Zayden replied, "Look, we can’t just confront her. She’s already on edge. Sure, she’s living here, but we need to be careful about how we approach this. That’s why I wanted you to check out her background."

Leo nodded, his expression serious. "Exactly! I couldn’t find anything solid about her; it feels like she’s hiding something. The info I found was mostly about her family and school, but it didn’t add up. I checked with the school, and while they had her admission records, there were inconsistencies that made it seem like someone had messed with the data. It could be a fake profile."

He continued, "First, we should check out the area around the cabin to see what’s really going on and how those two guys found her. We need to gather some clues before we talk to

Zeynep about what we discover."

Zayden took a moment to gather his thoughts, his confusion giving way to focus. "Alright, that sounds like a plan. Let’s get moving before she wakes up." He glanced at the CCTV monitor and saw Zeynep lying on the bed. Even while asleep, she looked tense, which reminded him just how serious this whole situation was.

They stepped out of the tunnel and quickly looked around to make sure no one was around.

After scanning the area, they shoved the tunnel door closed behind them to keep it hidden. They took a moment to breathe, preparing for whatever was next. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

Zayden turned to Leo, saying, "Look, we need to confront her without revealing who we really are. We can’t just go up to her and say we’ve been digging into her background. If she’s telling the truth, we could end up exposing ourselves. She might realize we’re not just random people hanging out in the forest, and then she could start thinking about running away. I mean, come on, normal folks don’t just live out here in this dangerous forest all alone."

Leo laughed a little and said, "Honestly, any weirdo could just hang out in this sketchy forest all alone, just like me." He winked, trying to make light of the wild surroundings that loomed around them. The tall trees swayed gently, matching the easygoing vibe of the moment.

Zayden smiled at his joke but shook his head. "Can’t you take this seriously?"

Leo shrugged, still grinning. "Nope, can’t do it. Don’t you know? It’s more like my go-to move when I’m on the search for something."

Zayden chuckled softly and moved ahead. "Alright, you check that way, and I’ll check this way."

"Cool, I’ll go this way, but we really need to focus," Leo replied, dialing it back a notch. "Let’s keep an eye out for any footprints, tracks, bugs, sticks, broken twigs, or even cigarette butts. We should also be on the lookout for tech-related items, such as USB drives or drones. They might be using those to find the cabin or track down Zeynep. And if the CCTV went down, it could be due to some malware jamming the signal."

He continued, "Also, let’s check for any deep impressions, maybe someone knelt to set something up. And about the cabin, we gotta scrutinize the doors and windows. If those guys came in, there might be wires, lens caps, or battery pieces left behind. Oh, and don’t forget to look for fingerprints on the cabin doors and in the kitchen," Leo lectured, sounding a bit like he was guiding a newbie.

Zayden listened with one eyebrow raised, looking serious. Once Leo finished, he replied, "You’re acting like I’m new at this."

Leo laughed harder at that. "I thought maybe you forgot how to investigate because you’re too caught up in love. You know how it goes, people often miss things when they’re all googly-eyed."

Zayden, feeling a bit annoyed, jabbed Leo in the shoulder, making him sway slightly. "Shut up! I’m just looking out for her; it’s not love, you idiot!" he shot back, half-frustrated and half-amused.

Leo couldn’t help but laugh at Zayden’s defense. "Fine, fine, I believe you," he said, grinning widely.

Zayden shot him a serious look, trying not to smile. "If you’re done joking around, can we get started searching around?" he asked, eager to move on.

Leo said, still grinning, "Yeah, sure, why not?"

Zayden and Leo put on their gloves and grabbed the plastic bags, ready for action. They stashed a UV light in Zayden’s pocket and held flashlights in their hands as they approached the cabin.

Zayden kicked things off by checking out the right side, while Leo took the left. Halfway through his search, Zayden spotted something alarming: a pool of blood on a nearby tree. He flicked on the UV flashlight for a closer look and was stunned by the amount; it looked like someone had really bled a lot, like they had a nasty arm injury. It seemed as if the injured guy had paused here for a moment, catching his breath before taking off. Zayden couldn’t help but follow the blood trail, but it abruptly stopped at the tree, as if the guy had wrapped up his arm and then moved on. It left him with a ton of questions. How the heck did this guy get hurt? Did Zeynep have anything to do with this mess?

Meanwhile, on the other side, Leo was on his own mission. He found nothing, but as he was moving forward, he saw liquid on the leaves. He crouched down and found blood on the leaves and dirt, and his grip tightened on the flashlight as the reality hit him. How had the man gotten injured? He was just as confused, like Zayden. Leo then noticed a piece of torn cloth nearby. He picked it up, figuring it might give him some clues, and tossed it into his bag.

He searched a bit more, but all he found was that scrap of fabric, as if it belonged to the man trying to bandage himself. Just as he was about to head back to the cabin, he felt something hard under his foot. Lifting it, he discovered a small device; it looked like something the injured guy had rushed off without. Leo grabbed the device and tossed it into his bag with the torn cloth, hoping it would help them understand what happened.

Zayden was having a rough time finding anything other than blood. Just when he was about to give up and head back, something shiny caught his eye, hiding in the leaves. He bent down and pulled out a photo, only to see that the face had been ripped off. All that was left were some dimples and one intense black eye. There was a red cross on the picture, making it seem like whoever had it wanted that person dead. The photo showed a girl with short black hair, wearing a black hoodie and holding a laptop, sitting in a café.