Winter break had just arrived, a time of relaxation and enjoyment before the reality of college decisions would come crashing down on them. For now, there would only be warm fires, endless snow, fun travels and most importantly, no responsibilities. Cassy Smith and her best friend Aditi Sharma had just arrived at Aurora Peaks, expecting an exciting adventure exploring Los Angeles for the Christmas holidays.

     But by the second night, the laughter and warmth of the hotel's corridors had turned into quiet whispers of worry, and of growing unease. A girl named Lisa had vanished. No calls, no clues—just a simple yet eerie surveillance footage of where she was last seen on the hotel's 13th floor, in the elevator, which was cut out at 12 am.

     When the police had finally declared that the case was "inconclusive", Cassy’s gut gnawed at her. Her instincts kept telling her something was wrong and it wouldn’t let go. With her sharp mind for law, and her pretty good knack for reading people, she dragged Aditi into the mystery. Her best friend's analytical and observational skills, along with her fascination with medicine had noticed things others had not—things that seemed off. The bruise on Lisa’s wrist in the photo, and what seemed to be a missing page in her medical record, had red flags go off in both the girls' minds. 

     Then came the twist: the two boys they had met in the hotel lobby the day before. Enzo Larusso, a sharp tongued boy who aspires to become a detective, and Rahul Kumar, a calm and quiet computer science prodigy, were already conducting their own investigation. 

 

     Four teens. Three clues. One unsolved case.

 

     With each clue they found, they dove deeper and unraveled the hotel's darkest secrets, getting even more into danger. The hotel's appearance was just a disguise of its hidden history: an abandoned wing, a staff member who knew too much, and an old woman who claimed that the hotel watches back. 

     The deeper they dove, the closer they got. The more they realized. Lisa wasn’t the first, and perhaps their curiosity had just made them the next target. 

     A scream echoed through the hallway. 

     The lights flickered..and then went out. 

     And Cassy realized….

     They weren’t alone in the room.

     End.