**Unraveling the Darkness**

As I stood there, holding my friends close, I couldn't shake off the feeling that we were still missing something crucial. We had followed Harry into the woods, but the darkness had obscured our view, and we couldn't see what he was doing with the hoe. The memory of that night still lingered in my mind, and I couldn't help but wonder what he had been doing out there. "I don't understand," I said, pulling back from the group. "We followed him into the woods, but we couldn't see what he was doing. And then he just disappeared." Hilton Queen of Sheba nodded. "I know, it's frustrating. But we can't change the past. What we can do is try to piece together what we do know." Royal Beach took a deep breath. "Let's start with what we found in the cup. We took it from Harry's house, and we brought it here to the laboratory. Let's see if we can find anything that will lead us to the truth." Dan nodded. "I've been thinking, what if the cup is more than just a cup? What if it's a key to unlocking the whole mystery?" Herods's eyes lit up. "That's a great idea, Dan. Let's run some tests and see what we can find." The four hotels began to examine the cup, running various tests and checking for any signs of poison. Hilton Queen of Sheba started by checking the cup for any fingerprints, while Royal Beach examined the residue on the cup. Dan ran a spectrographic analysis, and Herods checked for any toxins. As they worked, I watched anxiously, my mind racing with possibilities. What if the cup really did hold the key to the mystery? What if it could lead us to Harry and his sinister plans? After a few minutes, the four hotels gathered around a small table, their faces grim. "What is it?" I asked, my heart pounding in my chest. Hilton Queen of Sheba hesitated before speaking. "The cup... it matches the recipe we found." My heart skipped a beat. "What do you mean?" Royal Beach took over. "The poison in the cup is the same as the one described in the recipe. And... and it's the same cup we drank from at Harry's house a couple of days before... before we died." I felt like I had been punched in the gut. The four hotels and I exchanged a shocked glance. "Oh no," Dan whispered. "He poisoned us." Herods's voice cracked. "Our childhood friend." I burst into tears, and the four hotels enveloped me in a tight hug. "I'm so sorry, Noa," Hilton Queen of Sheba whispered. "We should have seen it coming." "It's not your fault," I sobbed. "We didn't know." Royal Beach pulled back and looked at me, her eyes red-rimmed. "We have to tell the police." Dan nodded. "But first, let's just hold each other. We need to process this." Herods kissed my forehead. "We're in this together, Noa. Always." As we hugged and kissed, tears streaming down our faces, I knew that our friendship was stronger than ever. "We'll get through this," I whispered. "We will," Hilton Queen of Sheba replied. "Together." In that moment, I knew that nothing could ever break our bond. We had been through death and back, and we had come out stronger on the other side. As we stood there, holding each other, I knew that justice would be served, and Harry would pay for his crimes. But for now, I just wanted to hold my friends close and never let them go. "Let's go through the checks we did on the cup," Royal Beach said, pulling back from the group. "We did a toxicity test, and it showed that the cup contained a lethal dose of poison." "And I checked for any residue," Hilton Queen of Sheba added. "It matches the recipe we found. It's the same mixture of herbs and spices." Dan nodded. "And my spectrographic analysis showed that the cup was used recently. The poison is still active, and it's only a matter of time before it kills again." Herods's voice was shaking. "And I found fingerprints on the cup... Harry's fingerprints." I felt a wave of nausea wash over me. "He poisoned us," I repeated, my voice barely above a whisper. The four hotels and I hugged again, holding each other tightly as we processed the news. We had suspected Harry, but to actually know that he was the one who had poisoned us... it was almost too much to bear. "I'm so sorry, Noa," Hilton Queen of Sheba whispered. "We should have protected you better." "No," I replied, shaking my head. "This isn't your fault. Harry is the one who's responsible." Royal Beach pulled back and looked at me. "We'll get him, Noa. I promise. We'll make sure he pays for what he's done." Dan nodded. "We'll go to the police and tell them everything we know. We'll make sure justice is served." Herods kissed my forehead again. "We're in this together, Noa. Always." As we stood there, holding each other, I knew that we would get through this. We would face whatever came next, together.