What is it that you see?

Damon wouldn’t say he felt great, but it was certainly better than how he was prior to his conversation with Eva. Still, he couldn’t help but feel confused by everything he had heard. It wasn’t that he didn’t understand it all. Rather, it was his inability to decipher what emotions he felt towards the girl now. He had been fully prepared to be filled with rage at whatever excuse she came up with, or even feel multitudinous amounts of pity if her hand was being forced. Yet, Eva’s explanation satisfied both of those feelings and piled even more complicated emotions on top of that. He was trying to think about it logically as he normally would, but every answer he came up with for the swirling clouds in his heart never seemed correct. Even so, he told her he was willing to give her a second chance because he wanted to trust her again, that he still cared about her despite being betrayed. It was all so contradictory, but it was the one thing the debater felt sure of. And maybe, that would be enough for now.

Though he had practically fled the mathlete’s room, mainly to ensure she didn’t see him… crying, the Ultimate Debater hadn’t been planning to leave her and Kai, who was still asleep, alone in there for long. He just needed a minute alone, to walk around and clear his mind. Normally, he wouldn’t be so lax in this environment, however, he had a good feeling no one was going to be trying anything, not until their questions were answered. Damon wasn’t sure how Eva was going to handle all of that, but at least to him, it seemed like she was prepared to face everyone, no matter what might happen. He simply hoped that it wouldn’t devolve into violence, grimacing as a certain golfer popped into his brain. Knowing how protective she was of Wolfgang, coupled with her short fuse, only made the blond groan even thinking about what she would do once she learned the truth. Their only hope of calming her down was the lawyer himself admonishing her behavior, an action he wasn’t sure the man would do. After all, he was the original victim in all of this, regardless of how he reacted to Eva after she attacked him. While his wounds proved he was struck with the steel rolling pin, the injuries on the black haired girl spoke volumes to what he did as well. A person could only write so many of them off as self-defense wounds before they devolved into someone actively trying to kill the other person instead. No one trying to just protect themselves from someone a head and a half shorter would need to mutilate their hand through biting. The lawyer was spindly, but he wasn’t weak. Eva’s original plan to knock him out was truly her only way to overpower someone larger than her, especially considering she most likely had the same amount of stamina as he did for physical activity.

He groaned aloud, continuing to pace around the hallway as his thoughts ran in circles. There were still unknown and confusing factors to the situation. Eva had revealed her whole plan and perspective, but it didn’t explain what happened in the gaps of her memory, nor did it fully explain Tozu’s reasons for targeting her, and what he got out of it besides making the Killing Game start. It all seemed so off to the debater, but he needed to hear the testimonies of the other involved parties to fully paint the picture. Without information, he could only make worthless assumptions about each person’s motive. The moment the other two awoke, he’d ask his questions and piece together what the masked man was up to. If needed, he could confront Tozu again to ask him about it, though considering his methodology in getting into Eva’s head, Damon was far more hesitant of the idea. He was already wary of the man, but now it felt like any action he made could put him one step away into a twisted trap. Yet, the only way he had a chance of besting Tozu at anything was by confronting him, one way or another. Whether that happened within the academy grounds, or in the class trial room was anyone's guess, however.

“Ugh… I’m getting nowhere like this. They should be fine alone for a little longer, so I might as well be productive like… preparing some tea or something for us,” he grumbled. Ever since the group had obtained access to the gachapon and pachinko machines, Damon found himself in a routine of always procuring some sort of gift whenever he talked to others. He knew that his reputation was… less than ideal for approaching any of them in casual conversation. However, he needed to make sure others didn’t despise him enough to immediately point fingers at him in a possible class trial. Gifts were one of the easiest gestures of kindness he could offer, and though he’d never say it out loud, it did make him feel a bit proud when the person reacted well to it. So, after all those deep talks with Kai and Eva, it felt oddly unnatural to end them without giving them something in return, especially in this case. He had been far more emotional than anticipated, so it was the least he could do to thank them for putting up with him, as well as a peace offering to make them stay silent about the whole thing. With a small nod to himself after reaffirming the purpose of his trip, he quietly peeked into the mathlete’s room for one final check. Sure enough, the girl had fallen back asleep, her eyes swollen from crying. He glanced down, deadpanned at his roommate. Somehow, he had slept through that entire conversation, softly snoring while ignorant of all that was discussed.

