Hello.
It hasn't been long since our last encounter, but there is already a need for your skills again.
Several students from KaiserU have gone missing.
The police are on the case, but their progress is too slow.
By the time they figure out what's going on, it'll be too late.
So you know the drill. Put your skills to the test, learn as much as you can about the students, and find out where they are.
- X
Interview Transcript
Kaiser County Police Department
Date: 1/14/26 10:10 AM
Category: Missing Person
Location: Phone Call
Interviewer: Troy Samson
Interviewee: Sandeep Kataria
Samson: Good morning. Mr. Kataria?
Kataria: Yes that's me. Who am I speaking to?
Samson: This is Troy Samson from the Kaiser County Police Department. How are you doing?
Kataria: Police? What's going on?
Samson: Mr. Kataria, do you know the current whereabouts of all your children?
Kataria: My children? My youngest is at home with me. My oldest...Um...he went to a friend's vacation house a few days ago. Said he'd be there for a week. And that's all of them. Is there something going on?
Samson: Do you know where this friend's house is?
Kataria: That rich neighborhood...Hamper, it's called.
Samson: And do you know the name of this friend?
Kataria: Yeah, Matthew. Matthew something. British guy. Officer, is David okay?
Samson: We're trying to verify that. We got a missing person report for one of his friends, Martin. Do you know Martin?
Kataria: Martin, yes. They're best friends.
Samson: And do you remember any of his other friends? Friends that he might be with right now?
Kataria: Wait, let me call David on my other phone.
Samson: Of course.
Kataria: (AFTER SEVERAL MINUTES OF SILENCE) He's not picking up!
Samson: Mr. Kataria, I'm going to ask you again. Do you know the names of any of his other friends?
Kataria: Well, he's friends with a lot of the neighbor kids that he grew up with. Um, there's the Meyer kids, there's Justin. And Daisy. And Donna. Officer, what is going on?
Samson: I'm not sure, Mr. Kataria. I'm trying to figure that out right now.
Kataria: What about Martin? You said he's missing?
Samson: Sir, thank you again for your help. I need you to do two things. One, text me the name and phone numbers all the parents of his friends. Two, keep trying to call your son. I have some calls to make, but I will contact you as soon as I have something to share with you, alright? Take care.
Interview Transcript
Kaiser County Police Department
Date: 1/12/26 11:39 AM
Category: Missing Person
Location: Interview Room 1
Interviewer: Troy Samson
Interviewee: Beatrice Larssen
Samson: Mrs. Larssen, please have a seat.
Larssen: Is all of this necessary? I've been waiting for two hours already. You could have been looking for my son by now.
Samson: Just standard procedure, ma'am. I have to follow protocol.
Larssen: Does your protocol involve actually doing your job?
Samson: Right. Let's start from the beginning. You're here to report your son missing, is that correct?
Larssen: God, for the third time, yes! My son, Martin. I haven't seen him in over 12 hours!
Samson: I'm sorry, did you say 12 hours?
Larssen: Yes! I woke up this morning and he wasn't in his bed! I haven't see or heard from him since yesterday.
Samson: Okay. Do you know where he went?
Larssen: No. He turned off his location.
Samson: Mrs. Larssen, how old is your son?
Larssen: He's 20. Why is that important?
Samson: It doesn't seem that out of the ordinary for a 20 year-old to go somewhere without telling his mom.
Larssen: What are you trying to say?
Samson: Well...maybe the young man just needs some space. He is an adult, after all.
Larssen: Officer, you're not listening to me. My son is missing and I need you to find him. He's been falling in the wrong crowd recently. I think he might be doing drugs.
Samson: What kind of crowd are we talking about?
Larssen: I think he's made some bad friends from school. He went to their house for a New Year's party and came home at 3am!
Samson: And when he came home, was he acting strangely? Did he smell like alcohol, or did you find any illegal substances on him?
Larssen: Well, no, but I'm sure these friends of his are up to no good.
Samson: Okay. Can you tell me more about these friends? Have you met them before?
Larssen: One of them dropped Martin off at home after that party. Didn't like that kid one bit. He looks like a drug dealer. Or maybe drug dealer's bodyguard.
Samson: And do you know his name?
Larssen: No, I don't. Why does this matter? Can you just track my son's phone or something? Don't the police have tracking devices?
Samson: We can't just track any phone we want to, ma'am. We need probable cause and an active missing person's case.
Larssen: Well, get on it then!
Samson: (SIGHS) What was your son wearing the last time you saw him?
