Leo was still standing inside the old room.
The sudden stop of Raka's recording made the atmosphere even heavier. None of them spoke right away.
They were all thinking about the last sentence they'd heard.
I made my biggest mistake when I trusted the person closest to me.
The words felt like a bomb that had just exploded.
Rian looked at Leo.
"Leo."
"Hmm?"
"Why are you so quiet?"
Leo didn't answer.
His eyes remained fixed on the recording device on the table.
He hoped it would turn back on and give them an answer.
But it didn't.
Instead, even more questions arose.
"Raka knew there was a traitor."
Farel's voice made everyone turn toward him.
Leo looked at him.
"What do you mean?"
Farel picked up the recording device.
"Raka never made a recording without a reason."
"So?"
"He must have deliberately cut this part out."
Naya frowned.
"Why would he do that?"
"Because he wanted whoever found this recording to look for the answer themselves."
Leo gave a short laugh.
"So it's another clue."
Farel nodded.
"That's how Raka worked."
Leo started to get annoyed.
"He always does that."
"Does what?"
"Gives us half an answer."
No one argued.
Because they knew Leo was right.
Raka had left behind plenty of clues.
But he almost never gave a complete explanation.
Leo walked around the room.
He studied every corner.
If Raka had hidden this recording here, there had to be a reason.
He opened the desk drawer.
Empty.
He checked the bookshelf.
There was nothing there.
Finally, his eyes stopped on a small painting on the wall.
The painting looked ordinary.
But it was hanging slightly crooked.
Leo moved closer.
"There's something here."
Rian came closer too.
"What is it?"
Leo took the painting down.
Behind it was a small hole.
Inside the hole was a key.
"A key?"
Naya looked surprised.
"Raka liked hiding things like this."
Leo picked up the key.
"There's writing on it."
The number 17 was written on the key tag.
Farel's expression immediately turned serious.
"Number seventeen."
Leo looked at him.
"Why?"
"That's not just an ordinary number."
"Then what is it?"
Farel looked around the house.
"Raka used to have a secret storage place."
"Where?"
"I don't know."
Leo held up the key.
"Maybe this is the answer."
They started searching the house for more clues.
For nearly an hour, they checked every room.
Finally, Rian, who was in the back room, shouted.
"Leo!"
Everyone headed there immediately.
Rian was standing in front of an old cabinet.
"There's something here."
Leo moved closer.
"What?"
Rian pointed beneath the cabinet.
There was a small hole.
They moved the cabinet aside.
Behind it was a small door almost completely concealed in the wall.
Leo inserted the key marked with the number seventeen.
Click.
The door opened.
Behind it was a small room.
The room was filled with old documents.
Photographs.
Notes.
And several of Raka's belongings.
Leo stepped inside slowly.
It felt like stepping into his brother's past.
There was a folder on one of the tables.
The writing on the front made Leo stop.
For Leo.
His hand immediately reached for the folder.
"This is for me."
Naya looked at him.
"Open it."
Leo opened it slowly.
Inside were several sheets of paper.
The first page contained Raka's handwriting.
Leo, if you've found this room, then you've already come too far.
Leo smiled bitterly.
"Same as always."
He continued reading.
I know you're curious. I know you'll look for answers even if everyone tells you to stop.
Leo fell silent.
Raka really did know him.
But there's one thing you have to remember. Don't let your curiosity make you lose the people who still care about you.
Leo looked at Rian.
Then at Farel and Naya.
He went back to reading.
The person who betrayed me isn't a stranger. He's someone who has walked beside me from the very beginning.
Leo drew a breath.
"Again."
Farel looked at him.
"What is it?"
Leo handed him the letter.
Farel read it.
His expression changed.
Naya looked over too.
"So it's true."
"What is?"
Farel pointed to one section.
"Raka wrote this before."
Leo took the letter back.
"What does that mean?"
"He once told me he suspected one of his team members."
"Who?"
Farel fell silent.
Leo immediately knew there was something he wasn't saying.
"Who?"
Farel looked at Leo.
"Reno."
The room instantly fell silent.
Rian looked at them.
"So the person you've been looking for all this time..."
"Yeah."
Farel nodded.
"Reno might be the one who betrayed Raka."
Leo looked at the photograph of Raka and Reno on the table.
It was hard to believe.
Because in every story he'd heard, Reno was the person closest to Raka.
The person Raka trusted.
The person who helped him devise strategies.
"If Reno is the traitor, why did he leave all this behind?"
Naya answered,
"Maybe he wanted someone to find the truth."
Leo shook his head.
"Or maybe he wanted someone to finish his plan."
No one could argue with that.
Suddenly, footsteps sounded outside the room.
Everyone fell silent.
Someone had entered the house.
Farel signaled for everyone to hide.
They turned off the lights.
The small-room door slowly opened.
Someone entered.
Leo could see his shadow.
The man walked toward the table.
He picked something up.
Then he spoke quietly.
"You're too late."
Leo froze.
He recognized that voice.
A voice he'd heard before.
A voice that shouldn't have been there.
"Reno."
Leo's voice escaped before he could stop it.
The man stopped immediately.
The room's lights came on.
A man stood before them.
His face was calm.
Not at all like someone who'd just been caught.
"Leo."
He gave a small smile.
"We finally meet."
Leo stared at him.
"You know me?"
Reno nodded.
"Of course."
"Why?"
Reno looked at the photograph of Raka.
"Because I've been waiting for you for a long time."
Leo clenched his fists.
"You're the one who made Raka disappear?"
Reno didn't answer right away.
He only smiled.
"That's a good question."
"Answer me."
Reno stepped closer.
"But before that, I want to know one thing."
"What?"
"Is Raka still teaching you how to devise strategies?"
Leo fell silent.
Reno smiled.
"Because if he is..."
He stopped directly in front of Leo.
"Then you've already entered the game he created years ago."
Leo stared at him.
"What game?"
Reno looked at everyone in the room.
"You'll see."
He lifted a folder.
"Because the next chapter has just begun."