Chapter 107: 107 | Door

Jason stared at Vivian's message.

Vivian: I think I know who we should be looking at.

His thumb hovered over the screen.

Jason: Who?

The typing indicator appeared.

Then disappeared.

Then appeared again.

Jason waited.

Nothing.

"She's doing that thing," he muttered.

Sarah looked over.

"What thing?"

"The thing where someone types for five minutes and makes you think they're about to reveal the identity of an international criminal."

Sarah smiled.

"Maybe she is."

Jason looked at her.

"Please don't joke right now."

"I wasn't."

"That somehow makes it worse."

His phone vibrated.

Vivian: I can't say yet.

Jason frowned.

Jason: Why?

Vivian: Because I'm not sure.

Jason: Then don't accuse anyone.

Vivian: I'm not accusing them.

Jason: Good.

Vivian: I'm watching them.

Jason stared at that sentence.

His stomach tightened.

Jason: Vivian, be careful.

Vivian: I am.

Jason: Seriously.

Vivian: I know.

Another message arrived.

Vivian: That's why I haven't told you the name.

Jason looked at Sarah.

"She won't tell me."

Sarah nodded.

"That might actually be good."

Jason frowned.

"You're supposed to be on my side."

"I am."

"Then why are you agreeing with her?"

"Because she's doing exactly what you told her to do."

Jason paused.

He couldn't argue with that.

Vivian wasn't asking him to solve the problem.

She wasn't running to him.

She wasn't accusing someone based on a feeling.

She had found a clue and was investigating it herself.

That was exactly what the system wanted.

And, more importantly, exactly what they'd agreed on.

Jason looked back at his phone.

Jason: What do you want me to do?

Vivian replied almost immediately.

Vivian: Nothing.

Jason blinked.

Jason: Nothing?

Vivian: Trust me.

Jason stared at the screen.

Those two words should have made him feel better.

Instead, they made his chest tighten.

Because trusting someone was easy when nothing was at stake.

It was much harder when something actually mattered.

Jason: Okay.

Vivian: I'll tell you when I'm sure.

Jason: Promise?

There was a pause.

Vivian: I won't promise what I can't guarantee.

Jason smiled faintly.

That was Sarah's rule.

Their rule.

Jason: Fair.

Vivian: Goodnight.

Jason: It's barely evening.

Vivian: Then good evening.

Jason laughed.

Sarah looked at him.

"What?"

"She just told me good evening."

Sarah smiled.

"That's Vivian."

Jason placed his phone down.

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

Then Sarah asked,

"Are you going to listen to her?"

Jason looked at her.

"I think I have to."

"You want to interfere."

"Very much."

Sarah smiled.

"But you're not going to."

Jason sighed.

"No."

He leaned back.

"This is torture."

Sarah laughed.

"Welcome to adulthood."

"I reject it."

---

The next morning, Vivian arrived at school earlier than usual.

She didn't go to class.

Instead, she stood across from the cafeteria entrance.

Watching.

Waiting.

She had spent most of the night thinking about the messages.

About the photograph.

About the anonymous person's words.

Ask Jason about his friend.

There were dozens of people Jason knew.

But only a few were close enough to know about Sarah and Vivian.

Even fewer would have had a reason to care.

Vivian opened her phone.

She looked at the photograph again.

The same face.

The same person standing beside Jason.

She had seen him before.

More than once.

And there was something else.

Something that had bothered her since last night.

The anonymous person had said:

You should ask Jason who was with him that day.

That meant they knew Vivian had seen Jason that day.

Which meant they had either been there...

Or had access to information about it.

Vivian's eyes narrowed.

That was important.

Very important.

She looked toward the cafeteria.

Then she saw him.

The guy from the photograph.

Walking through the entrance.

Vivian immediately looked away.

Her heartbeat increased.

She hadn't expected him to appear this quickly.

He walked past without noticing her.

Vivian waited several seconds.

Then followed.

Not too closely.

Just enough.

He entered the cafeteria.

Vivian stopped outside.

She didn't know his name.

That was the first problem.

She needed to find out.

She pulled out her phone and opened the school group chat.

She typed:

Who is the guy that usually hangs around Jason?

She stared at the message.

Then deleted it.

Too obvious.

Instead, she searched through old class photos.

Nothing.

She opened Sarah's social media.

Scrolled.

Scrolled.

Then stopped.

There was a group photo.

Sarah, Jason, Kyle, Daniel...

And him.

Vivian zoomed in.

A name was tagged.

Marcus.

Vivian stared.

Marcus.

She remembered him now.

Jason's friend.

Not his closest friend.