Larssen: His pajamas! He left in the middle of the night, officer. I don't know what he was wearing.
Samson: Got it. Let me take this to my supervisor and I'll call you with the next steps, if your son doesn't show up by then.
Larssen: That's it? So you're not going to do anything?
Samson: I am doing something, Mrs. Larssen. I'm following protocol.
Larssen: This is unbelievable! Is this really how the police department operates?
Samson: Just standard procedure. Right this way, ma'am. I'll walk you out.
Larssen: Officer, do you have children?
Samson: Yes, Mrs. Larssen. One daughter.
Larssen: Just the one? We're the same then. How would you feel if your daughter was the one missing?
Samson: Ma'am, I promise you I will do everything that I can to help. I'll call you if anything comes up, alright? Take care.
Hope everyone slept well. I tucked in early
Final version of instructions for tonight:
bruh why did you password protect the pdf??
You never know who could be peeping in
Besides, we already went over everything last night. This is just for reference
All this equipment is heavy! Lucky I didn't do arm day this week!
Photo's also a bit dim. Need to crank the brightness up a bit.
someone tipped off the police about something?
Some of us here might have known him.
My bad guys.
Sorry. 🙇
And a few months ago, I overheard them talking about this mansion of sorts grandad apparently owned right here. In New York! Had no idea it existed
Reckon while my folks are out, we can use it as the location before they sell off the place or something, yea?
We can make it a whole weekend getaway. We're on holiday, aren't we?
Plus, it would be way better than doing it in my dinky flat
its gonna be just like glam girls!
@meremere straight A's for you I'll assume
forget it. im too dumb for college. im dropping out
Oh and happy birthday @justagreengremlin, and to Florian! Doing anything together with him?
mom stopped forcing it after middle school. i guess it stopped being cute when both of us refused to dress up in matching outfits
and then caleb came along, sooo
Saw him get an earful from his mom before I drove off, poor guy
My dad's a bit like that too
Stop being responsible adults smh
Just gonna be me alone here huh
Identify each person in the group chat
Status: Incomplete ⚠
looprevil92
meremere
justagreengremlin
playingWithMyHeart
sam_slow_down
Back
Trip Plan
Jan 11
☆
⌧
⋮
Room assignments
- flower girl: east wing bedroom 1 (view of forest)
- bookworm: attic room (cozy)
- the shadow: west wing bedroom 1
- star gazer: west wing bedroom 2
- Me: Master chambers (hell yeah)
Day 1
- Settle in
- Systems check
Day 2
- Final prep
- Rehersal dinner
- Showtime!
Day 3 (test day)
- Have a bout round the nearby town
- Huge library
- Toy shop for the Verde twins' lil bro
- Boating in lake? (Be in same boat as David)
Food
- that banging lobster place
- Italian
- Sushi (might be bad)
- bagel shop
Your booth reservation is confirmed
reservations@round10.com
to me
★⟲
Thank you for booking with Round 10!
Booth 1892
6:00pm - 9:00pm on January 8, 2026
Name: M. Crocker
Confirmation #: 32345
Round 10, 186 Pleasant Grove Rd, Kaiser County, NY 14850
Get Directions
Your booth reservation is confirmed
reservations@round10.com
to me
★⟲
Thank you for booking with Round 10!
Booth 1892
6:00pm - 9:00pm on December 18, 2025
Name: M. Crocker
Confirmation #: 67890
Round 10, 186 Pleasant Grove Rd, Kaiser County, NY 14850
Get Directions
Your booth reservation is confirmed
reservations@round10.com
to me
★⟲
Thank you for booking with Round 10!
Booth 1892
6:00pm - 9:00pm on November 11, 2025
Name: M. Crocker
Confirmation #: 54321
Round 10, 186 Pleasant Grove Rd, Kaiser County, NY 14850
Get Directions
Your booth reservation is confirmed
reservations@round10.com
to me
★⟲
Thank you for booking with Round 10!
Booth 1892
6:00pm - 9:00pm on October 19, 2025
Name: M. Crocker
Confirmation #: 09876
Round 10, 186 Pleasant Grove Rd, Kaiser County, NY 14850
Get Directions
Zach Cunningham Case Reopened
Jan 10th, 2026
The death of Zach Cunningham, a Kaiser University senior whose body was found on campus grounds last December, is once again under active investigation, police confirmed yesterday — only several weeks after the case was closed as a suicide.
