The Untitled Case 2

At Present

"He... Hello, Shiny! B-Betty..." Laura's voice trembled with urgency.

"What? What’s going on, Laura? Where’s Betty?" Shiny’s tone shifted from confusion to alarm.

"S...she's on the plane...she’s really gone..."

"What? Seriously? Where are you now?" Panic edged into Shiny's voice. "I'm on my way to you!"

"I'm still at the airport. Please, hurry!"

As Shiny sped toward the airport, a whirlwind of memories consumed her. The events of that night replayed in her mind like a haunting film. It all started with Laura’s scream, a sound that sliced through the quiet like glass shattering. Intrigued and frightened, Betty had rushed in, only to be confronted by a blood-stained photograph of her parents, forever frozen in a moment of celebration.

Laura, driven by desperation, began searching the room, hoping to unearth some clue that would illuminate the dark circumstances surrounding the untimely deaths of Betty’s parents. Her fingers brushed against a small doll tucked away in a corner, and as she lifted it, a slight, ominous movement echoed through the walls, sending chills down their spines. Panic-stricken, the two friends dialed Shiny, hoping she could unravel this growing mystery.

An hour later, Shiny burst into the room, her heart racing as she joined the duo. Together, they explored the dimly lit space, uncovering unsettling evidence: weapons, scattered photographs pinned to a corkboard, and an array of files, one of which lay open, revealing unsettling details.

With trembling hands, Laura picked up a pen drive from the clutter. As she plugged it into the nearby laptop, a grainy video flickered to life, displaying images of unknown individuals, their details flashing across the screen. The final image ended abruptly with a cryptic code, its meaning obscured in shadows. Confusion mingled with dread as the trio pieced together the fragments, realizing that Betty’s parents were not merely victims but perhaps undercover agents entangled in a perilous secret mission that had claimed their lives. The pen drive held information that could expose something monumental—but only if they could decipher the code.

Shiny shook herself free from the reverie, turning to find Laura’s eyes glistening with unshed tears.

"Shiny..." Laura's voice cracked as the weight of their reality sank in.

"Laura, now isn't the time for tears. You need to be strong; we’re going where Betty is headed, together."

"Is that true?" Laura asked, her surprise laced with a flicker of hope.

"Yes," Shiny confirmed, her resolve firm. "On my way here, I arranged for two tickets for us. We have five hours before our flight. We need to pack quickly."

With a determined nod, Laura sat silently in the car, the enormity of their situation settling over her like a heavy fog.

As they drove back, Laura pulled out her phone, feverishly drafting a list of what to pack. Her mind raced with the unsettling discoveries from the secret room, each item they had found now felt like a piece of a puzzle that needed safeguarding. They couldn’t leave anything behind—not the pen drive, not the files, and certainly not the truths hidden within them.

The closer they got to their destination, the more Laura felt the weight of their mission pressing down on her. What secrets awaited them on their journey? What had they stumbled into? And most importantly, was Betty truly safe?