The room, dimly lit by a single flickering lamp, seemed to hold its breath in anticipation. Shadows danced on the walls as Sabir took a deep breath, gathering his thoughts. His voice, steady but weary, broke the silence in a hushed whisper, careful not to wake Max's parents. Max and Samantha listened intently, their faces reflecting a mix of horror, anger, and relief.

Sabir started from the beginning, explaining his initial encounter with Cassius. “Cassius came to me, desperate for answers about my sister’s life. My sister, Cynthia, was murdered. He’s convinced the Triads are responsible.”

Max's face twisted in anger. “The Triads... they’re behind your sister's death?”

Sabir nodded solemnly. “Cassius believes they are. He also mentioned that I have a niece somewhere in Havana. I'm not sure if she’s safe or even where she is.”

Samantha’s expression softened with concern. “A niece? That’s tragic. We need to help you find her.”

Sabir continued, detailing his unexpected run-in with Elektra. “Then there was Elektra. She wasn’t interested in helping Cassius; she was more focused on her own agenda. But the worst part was Maize. She forced me to fight three vinefiends until I passed out. The fight was brutal—I barely survived, my body covered in wounds.”

Samantha winced, her eyes filling with tears. “That’s inhumane. How could anyone do that to you?”

Sabir shrugged, his voice tinged with bitterness. “Maize follows her every whim. She's dangerous. When I woke up, I was wounded and in her clutches, flying low over the Commons on a monstrous butterfly-like creature. She was going to take me to the Limbo, but I couldn't trust her. I begged her to drop me off in the Commons, and thankfully, she agreed without much resistance. I ran away as quickly as I could, thinking this might just be another game for her.”

As he finished his tale, the room was heavy with silence. Max and Samantha exchanged glances, their minds racing to process everything Sabir had shared.

Max broke the silence, his voice tinged with disbelief. “Do you know how crazy your story sounds? You met two nobles, both of whom are famous and projected to be the new hunters to take over Havana. You even talked to both of them. Hell, one of them gave you a ride.” He said in a whisper.

Sabir looked puzzled. “Wait, Maize is a noble too?”

Max nodded. “You really don’t know anything, do you? She’s the only direct heir to the Gaian line, the ones who rule over Sector 3. She’s also in the student council and is projected to be the president next year. She’s really popular, with a large fan base.”

“That’s great for her,” Sabir said, his voice laced with sarcasm. “But she made me fight to the death for her own entertainment.”

Max shrugged. “Hey, I didn’t say it was all fun. Just that you basically met some celebrities.”

“I didn’t really talk to that Elektra girl either,” Sabir added. “She was too busy trying to kill Cassius.”

“Ah yes, the hot-tempered Elektra,” Max said with a smirk. “Her temperament makes her lose a lot of fans. She’s always playing second fiddle to Maize in the student rankings, but there’s still a small group of guys obsessed with her.”

“Hot-headed is an understatement. She almost got herself killed,” Sabir said.

“Sounds like her,” Max replied with a chuckle.

“Wait, technically I met another noble—Noah Voltaire,” Sabir said, remembering the encounter.

Max’s eyes widened in astonishment. “Noah Voltaire? He’s like the biggest hunter around right now! When did you meet him?”

“In the morning before going to school,” Sabir explained. “Wait, hang on. I remember Noah and Elektra looked fairly similar. Are they related or something?”

Max sighed, trying to simplify the explanation. “Yeah, they are. You see, the seven noble families are the biggest power in Havana. To keep that power, they have lots of children. These kids are divided into two groups: direct lines and collateral lines. The direct lines have the strongest blood and are the closest to the original seven families. They’re the ones who inherit the family’s leadership. The collateral lines, on the other hand, are trained to be strong soldiers. Noah and Elektra are both from the direct line. They have two other brothers, but Noah is already set to become the next patriarch of the family. That means he’ll be one of the most influential people in Havana.”

“Yeah, the nobles have always been like royalty,” Samantha said, yawning slightly.

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Sabir hesitated before speaking again. “Noah planted a tracker on me when we met.”

Max and Samantha's eyes widened in shock. “Wait, why would he do that?” Samantha asked.

Sabir shrugged. “I don’t know. Maybe he suspected something or wanted to keep tabs on me. But it’s unsettling to think about.”

Max’s face hardened. “None of this is adding up. If the Triads killed your sister, why are the Voltaires interested in you?”

Samantha nodded in agreement. “Yeah, this whole story doesn't make sense.”

