Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

“Alright… Let’s search this place.” 

Damon was prepared to spend his morning in the dining hall, playing some pointless game tournament with a game Cassidy found in her room. But he wasn’t prepared for what happened next.

*KA-BOOM* A blackout occurred, changing his day from slightly annoying to unpleasant. 

In complete darkness, the tournament attendants were left confused. Only Damon realised that the generator in the boiler room must’ve broken down. He couldn’t hear the sound of the generator, which was near the boiler room/dining hall vent.

He didn’t know how it happened, but it struck him as unnerving. The generator worked fine when I woke up there. Damon thought. So what happened to it? And why is Tozu not fixing it? 

Luckily, he and Eva remembered that there was a backup generator somewhere in the closets downstairs, so they proposed that everyone went to the basement in search of the backup generator. The group of eight, led by Damon and Eva, took some time to navigate in the dark, but eventually made it down the stairs and in the hallway. When confronted with four possible closets to look in, the group split off in pairs. 

So here he was, stuck with Kai. Again.

Despite the total darkness , Kai and Damon gave the closet a rundown. The space wasn’t big, so the job was done rather quickly. Something as large as a generator should stand out, even in the dark, right? 

But they couldn’t find anything of the sort.

“Man, unlucky.. all that work for nothing…”said Kai nervously. He was already creeped out by the basement uneasiness, but the dark makes it ten times worse. “What's the plan now? D-do we just.. go back outside?”

“I want to see what Grace and Eva are doing next door.” It appeared to Damon that Eva can’t stand Grace, so those two shouldn’t stay together longer than needed. 

“O-okay…” said Kai, still feeling nervous. As Kai stuffed up behind him, Damon turned to grasp the handle of the door and-

*Pat pat pat*

 “...Huh?"

Suddenly, Damon heard frantic footsteps echoing from the hallway outside. “Um.. did somebody just run past this room?” Kai questioned. “It sounded a lot like it...” Damon replied.

Did another pair make a discovery? Why are they running past us?

…

…This doesn’t sit right, I need to see what’s going on.

Damon pushed down the handle and walked through the door, finding an empty hallway. It was still dark, no one found the backup generator. So why did I hear the footsteps? Who was it?

“There’s no one here…A-are the others still searching their closets?” It seems Kai followed him outside, despite the scared look on his face. “If they found something, I don't know why they’d run off without telling us first…” 

“if it was one of them, we should have a door opening…”

"Y-yeah…" Kai agreed. “Um… maybe, we should peek inside one of the closets? J-just to make sure, Y’know?”

But Damon wasn’t interested in the closets 

“Um…Damon? Hello?"

Damon wasn’t focused on Kai's words anymore. He was focused…

…on that place

“Those footsteps… sounded like it came from the boiler room.” Damon walked down that direction. 

“Hold on, I don’t-”

But Damon doesn’t need his permission to do anything. He may have dragged me into the tournament, but I am going to uncover this.

“H-hey, what are you doing!?” His words were barely comprehensible. Damon doesn't hear anything, he doesn’t even think anything. There was a tightening in his chest, but he could barely register it as his legs walked forward. It felt like he couldn’t control his movement anymore, his heart made that decision for him. It brought him to the door and turned the doorknob.

Once inside, it was still dark and silent, but not the normal silence he remembered from before. Damon walked forward, carefully, knowing the layout of the room. To his surprise, his feet felt the edge of the platform.

“D-dude… You’re seriously freaking me out…” Kai followed him inside.  “This isn’t okay ,Y’know…? Why did you come here…?”

With the generator out of commission, there was no sound. This silence wasn’t peaceful. Rather, it felt like the calmness before the thunderstorm.

“C-come on dude! Just say something!”

“...” 

“Ugh..why can’t someone just… Fix this stupid blackout!”

*Brrrrr*

“...Huh” 

All of a sudden, the light appeared. A single ray of light in the back of the room, coming from the vent on the wall. It took a moment for Damon to adjust his eyes to his surroundings, but the dimmed light was enough for him.

Enough to see what was laying away besides his feet.

Wolfgang, lurched over the boiler room platform. Completely still… completely silent…

His face was contorted in a look of horror. His eyes didn’t shine the same brightness he had during the mock trial. His mouth was open, as he couldn’t finish his last words. From where he stood, Damon could see some faint lines on his pale skin, that seemed more paler now.  

The Ultimate Lawyer couldn’t look more dead.

Wolfgang tried his best to make Damon and Eva look like outcasts. He and Damon could argue about everything and still disagree. Damon even felt hatred toward him…. 

But seeing Wolfgang like this… brought no relief, no satisfaction.

If only Damon discussed his blackmail with him, he might have gotten some answers about the mysterious lawyer. Maybe that conversation might have changed their views on each other. But his chances died next to him.

“aaaaaAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

Kai's scream was loud, snapping Damon back to reality. His scream was a clear contrast to silence before. Damon could hear the fear in his voice. Damon didn’t join him, for he was too terrified to scream. His arms and legs suddenly left weightless, only feeling pins and needles.