Police spokesperson Christopher Meyer held a brief press conference outside the Kaiser County precinct, offering few concrete details. "New information has come to light that warrants a fresh look at the circumstances surrounding Cunningham's death," Meyer said. When pressed by reporters on what specifically prompted the reversal, Meyer declined to elaborate, stating only that "the investigation is ongoing and we won't be discussing evidence at this time."
The vague announcement has already fueled speculation and outrage across the community. Cunningham died on December 13, 2025, and police closed the case as a suicide just five days later, on December 18 — a timeline that has since raised serious questions about the thoroughness of the original investigation. The decision to reopen the case has only intensified public scrutiny, with many demanding answers about what, if anything, was overlooked the first time.
Eric Lark, the president of Kaiser University, refused to comment on the reopening of the case.
Local Film Student Premieres New Piece
Jan 3rd, 2026
What was expected to be a modest outdoor screening turned into one of the most talked-about campus events of the week, as senior film student Justin Holmes premiered his latest short film, Tendered, to a crowd of over 200 attendees at Founders Park last night.
Shot entirely in black and white and boasting a 40 minute runtime, Tendered follows a single chicken tender from the KaiserU dining hall freezer to its eventual disposal into a garbage bin, narrated only by ambient sound and long, static shots. Holmes has described his film as "an exploration of commodification, consumption, and the quiet tragedy of things made only to be consumed or forgotten."
The film's most striking sequence — a slow, single-take shot of the tender left out on a rooftop under a full moon, wreathed in a faint, lingering mist — has already become the subject of campus chatter. Holmes said the scene took "several attempts to get right" and credited an unnamed classmate for help with the visual effect, though he declined to elaborate further.
Audience reaction was enthusiastic, but divided. "I don't know if it's genius or ridiculous," said Donna Valera, a student at KaiserU. "But I couldn't look away."
Holmes plans to submit Tendered to several regional student film festivals this spring. The screening was part of an ongoing cinema series funded by KaiserU's film department."
Naomi Yu Wins Science Fair
Dec 23rd, 2025
Kaiser University senior Naomi Yu claimed first place at the KaiserU Fall Science Fair on December 22nd, just barely eking out a win over fellow senior Clara Meyer, who took second place with her project on the cellular regeneration ability of jellyfish.
Yu, whose autonomous puzzle solving robot won over the hearts of the judges, was ecstatic as she accepted the trophy. Her family, seated in the front row throughout the event, joined her on stage. "I just want to thank my parents and my sister for taking the time to come out and support me tonight," Yu said in her acceptance speech. "This means everything to me. I couldn't have done this without them."
"I want to give a special thanks to my sister, Nikki, who has been my biggest supporter all my life", Yu went on. "Out of the four of us, she's always been the smartest one in our little family. I'm so lucky to have her as my sister."
University officials praised the strength of this year's competition overall, with other notable submissions including a planetary mapping system and an allergy detection device.
Yu, who is set to graduate next year, said she plans to pursue a career in robotics engineering after finishing her degree at KaiserU.
Congratulations to Naomi Yu and all who competed this semester.
< Voicemails
William Phelps
January 14, 2026 at 3:58 PM
★
🗑
What is the address of the Crocker Mansion?
Status: Incomplete ⚠
House number
Street name
1/14
- borrow fancy watch from dad
- find my sports jacket, havent worn it since promotion
- eat big dinner before 5 hour drive
"you look like a rich douchebag" thanks evie
1/15
Car is dead giveaway. Need to park it out of sight
Google says popular lobster place nearby has bar — good spot to chat w/ locals
50 bucks for lobster roll? Keep receipt for reimbursement
Gossip:
- New home construction at 4 Dogwood Boulevard delayed. Brick suppliers on strike
- owner of 5 Apple Avenue says someone keeps moving everyone's trash bins in middle of night
- Nycron stocks predicted to dip, should buy?
- man says his house at 7 Evergreen Place and other east side houses has mouse infestation
- should go boating on lake. Keep receipt for reimbursement
- woman wants to sell her place which is closest to hill. Hates that it blocks sun, prevents snow melting. 8 something?
- Hort's daughter got parasite from salad. Lettuce recalled. Live at 2 Cherry Drive(east side I think?)
Been here 3 hours. Not one peep about college students. Gonna have to change tactics tomorrow
Dense Fog Blankets Hamper
Jan 7th, 2026
Residents of Hamper Community are contending with an unusually stretch of dense fog this week, with visibility dropping to under fifty feet along several roadways during early morning and late evening hours.
