Ten years had passed since the incident and everyone had already move on as the death of the so called suspect had been found dead. They thought that everything is solved and the Killer is already dead, so they thought.
July 9, 2039.
It was a very rainy day and the sound of rain softly against the windowpane of her apartment. Mira sat in her small apartment, the dim glow of her desk lamp casting a pool of light over stacks of paperwork. The clock ticked past 8:00 PM, but she barely noticed. Working late had become a habit—something to drown out the quiet.
She sifted through her late-night paperwork. She paused, rubbing her temples. Life had been quiet for years. She worked as an office assistant, keeping her head down, doing her job well, avoiding attention. It was safe, predictable, and ordinary—just what she wanted after Linwood.
Remembering those scene always made her heart panic so her parents brought her to a psychiatrist when she was only 18 during that event. That incident brought her so much trauma that she doesn't have the nerves to even speak out that incident to anyone. She wanted to forget that incident until her phone buzzed. A name on the screen made her freeze.
From: Leonard Greaves
Subject: My father was not the killer.
Message: I found something—proof. Please meet me at Alder & Rose Restaurant, 7 PM tommorow.
This message froze Mia from what she was doing since it has been ten years since that incident and she just wanted to let go of it already but, why. Why does this appeared again when they all had their own lives and already wanted to move on.
Leonard Greaves, she had remembered that name and his face. He was the principal's son, whose father had been blamed for the Linwood Massacre. Mira's chest tightened. Memories she had buried for years surged to the surface, sharp and heavy.
Her fingers trembled slightly. Leonard… She hadn't heard that name in years. The last memory she had of him was the sight of his father's photo plastered on every newspaper headline: PRINCIPAL AMON GREAVES — SUSPECTED MASTERMIND OF THE LINWOOD MASSACRE.
"Damnit.... Why now? Why now that we had already move on??" She said as she let out a sigh of frustration and she ran a finger through her hair. She wanted to refuse but couldn't since she knows that Leonard had helped her alot in the past and she wanted to know the real truth of that incident.
Taking a deep breath, she replied to him— saying that she agreed meeting with her tonight and that she would call out the other survivors that she knew of that event. Then she began calling the others.
She had called Sean first since she had been close with her for the past years. His full name was Sean Alvarez, she had remembered him as strong, protective one during their school days. She had seen that years in the military had made him taller, broader, disciplined—but there was still an intensity in his eyes that told her he had never truly left the past behind.
It rang for a couple of minutes before he answered with a tired voice, as if he was awakened from a deep slumber. "Mia— Do you need anything? It's already 8PM.... Don't you have work tommorow?"
"Did I woke you up?" She said with an apologetic voice, keeping her voice steady.
"No.... I wasn't— What do you think?" He said mockingly but his voice was calm and a sigh can be heard from the phone then his voice softened a little. "Just kidding, did something happened?"
"Very funny.... But, I just received a message from Leonard." She said with a hint of worry and scepticism in her voice.
For a moment there was a sudden pause from the other side of the call then he answered with a cautious but steady voice. "Are you kidding me? Seriously?? After ten years?? What did he say?"
"He said that his father wasn't the killer and he had evidence to prove it. He told me that we should meet up with him 7 tommorow night at Alder & Rose." She said.
There was a grunt of frustration from the other side of the call then he replied again. "I'll be there, see you there," Then he ended the call.
Next, she had called Luna. Full name, Luna Reyes. She had always admired Luna's perceptiveness even now. She remembered that she was the most gentle and careful person that she had met during her highschool days as she was cautious in a world that had taken so much from her. Yet she can see that there was fire beneath that delicacy, a determination to know the truth that Mira had seen even back in school.
Luna answered the call faster than Sean did and her voice was the same as she had remembered. "Mira?"
"Yeah, it's me." She said hesitantly, she hadn't been able to talk with the rest of the others after that incident and Sean was the only one she had contact with for the past few years.
"Mira?" A surprised laugh escaped her. "I thought you disappeared from the world."
"I tried," Mira admitted quietly and a chuckle escape from her lips then her voice tightened a little, she hoped that Luna will be able to handle what she was about to say. "But something came up. Leonard contacted me."
"Leonard? As in Leonard Greaves?" Luna's tone shifted instantly—fear, curiosity, disbelief. "After all this time? What does he want?"
"He says he has proof. About his father." She replied with a sigh but she was relieved that Luna was interested in knowing about this rather than shutting her away before she could explain more.
The other line went silent except for Luna's uneven breathing then she replied with an uneven voice and it was mixed with fear, uncertainty, curiousity, and worry. "Mira… do you think it's true?"
