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Diana sat at the edge of her bed, thoughts racing through her head as she gazed down at the note she'd received the day before. Her thumbs grazed over the cursive handwriting - ‘meet me in the boiler room. Close the door behind you.’
-Wolfgang Akire
She glanced at the clock on her bedside drawer. 8:26… could time pass any slower? Eva had already left to go to the game tournament a few minutes prior… as much as Diana tried to ask her for more details, she remained stoic and stone-faced, like responding would be giving away some company trade secret.
The fact that Diana had even received a second note in the first place was deeply unsettling. The way the message had been relayed on it was incredibly cryptic, just vague enough to where she wasn't sure if she could fully believe whatever was written.
But at the end of the day, his name adorned the bottom of the letter in a delicate cursive font - Wolfgang Akire. He always seemed so composed, yet the first trial had shown her that even he let his emotions get the better of him at times. The way his voice boomed from where he stood… it evoked a sense of both awe and trepidation from the cosmetologist.
And then there was the whole thing in the pharmacy… with Wenona and Eva.
Right… Eva. Eva was the Ultimate Mathlete. Diana couldn't quite understand why she would lie about her talent, much less why she would choose to be the Ultimate Liar... but watching her dash off with tears in her eyes, watching her be ostracised from the rest of the group… It made Diana feel terrible. The moment the group suggested bunking together, she watched as the group broke her down slowly, that dejected look on her face tugging at the cosmetologist's heartstrings.
“Hey, Eva… Want to be bunk buddies?”
She painted a gentle smile onto her face as she spoke, looking at Eva. She watched as she looked at her almost questioning; like she wasn't sure if what Diana said was a joke
or not, another cruel joke at her own expense.
Eva's silence spoke volumes. Though, after a few seconds of awkward silence…
“...Okay. We can bunk together.”
“Really? Yay!”
Diana's face lit up at her response, and ever since then the two had bunked together. It seemed more like a transactional relationship if anything - Eva seemed completely unwilling to talk to Diana, but the chatty girl always tried to kickstart a conversation; just in case she decided to respond.
Just yesterday, she'd brought in some mysterious mathematical device - the way the sleek metal caught the light immediately brought Diana's eyes to the instrument.
“What's that, Eva? It seems pretty cool!”
Diana really wanted to get to know Eva more. Even if it meant quizzing her on random talent-related things, and even if it meant she got nothing back in return - she could at least say that she *tried*.
Eva looked back at Diana, still holding the instrument in her hands.
“It's an opisometer.”
“Oh, for measuring lines and stuff, right?”
Eva's eyes seemed to light up a bit at her response, like she hadn't expected her to know what that was. Ignoring how that could maybe be viewed as an insult to Diana's intelligence, Diana sat with her hands on her knees, seeming pretty happy knowing what it was Eva was holding.
“...It is. Good eye.”
As much as Diana wanted to chase after that, keep the conversation going, Eva had already seated herself in the corner of the room, flicking through a thick textbook - presumably studying. She smiled as she watched her.
—
Back to the present day… Diana sat and waited for what felt like forever, the tick-tock sound of the clock on her drawer serving as the only source of ambience in the room. 8:40… a trip to the boiler room would only take a few minutes, and Diana didn't want to be late - punctuality was important, especially when there was important information on the line.
Ever since the motive, the entire group had been put on edge - why wouldn't they be? Knowing that somebody in the group knew something that nobody else did, that they could use that information against them at any time - that was more than enough of a motive to drive somebody to kill.
Wolfgang had emphasised in his meeting in the dining hall that they should share their blackmail privately, and the boiler room did seem like a relatively innocuous place to meet up… Diana kept herself occupied with that thought as she made her way down the staircase, the lights from the hallway slowly fading as she made her way further down.
Now that she was down there, she realised just how frigid the air there was… like it was a separate world altogether. Her heels clicked against the cold, concrete floor as she made her way further down the hall, note still in hand. She couldn't make out any of the words written on the paper anymore, but she grasped onto it like some sort of lifeline.
After what felt like an eternity, she found herself planted in front of the boiler room door, which was slightly ajar. Her eyes darted between the doorknob and the door itself. Was this… no, it couldn't be. It was Wolfgang, after all; he had helped rally them all together, helped them bounce back after how devastating the motive announcement had been.
He was her friend.
