The town of Dawnside is known for its high population and tourism. Despite its reputation as a place filled with history and crime, everyone knows each other here. Nearby is the city of New Aurora, larger and more populous, yet equally riddled with crime; nonetheless, both locations are renowned for their natural beauty and architecture, drawing in many visitors. The police department serving both is the Auroside Police Department, or simply the APD.
Ahem, let me introduce myself. This is my story. I am a girl living in Dawnside, while my parents live in the neighboring city. My family is incredibly wealthy—multimillionaires—and although they prefer to stay out of the spotlight, I’ve managed to keep my identity separate from theirs so no one makes the connection. My relationship with my parents is good, and they send me 100 million into my wallet every month; for my family, that's just pocket change—that’s how rich they are.
Coming back to the story, I moved to Dawnside to build a quiet life, with one small caveat: I am one of the creators and admins of the famous Shadowfire Forum. Along with the other admins—known as The Archivists—we keep things in check. People know we are always watching and that we are trustworthy. So, yeah, my life isn't exactly quiet. I work at a coffee shop in Dawnside and live in a cabin-style house. My best friend, Sarah, is my roommate.
Shadowfire is filled with theories, rumors, conspiracies, and stories. The APD has tried to shut the forum down multiple times, but the Archivists and I have always stopped them, as being an Archivist requires being an expert hacker and a forum veteran. While anyone in the world can join Shadowfire for free, getting accepted is difficult. The forum is famous not only as a place for conspiracies but as a hub for uncensored, real information that is free to everyone—depending on who you ask. The Shadowfire and the APD have a well-known, bitter rivalry; the police dislike that we sometimes leak active case details, even though, if they were honest, they’ve used our leaks to solve crimes themselves. Shadowfire is famous far beyond New Aurora and Dawnside. We Archivists take turns managing the site. By the way, does anyone know I’m an Archivist? No. Only my friend Luka and my best friend Sarah know. Forum identities are secret, and we only recognize the usernames of trusted veterans. All Archivists share the username @Archivista; it is strictly forbidden for anyone else to use it to avoid confusion.
All Archivists are equal; there is no leader. We work in unity, but no one is in command.
I am morally gray. All Archivists are a bit cold and morally questionable; kindness won’t earn you a position here.
I never act suspiciously. No one doubts me, and my secret is safe. It is literally impossible for anyone to find out who I am.
This story follows me as I monitor the forum. It isn't a story about someone trying to catch me or the APD uncovering my identity. The focus is on the forum, the Archivists, the crime, and the history. My secret is neither in danger nor will it ever be revealed. This story begins with a new crime in New Aurora—the murder of an elderly man under strange circumstances. It is about me, , doing my job as an Archivist.
The story begins with me leaving the cafe where I work while scrolling through my phone.