The fog has been linked to at least three minor traffic collisions along Birch Lane since January 4th, according to local authorities, though no serious injuries have been reported. Town officials have urged drivers to reduce speed and use low-beam headlights when navigating affected areas.
"This fog is deadly," said Winston Hall, who lives at 1 Birch Lane. "It's like a void where you can't see anything, not even my porch lights. I don't think I've seen anything more dangerous."
"It's not too bad," said another resident. "The flood 5 years ago was worse. All those wooden houses destroyed. Thankfully mine and the rest of the homes now are brick."
The Hamper town council has discussed installing additional fog lights for visibility, likely starting with the area with the least natural light: the base of the town's only hill on the northern border.
The National Weather Service has not issued any formal advisory, but continues to monitor conditions closely.
Voting on New Street Name Begins
Jan 6th, 2026
The Hamper Community Council will hold a public vote next week to determine the name of the town's newest street, part of the ongoing project to expand the town southward.
The unnamed street will connect to the southbound extension built last year, and like the streets before it, will contain eight new residential homes. Council members have narrowed the naming options down to three finalists: Glade Street, Grove Way, and Gaelbrook Parkway.
"We take these naming decisions seriously," said council secretary Damien Hort. "Hamper residents have always taken pride in the character of our streets, and we want this one to feel like it belongs."
Longtime residents will recognize the community's familiar pattern of quiet, tree-lined streets — from Apple Avenue to Fern Road — and the council confirmed the new street will continue in that same spirit. The winning name is expected to be announced at the next town hall meeting.
Construction crews have already begun preliminary groundwork on the site, with the project moving quickly due to Hamper's relatively flat geography. The council thanked residents in advance for their continued patience during the expansion.
- 1(current)
- 2
To my daughter-in-law, Jane
I hope this letter finds you well. I want to first express my gratitude for the love and care you have shown to my son. Your presence in his life has brought him immense joy and happiness, and for that, I am truly thankful.
But you'll excuse me if the pleasantries end here. I have given you this note, on my very death bed, because I have something of grave importance to tell you. I regret that I've lacked the courage and fortitude to tell you this, but I cannot leave this mortal coil without doing so. I have been keeping a secret from you, one that has weighed heavily on my conscience for decades.
My son has committed the sin of infidelity against you. It happened about two years into your courtship when the two of you still resided in Berkshire. The other woman became pregnant and gave birth to a boy. Against my better judgement, I assisted my son in covering up this transgression and sent the woman and her child away. You were none the wiser. After you two moved abroad, my son began sending me money under the guise of paying for his mother's medical care. In reality, much of the funds were used to support his illegitimate son.
I am deeply sorry that I have delivered this news to you in this way. I have been complicit in this deception, and I am deeply ashamed of my actions. I will not defend myself or Gregory for what we have done.
If anything, I've learned at least one thing from this entire ordeal. Which is that one may be rich in wealth but morally bankrupt. That's the unfortunate truth I'll have to part this world with.
What you do now is up to you, my dear, although I do hope that my only two grandchildren may meet one day. My only request is that you do not hold anything against the other woman or her child. They are innocent in this matter.
Farewell, and may you find peace and happiness in your life.
January 14, 2026
- Walter
- 1(current)
- 2
THE MANTLES OF INHERITANCE
Let no practitioner confuse this inheritance with succession of property. Gold, land, and titles pass only when a life has ended. The Mantles pass only when another has begun.
When you enter the world as your house’s first, you bear the Crown. Fate and destiny is woven by none other than its bearer. You have no peers to prove yourself against, but claim neither mentor nor protégé. Your portion is your prize.
When in your line emerges the second, surrender the Crown and bear the Torch. Your kindle illuminates the front path, yet casts a dark shadow behind. Those who trail you try to match their footprints in yours, whether they fit or not. Will they be ready when your fire burns out?
As the second vessel, you bear the Door. It opens not to a single room but a myriad of weaving paths, like a desert with no sun or stars. Choice haunts you. Walk blind and deaf and you may yet find the oasis.
When your line lengthens once more, pass down the Door and bear the Bridge. You make near what otherwise is far. You join what would otherwise be divided. On your rocky surface pass burdens, afflictions, and aspirations. Only upon crumbling does the town realize the Bridge was there at all.
I write this in haste that one day it may see light in the hands of a faithful practitioner. My master, Tiaccabode, has met his end by the steel of his captors, and I soon follow.
