Stygian: The Silence Of The Whisperers.

3. I Used To Have A Handle On Life But Then It Broke

**Alfred's perspective**

Last night, sleep eluded me, thanks to the need to organize my self-analysis reports and store my mini Rubik's cube in my safe. However, when I opened it, my cube was nowhere to be found.

Who could have accessed it? Nobody else knew the code.

"Jack! It's gone!" I stormed into Jack's office.

"What's gone, Alfred Robinson, my young friend?"

"My alarm clock!"

Jack got up and bent down to my level. "Are you intoxicated? You're underage, you can't."

"Tch." I shoved a folder in his direction. "Read."

Jack scanned through the papers in the folder. "Yeah, you briefed me on this. Missing boys from your class... Is this connected to your vanishing alarm clock?"

"It's not the alarm clock; it's the minute hand inside it. My keys!" I muttered, frustrated that someone had managed to break into my safe, which was conveniently placed in the foyer.

Jack gave me a blank look. "You hid your keys there? Are you into some secret smuggling operation, requiring such secrecy? And what's with these reports? Your missing classmates and yesterday's case are still unresolved. Also," he pointed at his spare keys, while I tapped my fingers on the table, pacing, "You could've just gotten a new key."

I halted and gave him a pointed glare. "I cleared out my locker a week ago; it had gathered dust."

"Alright, no need to get all worked up. I'll assign you a new locker, starting with a 'k.' But hold on. Your locker has a code. Why the key?"

"I have another safe in my room. The key to that is missing." I crossed my arms, while Jack sighed and rubbed his forehead. Quite the drama queen, huh? "I think whoever took the clock wants to break into my safe. But no one knew about it except me, and it holds some important stuff. The key was inside the clock, which I stored in the locker with a code. The communal lockers."

Jack pursed his lips and tapped his palm. A phone call interrupted our discussion. He picked up, his expression changing.

"Looks like the guillotine is calling my name!" He announced as he rushed out with a file. Mr. James Theodore – why would the director be summoning him now?

Fine, I'll just empty my safe to be safe and carry the essentials with me.

It turns out Marigold McKenzie had supposedly spotted a BFG last night, as per Jane's report. In case you're wondering, BFG stands for Big Friendly Giant, a character from a children's book I read ages ago. However, what McKenzie claimed to have seen wasn't a BFG but a BSG – Big Slender-Man Giant. Kids often report seeing these slender men, so I'm beginning to believe we've recruited a psychic detective in the form of a kid.

That might explain my sleeplessness the previous night. Jane had checked the surveillance cameras and found nothing that matched Marigold McKenzie's description.

With my mind cluttered, I had more important matters to attend to than investigating some newbie's initial scare. My locker key was missing, and while the contents weren't incredibly important, there was something personal that helps me concentrate – my Rubik's cube. It's a small, intricately carved ivory cube with a blend of medieval aesthetics and modern mechanics. I'm not emotionally attached to it, but it's a psychological anchor, a need. Showing emotions is a waste of time, and feeling lonely is tiresome.

A quick shower and change of clothes always refresh my mood. I donned a magenta T-shirt and dark cargo pants, running my fingers through my hair, letting the strands fall loosely on my forehead.