Sabir, despite his exhaustion, contemplated. “You guys are right. Me and Cassius were theorizing real hard, but we didn't think about why that Noah guy would be tracking me.”

“Wait, what was your main speculation, based on the evidence?” Max asked.

“Well, we presumed that my sister's lover was the reason she got killed. He was an enemy of the Triads, and to hurt him, they killed someone close to him,” Sabir explained.

“A common practice in organized crime. It sounds plausible. You know, the way you described the government's hound, he sounded stupid, but that theory isn't half bad,” Max said.

“What do you think? Is it likely?” Sabir asked.

“Tsk tsk, Sabir. A good detective never thinks one theory is definitive over the others. Every speculation could be a gateway to the truth,” Max replied.

“Okay, detective Max, what are some theories you've got?” Sabir challenged.

Max hummed as he got up, picking up a whiteboard pen and moving toward his whiteboard on the wall opposite his bed. He began writing the words Triads and Voltaire. “Your sister's name is Cynthia, right?”

“Yep.”

From his confirmation, he began to write the name Cynthia and Lover, drawing lines connecting all of them.

“Based on the way the Voltaires are interested in you and the case, we can assume they're connected in all of this somehow. So it means everything is somehow interconnected.”

Max pointed to the word Triads. “We know the Triads killed your sister. How again?”

“Poison that only they use,” Sabir replied.

“Found in the trucker's blood, right?”

Sabir nodded.

“So if it's certain that the Triads committed the assassination, we need to know the motive.” He traced his hand toward the box with the word Lover. “Your theory lies in this all being wrapped around this mystery lover. Inconclusive if you ask me. Let me suggest that maybe the lover and Voltaire family are linked,” he said while writing a line connecting the lover and the Triads. “Historically speaking, the Triads have waged war on the seven noble families for years. It wouldn't be so crazy that they kill Cynthia to hurt the Voltaires. This ties everything together, I'd say.”

“Another left-field theory is that the Triads aren't involved at all and the—” Just as he was finishing his next theory, there was a banging on the door.

“Max Crawford, it is 4 a.m. at night. We were nice enough to let your friend stay over. Can you stop being so loud? With your attitude, I hope your grades will be higher than that arrogance of yours, young man,” his mother yelled at him.

“Sorry, Mom. We'll—I mean, I'll be quieter,” Max whispered while opening the door slightly to see his mother, angry with messy hair from having been woken up.

Max closed the door and turned to the other two. “Sorry about that. Well, it's getting late. We should probably discuss this tomorrow. Let's just get some shut-eye. I got a spare sleeping bag. Sabir, you should take the bed.”

Sabir shook his head. “Nah, I need to go back home.”

“What? You're already past your allotted time in Havana. Trying to leave now, the guards will either beat the shit out of you or worse, they'll kill you for breaking the rules. Just stay with us.”

“No, I need to go back to the Limbo one last time.”

“Why?” Samantha asked, her brow furrowing in concern.

“I've been keeping a stash of credits, anything I could get my hands on. I've saved. It's not enough, but it can last me a little while I move about.”

“Where are you planning on going?” Max asked, his curiosity piqued.

Sabir reached into his pocket and pulled out a crumpled note that Cassius had given him. He handed it to them, the paper trembling slightly in his grasp. “This was the last place my niece was seen.”

“I’m gonna go find her. That’s what I agreed upon with Cassius. She's out there somewhere, and who knows what she's feeling right now.”

“We're coming with you,” Samantha said firmly, her eyes meeting Sabir’s with unwavering determination.

“What? No, you're better off staying in the Commons. If I bring you out in the Limbo, I'll attract too much attention. You'd be putting me and yourself in danger.”

“No, we're going. Ain't that right, Max?” Samantha insisted, turning to Max for support.

“Holy shit, I get to see the Limbo? Hell yeah!” Max shouted, his face lighting up with excitement.

Sabir groaned at his friends' stubbornness, feeling a mixture of gratitude and frustration. “Okay, fine. We'll go together, but we'll sleep here tonight. And for the love of God, if we do somehow get past the Threshold, Max, shut the hell up in the Limbo.”

“Understood, captain,” Max whispered, saluting playfully.

They got into their beds, the room falling silent except for the occasional rustle of blankets. The uncertainty of their journey weighed heavily on them, but exhaustion soon took over, pulling them into a restless sleep.

The whiteboard was left forgotten, but the spider web of connections and theories it displayed remained etched in their minds. Lines criss crossed between names and groups, hinting at secrets and unraveling mysteries yet to be solved.