Not someone she had spoken to much.

But he had been around.

A lot.

Vivian opened her messages.

She almost sent his name to Jason.

Then stopped.

No.

Not yet.

She needed more.

---

Jason's morning was considerably less productive.

He sat in class staring at the same page for several minutes.

Nothing entered his brain.

Absolutely nothing.

The professor continued talking.

Jason looked at the board.

Then at his notebook.

Then back at the board.

He whispered,

"Marcus."

Kyle, sitting beside him, looked over.

"What?"

Jason froze.

"I said... massive."

Kyle frowned.

"What?"

"Massive workload."

Kyle stared at him.

"You didn't say that."

"I did internally."

"That doesn't count."

Jason looked forward.

"Please leave me alone."

Kyle laughed.

Jason's phone vibrated inside his pocket.

He didn't check it.

He had promised himself he wouldn't.

Thirty seconds later, he checked it.

Nothing.

He sighed.

Then he felt someone tap his shoulder.

He turned.

Marcus.

"Bro."

Jason blinked.

"Yeah?"

Marcus smiled.

"You free after class?"

Jason's eyes narrowed slightly.

"Why?"

"Need to talk."

Jason's stomach dropped.

Again?

What was happening with everyone?

"About?"

Marcus shrugged.

"Just something."

Jason stared at him.

Marcus smiled.

"Don't look so serious."

Jason forced a laugh.

"I'm not."

Marcus nodded.

"After class then."

He walked away.

Jason watched him go.

His heart began beating harder.

It was probably nothing.

Probably.

That word was becoming useless.

Jason looked down at his phone.

Still nothing from Vivian.

He suddenly had the strangest feeling that the day was about to become very complicated.

---

After class, Jason met Marcus outside.

Marcus leaned against the wall.

"You look tired."

"Thanks."

"Bad night?"

"Something like that."

Marcus nodded.

Then he said,

"I heard something."

Jason's expression changed.

"About?"

"You."

Jason stared at him.

"What?"

Marcus glanced around before lowering his voice.

"People are saying you and Sarah broke up."

Jason almost laughed.

"We didn't."

"I know."

"Then why are you telling me?"

Marcus shrugged.

"Because people believe it."

Jason rubbed his forehead.

"Who started it?"

Marcus shook his head.

"No idea."

"You're the second person who's told me that."

"Who was the first?"

"Kyle."

Marcus nodded.

"Yeah. Kyle knows too."

Jason studied him.

"Where did you hear it?"

Marcus hesitated.

"Around."

Jason stared.

"Around?"

"Yeah."

"That's not an answer."

Marcus laughed.

"You're interrogating me now?"

"No."

"You sound like you are."

Jason smiled.

"Maybe I'm practicing."

Marcus shook his head.

Then his expression became serious.

"Anyway, I thought you should know."

Jason nodded slowly.

"Thanks."

Marcus pushed away from the wall.

"Don't worry about it."

He walked away.

Jason watched him.

Something about the conversation felt wrong.

Not obviously wrong.

Nothing Marcus had said was suspicious.

But something didn't fit.

Jason pulled out his phone.

The system appeared.

[Phase Four Progress: 13%.]

Jason frowned.

Only two percent.

He expected more.

Then another notification appeared.

[Observation confirmed.]

Jason's eyes narrowed.

[Host is approaching the source of the interference.]

He stared.

"What?"

A second message appeared.

[Warning.]

[Do not confront the suspected individual.]

Jason's expression hardened.

So the system knew.

Or at least suspected.

Jason looked in the direction Marcus had walked.

"Marcus?"

He whispered the name.

Then immediately shook his head.

"No."

He wasn't going to jump to conclusions.

Not again.

---

That evening, Vivian finally called Sarah.

Sarah answered almost immediately.

"Hey."

"Hi."

"You okay?"

"Yeah."

Sarah sat down.

"Did you find anything?"

Vivian hesitated.

"I found a name."

Sarah became quiet.

"Who?"

"Marcus."

Sarah's expression changed.

"Jason's friend?"

"Yes."

"Why him?"

"I don't know yet."

Vivian explained everything.

The photograph.

The anonymous message.

Marcus being around Jason.

The timing.

Sarah listened without interrupting.

When Vivian finished, Sarah asked,

"Did you tell Jason?"

"No."

"Why?"

"Because if I tell him now, he'll immediately start investigating."

Sarah smiled faintly.

"That's true."

"And I don't want him interfering."

"I understand."

Vivian was quiet.

Then she said,

"Sarah?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you trust him?"

"Marcus?"

"Yes."

Sarah thought about it.

