Lena began with the message.
It had arrived shortly after lunch, while she was working at the front desk of a small café near the river. Thomas had sent only three words.
We need to talk.
She had replied immediately.
About what?
He had not answered for almost an hour.
Then another message appeared.
Not here.
Lena had thought he was joking.
Thomas was not the sort of person who dramatized ordinary problems. If someone had forgotten to pay a membership fee, he would explain it plainly. If someone had been injured, he would say so. If he disagreed with Adrian, he would wait until after class and discuss it privately.
But this message was different.
Not here.
It had bothered her enough that she called him.
He answered on the fourth ring.
"Thomas?"
His breathing was uneven.
"You're at the café?"
"Yes."
"Don't tell anyone I called."
She had gone still.
"Why?"
"I think someone has been looking through the training records."
"What?"
"The attendance sheets. Pairing notes. Competition files."
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Who?"
He paused.
"That's the problem."
The call ended.
Lena had tried calling back.
No answer.
She went to the dojo early.
Thomas never appeared.
Instead, she found Daniel near Adrian's office.
He was holding a clipboard.
When he saw her, he put it down.
"What are you doing here?"
"I train here."
"It's early."
"So?"
He smiled.
"Nothing."
She walked past him.
The clipboard remained on the desk.
She had not thought much about it until that evening.
Now, standing in Adrian's office, she understood that the small detail mattered.
"Did you see what was on the clipboard?" Adrian asked.
"Names."
"Which names?"
"Mine. Thomas's. Daniel's."
Marcus looked at Adrian.
"Why would Daniel have those?"
Adrian's face remained still.
"I don't know."
Lena shook her head.
"You do."
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
"Careful."
"I'm not accusing you."
"You're close."
Marcus stepped between them.
"Maybe we should slow down."
Lena looked at him.
Adrian sighed.
"There is a selection review tomorrow."
"I know."
"Only three students have been shortlisted."
"Me, Thomas, and Daniel."
"Correct."
Marcus looked from one to the other.
"So this isn't just about tonight."
"No," Adrian said.
He sat behind the desk.
"It hasn't been."
The room seemed smaller.
Adrian opened a drawer and removed a folder.
Inside were printed sheets containing training schedules, competition results, injury reports, and handwritten notes.
He placed them on the desk.
"Someone has been altering the records."
Lena stared.
"How?"
"Attendance times changed. Partner assignments changed. A few performance notes disappeared."
Marcus picked up one page.
"Who has access?"
"Me. Assistant coaches. Senior students when they're assigned administrative duties."
"Daniel?"
"Yes."
"Thomas?"
"Yes."
"Lena?"
She shook her head.
"I've never touched the files."
Adrian looked at her.
"I know."
Marcus noticed something.
One page had a faint crease down the middle.
He unfolded it.
A sentence had been crossed out.
Daniel is not ready for national-level competition.
Underneath, someone had written:
Review after next assessment.
Marcus looked at Lena.
"Who wrote this?"
Adrian did not answer.
Lena stepped closer.
"That's your handwriting."
Adrian looked at the page.
"Yes."
"Then why was it crossed out?"
"I didn't cross it out."
Nobody moved.
Marcus examined the ink.
The original note was dark blue.
The crossing-out line was black.
"Different pen," he said.
Adrian nodded.
"Exactly."
Lena's face tightened.
"Someone changed your notes."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Adrian looked at her.
"To make me appear to have changed my evaluation."
Marcus understood.
If someone wanted Daniel selected, the easiest way was not to improve Daniel.
It was to weaken everyone else.
Lena sat again.
"Then tonight was planned."
Adrian did not contradict her.
"We don't know that yet."
"Daniel attacked me."
"Daniel says you attacked him."
"He grabbed me."
"I know."
Marcus looked at him.
"You know?"
Adrian's eyes met his.
"I saw enough."
The words made Marcus uncomfortable.
"You were watching?"
"From the office doorway."
"Then why didn't you stop him?"
Adrian's jaw tightened.
"I was ten feet away. By the time I understood what he was doing, it was already happening."
Lena stared at him.
"Why didn't you tell everyone?"
"Because Daniel was unconscious."
"And now?"
"Now we find out why."
The office door opened slightly.
A young student named Eli stood outside.
"Coach?"
Adrian turned.
"What?"
Eli looked nervous.
"I found something."
He held up a small black object.
A keycard.
Adrian took it.
"Where?"
"Near the equipment room."
"Was anyone there?"
Eli shook his head.