What should I do?… What can I do!?

“T-This can’t be for real…There’s no way” Kai starts running out the door, leaving Damon standing alone.

“There’s no waaaAAAAAAAAAAAYY!!!”

Eva was still in one of the closets, but she knew what happened when she heard Kai screaming. His scream meant that he found Wolfgang dead in the boiler room. It meant that her plan succeeded. 

Well, kinda. 

Eva heard some footsteps before the lights turned on. It seems that Diana got away. But that doesn’t matter, it can still work. She might be smart enough to somehow unlock the door, but she has no alibi, so framing her for the crime will be easy.

Grace, her search “buddy”, whips her head around. She was inspecting the racks before she heard Kai's screams. With confusion, she looked at the door, and then at Eva. “...What was that?” she asked.

Your roommate is dead, that’s what, Eva thought.

 “...I don’t know.” Eva answered instead 

Curiously, Grace heads slowly towards the door, with Eva quickly behind her. It seems the other pairs also heard the scream and went to the hall to see what happened. Everyone looked toward the boiler room door.

Kai stood there, a few steps away in front of the door. Heaving, with a terrified expression on his face. “…Wolfgang…He is…” He trembled as he spoke his words, still reeling on what happened. “…I can’t believe this…”

Jean gently, yet effectively, pushed Kai out of the way and entered the room. Grace and Cassidy quickly followed him, looking concerned. “Damon, are you alright!?” Asked Cassidy as she stepped into the room. Everyone else quickly joined.

Well, everyone except for one.

Eva waited a second before joining the others. Just for a second.

She needs that second before pretending like she is shocked, like she is concerned about Wolfgang’s and everybody’s safety, like she doesn’t know who did this horrible thing. It’s not the first time she pretends to be something she’s not in front of this group. But this time, she can't fail. 

After that second, she entered the boiler room, where everyone inside was standing frozen, looking down. At the back of the crowd full of confused faces, she saw the results of her actions

The first thing Eva saw was Damon, standing close to the edge of the platform. He stood there petrified, so he didn’t notice everyone else entering. He and Kai must have noticed Diana’s footsteps and went looking here.

The second thing she saw was Wolfgang, lying down next to Damon’s feet 

With a terrifying face, he looked up to her, instead of looking down on her.

Though, not really looking up to her specifically. More like looking up to anyone who can help him. Help he will never get.

"WAWAH!” Jett shouted.

“Is that Wolfgang!? Cassidy asked. 

Grace looked shocked, as she didn’t expect Wolfgang to be here. 

“…I don’t know what happened. …Damon and I found him like this...I think he’s...” Kai didn’t finish his sentence. He didn’t need to.

Eva would smile at Wolfgang's demise if she was alone. But with the rest here, she turned that smile upside down and copied her classmate's reactions. “I don't see any wounds… Is he really…?”

Everyone remained frozen to their place, processing on what’s in front of them

Well, everyone except for one

Jean, suddenly taking the lead, dashed forward to Wolfgang, then crouching down so he could put Wolfgang on his side. Eva realized what he wanted to do, apply first aid. ”Wait, are we sure we can tou-” 

“Wolfgang, can you hear me, mate?!” Totally ignoring Eva's concerns, Jean put one hand on Wolfgang’s upper arm, shaking him to get a response. “Can you hear me?!”

He won't answer you, Jean. Eva thought. He’s dead.

With no answer, Jean quickly placed two fingers to his neck, to check his pulse. While everyone was focused on Jean, Eva looked out for Tozu. Why wasn’t he here, Eva noticed his absence in the chaos of a corpse. He wanted this, so why isn’t he here announcing himself as “the great game show host”?

Suddenly Jean gasps, with eyes wide open. Eva laid eyes on him, with a thin smile. Yes, you realised you’re too late. The leader you all followed without question, lies dead before you. He tricked you into working together, but you will fall apart without him. And now you will never find out what happened, cuz I outsmarted everyone here! I deserve to live! And thus, I am going to live, now that he’s de—

"He’s alive!” Jean shouted.

Wait, what?

Everyone, even Eva and Damon, stared at Jean like deers in headlights. With no one knowing what to do next, the captain went to do what he does best. “We need to move Wolfgang to the pharmacy, we can help him there. Grace, find Ingrid! Cassidy, get the rest!” 

Cassidy nodded and sprinted out of the room. Eva never realised that she could run that fast. Grace, however, didn’t follow Jean's order. “N-no… I'll stay.” She looked desperately at Jean. He looked surprised by her response, but didn’t resist. “Jett, find Ingrid!”

“O-on it!” The masked man responded, before leaving.

Jean picks Wolfgang up, carefully to not make things worse, and holds him in his arms.

“Everyone, follow me!” 

And just like that, everyone followed him out of the boiler room, like ducklings running after their mother.

Well, everyone except for one. 

Eva just stood there, looking at the steep water beside her.

