The next day at school, the mood was tense. All four met in their little corner behind the gym – the place where they felt safe. Max was clutching his phone tightly, ready for the next unexpected event.
“So, what do we do now?” Lena asked nervously. “The call was clearly a threat.”
“We have to catch the culprit,” Mia said determinedly. “And today.”
Sam nodded. “I looked at the chat history again last night. There’s a spot where someone from the class reacted – but totally different from the others. Very reserved, almost as if the person didn’t want to stand out.”
“Who?” Max asked.
“Well, that’s where it gets exciting,” Sam replied, pulling out his phone. “Look here.” He showed them a list of chat names and profile pictures. “The name is ‘Phantom’. Sounds pretty mysterious, right?”
“Phantom?” Lena repeated skeptically. “That could really be anyone.”
“That’s exactly what I thought,” Sam said. “But the IP address of the account leads to a computer that is only used at school.”
“Then we have to find out who always uses that computer at school,” Mia said. “Maybe in the library or the computer room.”
In the afternoon, they sneaked into the library, where a few computers were available for students to use. They waited patiently until no one was looking and checked the computers.
“Here!” Max suddenly whispered. “This computer shows an active connection to the chat.”
“Perfect,” Lena whispered back. “Now we just have to see who’s sitting there right now.”
But at that exact moment, someone turned around. It was Mrs. Berger, the strict class teacher who rarely spoke to students.
“What are you doing here?” she asked with a piercing look.
“Uh, we’re researching for a project,” Mia stammered.
Mrs. Berger snorted. “I’ve noticed for a while that something isn’t right here. It’s time you learn the truth.”
The friends looked at each other confused. “What do you mean?” Max asked cautiously.
Mrs. Berger sat down on a chair and began to tell: “I have been monitoring the secret chat because I realized some students were being bullied. And I found out that the culprit is someone no one would have expected – someone who hid behind a mask.”
“Who?” Lena whispered.
“It’s... Tim, your classmate from the parallel class,” Mrs. Berger said quietly. “He always acted inconspicuous, but he was the one who wrote the messages and stole Mia’s phone.”
Mia swallowed hard. “Tim? But why?”
“He felt excluded and wanted power over others,” Mrs. Berger explained. “He picked you as a weakness because you are new and withdrawn.”
Mia looked down. “I just didn’t want to be a burden to anyone. I felt so alone so often that I withdrew.”
Max placed his hand reassuringly on her shoulder. “You’re not alone, Mia. We’re here for you.”
Lena nodded. “And we’ll get through this together. We’re even stronger now.”
Sam grinned. “Unbeatable together, right?”
A small smile flickered across Mia’s face. “Yes, together.”
But before they could continue talking, a loud noise suddenly came from outside. Everyone looked toward the door, which slowly opened – and Tim stood there, with a sinister look in his eyes.
“You really think you can catch me that easily?” he hissed. “The game is far from over...”