"No."
Adrian turned the card over.
There was a number written on it.
17.
Lena frowned.
"That's not ours."
Marcus recognized the number.
"Daniel's locker."
Everyone looked at him.
"How do you know?"
"I've seen him use it."
Adrian handed the card to Lena.
She stared at it.
"This wasn't in his locker."
"What?"
"I saw Daniel earlier. He had his keycard."
Marcus looked at Adrian.
"Then someone made a copy."
Adrian's expression changed.
That possibility had not occurred to him.
Eli swallowed.
"Should I call the police?"
Adrian considered it.
"Not yet."
Marcus frowned.
"Why not?"
"Because we don't know what we're dealing with."
"Someone tampered with records and attacked a student."
"I know."
"So what are we waiting for?"
Adrian looked toward the training floor.
"For Daniel to tell us what he knows."
They found him in the parking lot.
He was sitting in his car with the driver's door open.
Adrian approached first.
Daniel looked irritated.
"Did you follow me?"
"No."
"Then what?"
Adrian held up the keycard.
Daniel's expression changed.
Only for a fraction of a second.
But Lena saw it.
Marcus saw it too.
Daniel stood.
"Where did you get that?"
"Near the equipment room."
"That's mine."
"I know."
Daniel took a step forward.
"Give it to me."
Adrian did not move.
"Why was it there?"
"I dropped it."
"When?"
"During training."
"You said you didn't go near the equipment room."
Daniel's eyes hardened.
"I don't remember what I did after I got hit."
"You weren't hit."
Daniel laughed.
"Seriously?"
Lena stepped forward.
"You weren't unconscious because I attacked you."
Daniel turned toward her.
"You don't get to tell me what happened."
"You know exactly what happened."
"Do I?"
His voice dropped.
"Maybe you should ask yourself why everyone keeps getting hurt around you."
Marcus moved forward.
Lena caught his arm.
"Don't."
Daniel smiled.
"There it is."
"What?"
"She always needs someone to defend her."
Lena released Marcus.
"You wanted me to react."
Daniel's smile vanished.
For the first time, he looked afraid.
Adrian noticed.
"So you admit it."
Daniel said nothing.
Adrian held out his hand.
"Phone."
"What?"
"Your phone."
"Why?"
"Because if you have nothing to hide, you won't object."
Daniel stepped back.
"No."
Adrian's voice hardened.
"Then you're leaving this dojo until we sort it out."
Daniel laughed bitterly.
"You can't suspend me."
"I just did."
Daniel stared at him.
Then he looked at Lena.
"You have no idea what you're stepping into."
Lena's face remained calm.
"Then tell me."
Daniel opened his mouth.
Nothing came out.
He turned and walked away.
Marcus watched him disappear between the cars.
"That sounded like a threat."
"It was," Adrian said.
They returned inside.
The dojo felt different.
Not safer.
Emptier.
The students had left. The mats were marked with footprints and small dark smears where sweat had dried. The fluorescent lights hummed above them.
Lena walked toward the equipment room.
Marcus followed.
"What are you looking for?"
"I don't know."
She stopped near the lockers.
Daniel's locker stood at the end.
The number 17 was still attached.
Lena touched the handle.
It opened.
Inside were gloves, spare clothes, a water bottle, and a folded towel.
Nothing unusual.
Then Marcus noticed the back panel.
"Wait."
A narrow strip of tape had been placed along the edge.
He peeled it away.
A small envelope slid out.
Lena caught it.
There was no name on the front.
Only a date.
Tomorrow's date.
She looked at Adrian.
"Should we open it?"
Adrian did not answer.
Marcus looked at Lena.
She opened it.
Inside was a photograph.
It showed the dojo from outside.
The picture had been taken at night.
Everyone stood frozen.
Lena was in the center.
Thomas stood beside her.
Daniel was several steps behind them.
On the back of the photograph, someone had written:
One of them is lying.
Lena turned the picture over again.
Her hands began to shake.
Marcus looked at the image.
"Who took this?"
Adrian stared at it for a long time.
Then he said something that made Lena's stomach drop.
"I recognize the night."
"How?"
"Because Thomas disappeared after it."
Click Here to continue read next: PART3: The Photograph Was Taken Before Anyone Knew There Was a Problem, Yet Its Hidden Detail Pointed Toward Someone Standing Much Closer Than Expected
When the Quietest Student Reached for His Wrist, the Entire Room Realized Something Had Gone Terribly Wrong
Part 2 of 16