Kai Monteago… I can’t tell if you’re intelligent or an idiot, but nonetheless… you’re certainly an experience to live with , Damon rolled his eyes, pushing down the smile that wanted to creep onto his face. He had gone through enough emotions in the last few hours, and he didn’t need more, regardless of them being on the positive spectrum.  Though, he couldn’t deny that his opinion of the influencer had changed. As he walked towards the dining hall, he recalled his first impression of Kai. The Ultimate Influencer was hardly what he had expected, particularly how quick he had been to burst into tears at a few snide comments. He didn’t seem like he had the mental fortitude for a position like his. However, from chatting with his roommate during some of his free time, Damon realized that he didn’t get much of a choice in the matter. The pink haired guy didn’t necessarily choose for his account to blow up or be named the Ultimate Influencer from the whole event. However, he stuck with it because he enjoyed it. Yet, there was also an odd line of fallacy. The way he said he edited his photos… Damon had no frame of reference as to how far those edits went to change how he looked. Not to mention the hate he received after being grouped with the thieves, despite his innocence. It hurt him, yet he kept up his content, even seemingly developing a codependency on his fans for friends since he was all alone. The story he heard was a depressing one, and yet, despite the unhealthy aspects of Kai’s experience and actions, it was clear that he wasn’t as weak as he seemed on the outside. He was clever and perceptive, knowing exactly what his strengths and weaknesses were. Even if he couldn’t always handle it all, that clever self-awareness helped reel himself back into focus.

“Geez, what the hell am I doing wasting my energy thinking about that guy,” Damon cursed at himself, opening the doors to the empty dining hall. With a faint tinge of heat rising to his face, he hurried to the kitchen to get some water heated in the kettle. “Besides, the one I should be focusing on is her…”

Eva Tsunaka, the most complicated individual he had ever met in his life. He could spend a lifetime trying to piece together her mentality, but the Ultimate Debater was sure he’d come up mostly empty-handed. The only things he could be sure about her mental and emotional state was that her actions had been under the duress of Tozu, and the pressure finally got to her in the boiler room, where her hormone spikes, fear, anxiety, and stress overloaded her brain and caused her to dissociate. Since her survival was the factor propelling her to act, she ended up becoming aggressive out of a desperation to live. All of this was self-evident from the mathlete’s explanations. However, the one answer that she clearly wasn’t elaborating on was her view of Diana. Even he knew the words that she said about the cosmetologist were harsh, maybe a bit cruel as well. It exposed how deeply her image of people had been tainted, and how that became her way of justifying the way she acted against them. All she knew was hatred and betrayal, so of course she’d stop bothering to believe anyone would possess goodwill towards her. Yet, the way she worded those final statements…

Eva… deep down you were hoping you could be special to her. You… you wanted to mean something to her. We agreed that no one could be friends in a Killing Game, but maybe… we’ve been instinctually seeking them out regardless. His pride would never allow him to state those words aloud, but there was no reason to lie to himself anymore. The sight he saw in the boiler room proved that he needed to be more open. If he had just been a bit more open with his concern for her, could he have prevented it all? Or, would he have condemned someone else to die? The reasons the crime failed were hard facts, but at the same time, it all stemmed from dumb luck. Eva could have maintained a level-head and killed Wolfgang like she planned, or Wolfgang could have killed Eva in retaliation with the knife he had. There was also the possibility of Diana dying as well, either from Wolfgang or Eva. Regardless of who, in that moment Damon had a flash of regret staring at their battered bodies. Even if he didn’t get along with the lawyer, he was able to envision a future where the two of them had friendly debates after sorting out their issues with each other. Even if he felt Diana’s positivity was toxic, he could imagine her kindly asking if he’d help her study for exams alongside Eva had they gone to a normal school. And the mathlete… no, the mathematician he had grown to know, he could picture them in the library, simply enjoying the company of the other in peaceful silence while they worked.

