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“It's me,” said the distorted, deep voice. “The Eye.”

“Who else...” Emely murmured.

Had he already gotten to the point where he could hack into houses? Was he perhaps already in our laptops, even our cell phones?

“Our beloved Harlow actually thought she was in control of the technology.” The Eye laughed darkly, almost menacingly quietly, so that the goose bumps on my arms spread to my neck. “Remember one thing. Here, I am in control.”

I should have been glad that someone was taking care of this messed-up co-director. But I couldn't help feeling uneasy about how much power this hacker had over us. What if he actually managed to get rid of Harlow? What would happen next? Would he just stop? After all, he seemed to be enjoying all this anonymity.

“It's amusing to see that even the security team is failing at its job.” He laughed again. But suddenly his voice became serious, almost threatening. “Anyone who tries to uncover my identity will have to justify themselves to their fellow students if Harlow remains in power.”

“Of course,” Emely snorted unenthusiastically, leaning back with her arms crossed. “Then I'll just watch this madman balance my family's legacy on a tightrope.” She shook her head. “The things we do for these elections.”

She got up and took the pan to the kitchen, followed by a tail-wagging Buddy.

The Eye wasn't finished yet.

“Now for the more important part.”

Silence.

I wondered if he was capable of manipulating the elections...

“Phase Two will begin soon. Each of us will have to make a sacrifice. Something of indescribable value.” The silence weight heavily. “What could that be?” Even Emely hesitated at the sink. “Right,” he finally laughed playfully. “Secrets.”

Wait, what? What did that have to do with Harlow?

“See this as an opportunity to save your secrets from me before I pick twelve of you who will have to compete to defend their secrets in the first games. Time…” and again, he chuckled. “…is running.”

The signal faded, as did the black screen with the purple eye. Instead, Joe Bexley appeared, but at a normal volume.

“Did he just threaten us?” Bay asked, irritated. “I thought he was after Harlow?”

“He works with entertainment,” Julie remarked, focused on the water glass next to Bayla’s empty pizza box. “This is all a game to him.”

“I really have ended up in a madhouse,” Emely laughed dryly and began to rinse her pan.

“I suspect there's someone supernatural behind this,” Julie finally said, looking at me.

Was she implying something? Had she already figured something out?

I raised an eyebrow.

“Hardly a Quatura,” Emely remarked with an annoyed, frustrated tone as she began to scrub harder. “They just dumped that bureaucratic beast here.” She put the wet pan in the dishwasher. “I can only think of one person who would come up with such harebrained ideas.” Eventually, she shook her head and looked at me. “Why the hell does your brother provoke everyone?”

I couldn't blame her for suspecting him, because I had had the same suspicion.

“He enjoys it,” I said with a shrug. “But he's not behind The Eye.”

Emely looked at me as if she didn't believe me.

“And now for the events of the next few weeks. The Copelands are throwing a party at Noya Beach!” Joe Bexley announced enthusiastically.

My head snapped back to the TV.

“A party?” I automatically turned to Bay. “We have to…”

“Larissa,” Emely interrupted me abruptly. “Please.” She came over to the table, her gaze intense, filled with… concern? “For God's sake, don't come to this party. Mikhail and his men will be there.”