"I don't know him well enough."

"That isn't what I mean."

Sarah understood.

"You mean Jason?"

"Yes."

Sarah's answer came immediately.

"Yes."

Vivian swallowed.

"Even now?"

"Yes."

A long silence followed.

Then Vivian whispered,

"I think I do too."

Sarah smiled.

"Then trust him."

Vivian closed her eyes.

"I'm trying."

---

Later that night, Jason sat on his bed.

He had spent the last two hours trying not to investigate Marcus.

He failed spectacularly.

He had checked old messages.

Old photographs.

Social media.

School group chats.

Nothing.

Marcus seemed completely normal.

He had known Jason for years.

They weren't best friends, but they were close enough.

He had never caused trouble.

Never fought with Jason.

Never had an obvious reason to hate Sarah.

Jason leaned backward.

"This is impossible."

He stared at the ceiling.

"Why couldn't the suspicious person just wear a black coat and stand under a streetlamp?"

Silence.

Jason sighed.

"Would've made things easier."

His phone vibrated.

He looked down.

Vivian.

Vivian: Are you awake?

Jason: Unfortunately.

Vivian: Can I ask something?

Jason: Sure.

Vivian: Do you trust Marcus?

Jason froze.

His heart began pounding.

He stared at the message for several seconds.

Jason: Why?

Vivian: Just answer.

Jason: Yes.

Vivian: Completely?

Jason thought.

Jason: I trust him.

Vivian: Okay.

Jason: Why are you asking?

No response.

Jason waited.

Then—

Vivian: Because I think someone is using him.

Jason sat upright.

Jason: What?

Vivian: I don't think Marcus is necessarily the person behind everything.

Jason stared at the screen.

Jason: Then what do you mean?

Vivian: I think he might be getting information from someone.

Jason's expression changed.

That made sense.

Someone didn't necessarily have to be the person sending the messages.

They could be feeding information to someone else.

Jason: How do you know?

Vivian: I don't.

Vivian: That's what I'm trying to find out.

Jason: Be careful.

Vivian: I am.

Jason: Vivian.

Vivian: Jason.

Jason: I'm serious.

Vivian: So am I.

Then another message appeared.

Vivian: There's something else.

Jason: What?

Vivian: Marcus met someone today.

Jason's eyes narrowed.

Jason: Who?

Vivian: I don't know.

Jason: Where?

Vivian: Behind the library.

Jason immediately stood.

His mind raced.

He could go there.

He could find Marcus.

He could confront him.

He could finally get answers.

Then the system appeared.

[Host must not interfere.]

Jason stopped.

His fists clenched.

He stared at the notification.

"Fine."

He slowly sat back down.

"Fine."

He threw himself onto the bed.

"I'm not interfering."

Another notification appeared.

[Correct.]

Jason stared at it.

Then another.

[Phase Four Progress: 18%.]

Jason's eyes widened.

Five percent.

Just from not interfering?

He laughed bitterly.

"This system really enjoys watching me suffer."

His phone vibrated again.

Vivian.

Vivian: I think I found something.

Jason opened it.

Vivian: Marcus wasn't meeting someone from school.

Jason's heart tightened.

Jason: Then who?

A pause.

Vivian: I don't know yet.

Another pause.

Vivian: But I saw the car.

Jason frowned.

Jason: What car?

Vivian: Black sedan.

Jason stared.

That didn't help.

Then another message arrived.

Vivian: The driver got out.

Jason: And?

Vivian: I recognized him.

Jason sat up straight.

Jason: Who?

There was a long pause.

Then:

Vivian: He works at the café where you and Sarah had your first date.

Jason's blood ran cold.

That was impossible.

Why would someone connected to that café be meeting Marcus?

Unless—

Jason stopped breathing for a second.

The anonymous messages hadn't started because of Vivian.

They had started because someone had been watching all of them.

The café.

The school.

The apartment.

The people around them.

Jason looked at the system.

[Phase Four Progress: 20%.]

Then another notification appeared.

[New Discovery.]

[The interference predates the anonymous messages.]

Jason's face went pale.

Another line appeared.

[The Host has been observed for longer than previously believed.]

Jason whispered,

"Since when?"

No answer came.

Instead, one final notification appeared.

[Phase Four Condition Updated.]

Identify who has been observing the Host.

Jason stared at the screen.

The mystery had just become much bigger.

This wasn't someone who had recently noticed Vivian.

This wasn't simply a jealous student.

Someone had been watching them before the first message was ever sent.

And if Vivian was right about Marcus...

Then Marcus might not be the enemy.

He might only be the door.

And someone else was standing behind it.