My master believed the Mantles to be a fraction of an accord, many a power to be constructed when harmonies align. I have recorded the rubrics for such powers, as researched by my master and imparted to me.
Every ritual begins with the Ring. The Ring composes of five bearers each channeling it with a 20-lined seashell in palm. A bearer grants its currents to two others that it touches, no more and no less.
Each bearer must then focus on the currents and the needed energies in the room. Ensure no mind is wandering, as concentration waxes and wanes like the waves. Hold fast, lest the wrong powers be envoked.
The final piece is the auras of specific celestial constructions. To harness the might of the void is to lay eyes upon them skyward as you bask in its attendance, which you may do once a moon.
But beware of Death’s Fog. Like a creature born under the cover of night, its mere presence is as overwhelming as its shadow is domineering. It blocks all beings of light and renders their authority inert.
Ritual of the Mystic Step
Each bearer must hold fast a far away place like a painting in their mind. When the all paintings are one, the Ring travels as one. After that moment, no step shall lie between the bearers and the painting.
- A Torch and Bridge must join currents.
- As least two Crowns must embrace the Ring.
- The Eye of Elo and the Umbral Cage must align in the sky.
Ritual of the Whispered Voice
Hone your minds on the spiritual energies latent in the air. If one destined to cross the River Styx lingers still, their hushed, whispered words may be heard by those with willing ears.
- A Torch and Door must join currents.
- As least two Doors must embrace the Ring.
- The Eye of Elo and the Umbral Cage must align in the sky.
Ritual of the Single Choir
Focus on the currents of one bearer and allow the Ring to hum in harmony. So then no thought among that bearer is possessed by them, instead what is thought by them is thought by all.
- A Crown must recieve the currents of a Door and Bridge.
- A Torch must recieve the currents of a Crown and Bridge.
- The Arm of the Nine must be present in the night.
Ritual of the Invisible Thread
Sharpen your minds to the presence of each bearer's soul. When it is so, though mountains or valleys should divide them, each bearer of the Ring shall know the direction of every other, as surely as the lowly pigeon knows the direction of its home.
- A Crown must recieve the currents of two Crowns.
- A Torch must recieve the currents of a Bridge.
- The Eye of Elo and the Umbral Cage must align in the sky.
Ritual of the Migrant Tree
The bearer of the Bridge must hold fast a far away place like a painting in their mind. The house that shelters the Ring shall loosen its roots of this realm and travel to that place, so long as the Bridge maintains their mind's brush. The house must be made of once living forest.
- A Torch and Door must embrace the Ring, but cannot join currents.
- A Door and Crown must join currents.
- Death's Fog must cast its shadow on the heavens.
Ritual of the Humble Kingdom
Channel your inner strength to the living Earth, tap into the soul of a field mouse, and assume its humble form. Memory and speech remain, though its tongue carries only squeaks.
- A Torch and Bridge must join currents.
- A Door and Bridge must join currents.
- Death's Fog must cast its shadow on the heavens.
Ritual of the Pale Crossing
Release the chains that bind you to this realm. When each bearer does so, their flesh dissolve as their spirits cross over the Pale. As colorless and weightless as mist, the Earth is yours to roam.
- Two Doors must join currents.
- A Crown and Torch must join currents.
- The Eye of Elo and the Umbral Cage must align in the sky.
Hello.
Children are really something, aren't they? They go off on their own, chase their wildest dreams, and what do they have to show for?
But I digress. I think you're starting to understand what happened here.
So once again, show me why I've chosen you for this task. Tell me, what were the students trying to do, and what did they actually do?
Good luck.
- X
Solve the Case
Status: Incomplete ⚠
What is each student's Mantle?
Matthew:
Nikki:
Daisy:
Martin:
David:
Which ritual were the students trying to do?
What ritual did the students actually do?
my mom's pregnant...
ive always been the little sister and now im the big sister
We've gotta meetup and celebrate! Usual spot?
- 1(current)
1/16
Good news. I found the house.
Bad news. I went in the house. Explored and found their clothes lying on the floor in a room. And then there were these rats sitting there. They were so loud, constantly squeaking. I was trying to shoo them off but they but kept coming back. And then...I might be seeing things, but one of them started tapping on one of the kids phone and looking at me? I got so freaked out I just left. I'm in the car right now.
Do I call this in? Or do I call an exorcist? Should I go back? What am I even doing here?
I think I need to go back and unlock the phone for the rats. I can't believe I just said that.
- 1(current)
- 2