My heart was pounding so loudly I was sure she could hear it.
Cassie moved slowly, carefully, like someone who had done this before.
That alone made my chest tighten.
She crouched near the bags again.
Not randomly.
Not confused.
Purposefully.
My fingers curled slightly into my bedsheet as I watched through half-closed eyes.
She reached under the bunk.
And pulled something out.
A purse.
My breath caught.
Diana's purse.
For a second… I couldn't move.
Couldn't think.
Couldn't even process what I was seeing.
It was real.
All this time—
It wasn't me.
It was Cassie.
"Cassie."
My voice came out before I could stop it.
Soft.
But loud enough.
She froze.
Slowly… she turned.
And when our eyes met—
I saw it.
Fear.
Real fear.
"I…" she started, her voice shaking.
The room was still dark, but the tension felt loud.
"What are you doing?" I asked, sitting up fully now.
She stood quickly, clutching the purse like it could disappear if she let go.
"It's not what you think," she said again.
But this time…
It didn't sound convincing.
"Then explain," I said.
My voice wasn't soft anymore.
She didn't answer.
Her silence said everything.
Before anything else could happen—
The door suddenly opened.
Light flooded in.
Voices followed.
Mia.
Marvel.
And Diana.
"What's going on?" Mia asked, stepping in first.
Then she stopped.
Her eyes dropped to Cassie.
Then to the purse in her hand.
And everything changed.
Silence.
Heavy.
Sharp.
Unavoidable.
Diana stepped forward slowly.
"…That's my purse."
Cassie didn't move.
Didn't speak.
Didn't even try to hide it anymore.
"I can explain," she whispered.
"No," Diana snapped. "Explain now."
Mia looked shocked. "Cassie… you?"
Marvel said nothing.
But she was watching.
Carefully.
Cassie's hands started shaking.
"I didn't mean to… I just…"
"You just what?" Gabrielle's voice came from behind as she stepped in too.
Now the room was full.
Everyone was watching.
"I don't know why I do it," Cassie said, tears forming in her eyes. "I try to stop, I swear I try, but sometimes I just—"
"You stole again?" Diana cut in harshly.
Cassie flinched.
My chest tightened.
Because now… everything made sense.
The missing things.
Her behavior.
The silence.
"I didn't want to take it," Cassie continued, her voice breaking. "I just… I saw it and… I don't know…"
"Stop," Diana said sharply. "Just stop."
Then—
Marvel finally spoke.
Soft.
Slow.
Dangerous.
"That's interesting."
Everyone turned to her.
She stepped forward slightly.
"But… wasn't this found in Nuella's bag yesterday?"
My heart dropped.
The room shifted again.
Like a switch had been flipped.
Diana frowned. "Wait… yes."
Gabrielle nodded. "So how did it move from her bag to… here?"
All eyes turned to me.
Again.
"No," I said immediately. "No, I didn't—"
"I didn't put it there," Cassie suddenly said.
Silence.
"What?" Mia asked.
Cassie shook her head quickly. "I stole it, yes… but I didn't put it in her bag."
My breath hitched.
Marvel tilted her head slightly.
"Then who did?" she asked calmly.
Cassie hesitated.
My heart started racing again.
Because now—
This was bigger.
"I don't know," Cassie whispered.
But her eyes…
They flicked.
Just for a second.
Toward Marvel.
And I saw it.
Clear as day.
Marvel smiled.
Slow.
Controlled.
Like she had already won something no one else understood yet.
"This is getting messy," she said lightly. "Maybe the supervisor should handle it."
Diana nodded immediately. "Yes. This is too much."
My chest tightened again.
Supervisor?
This was no longer dorm drama.
This was serious.
"I didn't do anything," I said, my voice steadier now, even though my heart was racing.
Mia stepped closer to me.
"I know," she said quietly.
And that…
That meant everything.
Cassie broke down completely now, crying, apologizing, trying to explain something she clearly didn't fully understand herself.
But no one was really listening anymore.
Because the situation had gone beyond her.
Now there was a bigger question.
A more dangerous one.
If Cassie stole it…
Then who put it in my bag?
And why?
My eyes slowly lifted.
And met Marvel's.
She didn't look away.
Didn't flinch.
Didn't deny anything.
She just smiled.
And in that moment…
I knew.
This wasn't over.
Not even close.