor was on the phone, his voice low but tense, while Andrea arranged some seedlings for an experiment. He hadn't paid much attention then, but now the words came back to him: "Not yet, De Santis. It's not ready. If we go public too soon…" Moretti had hung up abruptly, noticing Andrea and changing the subject with a forced smile. At the time, Andrea had chalked it up to stress. Now, that snippet of conversation felt like a piece of a much larger puzzle."Maybe De Santis wanted something from this project," he said finally, returning to the present. "Something Moretti wasn't willing to give."Giulia closed the notebook, slipping it into her backpack. "Then we need to find out more. If this catalyst is that important, it could be why Moretti was killed."They were about to continue when another noise made them jump—a dull thud, like something heavy falling in the corridor. Andrea switched off the flashlight again, his heart resuming its frantic pounding. "They're back," he whispered, grabbing Giulia's arm and pulling her toward a farther corner of the room, where an old, rusted cabinet offered cover.They hid again, pressed against the cold metal, as the intruder's flashlight reappeared at the lab's entrance. This time, though, the figure wasn't alone. A second beam joined the first, and the sound of low but distinct voices filled the air. Andrea clenched his teeth, straining to catch the words."…in here," said a deep, raspy male voice. "I saw something.""Don't waste time," replied another voice, higher-pitched and nervous. "If they found the samples, we're in trouble."Andrea and Giulia exchanged a glance, terror mirrored in their eyes. It wasn't just one mysterious figure anymore—there were two, and they knew about the lab. The light drew closer, illuminating the table where they'd left the notebooks. One of the intruders let out a grunt of frustration. "One of the notebooks is missing," said the raspy voice. "Someone's been here."Andrea felt his blood run cold. The notebook Giulia had taken was their only solid evidence, but now it had put them in danger. The light shifted again, this time heading straight for their hiding spot. Andrea held his breath, praying the cabinet was large enough to conceal them.The beam stopped a few steps away, and one of the figures approached. Andrea caught a glimpse of a shadow: tall, broad-shouldered, wrapped in a dark coat. The man—for it was clearly a man now—paused, tilting his head as if listening. "I hear something," he said, his voice low but menacing.Giulia squeezed Andrea's hand so hard it hurt, and for a moment, he feared they'd be discovered. But then a sudden noise—a metallic clang from somewhere in the corridor—made both intruders turn. "What was that?" asked the nervous voice."Let's check it out," the other replied, and they moved off again, their lights fading into the darkness.Andrea exhaled softly, his body trembling with relief. "We need to get out of here," he whispered. "Now."Giulia nodded, but a fierce determination glinted in her eyes. "Not without more evidence," she said. "If we leave now, this might all be for nothing."Andrea stared at her, torn between fear and admiration for her courage. He knew she was right, but the danger was closer than they'd ever imagined. The night, which had begun as a search for answers, had turned into a fight for survival.The silence returned to the underground lab, but it was a heavy silence, thick with menace. Andrea and Giulia stayed crouched behind the rusted cabinet, their bodies still tense, their breathing short and controlled. The intruders' footsteps had faded, drawn away by the metallic clang that had distracted them, but the threat hadn't vanished. It lingered in the air, an invisible shadow wrapping around them like a net ready to tighten."We have to go," Andrea whispered, his voice rough with fear and exhaustion. He ran a hand over his face, trying to shake off the panic gripping his chest. "If they come back and find us…"Giulia cut him off, shaking her head with a resolve that startled him. "Not yet," she said, her eyes blazing with a fierce light even in the dark. "We have the notebook, but it's not enough. If we leave now, we might not get another chance to come back. We need to take everything we can."Andrea stared at her, conflicted. Part of him wanted to drag her out of there, away from this place that felt more and more like a trap. But another part—the part that had driven him back to Moretti's lab the night of the murder, the part that couldn't let go of the mystery—knew she was right. He nodded slowly, reluctantly. "Okay. But we need to hurry."They stood carefully, muscles stiff from their awkward position. Andrea turned the phone's flashlight back on, shielding it with his hand to keep the light minimal. They returned to the table with Moretti's notebooks, where Giulia began flipping through the others with quick but careful hands. "Take that one," she said, pointing to a smaller notebook with a worn leather cover. "It looks different from the rest."Andrea grabbed it, opening it to the first page. It was filled with detailed sketches: plant diagrams, chemical formulas, hand-drawn maps. One page in particular caught his eye: a campus layout with a red circle around the building they were in, and a scribbled note beside it: "Samples transferred. Security compromised?" His heart leapt into his throat. "Giulia, look at this," he said, showing her the page. "Moretti knew someone was after him."Giulia stepped closer, reading over his shoulder. "Security compromised…" she murmured. "Do you think that's why he was killed?""I don't know," Andrea replied, slipping the notebook into his backpack. "But if these samples are that important, we need to take one." He turned to the trays, grabbing a small glass container from a nearby table. With trembling hands, he scooped up one of the strange plants, roots and all, and sealed it in the container. The dark soil clung to his fingers, cold and damp, with a sharp smell that made him grimace.They were about to move