How did this happen?

Chapter Text

“I’m sorry… I really am…”

In the dark hallways, Diana did everything in her power to be as quiet and still as possible. She could hear her own footsteps stumping against the floor. So any more noise will make it worse. Diana thought. She could still feel the pain in her arm, and that drove Diana to run faster.

Running back to her room wasn’t easy. Diana might have gotten some bruises from bumping into some things while searching her way in the dark. She was grateful that she didn’t bump into somebody on her way, that would have been the worst scenario. She was lucky she got away from the basement in the first place.

When Diana eventually got to her room, she closed the door, and then quickly walked to her makeup table. Even in the dark, she knew where her tools were laying on the table. It was enough to hide her wound. She knows what she needs to do. And she needs to do it in a matter of seconds. How long until they…?

It wasn’t Diana’s first time where she needed to be quick with her makeup tools. Broadway is known for their quick changes. Various runways wanted to show their outfits faster than a sushi converter belt. Sometimes live-television requires some last minute touch-up. So being quick was almost second nature for her. But the tears in her eyes made things so much difficulter.

*Bloink* 

The lights turned on. Time is running out. Diana doesn’t know how long she has…

She needs to focus. She already wiped away the bleeding, she only needs to bandage the wound and cover it up with makeup. Simple, right? 

Pretending like nothing happened, like I don’t know anything. Simple…

…

…right?

She just… couldn’t believe what happened down here. She thought that she was going to have a decent conversation with Wolfgang, where she can explain her mistakes without harsh words and false accusations.

Instead, she found Wolfgang dazed, confused and crying,  and helping him was met with a knife, the tasergun felt wrong in her hands, being close to him wasn’t safe, she didn’t know what he was talking about, she didn’t know what to do next, and suddenly the explosion came and-

Yes, the wound on her arm was painful, but witnessing his death was unbearable. 

*Knock knock knock!*

“Diana?!”

If you looked at her arm, you wouldn't notice anything. Diana felt relieved that she did it in time. Now, she looked like nothing happened to her. Maybe some redness around my eyes, but that’s why you have makeup…

…It’s the first time Diana has to pretend to be something she’s not in front of her classmates. She was unfamiliar with it, but she had to stay quiet. Because, what will her classmates think of her when she says something? Will they accept her truth? She was the only one there, they will think that she did it. But what happened there was an accident, but how can she prove it…? 

His pitch-black silhouette contrasting the white everything was still lingering in her mind. I’m sorry Wolfgang, I was useless. I failed you as your-

“SUPAAAAA INAZUMAAAAA KIIIIICK!”

*BANG!*

“AAAHHH” 

Diana was so deep in her thoughts, she completely forgot her surroundings. The cosmetologist screamed when Cassidy entered her room. She wasn’t out of breath, but the sweat on her face suggested that Cassidy was running for a while.

“Diana, glad you’re here. EMERGENCY MEETING! Go to the pharmacy!” 

“W-what, why? What happened?”

“Something happened to lawyer man. We’ll help him in the pharmacy, Jean told me to get everyone.” As soon as Cassidy spoke those words, Diana froze to her spot, with eyes wide open. 

Help? But that means- is he alive? But I thought that he- he didn’t say anything. How did he- how did they- I LEFT HIM THERE! I thought he died. He was in pain, and I left him there! How could I have left him there!? He needed help and I ran away!  How could I? How could I have known that he-

"C'mon! Get up and start moving! Everyone else is already there!” Cassidy frantically gestured her hands to the door. Diana stopped spiralling her thoughts. It wasn't doing her any good. Only one thing was on her mind, I need to see him.

Diana stood up from her seat. “L-lead the way.”  With that, both girls left the pink room and started to sprint towards the pharmacy.

—-

Cassidy led Diana through the pharmacy entrance, past the cabinets full of medicine and finally the room with rows of beds that mimicked a hospital. Despite the minimal space, the room felt crowded when Diana arrived. Being the only person in the room who knew what happened, it made her nervous.

Amidst the sea of people, she saw Wolfgang lying unconscious on one of the farthest beds. His skin looked pale then the white sheet that covered him and the dark circles under his eyes were getting darker. His breathing sounded short and heavy. Even though Diana was not near him, she could make out beads of sweat dripping off his face. The dark lines on his arms makes Diana uneasy. Was that from the explosion?

Jean was standing guard near the end of Wolfgang’s bed. Ingrid started to investigate his wounds. Diana figured she has the most experience treating injuries, as the Ultimate blacksmith. Ulysses was nearby with his notebook in hand and Grace held on to Wolfgang’s jacket, fumbling with one of the buttons. 

Toshiko was sitting on an empty bed closest to the door, with Kai close by. He wasn't talking to her, but his presence seemed to ground her. Mark and Jett stand close to each other, wondering what happened. Wenona leaned against the wall, and Desmond was calming Eloise down. Damon was standing in the opposite of Wolfgang, seemingly deep in thought. And Eva looked around herself, but she didn’t notice the redheads entering.

