Frozen Blaze - 05: The Stairway to Secrets

Zane Shaw stood at the entrance of the vocational high school, his eyes narrowing as the security guard stepped in front of him, blocking his path. The man was firm, a no-nonsense expression on his face.

“You can’t enter without proper identification,” the guard said, his tone leaving no room for negotiation.

Zane sighed, pulling out his badge and holding it up for the guard to see. “I’m Detective Zane Shaw. I’m here on official business.”

The guard inspected the badge closely, then gave a curt nod. “Go ahead.”

As Zane walked past, he couldn’t help but notice the state of the school. The building had five floors, each showing signs of wear and tear. The playground was covered with scattered yellow sand, giving it an almost desolate appearance despite its size. The exterior of the building was cracked and faded, a stark reminder of the years it had endured.

Zane quickened his pace, heading straight for the main building. The atmosphere inside was tense, as if the very walls were holding their breath, waiting for something to happen. He knew that time was of the essence; there was a lot to uncover, and he couldn’t afford to waste a second.

As he navigated the dimly lit hallways, Zane encountered a woman named Yu Wen. She was overweight, her face flushed with anxiety, yet there was a hesitation in her eyes that Zane couldn’t ignore.

“Ms. Yu,” Zane began, his voice steady but probing, “I need to ask you a few questions.”

Yu Wen fidgeted, her hands wringing nervously. “I don’t know much, Detective. I’m just a teacher here.”

Zane could tell she was holding something back. “Anything you can tell me will help. We need full cooperation to figure out what’s going on.”

Yu Wen bit her lip, her eyes darting around as if searching for an escape. “I… I saw something strange earlier, but I wasn’t sure if it was important…”

“Everything is important,” Zane pressed gently. “Please, tell me what you saw.”

But before Yu Wen could respond, another staff member appeared, ushering Zane further into the building. They led him to a small, dimly lit room. The moment Zane stepped inside, he knew something was wrong. The air was thick with the metallic scent of blood, and in the center of the room lay a dead man, his body twisted in a way that suggested a violent struggle had taken place.

Zane’s heart rate quickened as he began to take photos of the scene, his trained eyes catching every detail—the overturned chair, the broken glass, the deep gashes on the man’s body. It was clear that the man hadn’t gone down without a fight.

As Zane worked, he noticed something peculiar: a small piece of paper clutched in the man’s hand, half-hidden beneath his body. He carefully pried it free and unfolded it, finding only a single word scrawled across it: “Betrayed.”

The implications of that word sent a chill down Zane’s spine. This wasn’t just a random act of violence; it was personal. Someone in this school knew more than they were letting on.

Zane straightened up and turned to the staff member who had led him here. “We need to lock down the school. No one leaves until we get to the bottom of this.”

The staff member nodded, his face pale. “I’ll inform the principal.”

As the lockdown was enforced, Zane began questioning everyone who had been near the scene. The tension in the air was palpable, and it wasn’t long before suspicions began to arise within the school community.

One of the female teachers, whom Zane had already spoken to earlier, was now acting particularly evasive. When confronted, she stammered and fidgeted, avoiding eye contact. Zane wasn’t the only one who noticed—beside him, the vice principal was frowning deeply.

“Ms. Li,” Zane said, his voice firm, “I need you to be honest with me. Is there something you’re not telling us?”

Ms. Li hesitated, then shook her head vigorously. “No, no, Detective Shaw, I swear I don’t know anything!”

But Zane wasn’t convinced. There was something off about her demeanor, something that made him think she was hiding something crucial. Before he could press further, however, a loud noise from the hallway caught their attention.

As Zane and the vice principal rushed out to investigate, the atmosphere grew more charged, with teachers and students alike whispering nervously to each other. The discovery of the dead man had sent shockwaves through the school, and everyone was on edge.

Zane’s instincts led him to the end of a long hallway, where he noticed a small, inconspicuous door that had gone unnoticed before. He reached out to open it, but the door wouldn’t budge. Without hesitation, he pulled on a pair of gloves and gave the door a firm tug. It creaked open, revealing a narrow stairway that led both up and down.

“Stairs?” Zane muttered to himself. “Why didn’t anyone mention this?”

The vice principal, who had been following close behind, looked just as surprised. “I… I didn’t think to mention it, Detective. No one really uses this staircase. I almost forgot it was even here. Besides, you asked about the rooms, not the staircases.”

Zane shot him a pointed look but said nothing. Instead, he focused on the task at hand. He knew that whatever was at the bottom—or top—of those stairs could hold the key to solving this case.

“Stay close,” Zane ordered as he began his descent.

The narrow stairway was poorly lit, the air growing colder with each step. As they reached the first floor, Zane’s senses were on high alert. He could hear faint sounds—footsteps, perhaps—echoing from somewhere nearby.

Without hesitation, Zane made his way to a classroom at the far end of the hallway. He had a gut feeling that this was where he needed to be. The door was slightly ajar, and as he pushed it open, he saw a man standing by the window, his back turned.

The man didn’t move as Zane entered the room, but Zane could feel the tension radiating off him. He knew that this was the person he’d been looking for—the one who could provide the answers he so desperately needed.

“Turn around,” Zane commanded, his voice cutting through the silence.

Slowly, the man turned, and Zane’s eyes locked onto his. The man’s expression was unreadable, but there was something in his gaze that made Zane’s heart race. This was it—the moment of truth.

And as the seconds ticked by, Zane knew that whatever happened next would change the course of the investigation—and perhaps even his life—forever.