Mia paused for a while before she said. "I don't know. But if it is…"
"Then everything changes," Luna whispered, trying to control her voice.
Mira's voice softened. "Can you come?"
"I'll be there. Even if it means reopening that scar." Luna replied then she ended the call.
After that call, she had called Theo next. She hadn't been able to talk to him the most and she had remembered that they had an argument during that incident but he still protected her so she felt guilty for not being able to connect with him for the past few years.
His full name was Theo Martinez. She remembered that he was a sharp, sarcastic, and observant person, Theo had spent years as a journalist, chasing stories and uncovering truths, in which it caused them to argue most of the time. Even with his wit, Mira saw the faint lines on his face from the trauma of Linwood and she knows that he had the unspoken weight of ten years spent carrying memories no one else could understand.
Her last call took the longest to connect. When it finally did, a familiar sarcastic voice answered, "If this is another telemarketer, I swear—"
"It's Mira." She replied as she cut off his words mid-sentence.
For a moment, there was a moment of silence and it was a kind of silence that was heavier than the first two calls. She already expected his answer so she had waited for him to say anything.
"…Well, I'll be damned," Theo muttered, his voice was sarcastic but there was hint of warmth in his voice. "Didn't think you'd ever call."
"I know." She said softly but after that, there was a pause from Mia's side of the call as she was very hesitant if she should tell this to Theo or not but she gathered her courage and said it anything. "Leonard reached out."
"That name again." He scoffed softly. "Didn't the police already settle that? If this is some kind of prank then I'll hang up."
"I know, but this is important so please— Don't hang up first." She said, her voice soft and pleading for him to first listen to her words.
"Let me guess," he said. "Something about Linwood? Just by hearing his name, I already know that it is connected to his father's death and the massacre. "
Her heart clenched. "He said he found evidence his father wasn't behind it, so we should listen to him first before we judge him."
"And you believe him?" Theo laughed once—bitter, tired. "Mira, that case is cold and sealed."
"I don't know," she whispered. "I know it sounds weird and suspicious but don't you want to know too? Besides, it sounds serious and he might be telling the truth."
A sudden paused occured at the other side of the call then a sigh can be heard— a sigh of frustation, her words made him curious and curiousity about things is his weakness so he couldn't say no to uncovering mystery. He replied with a tired and frustrated voice. "Fine, when and where did he say the met up would be? This better not be a prank."
"Alder & Rose. Tomorrow." She said softly with a smile.
He sighed. "You always had a way of dragging me back into hell."
"Then I'll see you there," she said softly.
---
The next evening, rain drizzled under the yellow glow of city lamps. Alder & Rose was warm and inviting, filled with the quiet chatter of customers and the smell of roasted herbs. It was a kind of place people went to forget their problems over soft music and warm food.
Mira was the first to arrive. She sat near the back, hands clasped around a cup of tea, her eyes darting toward the door with every sound.
A waiter approached with a gentle smile. "Good evening. I'm Eryos. Can I get you anything else while you wait?"
"Just water, please," she said.
"Of course." He returned with a glass moments later, setting it down with quiet grace. Something about him was calm—approachable. When he smiled, it wasn't forced; it was warm enough to make her forget, for a second, why she was even there.
Soon after, Sean arrived—tall, broad-shouldered, the kind of presence that filled a room. Luna came next, her light blue umbrella dripping rain onto the floor, eyes downcast but brightening slightly when she saw them. Theo was last, coat half-damp, tie loose, muttering something about traffic.
They exchanged hesitant smiles—the first in years.
Then the door opened again.
"Leonard…" Mira breathed.
He looked older, thinner, but his expression carried a flicker of hope that none of them had seen since before the massacre.
"Hey… everyone," he greeted, voice trembling slightly. "It's been a long time."
"Too long," Sean replied.
Leonard set a folder on the table and exhaled. "I know this sounds insane, but I found something. My father didn't do it. The reports, the timelines, the evidence—they were altered. Someone tampered with the files."
Luna leaned in. "Are you sure?"
Leonard smiled weakly. "You'll understand soon once I explained everything that I had found out. You see, I've been digging through my father's files. There are inconsistencies. Witness accounts, camera footage timestamps, forensic details—they don't align with the official report. My father couldn't have done it."
He opened a worn folder and spread its contents across the table: documents, photos, fragments of police reports, red-marked notes.
Theo leaned in. "This is… a lot. How did you get these?"
"I started contacting retired officers. Most didn't want to talk, but one gave me copies of old files." Leonard's eyes gleamed. "And I found something—someone tampered with the evidence. There are fingerprints that were never filed, and a witness statement that vanished from the record."
Luna frowned. "So you think someone else framed your father?"