Damon knew why he was afraid of trusting the others. It wasn’t just the situation of being in a Killing Game. Though it was true that he believed readily trusting others was asking to be lulled into a false sense of security, fostering opportunities for potential murders to occur, he also believed that growing attached to any of these individuals was inviting himself to be hurt over and over again. Not only would he have to deal with someone he cared about being murdered, but there was also the potential that he’d have to condemn someone else he treasured in the Class Trial. There was no doubt in his mind that should one ever take place, he’d be taking charge in making sure they didn’t get themselves killed. Which meant, the Ultimate Debater would be on the frontlines of having to say the difficult things no one else could say. He’d need to do so to survive, no matter how much the sting of betrayal would make him want to scream. He’d be the one… to sentence them to death as well. Damon didn’t want to be put in that situation, and yet, he nearly was. He cared for Eva despite telling himself he didn’t. Yet, had she succeeded, he’d have to accuse her and watch her die. Though he had no clue what punishment implied, the debater had no doubt that Tozu had something sick and twisted planned. He wasn’t the type of person to immediately kill someone for a punishment. No, he’d want them to suffer the consequences of their actions, to bear the weight of their sins that he coerced them into committing. The thought alone, of being forced to watch someone who mattered to him being tortured to death in an agonizing way, made him realize that he wouldn’t be able to handle it. He wouldn’t be able to fully shoulder that burden even if he was able to act like he was fine.

The loud whistle of the kettle snapped him out of his thoughts, making him jolt in surprise. He let out a deep breath, quickly turning off the burner as he continued to do controlled breathing, trying to calm his racing heart. It sounded too much like a scream to his ears, his mind contorting it into an awful image of gore; her blue eyes full of fear, warped with desperation to escape the searing pain of a monster trying to swallow her whole, while her lacerations stained every part of her crimson. His hand shook as he poured out the steaming water into the mugs, water streaming like the tears that dotted her eyes as she-

“SOYBEAN!”

“GAH!”

With a yell of terror, Damon jumped in place, flinching so hard that the kettle came flying out of his hand, headed straight for the golfer. In those few seconds of processing he felt a sinking feeling of horror that he’d kill from blunt force trauma. However, unlike him and his poor physical abilities, which he begrudgingly admitted that he was rather weak compared to some of his peers, Grace Madison had extremely good reflexes. Without batting an eye, her arm shot out and grabbed the handle of the kettle, shifting her body out of the way of the hot water that splashed out of its vessel. His mouth opened and closed in bewilderment at the entire scene before him. The golfer had turned her gaze to the pot, eyeing the object, then looking back at the debater with an icy glare that made his body seize up. He gulped, eyes darting around to see if he had any way of escape before a sigh took away all his tension. Grace shoved the object back into his hands, Damon nearly fumbling it again at the sudden handoff. 

“Oi, if it happens again, I’ll punch even harder than last time,” she growled.

“Got it…” he muttered back, setting the item on the counter.

He blinked blankly at her, surprised she wasn’t saying anything else. She clearly came to the dining hall for a reason, yet she didn’t seem thrilled to have to interact with him (the feeling was mutual). So, for god knows how long, the two of them stared at each other in silence, as if daring the other to start. He hadn’t talked with Grace much outside of the first day when they woke up in this hellhole, but he knew enough from watching her to know the two of them wouldn’t get along. It wasn’t just her stance on Eva, but her general attitude that annoyed and intimidated him. She was quick with insults and mocking, but no one tried to necessarily stop her as she wouldn’t listen most likely, and had her fiery temper to back her up. Damon knew better than to piss her off. After seeing the way she screamed at Eloise to hand over her blackmail, he could tell most everyone silently agreed to not be on the receiving end of such treatment. The only one who had any ability to rein her in was Wolfgang, but the debater didn’t even have that as a fail safe since the man was completely unconscious. Realizing there wasn’t much point in dragging any of this on any longer, he cleared his throat, which made her eyes perk up.

“So… did you need something from me?” he asked, reluctantly meeting her eyes.

“Considering you’re already here, I can keep this quick then,” Grace replied, pouncing on the opportunity to finally get whatever she needed to say over with. “The pirate said for all of us to meet here. Wolfgang woke up a bit ago and is apparently willing to discuss everything now. Diana just woke up, but since her injuries aren’t nearly as bad, she said she’d be fine to speak as well. And the mathlete… horse face over there woke up from his beauty sleep and apparently she was already awake for who knows how long.”

He nodded, confirming her claim, but ensuring he excluded the conversation. There was a possibility she heard it through the walls, but he still had to gamble on it. “She woke up about a half and hour ago. She was out of it, but scared, so I stayed by her to calm her down. Once she did, I came here to make tea for us and Kai, considering I didn’t know when the other two would wake up.”