when another sound stopped them: footsteps, faster this time, heading back toward the lab. Andrea switched off the flashlight, darkness swallowing them again. "They're back," he whispered, grabbing Giulia's arm. "We need a better hiding spot."They darted to the opposite corner of the room, where a half-open door led to a small adjacent storage area. They slipped inside, closing the door behind them with a nearly silent click. The space was cramped, filled with boxes and dusty old tools. Andrea crouched behind a stack of crates, pulling Giulia down beside him. His breathing was ragged now, panic starting to take over.From the other side of the door, the intruders' voices returned, clearer this time. "I told you, someone's here," said the raspy voice, thick with frustration. "Look at the table—more than one notebook's gone now.""We can't let them get away with that information," replied the nervous, higher-pitched voice, taut with tension. "If they reach De Santis before we do…"Andrea felt a chill run down his spine. De Santis. The name kept coming up, a red thread tying everything together. His mind raced to another memory, one he'd buried beneath layers of daily routine. It had been a few weeks earlier, in the department hallway. He'd seen De Santis talking to Moretti, locked in a heated discussion. Andrea had passed by, heading to a lecture, but caught snippets: "You can't keep it hidden forever, Moretti. It's too big." Moretti had shaken his head, his face tense, and walked off without replying. Andrea hadn't thought much of it then, but now that moment screamed its significance."They're looking for something specific," Giulia whispered, snapping him back to the present. "They're not here by chance."Andrea nodded, clutching the container with the plant. "And we have what they want."The footsteps drew closer to the storage room door, and the handle began to turn. Andrea held his breath, his heart pounding so hard he feared they'd hear it. The door creaked open a few inches, letting a thin beam of light filter in. Andrea glimpsed a figure—tall, in a dark coat—peering inside. "Nothing here," said the raspy voice after a moment. "Just junk.""Check anyway," the other insisted. "We can't take chances."The figure stepped in, heavy footsteps echoing on the floor. Andrea and Giulia pressed themselves against the crates, trying to make themselves as small as possible. The flashlight beam danced around the room, illuminating boxes and tools, brushing the edge of their cover. Andrea closed his eyes for a moment, praying silently. Sweat dripped down his forehead, cold and sticky.Then, a sudden noise—a thud from outside the storage room—made the intruder turn. "What was that?" asked the nervous voice from the main room."Maybe a rat," the other replied, but he stepped out anyway, closing the door behind him. Andrea exhaled softly, his body trembling with relief."We need to get out now," he said, his voice barely audible. "We can't wait for them to come back."Giulia nodded but pointed to a small, grime-encrusted window high up, slightly ajar. "There," she whispered. "That could be our way out."They crept toward the window, careful not to make a sound. Andrea climbed onto a crate, pushing the glass hard. The rusted hinges gave way with a sharp creak that made him wince, but the window opened enough for them to squeeze through. "You first," he said to Giulia, helping her hoist herself up.She scrambled through with agility, disappearing into the darkness outside. Andrea followed, the plant container banging against his side as he twisted to fit. He landed on the damp ground beside Giulia, the night's cold hitting him like a slap. They were in a courtyard behind the building, surrounded by bushes and bare trees."Run," Andrea said, grabbing her hand. They bolted toward the woods bordering the campus, branches scratching their arms as they pushed through the dark. Behind them, a shout rang out from the building—"They're out!"—followed by the sound of rapid footsteps.Andrea picked up speed, his breath short, fear lending him strength he didn't know he had. They ran for what felt like an eternity, stumbling over roots and rocks, until they reached a clearing far from the building. They stopped, panting, hiding behind a large tree trunk."Do you think they saw us?" Giulia asked, her voice broken from the run."I don't know," Andrea replied, glancing back. No lights, no movement. "But we can't stay here."Giulia nodded, clutching the backpack with the notebooks. "We have what we need," she said. "Now we need to figure out what to do with it."Andrea looked at her, the weight of their findings pressing on his shoulders. They had evidence—the notebooks, the plant, the link to De Santis—but they'd also drawn the attention of people willing to do anything to stop them. The night, which had started as a quest for truth, had turned into a desperate escape, and the worst, he felt, was still ahead.The woods around them were a tangle of shadows and silence, broken only by their ragged breathing and the crunch of leaves underfoot. Andrea and Giulia paused behind the massive trunk of an oak, their hearts hammering as if they might burst. The night enveloped them, cold and hostile, but for now, it seemed to offer a refuge, a temporary hiding place from the threat that had chased them from the lab. Andrea leaned against the trunk, the rough bark scraping his back through his jacket, and closed his eyes for a moment, trying to calm the chaos in his mind."Do you think they saw us?" Giulia asked, her voice cracked from the run and fear. She crouched beside him, clutching the backpack with the notebooks to her chest like a shield. Her face, faintly lit by the weak glow filtering through the branches, was pale, streaked with dirt and sweat.Andrea turned to look back toward where they'd come from. The darkness was impenetrable, a black wall hiding the building and their pursuers. No lights, no movement, just the wind whistling through the trees. "I don't know," he replied, his voice low and