In fact, no one seemed to notice them. Too busy with the situation at hand. 

"Jean! Got the last one!” Cassidy beamed, her voice echoed through the room. Jean looked over to her and gave her a small nod. “Thanks Cassidy, I knew I could count on you.” Cassidy smiled

“Well then, now that everyone is here, let me explain what happened.” Jean knew how to get everyone's attention with ease. It reminded Diana back when Jean announced how he discovered the open shutter door. Must be his experience as captain. thought Diana.

“The tournament just started when the blackout happened, so we as a gr-”

“Wait.” Wenona interjected “ What blackout?

“We didn’t experience any blackouts.” Ulysses commented. 

“Yeah, neither did we.” Desmond added with Eloise close to him. 

Wait, they didn’t? Diana thought.

“But we did, right Toshiko?” Ingrid. Toshiko nodded her head.

“Diana was in her room when I found her, so she must have noticed the blackout too.” Cassidy's comment made Diana feel a bit safer, somehow.

Diana noticed how Ulysses was hunched over his notebook, scribbling furiously. “Please continue, Jean.” He asked without taking his eyes off his book. It made sense for Diana that the historian wanted to note everything down. She remembered how she helped him with the descriptions of every cabinet available a few days ago.  

“After realising there was a back-up generator somewhere in the basement…" Jean continued. “We went downstairs to look for it. That’s when Damon and Kai found Wolfgang in the boiler room. We tried all we could, but he’s still in terrible shape.” Jean looked at the lawyer, who kept shivering like he’s cold. Combined with his sweating, it looks like he caught a fever.

“Wh-what happened to him?” Diana quietly asked, almost afraid to ask. She knew what happened, but maybe it was better to explain her story when everything calmed down.

“We don’t know…” Jean responded.

“Well, this has gotta be an accident, right?” Cassidy responded.

“Don’t make me laugh.”

Tozu appeared, in a blink of an eye. 

"Whawha?!" Jett shouted, with Mark quickly covering his ears.

“You naive lot think this is an accident? "BAHAHA!"  His laughter echoed throughout the small room.

“What?” Diana couldn’t believe what he was saying. Someone planned th-

“You’re telling us someone planned this to happen?” Mark finished her thoughts.

‘Well yes, of course. I saw how every tiny detail transformed to bigger parts that led to the moment of impact. Let me tell you, I was sitting on the edge of my seat when I saw it!” Even with his mask concealing his face, you could feel there was a devilish smile placarded on his face. His eyes appeared redder.

“But…Wolfgang is still alive, y’know?” Kai said.

“Yes, lucky bastard.” Tozu spits out his words. The quick change in his tone was enough to make everyone on edge. “With disappointment, I can confirm that this-“ He gestured at Wolfgang, who was still in a fragile state.“was a murder gone wrong. One of you tried to kill Wolfgang.”

Silence falls on everyone in the room. The shock that someone in this room tried to end a life. And the person trying to prevent all of that, is now a victim. Why him? Diana thought. What did he do wrong?

“Then tell us!” Grace demanded. “Tell us who did this!”

"Me? Tell you the attempted killer?” Tozu looked at Grace. “It’s already a tragedy that their plan didn’t work, outing them for that is not necessary.”

“B-but Wolfgang…” Toshiko sobs “He… he was so nice to everyone…Why… would someone…?” Toshiko wailed those words behind her fan. It's clear to everyone that Tozu only cares about his entertainment. The room remained silent and Tozu was about to leave…

…until

“So, this means nothing to you?’ Although she didn't yell, there was an overwhelming intensity to Eva’s voice. The same kind that caught everyone’s attention back in the trail room. Immediately, Tozu stopped in his tracks. "Someone did what you wanted and you are looking the other way? You think that this is so meaningless, there won’t be a class trial for this?”  

“A class trial? For an attempted murder? BAHAHAHA” His laughter was loud. “And then what, an attempted execution? That would be a was- Wait a tick..”

“…”

“That’s not a bad idea, Eva.” Tozu’s voice sounded like a proud father. "Wauw, First the blackmail, now this. I don’t need to think when you are around. What’s going on in that brain to yours? Beside useless numbers.” Eva didn’t seem to enjoy Tozu’s praises. No one could have predicted what he said next.

“Well then, time will be allotted for all participants to investigate the attempted murder...” Tozu announced. “…and afterwards, the class trail will begin!”

A class trail?! This was Diana’s nightmare. Despite the fact Wolfgang was alive, she still had to hide the truth? She still had to lie to everyone? I have to, or else… That realization made her silent. But everyone else was silent too…

“Since you’re not willing to start this discussion, I know a good place to start.” Tozu appeared to have multiple devices on hand. “Behold, the Tozu Tablet! The second Tozo Tablet, to be more precise.” 

“You’re… even naming the tablet after yourself…” Ingrid asked.