That thought was all she needed to convince herself to open the door, guiding her hand to the door with a shaky hand and pulling it open. The silence was broken with her heels clopping against the concrete, the sound reverberating off the walls. Now that she thought about it, she could hear some sort of techno-music coming from nearby… must have been the game tournament.
Her hand reached back to the door, clicking it shut.
And now it was just her.
Her.
And the darkness which surrounded her, threatening to consume her whole at any moment. The first thing she noticed was a red, blinking light coming from above; a security camera, she presumed.
And the… was that breathing?
“Umm… hello? Wolfgang? I heard you wanted to talk to me.”
She tried to hide the shakiness in her voice, the lump in her throat which simply refused to go away.
And it’s then that her eyes locked onto something she never expected to see.
“E-Eva?”
Eva looked absolutely disheveled. Her body was resting in the shallow pool of water just below the platform, and from the looks of things she'd been there for quite a while. Her tie hung haphazardly around her neck, and the two colours of her hair blended into each other messily like a poorly-made gradient.
“Urgh…”
Had Eva lied about going to the tournament? Unless someone had interfered as she left… surely somebody would have noticed? What if it happened right outside Diana's dorm? The thought dug its way deep into her skin before she could brush it off, and she felt as though she had to do something to help.
Eva stood up slowly in response to Diana calling out her name, and now the two almost stood eye to eye (were it not for the latter's heels, and the platform which separated the two). The mathlete looked at her, her mouth hanging open like a reanimated corpse.
And then, she spoke.
“Diana…?”
“E-Eva, are you okay!?”
She watched as the mathlete's eyes shakily met with hers, almost like she was struggling to maintain eye contact. And then, something unexpected happened.
She smiled.
Eva's mouth morphed into something which resembled a grin. It really suited her… it was the first time Diana had seen her smile since they'd first arrived; she'd gotten close with the opisometer, though it was nothing like this. But now wasn't the time to fawn over that.
“Hrrmmm… it's you.” Her speech slurred, and her voice seemed much more melodramatic than usual.
“You… won't leave, will you?” Eva spoke, and it was now that her smile began wavering; like she was mustering up all her strength to keep a brave face, in spite of whatever situation she was in.
“I-I… of course not, Eva! You're my friend!”
Of course she was her friend. Everybody here was.
But sometimes Eva felt like something more than a friend. She was really smart, and surprisingly pretty too… Diana had offered to do her makeup after they'd started bunking together, but Eva quickly declined. Almost too quickly, now that she thought about it…
Eva's expression was unreadable after Diana said her bit. For a second she seemed completely awestruck, wide-eyed like it was the first time she'd ever been called that.
And she laughed.
A light chuckle, slowly ramping up into something completely delirious - Diana took a step back as she watched. As much as it hurt to think about, she felt safer on the platform. Much, much safer.
“You're… my friend?” Eva said between laughs, though now it seemed like she was calming herself down. Were those… tears?
Diana stepped back, watching as Eva's eyes turned glassy. The veins in her eyes were visible, like some sort of crimson tree had sprouted within her eye sockets… What happened to her? She looked so… pathetic. Like a sopping wet cat after a stormy night.
She had to help.
And so she waited; before taking a step forward. And then another.
“Of course I'm your friend! We're all friends, aren't we?”
She hoped that her words would help soothe Eva's soul in some way. She knew she was lying; her blind optimism always ended up seeping through her words, akin to a marker bleeding through the pages of a notebook.
“Diana… you have it too good, you know.”
Diana's eyes widened. Even with the lack of lighting in the room, she saw the tears begin to cascade down Eva's cheeks. They captured the small glimmer of light coming from the vent near the generator.
“T-They all hate me… don't they?” She spoke through choked sobs, and before Diana could even say anything in response, she continued.
“You see how they look at me… it's all the same. In here, out there… Nobody will ever love me.”
The cosmetologist found herself at a loss for words; Eva's muffled sobs served as the only thing which pierced the silence. The music in the room nearby had been completely tuned out at this point, as Diana could only bring herself to comfort her friend.
“Hey now, don't say that! I care! It doesn't matter what anybody else says.”
She paused, considering her next choice of words.
“I care about you, Eva. I always have.”
…The room was silent once more. Diana could feel Eva's eyes piercing her very being. Did she really just say that? Of course she did. She was only speaking the truth - her truth. Nothing anybody said was going to change that truth.
Nothing.