uncertain. "But we can't stay here to find out." He wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a shaky hand. "We need to move, find somewhere safe."Giulia nodded but didn't move right away. Her eyes locked onto his, filled with a mix of fear and determination he'd come to recognize. "We have what we need," she said, tapping the backpack. "The notebooks, the plant… it's enough to figure out what was going on, right?""Maybe," Andrea said, but his tone was doubtful. He crouched, checking the container with the plant he'd stuffed into his backpack's side pocket. The green leaves still glowed faintly, an unnatural shimmer that unsettled him every time he looked at it. "But we still don't know who those guys were or what they really want. And De Santis…" He trailed off, the name heavy on his tongue like an accusation.Giulia stared at him, tilting her head. "Do you think he's behind all this?"Andrea didn't answer immediately. His mind drifted to another buried memory, one he'd tried to ignore until now. It had been a rainy day, a few months back, in the campus parking lot. He'd seen De Santis climb into a sleek black car, an expensive model that didn't match a university professor's salary. Beside him was a man Andrea didn't recognize, tall and vaguely menacing. De Santis had laughed, a dry, humorless sound, as the man handed him a brown envelope. Andrea had been too far to see details, but something about the scene had bothered him, even if he'd brushed it off at the time. Now, that memory burned, another piece of an increasingly dark puzzle."I don't know," he said finally, snapping back to the present. "But his name keeps coming up. Moretti told him something, and now these people are after us. It can't be a coincidence."Giulia stood, brushing her hands on her jeans. "Then we need to find out," she said, her voice steadier now. "We can't stop now, Andrea. Not after all this."He looked at her, struck by her resolve. There was something about Giulia that pushed him to keep going, a strength he hadn't expected from her. He thought back to the day they'd met, a sunny afternoon in the botany lab. She was a second-year student, quiet but curious, always scribbling in a notebook during Moretti's lectures. Andrea had noticed her because she was the only one asking questions—smart questions that often stumped the professor. When Moretti died, she'd insisted on helping him, refusing to let him face the whirlwind of doubt and fear alone. And now here she was, dirty and scared, but ready to fight."You're right," he said, standing. "But we need to be smart. We can't go back to the dorm, not tonight. We need a place to hide and think.""Marco's place?" Giulia suggested, then shook her head. "No, too risky. If they're looking for us, they might know about our friends."Andrea nodded, his mind racing. "There's an old shed near the campus boundary," he said. "They used it for gardening equipment, but it's been abandoned for years. We could hide there until dawn.""Okay," Giulia said. "Let's go."They moved again, slower now, alert to every sound. The woods were a maze of branches and shadows, but Andrea knew the campus well enough to navigate. They walked for about twenty minutes, the cold biting at their hands and faces, until they reached the shed. It was a dilapidated wooden structure, its roof half-collapsed and walls covered in moss. The door hung ajar, its rusted hinges dangling like broken teeth.They slipped inside, closing the door as best they could. The interior was dusty and webbed with cobwebs, but a corner with an old bench and some boxes offered minimal shelter. Andrea set his backpack down, sitting with a sigh. Giulia settled beside him, pulling out Moretti's notebook and opening it under the phone's flashlight."We need to figure out what we've got," she said, flipping through the pages. "If this catalyst is that important, it could be the key to everything."Andrea nodded, but his mind was elsewhere. As Giulia read, he thought back to the night he'd found Moretti's body. He'd gone back to the lab to retrieve a forgotten book, a mundane errand that turned into a nightmare. The professor was there, sprawled on the floor, blood pooling beneath him like a liquid shadow. Andrea had called the police, but not before noticing the chaos: drawers open, papers scattered, a mess that didn't fit the lab's usual pristine order. That was when he'd decided not to let it go, to seek the truth. And now, that truth had led him here, fleeing through the night."Look at this," Giulia said, breaking his reverie. She pointed to a page with a list of numbers and coordinates. "It looks like a log. Moretti was tracking where he transferred the samples. This place… it's the lab we found, but there's another one."Andrea leaned in, reading carefully. "Another lab?" he asked, his voice tinged with astonishment. "Where?""It's not clear," Giulia replied, frowning. "But there's a reference to 'Zone B.' It could be another campus building."Before Andrea could respond, a sudden noise made them jump—a snapped branch, too close to be random. He switched off the flashlight, darkness engulfing them again. "Not again," he whispered, his heart pounding anew.They stood, creeping to the shed's broken window to peer out. In the woods, about twenty meters away, a light moved between the trees, slow but deliberate. Someone had found them."Andrea," Giulia whispered, her voice trembling. "What do we do?"He looked at her, fear twisting his stomach. "We run," he said. "We don't have a choice."They grabbed the backpack and braced to flee, but before they could move, the light stopped. A voice cut through the darkness, low and menacing: "I know you're there. You can't hide forever."Andrea's blood turned to ice. The figure was closer now, a dark shape emerging from the trees. They couldn't see his face, but the threat in his voice was unmistakable. They had the evidence, they had the truth, but now they had to survive to use it.The night wasn't over, and the danger, they both knew, had only just begun.