“It’s always been called this - you just didn’t know until now” Tozu said while passing the tablets out. “Anyway, I trust you all remember how this tablet operates, yes? The wording has changed a little but it still works. Go on, take a look!” 

With a small hesitation, Diana turned on her tablet.

The victim is Wolfgang Akire, The Ultimate Lawyer.

He was discovered in the boiler room on the underground floor.

When found, he was kneeling in the water with his upper body slumped over the concrete platform.

The estimated time of attempted murder is approximately 9:35 AM.

“This… is different from the first tablet we got.” It’s the first time Diana heard Damon speak since she arrived. He was quiet before, but now it seemed that he needed answers.

“No, I’m quite confident you’re holding the same brand of tablet. See, the shape and size are identical.” Tozu seemed pleased by giving that dad joke of an answer.

“I mean… Why is there information missing from this tablet? The cause of injury… When we investigated the dummy’s murder, the tablet explicitly said how she died and her other injuries. But this tablet…doesn't list Wolfgang’s injuries anywhere.”

“Of course. Saying otherwise would make the mystery too easy to solve. This way, both the attacker and the spotless have an equal chance of winning.”

“What do you mean?” Damon asked.

“Nope, that’s all you get from me, Tally ho!” Whistling a cheery tune to himself, Tozu strolled away and out of sight.

"Hey, wait!" But Damon couldn’t chase the masked man, his question left unanswered.

“M…make what too easy? Solving the truth behind this attack?” Eloise questioned.

“No way… Is he saying the injuries are part of the mystery?” Desmond looked like he just realised the true nature of the goat-masked man.

Diana didn’t want this to happen. She hoped that with Wolfgang alive, she wouldn’t have to go on pretending. But with a class trail still ahead, she had no choice. Diana wished this didn’t happen. She looked at Wolfgang, hoping he could help her. But how can he?

Diana looked at Eva next, someone who's been with her a lot. If someone knows Diana well, it would be her. She knows that I wouldn’t do this, right? 

Eva noticed how Diana looked at her, and she stared right at her. I can work with this. Eva thought. I can still frame her and get away with it. 

A little smile appeared on Eva’s face. The odds are still in my favour.

Chapter Text

"Ah, Damon. How is your investigation coming along?"  

That was the question Toshiko asked when Damon and Eva entered the pharmacy. She spotted them right away when they walked in. 

It was decided that Ingrid, Toshiko and Grace would stay behind, and look after Wolfgang, while the rest investigated. Without the help from the lawyer, everyone went looking in places like a chicken without its head. Investigating the scene of the crime is key to solving the mystery, so Damon decided to begin there, with Eva alongside him.

Unfortunately, they found more questions than answers. Besides the blood splatter on the floor and the taser gun near the boxes, they also found a knife and a cord in the water. And in the closets, they found a rolling pin with clear handprints and dents. All these leads, but it shows them no clear picture.

Damon was still mad about the missing information on the tablet. Withholding information to make it fair? Bullshit. Damon thought. Tozu is just mad over the fact nobody died in his stupid game yet. He needs to have a trial that badly. For what? His entertainment? Or does he have some quota to hit?

“We just finished searching for clues downstairs.” Eva answered instead. “We’re here because we found evidence that Wolfgang received various types of injuries. We want to know which one almost killed him.”

“Well… you need to inquire Ingrid about that.” Toshiko said, uneasy. “She is knowledgeable about this topic. She’s in the emergency room up ahead.” 

Damon and Eva walked away without saying another word. When they entered the emergency room, their first thought was how much bigger it looked compared to before, now that everyone was gone. You could drop a needle and hear how it bounced against the floor. In the corner of the room, Ingird looked over Wolfgang, who was still unconscious. The room was filled with silence, save for the sounds of Wolfgang’s labored breathing. 

“How are things going in here?" Eva asked suddenly, and it brought Ingrid’s attention to them.

“Oh, hey guys." Ingrid responded. “The situation is steadily improving. His fever isn’t going down quickly, but I treated his burns the best I can. The supplies here are limited and Toshiko is trying her harsh darnest to find something that can help. There ain’t a lot around here.”

"Burns? Where?" Damon doesn’t remember any big, red burnmarks on Wolfgang when he found him.

“You see these lines here that look like a big ol’ tree?” Ingrid showed them his unbandaged arm. “It reminded me of keraunoparalysis.” Damon looked confused at Ingrid. Kerau.. huh? 

“He got burns similar to lightning victims.” Ingrid explained simpler. He almost died by lightning? But how? 

“They look like little veins… Gross.” Eva grimaced. On a closer look, Damon could see how the bruns trickled out from under the cuff, and onto the rest of his hand. 

“But it ain't the only injury we found.” Ingrid said. She gently pushed Wolgang’s head to the side and brushed away his hair. “Do you see that bruise? I know for sure he didn’t have that yesterday!” 

“That looks really bad… almost his entire neck is discolored!” Eva recoiled at the sight. Damon however, noticed something else on his body. Near the mark on his neck, but not directly overlapping it…

“A red dot?" 

