Children of Gambit

The time was currently 2:30. The trees swayed lazily with the westward wind, their rustling leaves harmonizing with the steady, rhythmic chirping of cicadas. The sun, though still high, hid behind a passing cloud, casting a comfortable shade over the school grounds.

Keith sat beside me under the tree, leaning back against the rough bark with his legs stretched out. His jet-black, curly hair moved faintly with the breeze, and the sleeves of his uniform blazer flared slightly with each gust. He took a slow sip from his juice box, condensation dripping onto his fingers, before exhaling with an exaggerated sigh.

"So, that's it?"

His voice carried a distinct note of disappointment, which made me turn slightly, raising an eyebrow. "What do you mean—'That's it'?" I asked, my tone laced with sarcasm before shifting my gaze back to the quiet school grounds.

"I mean the passage," Keith clarified, lazily swirling his half-empty juice box in one hand. "That was the payoff? There wasn't anything interesting, I'll have to admit."

I hummed, tilting my head slightly. "Is that really the case? I mean, we saw a few things that were kind of interesting. So brighten up."

Keith scoffed. "Uh, what do you mean 'interesting'? There were just old files on past students and some dusty group photo of coworkers. The only thing remotely interesting was who went there." He sighed again, this time more dramatically.

"It may seem that way at first," I said, shifting slightly to stretch my legs, "but think about it—if it was so uninteresting, why would someone go there in secret and investigate?"

Keith squinted, his brows furrowing. "I get that you understand those clues, but I don't. And it's no fun if I don't get the mystery." He pouted, turning away with an exaggerated hmph.

I rolled my eyes. "You big baby. Fine, I'll go over it again."

Keith perked up slightly but tried to hide it by focusing on poking his juice box with the straw.

"Deborah's constant warnings about the west-side section were my first clue," I began. "I needed to check if she was telling the truth or if she was just using the misplaced cataloging as an excuse to drive students away without looking suspicious."

Keith raised an eyebrow. "And what does getting lost in the west-side section have to do with the ownership stamps? How does that confirm whether she was hiding something or not?"

I glanced at him. "The books' ownership stamps were different from the ones in the rest of the library. The books I checked a week ago were newly updated. So what does that tell you?"

Keith frowned, rubbing his chin. "That… it's outdated?"

"Exactly. The library never intended to update that section, and the cataloging remains the same. That gives Deborah a reason to keep students away—if she outright tells them not to go, it might make them curious enough to check anyway." I flicked a stray leaf off my blazer. "Instead, she uses the 'misplaced books' excuse, so people naturally shrug it off."

Keith blinked before nodding slowly. "That's actually… smart. A person who's too curious would still check, but a normal student would just avoid the hassle."

I nodded. "That's why I knew the west-side section was the most suitable place for a hidden passage. It's abandoned, untouched, and no one bothers updating it."

Keith suddenly sat up, his expression shifting as something clicked in his mind. "Whoa, yeah! The most obvious place would be the one no one suspects! But… you also mentioned something about the architecture—what does that have to do with anything?"

I smirked slightly. "I'll get to that."

Keith rolled his eyes but waited, still shaking his juice box absentmindedly.

"The next clue was the book arrangement. It stood out—if you were paying attention. The titles felt like they were hinting at something. Remember them?"

Keith hesitated, then started counting on his fingers. "Uh… Don't Point the Torch at Me, Reflection at the Other Side, True Reflection… what was the last one again? Oh! Illusion of Spaces!"

"Good memory."

Keith squinted. "But what does that have to do with anything?"

"You saw me using my phone's flashlight between the bookshelf gaps, right?"

Keith nodded slowly, realization creeping into his face. "Wait… those books were warning about using light?"

I smirked. "Exactly. The titles were deliberately placed. 'Reflection at the Other Side' was a dead giveaway. The person who left them there clearly wanted to remind themselves not to shine light in a certain direction."

"That is weird… but why between the bookshelves?"

I exhaled, adjusting my sitting position. "Think about the last book—Illusion of Spaces. What does that tell you?"

Keith's eyes widened slightly before he clicked his tongue. "Ohhh. It's about hidden depth—spaces that aren't really there." He clapped his hands. "The west-side library leans against a mountain! There could be gaps or rooms built into it that aren't part of the visible library!"

I gave a small nod, satisfied he was catching on.

Keith whistled. "Damn. That's actually smart, little bro. But wait—who even set up those book titles like that? It's way too deliberate."

I leaned back against the tree, closing my eyes briefly. "That's the interesting part. They weren't left there for just anyone to find."

Keith tilted his head. "What do you mean?"

"The person who left those books wasn't trying to invite an outsider. They weren't setting up 'clues' for someone like us to follow."

Keith raised an eyebrow. "Then…?"

I opened one eye, glancing at him. "They were leaving reminders for themselves."

Keith inhaled sharply. "Wait… you think they had memory issues?"

I nodded. "Most likely. A normal person wouldn't need to leave reminders in the form of cryptic book titles unless they were worried about forgetting the passage existed in the first place."

"Shit." Keith leaned back, staring at the sky. "So that means whoever worked here years ago probably had memory problems and left those there so they wouldn't forget…"

I nodded. "Which means we're looking for someone older—someone who might not even work here anymore."

Keith exhaled, shaking his head. "Damn. That's actually crazy." He looked at me, smirking. "You really enjoy this, don't you?"

I shrugged, standing up and dusting off my uniform. "Not rocket science."

Keith chuckled before looking at me more curiously. "By the way, you never asked about the owner of that footprint."

I paused mid-step, narrowing my eyes at him. "…You know something, don't you?"

Keith smirked, tilting his head playfully. "Maybe…"

I stared at him for a moment.

Of course he does.