Chapter Five: The Truth Tastes Like Ash
I couldn't sleep that night—not even for a second.
Cami sleeps across the room, her breathing steady, like none of this is happening. Like she didn't just confess to being at the scene of Chloe's death. Like she didn't hold back information that could've changed everything.
I lie awake with Chloe's folder on my lap. Each page burns through me like fire. The truth is heavier than I imagined. And still, I know I'm only scratching the surface.
The flash drive Chloe left behind remains untouched.
I stare at it like it might explode.
I slip it into my laptop.
A folder pops up: "FINAL PROOF – DO NOT DELETE."
Inside: audio files, screenshots, notes, and one video labeled "Play me."
I hesitate.
Then click.
---
Chloe's face fills the screen.
She's in her dorm, the one she used to share with Jenna before she moved out. Her eyes are red. She's been crying.
"If you're watching this… I'm probably already gone."
My breath catches.
"I didn't fall. I didn't jump. And I wasn't drunk. If I die, it wasn't an accident."
She looks straight into the camera.
"It was him. Professor Raines. And he's not alone. There's more people involved. They cover for each other. I tried to speak up. I thought if I collected enough proof, someone would believe me."
She reaches forward and picks up a small recorder.
"I've recorded conversations, saved texts. I even got video of him threatening me."
She pauses, swallows.
"If anything happens to me, it means they found out."
The screen glitches. Then cuts to black.
---
I shut the laptop slowly, my fingers trembling.
She tried. She fought. And no one listened.
Now it's up to me.
---
The next morning, I visit the campus administration office.
I ask to speak to someone about Professor Raines.
The secretary raises an eyebrow. "Is this regarding your academic file?"
"No," I say. "It's regarding an ongoing abuse of power. And possibly—murder."
That gets her attention.
---
Ten minutes later, I'm sitting across from the Dean of Students.
She's in her fifties, sharp suit, tighter smile. "You're making a serious accusation, Ms. Hale."
I slide the flash drive across the desk.
"Chloe Morgan documented everything. She handed this to someone for safekeeping. That person gave it to me."
The dean plugs it into her computer and clicks through the files, her face slowly draining of color.
"We'll need to contact authorities," she says. "This goes far beyond our jurisdiction."
She excuses herself to call security.
I exhale.
Chloe, I did it.
---
By the time I get back to the dorm, there's chaos on campus.
Rumors are flying. Students whisper in groups. Someone says Raines has been escorted off campus. Another says the news stations are on their way.
I don't care about the noise.
I only care that the truth is finally being heard.
---
But that night…
Something feels wrong.
Cami is gone.
Her bed, untouched.
I try calling.
No answer.
I try texting.
Nothing.
Did she run?
Was she taken?
My phone buzzes.
Unknown Number: "You shouldn't have done that."
I freeze.
Another message follows.
"Now it's your turn."
---
I pack a bag.
I don't know where I'm going, but I know I can't stay here.
I grab the flash drive—now empty, since I gave the original files to the Dean—and head for the door.
But as I reach for the knob, I see something tucked under the rug.
A photo.
Me.
Asleep.
Taken from inside the room.
I back away slowly, heart pounding.
They've been here.
Watching.
Waiting.
And they're not done.
---
I head straight to Jesse's place. I don't trust anyone else.
He opens the door, wide-eyed. "Ava?"
"I think someone broke into my dorm. Cami's missing. And they're watching me."
He lets me in, locks the door.
"Okay, okay, breathe. Tell me everything."
I do.
All of it.
The video, the dean, the messages.
When I'm done, Jesse leans back, rubbing his face.
"This is bigger than just Raines."
I nod. "I think Chloe uncovered a whole network. Faculty, maybe even alumni. People who protect each other."
"She got too close."
"And now I have."
He stands. "We need help. Real help."
"Police?"
He shakes his head. "No. We go to the press."
---
The next day, Jesse and I meet with a local journalist. Her name is Maya Quinn, and she's been trying to expose corruption at our university for years. Chloe had mentioned her in one of her notes.
We hand over everything.
She listens. Watches the video. Reads the transcripts.
By the time we finish, her expression is grave.
"This… this is going to change everything," she says.
"Good," I whisper. "It should."
---
That night, I receive one final message.
Unknown Number: "Game over, little liar."
I don't reply.
Instead, I block the number.
Because the game isn't over.
It's just beginning.
---
Three days later, the story breaks.
The university is under investigation. Professor Raines is arrested. Two other faculty members are suspended pending charges. Students stage protests. Chloe's name is on every headline.
"STUDENT DEATH SPARKS CAMPUS UPRISING."
"THE GIRL WHO SPOKE FROM THE GRAVE."
I visit her grave for the first time since the funeral.
Fresh flowers cover it—some from strangers, others from people who finally know what she did.
"I kept my promise," I whisper.
Wind brushes against my cheek like a touch.
For the first time in months, I feel like I can breathe.
---
But as I walk away, I notice something carved into the tree beside her grave.
It wasn't there before.
Three words.
"YOU'RE STILL NEXT."