“Ah… well, now that we're here… there's stairs over here! C'mon, I'll help pull you out, and then we can leave and get you fixed up.”
“...” Eva remained silent.
“O-OK… I'll come closer then.” Diana's voice shook as she made her way closer to Eva in the dark. There was a ledge nearby, a small fence serving as the only barrier between the two. She came closer to the gap in the fence, stretching a hand out towards the mathlete.
“Take my hand, OK? I'll pull you out.”
Eva sniffled, slowly going to grasp Diana's hand on her own. She couldn't help but notice just how soft her skin was… it was almost as though she'd never held hands with anybody else before.
In truth… Diana knew she wouldn't be able to pull Eva out of the water. She could barely stand, and the cosmetologist knew she wasn't strong enough to pull her out.
She just wanted to be there for her.
Eva's hand, in hers.
But there was another thought stopping her from helping Eva; and that was the fact that she felt safer on the platform.
She hated that it did. She despised the fact that it did.
“It's OK, Eva.” She rubbed over Eva's hand with her fingers, clasping her other hand over the mathlete's.
“We'll get through this together, yeah? I can do your makeup for you afterwards, if you want.”
She smiled as she finished speaking, looking into Eva's eyes. She felt like she was gazing into her soul; a soul which seemed like it was grasping onto what little hope that it had left; Diana.
And that meant Diana was distracted. Too distracted to notice as Eva's other hand retracted inside her blazer…
And the pink-haired girl only realised what was happening when it was too late.
SHNK!
As the stainless steel met Diana's flesh, a gaping wound replaced what was once skin, blood splattering against the floor and blade as Diana quickly yanked her arm away.
“...Eah!?”
Diana's pupils narrowed as the pain began to settle in - a sizzling pain which settled all too quickly. She grasped the wound with her hand, staining it a dark crimson colour as she looked forward. In front of her, Eva wielded a kitchen knife, knuckles white as she grasped onto it; shaky breathing which rasped out of her like a poorly-oiled machine.
“You… don't lie…” Eva's voice was uneven as she tightened her grip around the knife, swinging at Diana once again; Diana leaned back before the blade could reach her, stepping back until her back collided with the boiler room door.
Right, the door!
She let go of her arm as she reached out for the doorknob, twisting it desperately only for it to simply jolt.
It was locked.
She tried again, and again, and again; each time being met with nothing but a jitter as the door simply refused to budge. She was locked in here.
And there was no way for her to leave. She turned back around to face Eva like a deer in headlights, eyes resting on the blade in her hands. Blood - her blood - rested on the tip of the blade. This wasn't a joke - this was life or death.
Looking around for something, anything, to defend herself with, Diana locked eyes with a bright yellow object which stuck out like a sore thumb amidst the grey tone of the floor; a taser gun. She reached down to pick it up, pointing it at Eva. Poised to shoot at any moment.
But Eva looked… fearless. Almost like she wanted Diana to shoot her. To put her out of her misery right then and there. Diana shook as thoughts raced through her mind, before slowly lowering the gun with shaky hands.
She couldn't do it. How could she bring herself to shoot Eva?
…
She backed away, into the wall behind her, slowly sliding down until she met the cold, concrete floor. Why her? Why was Eva attacking her?
Did she… really hate her?
She locked eyes with the mathlete once more. Tears began to well in her eyes. She was going to die here, and there was nothing she could do about it. All she could do was sit and watch as…
Eva once again snapped out of her trance. She seemed… shocked by what she had done.
“...You're different, you know.”
Diana's gaze flickered between Eva, and the blade which she refused to let go of. She gripped onto it like a lifeline - almost as if Diana's presence alone posed some sort of threat to her.
“You're… nothing like me.” That familiar yet unfamiliar smile flickered onto her face once more, and tears began to flow once more. Diana looked horrified as she spoke - but she couldn't just let Eva wallow in her emotions alone.
“W-What do you mean?”
“Everybody likes you. Maybe it's how you act… or how you look… or how you talk…”
She seemed to continue as though she was lost in her own train of thought. The words seemed to be on the tip of Eva's tongue.
…
…
“I… I think I-”
KA-BOOM!
— — —
…The entire world seemed to still as a bright flash of light flashbanged Diana, eyes wide open as it invaded her vision.
But amidst that sea of light, there was a silhouette which remained visible.