“Hm, I didn't notice that earlier.” Ingrid stated.

“…Is that a beauty mark?” Eva questioned.

"Hm. Doesn’t look like it.” Damon leaned down to take a closer look. “The skin around the dot seems to be inflamed… It reminds me of a popped pimple. It looks like it was inflicted pretty recently.”

“You sure know a lot about pimples, Damon.” Ingrid says. While Eva gave a small but noticeable smile, Damon was baffled at Ingrid's comment. Why would you say that?

“Well, that's all we could find.” Ingrid stated. “We have to see if he sustained some internal injuries later on. For now, I don't think he can attend the trial in his condition.” That’s not good. Damon thought. We really need his testimony.

“Where is Grace?” Eva suddenly changed the topic. “I thought she stayed here to look after Wolfgang?” 

“Oh, she went to get some clothes for Wolfie.” Ingrid answered. “His suit got completely crumpled, so she left to get something decent for the man. She left a few minutes ago.”

Damon looked over and saw that Wolfgang’s blazer hung over a chair. He remembers how Grace was holding on to it before. While walking towards it, Damon spotted a folded piece of paper sticking out of Wolfgang’s pocket. 

“Eh?”

Though the piece of paper was soaked, it wasn’t completely destroyed. Without thinking, Damon snatched the paper out of his pocket. He folded the paper open, aware that some of the wetter spots could fall apart. Inside, the text is unreadable. Except for the bottom of the page, there he found fragments of a message still visible

secret….8:15 a.m…boiler room….close the door….

“Hmm… It seems like someone wanted to arrange a private meeting with him there.” Eva said as she stood right behind him, easily reading the note by looking over his shoulder. “8:15 a.m…that’s a long time before the time of the injury.” 

More than an hour. Damon thought. Why? What happened down there that caused this delay?

“…Agh…” 

Damon breaks away from his thoughts and turns his head to the direction of the sound. Wolfgang’s face was scrunched up, his brows furrowed and his breathing turned ragged. His violet eyes fluttered open, but when Damon met them, his eyes were dazed and clouded.

“Oh, awake then, are you!” Ingrid cheered. Wolfgang didn’t respond back, but with the way he turned his head towards her, it showed that he could hear her.

“Can you tell us what happened?” Ingrid said softly.

“…. her son…” Wolfgang muttered. He closed his eyes, falling unconscious once again. His breathing continued to be just as heavy as it was before he had awoken. It left confusion on everyone’s faces. 

“Well, this ain’t good” Ingrid stated. “We need to keep a watch on him until his fever goes down”

“It’s peculiar how everything can change drastically in a matter of minutes...” Toshiko said. Damon  turned his head to her and realized he didn’t notice her entering the room. Toshiko hid her face behind her fan, like always.

“What do you mean, Toshiko?” Damon wondered.

“Well, before the blackout, he acted ordinary when I encountered him this morning.”

“Wait, you saw him this morning?!” Damon snapped.

“Y-Yes, I did.” Toshiko answered hesitantly. “I-In the dorm hallway. I went to get some medicine for Ingrid right after the morning announcement. When I came back ten minutes later, I saw Wolfgang leaving his room. He said that he was going to the laundry room before attending the game tournament.”

“Yesterday, he told everyone he was too busy to attend.” Eva countered thoughtfully.

“I-I assumed he’d changed his mind. I had no reason to question him…” Toshiko fumbled.

“And before you’re going to start doubtin’ Toshiko here,” Ingrid interrupted, “You should know that I heard the whole conversation all the way from my dorm room. It couldn’t have lasted longer than a minute.”

If she met him before his meeting in the boiler room, that makes Toshiko the last person to see him before the attack… Where was Grace in all of this? She arrived at the tournament with Jean. Why not with Wolfgang?

“We should go to Wolfgang’s room.” Damon commented.  “Maybe we will discover something useful there.”

“Alright.” Eva responded. “Let's go.” 

______

So, this is Wolfgang’s room…

While some of his expectations were correct, a lot about Wolfgang’s room surprised Damon. He anticipated that the layout was the same and the decor reflected Wolfgang’s talent, but what he didn’t expect was the room to be ...messy. 

Well, maybe not messy, Damon thought. just really casual. It’s a room that’s really well lived in.

It wasn’t easy to get into Wolfgang’s room, because Grace felt the need to guard it, like a dragon would guard its gold. Something to do with keeping the place like it is, which Damon didn’t understand why that was important. Desmond and Damon tried to reason with her, but it was Eloise’s threat of getting Tozu involved that led them inside. 

While Desmond, Eloise and Eva were searching around for clues, Damon decided to have a chat with the golfer. 

“Grace, can I talk to you?” Damon probed.

“I already know you suspect me, I can tell by the look on your face.” Grace answered him directly. “I know I’m the last person to see him this morning, but I genuinely don’t know how he ended up in the boiler room.”

Huh? She doesn’t know?

“...When was the last time you saw Wolfgang this morning?” Damon asked.

