The note in Chisom’s hand felt heavier than paper.
“Library basement. 7 p.m. Another member wants to talk.”
She folded it carefully and slipped it into her skirt pocket, her heart pounding. All through the day, her mind swirled with questions. Who was the new contact? Could they be trusted? Or was it a trap?
At 6:55 p.m., she slipped out of the dorm quietly, phone in one hand, pepper spray in the other — a gift from Ada, just in case. The library was mostly deserted, except for a few seniors pretending to read while secretly pressing phones beneath their desks.
Chisom made her way to the farthest aisle, then turned into the narrow hallway that led to the basement. The door creaked as she opened it, the air damp and cold as she descended the stairs.
The light flickered once, then steadied.
A boy stood at the bottom of the stairs, half-hidden in shadow. Not Femi. Not Dapo.
It was Kunle’s younger brother — Joshua.
She froze.
“You left,” she said quietly. “After Kunle disappeared. You just vanished.”
“I didn’t vanish,” he replied. “I was pulled out by my parents. But not before Kunle made me promise something.”
He stepped forward, holding up a flash drive. “He gave me this. Told me if anything happened to him, I should give it to someone I trust. Someone who asks questions.”
Chisom’s eyes widened. “What’s on it?”
He looked around nervously. “I haven’t seen it. But he mentioned a tunnel. Said there’s a room beneath the school with everything — footage, files, even proof of what happened to him.”
Her throat tightened. “Can you show me?”
Joshua nodded. “Follow me.”
Behind a forgotten bookshelf at the edge of the basement was a cracked wall panel. Joshua pried it open with a metal ruler, revealing a narrow tunnel — dark, dusty, and silent.
“Do you trust me?” he asked.
Chisom hesitated, then nodded. “Let’s go.”
They crawled for minutes that felt like hours. The tunnel opened into a small underground office — untouched, filled with cabinets, a metal desk, and a dusty computer setup. A broken fan hung overhead. Everything was covered in cobwebs.
“This used to be part of the school’s old administrative wing,” Joshua explained. “Abandoned after the fire.”
Chisom spotted a box labeled “Archives – Restricted.” Inside were files — reports of student expulsions, disciplinary actions, and strange notes marked with a red “O”.
Then she saw it: a manila envelope labeled “Kunle Adebayo – Incident Night Footage.”
Hands shaking, she opened it. Inside was a USB stick.
She looked at Joshua. “Let’s try it.”
The dusty PC hummed to life. The screen flickered.
They opened the video.
A grainy camera view of the chapel. Kunle stood near the altar, arguing with someone just off camera.
“…you can’t keep hiding this!” Kunle shouted. “Students deserve to know the truth.”
Then the voice responded — calm, chilling.
“Kunle, don’t make this difficult. You were chosen. You can’t walk away.”
It was Femi.
Seconds later, the video showed two masked figures dragging Kunle away.
Chisom covered her mouth. “They… took him.”
Joshua whispered, “He knew too much.”
They copied the footage and several other files onto Joshua’s flash drive.
Suddenly, a low creak echoed through the tunnel.
Voices. Footsteps. Getting closer.
“They’re coming,” Joshua said. “We have to go. Now.”
They packed what they could and slipped back into the tunnel. This time, they exited through a back opening near the abandoned lab, hearts racing.
By the time they reached the dorm, Ada was pacing.
“You’re safe!” she hugged Chisom tightly, then turned to Joshua. “You too?”
Joshua nodded. “I’m in now. I want justice for my brother.”
Chisom held up the flash drive. “We have the footage. We have names. The Hidden Files… are no longer hidden.”
📣 Final Episode Coming Next:
Episode 11 – The Confession
A former staff member secretly meets her with a recorded confession — everything from bribes to abuse to why Kunle had to be silenced.
> 📖 Previously: Episode 9 – “The Secret Society”
📅 Final Episode Drops This Week – Stay Updated on alphayem.com.ng