Eva's. Her face lit up with a mix of pain and shock, looking down at Diana before everything went-
Silence. The music outside wasn't being tuned out anymore - it wasn't even there anymore. The room grew quiet, and the silence in the boiler room threatened to strangle Diana at any moment.
Then she heard a clatter, followed by a crack.
“...Eva?”
Silence.
“E-Eva, what happened?!”
…
Silence. Diana had no time to spare - picking herself up from the floor, she rushed over to where Eva's body lay. She was flush with the floor, kneeling down to grasp Eva's head in her hands, staring into her eyes.
… And Eva's lifeless eyes stared right back at her. Her skin was cool to the touch, like any vitality left in her had dissipated along with the music in the next room over. Her glasses rested close by where she lay, lenses cracked and dusty.
Diana let go, letting Eva's head fall back onto the concrete, the contact causing a sickening CRACK! noise to reverberate against the walls of the room. She pushed herself away from where the mathlete lay, pale-faced. Eva was sprawled across the floor, her upper half resting on the platform while her lower half bathed in the shallow pool of water on the platform beneath her.
This couldn't be happening. This couldn't be real.
“No… no…”
Diana covered her mouth as she spoke. She couldn't bear to look at her any longer - this had to be some sick joke. Scrambling to her feet, she ran to the boiler room door again, pulling at the door with all her might to no avail.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to cry out, beg for help, beg for somebody, anybody, to save her - but the lump in her throat meant it was impossible for her to make any sort of noise. It was too late for her.
Too late for her.
She'd failed her as a friend.
She had failed her as a roommate.
She sank to the floor, muffled sobs filling the room as she held her head in her hands. Grief-stricken, desperate sobs. Words unspoken… there was so much she wanted to say to her.
…
She crawled over to where the body lay, holding her knees in her hands as she wiped her eyes. She sat next to it, looking at her with an unreadable look in her eyes.
“...”
Silence.
“...You know, Eva…”
She choked on her words.
“Maybe, in another life…”
“...we could have been something more than friends.”
… Silence. Diana laughed to herself. This was undeniably real.
Eva Tsunaka was dead.
And now Diana sat there, with only her thoughts to keep her occupied. Did Eva… reciprocate her feelings? Maybe she felt the same way. Then again, who knows - that girl was an enigma, and Diana knew that more than anybody.
They were roommates, after all. Did she die thinking she wasn't important to anybody? Did she die thinking she would never amount to anything more than a mathlete?
“It's OK, Eva. I'm here with you.”
Diana turned to her ‘friend’, smiling as she pulled her into a hug. She grasped onto the back of Eva's hair with one hand, holding a few strands of hair between her fingers. It was so soft… and yet she was so cold. She clung on tighter.
She was her lifeline in the dark, after all.
Ah, now was the perfect time!
“Eva… I know you declined last time, but I do happen to have a spare make-up kit with me. Would you mind if I gave you a bit of a touch-up?”
… Silence.
“Alright… let me get everything out. We need light too, don't we? It's pretty dark here.”
With a flick of her wrist, Diana powered on her Tozu Trinket, allowing a steady beam of light to illuminate their surroundings. Eva's eyes had rolled back into her head, the green light reflecting off of them like a mirror. Diana laughed.
“...Come on, close your eyes! It's a surprise, remember?”
With that, Diana slowly brought a thumb to Eva's eyelid, pulling it down over one eye; repeating the process for her other eye. The only thing open now was her mouth - hanging agape like a corpse. Silly Eva.
Flicking her bag open, she pulled out a small tube of lipstick - a glittery black colour which would go well with Eva's eyes. Grabbing her cheek with one hand, she caressed the cool skin of her face as she guided the lipstick over the other girl's lips.
“It suits, don't you think?”
She looked at Eva's face. And it's then that she finally cracked. Her lip trembled as she dragged Eva into a hug, wrapping her arms tight around her.
Tight, like she was her only lifeline in the dark.
“Oh, Eva… don't leave me all alone, OK?”
She dug her face into the mathlete's blazer, dampening it with her tears and staining it with runny mascara. No amount of physical pain could amount to the torrent of emotions she was feeling at the moment. The gaping wound in her arm felt like a papercut in comparison, and she failed to realise she was staining Eva's blazer red with blood.
“I… I love you, Eva.”
The darkness threatened to consume Diana at any moment; a sense of unease like no other came so incredibly close to overwhelming her.
But so long as she had her lifeline,
she knew everything was going to be OK.