Chapter 106

• I sat cross-legged on my bed, staring at the unfolded pieces of paper I had pulled from the box hidden inside Selene’s diary. My eyes traced the lines of coded notes, hoping for some epiphany to strike—but nothing came. Frustration simmered in my chest as I considered the possibility that whoever had given me this diary intended to torment me.
• The notes bore three distinct handwriting styles, none of which belonged to Selene. That realization only fueled my suspicion: these were secret messages she’d received, likely from collaborators. The more I scrutinized the notes, the more patterns began to emerge. They seemed to share the same encryption method, but any hope of deciphering them felt maddeningly out of reach.
• A sharp knock on my door shattered my concentration.