“Right after the morning announcement.” Grace explained. “I left the room looking for the pirate and joined the tournament with him.

“Why did you pair up with Jean?” Damon asked.

“I wanted to join the tournament with Wolfgang, but he woke up with a stomach ache.” Grace replied. “He was too sick to get out of bed, so he suggested that I team up with that muscle man.”

“Hm…That doesn’t line up with what Toshiko is saying.” Damon declared.

“What has that gremlin got to do with anything?” Grace asked him

“Well, actually, she was the last person to see Wolfgang before the attack.” Damon said. “She met up with him in the dorm hallway, around 8:10 a.m.” 

“SHE WHAT?!” Grace snapped. Her body was tense. There were frowned wrinkles on her forehead and she was clenching her fists. “THAT CAN’T BE TRUE!”

“I-Ingrid overheard them, so she’s a witness to their interaction.” Damon commented quickly, with his open hands stretched out in front of him. Grace gritted her teeth and stormed out of the room. Damon exhaled deeply as tension disappeared from his face. 

So, Wolfgang lied to Grace. Damon thought. Why did he do that? Did he not trust her? Or did the letter I found in his blazer pocket have something to do with it? Maybe… he wanted to shield Grace from the information inside. Or maybe he simply didn’t want her to know

Huh, kinda ironic, for a guy who’s so gung-ho about honesty.

*...Click!*

Eh? 

“Oh my, would you look at the time!” Tozu’s enthusiastic voice beamed through the speaker. 

“I dare say we ought to get this trial started soon. How does… uhm…fifteen minutes from now sound? Great? Great. Please continue to investigate until then. See you later!”

*...Click!*

There’s only… fifteen minutes until the trial!? 

“Damon!” Damon jumped when Eva suddenly talked to him. Jeez, why does that scare me!?

“The investigation’s almost over. We need to get going!” The intensity in her voice alarmed Damon.

“A-Alright, calm down. We only need to talk to Jett, Mark, Kai and Diana.”

“Diana is in the laundry room. The rest are in the dining hall.”

“Great, the dining hall nearby. Just don’t panic, okay?”

”...I’m not panicking.” 

Eva might deny it, but the anxiety which had been bubbling up inside her was clearly starting to boil over. Although, with how fast my own heart was beating… I guess she’s not alone.

______

Searching the dining hall for clues was… half-baked. Unsurprisingly, Kai and Jett haven’t found anything noteworthy. Mark, on the other hand, noticed his DJ pad got screwed over by the blackout. That caused the internal clock to freeze at 9:35 a.m., the same time noted in the tablet. Damon and Eva also noticed an empty slot in the knife block, confirming that the knife they found in the water came from the kitchen. 

With only one person left to interview, Damon and Eva arrived at the laundromat. As they walked into the room, they saw Diana standing with her back pressed up against the wall. Arms wrapped around herself in a tight embrace. Damon was quick to ask: “Diana, I need to ask you a question.”

Despite her appearance, she answered him calmly: “O-Oh…yeah, sure.”

“Where were you during the blackout?“ Damon inquired. 

“O-Oh…” Diana fumbled. “The blackout… Right before Cassidy came to get me… I-I was just in my room, alone…doing my makeup.”

“You don’t have any makeup on, though.” Eva remarked coldly.

“Y-Yeah, I was experimenting with new combinations…so I wiped it all off already…” Diana laughed a little.

“So you were alone in your room the entire morning?” Damon asked.

“Yeah… I just wasn’t feeling up to it.” Diana looked at Damon. “S-sorry, I want to quickly go to my dorm before the trial starts. Do you have more questions?”

“No, I’ve asked all the questions I wanted to.”

“Great.” With that, Diana quickly exited the room. 

“Do you think she was acting weird at all?” Eva commented. 

“No weirder than the others.” Damon responded.  

*Bing bong ding dong* 

Eh? That’s-

*Click*

“Alright everyone, that’s time! Please drop whatever it is you’re doing and proceed over to the Tree of Ignorance. Don’t make me wait too long, otherwise you’ll be in for a shocking surprise.”

*Click*

“It's time.” Eva repeated. “Let’s go, Damon.”

“...Right.” 

______

Damon and Eva made the short trek to the room with the tree. Once there, they waited for the others to arrive. They all came from different directions, with Ingrid, Toshiko and Ulysses exiting the Alpha sanctuary. Everyone seemed somehow ready for what comes next, even though nobody knew what exactly that was.

“Wait!” Cassidy's voice beamed through the room. "Where's Lawyer man?”

“I’m afraid he won’t be joining us.” Toshiko answered awkwardly. “Wolfgang was still unwell when the last announcement went off. Mara ushered us out of the room.”

“Mara, huh?” Jean wondered.

“Yes, she said she would surveil him during our discussion. While it is unwise to trust such an individual, provoking her seems not compatible with a healthy life…”  Toshiko answered. 