"I don't think," Leonard said. "I know.... My father wouldn't be able to do that.... They said his death was suicide from guilt but, he wouldn't do that... I found reports of his autopsy and the doctors said that there is something wrong from his brain."
Everyone was puzzled by his words and Mia was the one who cut the silence. "Are you saying that he was controlled? How can that be?"
"I don't know and I know there is nothing in his body that could support my words— But, my father acted different that night as if something is controlling him." He said, his voice cracked.
They fell silent. Outside, the rain intensified, streaking against the glass.
Sean crossed his arms. "If what you're saying is true, you could be putting yourself in danger."
Leonard gave a tired smile. "If it means clearing my father's name… then it's worth it. Besides, I won't sit still now that I am certain that the killer is out there."
Eryos returned to refill their glasses, smiling faintly as he set down the tray. "Everything alright here?"
"Yes, thank you," Mira said politely.
He nodded and walked away, blending back into the rhythm of the restaurant.
They talked about the evidence for an hour before they all decided to put this at rest for a while since they all have their own lives to go home to. They all exited the restaurant and prepared to part their own ways.
"Make sure you send us those files later, Leonard." Theo said as he patted Leonard's back then his gaze softened— a hint of worry can be seen in his eyes. "Make sure you keep yourself safe, alright?"
"I will, thanks.... Be careful, all of you. Thank you for listening." He said with a smile on his face.
Mira smiled faintly. "You too, Leonard."
As the door closed behind him, the group stepped into the cool night. The rain had stopped, leaving the city slick and quiet.
---
Later that night at Leonard's apartment, Leonard sat in his small apartment, the folder open on his desk. The room was dim except for the pale light from his computer screen. He stared at his computer and typed quickly, scanning through files, comparing timestamps, cross-checking faces from old student IDs. Every connection he found only led to more questions.
He was busy searching for more evidence when he heard his phone buzzed and to his surprise it was an unknown number again. He had received this unknown number for the past few months since he started his investigation and he thought that it was just a coincidence so he always ignored it until now.
He frowned and answered. "Hello?"
At the other side of the call, he only heard was the sound of static until he had heard a voice— cold and detached, but it sounded familiar to him as if he had heard this voice before. "You should've stayed quiet."
Leonard froze. "Who is this?" he muttered.
Then the line went dead and Leonard looked at his surrounding— Panic filled his heart but he tried to keep himself calm. A chill crept through the air. He turned on the desk lamp—then the lights flickered and went out entirely.
He turned toward the door—just as the power cut out. The room fell into blackness.
"Great…" he muttered, reaching for his phone's flashlight. The glow illuminated the room just enough to see his reflection in the window. His heartbeat quickened.
Then he heard a faint sound of footsteps inside his room so he spun around and called out. "Whose there?"
But there was no answer, all he can hear was the sound of those footstep and the silence that followed after it. He took a hesitant step forward. The floor creaked beneath him. Then a shadow flickered by the doorway—too quick to follow. The air felt colder.
"Stop playing around!" he yelled and his heart beaten much more faster than before as fear start to crawl down his neck.
That's when he noticed it—another reflection behind him.
A figure.
He turned, but something struck him hard across the back of the head. The phone fell, its screen flickering as it hit the floor. Through the faint glow, a shadow knelt beside him, calm, deliberate, gloved hands moving with eerie precision.
Leonard tried to speak, but his voice failed. His last thought was of his father's face—the same desperate need to be believed.
Then, the room felt silence.
---
The next morning, Mia awakened from the sound of her phone buzzing and she was frustrated since she was having a nice sleep of her life until when she opened her phone and saw the news.
Breaking News: Leonard Greaves, son of late Principal Amon Greaves, found dead in his apartment. Police suspect foul play.
She was shocked and her heart tightened when she had read the news. Her grip on her phone tighted as she couldn't believe that he was already dead. She was still in shock when her phone rang again, but this time it was a call notification from her messages. She checked the caller and it was Sean. "He must have seen the news."
"Mira," his voice was low, but there was hint of despair and worry in his voice. "You saw the news right? Are you safe??"
"…Yeah." She said with a defeated voice, the only source of evidence and truth had been taken away from them.
"I couldn't believe He's gone. Leonard's gone." He said. "He doesn't deserve this."
He soon ended the call after he had make sure that she was safe then Theo's message arrived seconds later: We're meeting tonight. Same place. We need to get to the bottom of this mess.
Mira sat frozen, the world spinning around her and she couldn't help but feel more defeated as she stared across the screen, Leonard's smiling photo appeared beside a headline: 'Tragedy Returns: Another Death Tied to Linwood Massacre.'
And just like that—
The nightmare had just began again.