Eight years ago.
Winter had come early that year.
Snow gathered along the stone walls of St. Aurelius Boarding Academy, a remote school located far from the noise of the city. The building stood like an old fortress—tall grey towers, narrow windows, and long silent corridors that echoed with every footstep.
Most students hated the place.But for one boy, it was perfect.Because silence made it easier to observe.
The boy sat alone in the corner of the dormitory study hall.A thin notebook lay open in front of him, but he wasn't reading.He was watching.
Twenty-three students were inside the room.He had already memorized their patterns.Which ones whispered during study hours.Which ones cheated on homework.Which ones lied to teachers.
People were predictable.And the boy liked predictable things.
Across the room, two students argued quietly.
"You stole my pen," one accused.
"I didn't!"
"You were the only one near my desk!"
Their voices grew louder.Other students turned to watch the drama.
The boy in the corner remained silent.But his eyes sharpened slightly.
The first boy clenched his fists.His breathing became uneven.The boy observing wrote something in his notebook.
Subject A — impulsive aggression.
He then looked at the second student.Sweat on the forehead.Avoiding eye contact.The boy wrote again.
Subject B — lying under pressure.
Moments later, the argument escalated.
Subject A shoved Subject B.Chairs scraped loudly across the floor.Students gasped.
The supervising teacher immediately rushed forward.
"Enough!"
The fight ended.Subject B finally confessed he had taken the pen.Punishment followed.
Silence returned to the study hall.
The observing boy closed his notebook.
Prediction confirmed.Again.
A quiet voice spoke behind him.
"You predicted that fight, didn't you?"
The boy turned slowly.A girl stood behind him.
She had long dark hair tied neatly and sharp eyes that noticed too much.
Her name was Elena Ward.
One of the few students who occasionally spoke to him.The boy stared at her calmly.
"Yes."
Elena folded her arms.
"How?"
He answered simply.
"Patterns."
Elena looked unimpressed.
"That's not normal."
The boy tilted his head slightly.
"What is normal?"
Elena opened her mouth—But paused.
She didn't have an answer.
The boy picked up his notebook.
"I should go."
As he walked away, Elena called after him.
"You're weird, you know."
The boy stopped.Then he turned back slightly.
"Observation is not weird."
"It's useful."
Elena watched him leave the room.
And muttered quietly,
"…creepy."
—
Later that night.The dormitory halls were dark.
Students slept quietly inside their rooms.
But the observing boy was awake.He sat at his desk near the window.His notebook was open again.Pages filled with small notes.
Observations.Behavior patterns.
Psychological predictions.
He wrote another entry.
Subject C — prone to violence after humiliation.
A moment later—
A scream echoed through the hallway.The boy stopped writing.Footsteps rushed outside.
Doors opened.Students whispered nervously.
The boy stood up calmly.He walked into the hallway.Several students had gathered near the stairwell.
A teacher stood there in shock.At the bottom of the stairs—A student lay motionless.
Subject C.
Blood slowly spread across the floor.The boy stared silently.
Elena appeared beside him moments later.
Her voice trembled slightly.
"He… he fell."
The boy didn't answer.But his eyes slowly moved toward the railing above.The height.The angle.The position of the body.
Then he looked toward the group of students.
One of them was breathing rapidly.Avoiding everyone's eyes.
Subject D.
The boy returned to his room without saying anything.Inside, he opened his notebook again.He wrote calmly.
Prediction failure.Then below it—Subject C death probability miscalculated.
He stared at the words for several seconds.
Not sadness.Not fear.Just analysis.
But then he wrote something new.A name.
Subject D
Under it, a single word. Pushed.
The boy closed the notebook.And whispered quietly to himself.
"Interesting."
—
The next morning.Police officers arrived at the school.They questioned several students.The death was ruled an accident.Case closed.
But the boy knew it wasn't.Because Subject D never looked at the body.Only at the floor.Guilt always follows patterns.
Later that afternoon, Elena approached him again.
"You're not upset?"
The boy looked at her.
"Why would I be?"
"A student died."
"Yes."
Elena stared at him.
"That doesn't bother you?"
The boy thought for a moment.
Then answered honestly.
"No."
Elena felt a strange chill.
"You're scary."
The boy didn't react.Instead he said quietly,
"He was pushed."
Elena blinked.
"What?"
The boy looked directly at her.
"The fall wasn't accidental."
"How do you know?"
"Behavior."
Elena shook her head.
"You're making things up."
The boy said nothing.But his eyes drifted toward the hallway.Where Subject D was standing nervously near the lockers.
Watching them.
Elena noticed.
"…you're serious."
The boy simply replied,
"Yes."
She lowered her voice.
"Then why didn't you tell the police?"
The boy answered calmly.
"They wouldn't believe me."
Elena hesitated.
"Then what will you do?"
The boy looked back at his notebook.
"Observe."
—
Three days later—
Subject D disappeared.No one ever saw him again.The school assumed he had run away.
But the observing boy knew something different.Because on the night of the disappearance—
He received a message slipped under his door.
A single sheet of paper.Two words written neatly.
Good deduction.
Below it—
A strange symbol.A circle with a vertical line cutting through it.
The boy stared at the symbol for a long time.Then he whispered softly.
"…who are you?"
But the sender never revealed themselves.And the symbol appeared again.Years later.In places connected to crimes.Murders.Disappearances.
Always the same mark.The same silent observer watching from the shadows.
The boy closed his notebook that night.
And for the first time—
He felt something unusual.Curiosity.
—
Present day.
Snow fell quietly outside the police archive building.
Mr. Endless stood near the crime scene where the third victim had been discovered.Detectives moved around him collecting evidence.
Laura approached him.
"You've been quiet."
Mr. Endless looked toward the dark sky.
"Just remembering something."
Laura raised an eyebrow.
"About the case?"
Mr. Endless shook his head.
"About someone else."
Rudra walked over holding a new report.
"We found something interesting."
He placed a photo on the table.Mr. Endless's eyes immediately focused.
His calm expression changed for the first time.Just slightly.
In the photograph—
Carved faintly into the archive desk—Was a symbol.A circle.With a vertical line through the center.
Laura noticed his reaction.
"You've seen it before?"
Mr. Endless answered quietly.
"…yes."
Rudra frowned.
"What does it mean?"
Mr. Endless looked at the symbol carefully.
His voice was almost a whisper.
"It means…"
He paused.
"…the real game hasn't even started yet."
Laura blinked.
"What?"
Mr. Endless turned toward the window.Snow covered the silent city streets.
Christmas lights glowed peacefully in the distance.
But somewhere in that city—Someone else was watching.
Just like they had years ago.
Mr. Endless spoke calmly.
"This killer…"
"…is not working alone."
The room fell silent.
Rudra stared at him.
"You're saying there's another one?"
Mr. Endless's eyes remained fixed on the symbol.
"Yes."
And deep in his mind—
A memory returned.A voice from years ago.
Good deduction.Mr. Endless closed his eyes briefly.
Then whispered to himself.
"…so you're finally here."
Outside the window, the snow continued falling.
And somewhere in the city—
A second player had entered the board.Waiting.Watching.
For the moment the real game would begin.
End of Chapter 7...