Chapter 4 Digital Ghosts

7:12 a.m. – Girls Block B, Dorm Room 34

The flash drive burned a hole in my pocket all through breakfast.

I didn't eat. Couldn't.

My thoughts looped like a broken chorus: What did he leave behind? What did Zion know? Why Dalex?

The dorm's public computers were monitored. So was the studio tech lab. But there was one place they never checked - the old dance wing. Block D. Dusty. Dimly lit. Unused since the renovation.

It was the only place in VAERA that felt forgotten.

After warmups, while the others rehearsed in Studio 3B, I slipped away.

8:03 a.m. – Block D, Storage Room

I pushed past stacked chairs and faded banners from VAERA's second-gen showcase, then kicked open the cabinet door to the forgotten tech booth. A single computer sat there, monitor yellowed with age, but it whirred to life when I hit the power.

I plugged in the drive.

It blinked once.

Then twice.

Then a folder opened on its own.

[ZION_PARK > FINAL_BACKUP > WatchMe.mp4]

My pulse tripped.

I clicked.

The screen filled with static. Then color.

Zion.

He looked different - gaunt, eyes shadowed, hair pushed back in a messy bun like he hadn't slept in days.

"If you're seeing this... I didn't leave," his voice said, low and shaking. "They're gonna say I dropped out, or burned out, or went back to Korea."

He looked directly at the camera.

"I didn't."

The screen cut briefly, then returned. His breath was heavy, panicked now.

"It started with a text. I thought it was a joke. Something about my old audition tape. About my parents. About the fights I had with Jiwon before he got sent home."

"Then it turned into threats. Daily. Pictures. Secrets. I don't know who 'Z' is - or if that's even their real name - but they want something. And they're using Dalex to get it."

Zion swallowed. His lips trembled. "Dalex... we were close. Closer than anyone knew. But he's not the same anymore. I don't know if he's scared or involved. But he's lying. He lied to me. And now he's pretending like nothing happened."

"If anything happens to me - check the training logs. Look at showcase night rehearsal footage from March 10th. And tell J... I'm sorry."

A long pause. Then: "Don't trust Coach Tae."

Click.

The screen went black.

I just sat there, hands frozen on the mouse.

Dalex and Zion were... close?

Blackmail. Secrets. March 10th. Jiwon. Coach Tae. A hidden identity - "Z."

Every name was a red flag - and every flag pointed in a different direction.

Suddenly, a door creaked behind me.

I yanked the flash drive out and shoved it into my boot just as a figure stepped into the room.

Dalex.

Of course.

8:29 a.m. – Block D, Hallway

"Funny place to hang out alone," he said, arms crossed. His VAERA sweatshirt was unzipped halfway, and the chain around his neck glinted like a warning.

I stared him down. "You following me now?"

"Just curious what a wildcard like you is doing in a locked storage room with a school laptop."

I didn't flinch. "Watching a ghost."

His eyes narrowed. "Careful."

"You lied about Zion," I snapped. "He didn't leave. He was blackmailed. And you knew."

Dalex stepped closer, too close. I could smell citrus and heat and something colder underneath - sweat, maybe, or fear.

"I don't owe you an explanation," he said, low. "You think you've found something, but you have no idea what you're in the middle of."

"Then tell me," I whispered. "What did Zion mean? Why would he say not to trust Coach Tae? And who the hell is Z?"

His jaw flexed.

But instead of answering, he backed off - slowly - and said, "You want the truth, Kimora?"

"I need it."

"Then meet me after curfew. Practice Room 4. Come alone."

He turned and disappeared down the hallway.

10:15 a.m. – Studio 2A

Back in class, everything felt louder. Too sharp. The lights too white. The voices too fake.

Sasha was practicing her solo and throwing side-eyes like they were part of the choreography.

Tomilola mouthed, u good? from across the mirror.

I nodded, but my hands were shaking.

Zion was right.

Something at VAERA wasn't just toxic - it was dangerous. And now I was on a list I couldn't see.

10:47 p.m. – Practice Room 4

Curfew had come and gone. The hallways were dark. Only red exit lights pulsed faintly along the floor.

I slipped through the side entrance and into the practice room.

It was empty.

But the lights flicked on behind me.

Dalex stood at the far wall, phone in hand. He looked... different. Like all the gloss had peeled off. Like whatever mask he wore for fans had finally cracked.

"You came," he said.

"I always show up for the truth."

He walked over slowly, then handed me his phone.

A message thread.

Unsent drafts. Dozens of them.

All addressed to Zion.

"I didn't know they'd go this far."

"They said they'd expose me if I talked."

"I'm sorry."

Tears prickled at the corners of my eyes.

"You loved him," I whispered.

Dalex's face broke. Just for a second. "And I failed him."