“I was able to leave a note for Wolfgang before we were sent away.” Ulysses added. “In case he wakes up before we’re back.” 

“Tsk. I hate how we have to do the trial without the big brain man.” Jett huffed.

 *Rumble* 

“Eh?”

“Aw no! Not again!” Ingrid yelped.

“H-hold onto something, everyone!” Diana advised everyone.

The rumbling started to get worse when the door in the tree opened before them. Despite the rumbling, Damon was surprised at how the statue next to the tree wasn’t shaking at all. 

 *Bzzzz….*

“The Tree of Knowledge. A symbol of sentience, intuition, and understanding…exists here only as a barren replica.” Tozu’s voice echoed in the room. “The Tree of Ignorance emulates the wonder of nature but does not achieve it. And justly so… for ignorance often aspires to be seen as wisdom.”

*..Click*

“O-oh man….T-This is really happening…We’re so screwed…” Kai stammered his words.  

“Don’t worry, luck is on our side.” Ingrid offered.

“...If luck was on our side, we wouldn’t be in a killing game to start with.” Mark argued.

Despite the unsure atmosphere, people started approaching the opening in the tree. One by one, they descended into darkness.

We knew where the stairs would take us…and where the elevator afterwards would deliver us…But everything beyond that… was shrouded in uncertainty….

Come on Damon…Get a hold of yourself already.

After taking a deep breath, Damon followed the rest.

—

“Somebody call an ambulance, I think I’ve caught a case of deja vu!”

Tozu’s cheerful attitude clearly contrasted the somber student who entered the trail room. The elevator ride was silent apart from the sounds of clunky machinery. Damon couldn’t help but wonder about the trial proceedings. When the elevator door opened, he wasn’t surprised by Tozu’s cheeryness. 

"Phuhuhu! It feels like only yesterday we were playing detective with the corpse of a crime scene. My, how insouciant and chipper so many you used to be. After all that back and forth over a simple whodunnit mystery, I’m truly curious what today’s whodunnit will yield!”

Slowly, everyone left the elevator and entered the trial room. No one replied to Tozu’s statements.

“In case you were wondering, our lawyer won't be joining us.” Tozu announced. “He really looks like he crossed a bridge, ignored the fact it was set ablaze, and then was so surprised that it gave away beneath his feet, plunging him into an icy and fast-flowing river below.”

“Why are we doing this?” Grace asked. Her voice was loud, everyone's attention turned to her. 

"Hmmm?" Tozu responded. His head tilted a little, similar to a dog when asked if they like a treat.

“Wolfgang is alive! Why are we having a stupid trial if no one died!” Grace shouted.

"Why, you ask?.” Suddenly, Tozu’s voice wasn’t cheerful anymore. The eye that was visible turned darker than Damon had ever seen before. The way he stared gave Damon shivers through his spine.

“Because I make the rules here! You simply follow them, not question them!”

Everyone turned to silence. No one expected him to shout.

“Or do you want to find out what really happens if you go against me?”

Fear was found in Grace’s eyes, as she realized she was fighting a losing game. It was difficult to see it from afar, but a scar started to appear from when they first met Mara. She, of all people, knew what would happen if you disobeyed the rules.

“Now if there are no questions left, I suggest you quickly get to your places.” The cheerfulness quickly returned to Tozu's voice, like his aggression never happened. “Remember, look where your name is written. I’m so excited, I can barely wait a second longer!”

“I-I really don’t wanna do this…” Kai sniffed.

“We gotta do as he says, though.” Cassidy commented.

Knowing they were powerless to disobey Tozu, everyone slowly dispersed and located our podiums. It was easy for Damon to notice the empty podiums across from him. 

No one wanted to do this… but with everyone's lives on the line. Damon felt conflicted at his podium.

"It’s okay, everyone.” Diana announced. “If we work together, we can do this. So, come one! Let’s do this!, for Wolfgang!” 

Although her words gathered nods from the other students, the expressions on their faces told a different story. It was an expression Damon couldn’t help but feel conflicted over, in a moment where he shouldn’t have been focusing on his feelings…

An expression…of unmistakable fear

Another trial. Not a fake one, set up with a mannequin. This trial is real. With a real victim, and a real culprit hiding among us. But unlike the mock trial, our victim isn’t dead. Wolfgang hasn't recovered from his injuries, so he can’t be here to shed some light. We’ll have to figure out what happened without him, just like we have to figure out his death if he really died down there. 

I don’t know what will await us after the result, but I have a feeling this will end badly. If Tozu is adamant to have a trial for an attempted murder, there’s a chance he wants an execution afterwards. 

I stand here at my podium, conflicted. To think this incident could have been avoided had just listened to me. To understand the real threat rather than follow Wolfgang’s naivety blindly. If he’d just told people to protect themselves, rather than each other…

Regardless, I can’t let myself be consumed by the “what-ifs”. 

Although the others may have failed at preventing Wolfgangs’s attempted murder, I, at the very least…can solve it.

I’ll prove I’m right all the same!