“Well, they are now,” she huffed, and a wave of relief flooded him at not getting caught. “Anyways, stay here and finish whatever you’re doing. Everyone else will be arriving soon. I agreed to help Wolfgang get here, so unless you need something, I’m leaving, soybean.” As the golfer turned around with a wave, a thought occurred to him. It wasn’t a necessary thing to do, and he had no reason to do this when he already stated he wasn’t ready. And yet, imagining her in this room, surrounded by people who would jump on her the moment she told them the truth, confliction swirled in his mind. No matter if he knew or not, the others were going to be angry at her. Maybe Diana and Kai would be on her side, but that wouldn’t be enough to stop hostility, especially in people like Grace, who was protective of the Ultimate Lawyer, and Eloise or Toshiko who would be furious for her manipulating the Ultimate Cosmetologist. All of this was self-evident, and Eva seemed prepared for that outcome as well, however… even if it brought her no comfort, at least it’d be a forewarning for what she’d be getting herself into.

“Wait,” Damon called out, causing the woman to halt in her footsteps, one hand on the door. “I need to ask you something.”

Grace let out an intelligible grumble, refusing to turn around, but at least was willing to talk. “What is it? Keep it quick.”

“Right. I wanted to know… did Wolfgang tell you anything about what happened already?”

He tensed up as he noticed the blonde lower her extended arm, her hand balling into a tight fist. She turned her head ever so slightly, her eyes seeming to glow in the shade of her visor. “... why do you care?”

“I-I… I’m trying to piece together the timeline of events based on what we found from our investigation earlier. I wasn’t able to get a testimony from Eva since she was still out of it when she woke up as I stated,” he stammered out, cursing under his breath at how shifty he sounded. “If you know anything about the events, then I could help inform everyone of what we know from the current information we’ve gathered before those three make statements. That way we don’t need to repeat things we all have knowledge of, and so the injured can get back to resting as soon as possible.”

He wouldn’t call himself a terrible liar, but dealing with the oppressive aura of someone who could absolutely snap him in two certainly made him worse at it. Damon felt like he was suffocating under her predatory gaze, ensnared in a trap that he dug himself. Gulping as she narrowed her gaze, he tried his best to stand tall with a look of care, indicating he wasn’t backing down and that his sentiment was genuine. Grace’s eyes flickered up and down, reading his every move, every breath he took, every muscle contraction, attempting to find fault. It would have been so easy for her to simply say no, ignore him, or wave him off, yet she stood there analyzing him. The debater had no clue what was making her hesitate. Biting her lip, she finally responded quietly.

“No. Wolfgang wouldn’t tell me anything when I asked. He said… he didn’t want his account to ‘twist’ the events… whatever that means…”

“Oh…”

“... are we done here?”

He quickly nodded, and with a slight bang, the doors to the dining hall were shut once again, leaving Damon alone. The specific wording she used made him pause to wonder what was going through the lawyer’s head. She didn’t say he couldn’t tell her, but wouldn’t . The golfer had tried to get him to speak, but he refused as to not “twist” everything. It was a choice he wasn’t expecting from the man, especially considering he had nothing to lose and all to gain by testifying early. Wolfgang had made himself the de facto leader, and telling Grace that Eva tried to kill him would not only secure his place, but continue to give people reasons to not dare to trust the mathematician. He didn’t think he was malicious, but considering what his blackmail said, the Ultimate Debater had room to reason that he could be that cutthroat if he needed to be. A wolvish mind could mean a variety of things, from a gambler’s mentality to being violent. Coupled with his experience in court, and his outburst in the mock trial, there was a person beneath the surface who wasn’t afraid to act on what he believed, no matter how aggressive he became.

“Grace must have been upset Wolfgang didn’t seem to trust her with an answer, or maybe she’s worried that he was the one to start it all,” he murmured to himself, continuing to prepare the tea on autopilot. “Either way, I’m the only one who knows which person is the instigator, meaning she can at least go into this knowing everyone’s open-minded, no matter how short-lived that is.”

Before he even processed it, the drinks were done. Utilizing a tray stored in one of the cabinets, he balanced the teacups on it and brought it over to the dining room table. As soon as they laid flat on the wooden surface, he pulled a chair out and all but fell into it. Damon tilted his head up, breathing out a sigh as he stared at the ceiling. The world around him was so chaotic, a cacophony of disarray, and yet by some miracle he could still think logically. Beyond freezing in the boiler room after discovering the scene, he had been able to think about things rationally despite some of his charged emotions leaking into his words. It was frightening at times how quickly people could adapt to their surroundings, even more so when your environment was a Killing Game. Adaptation could form as defiance, yet more likely, people would play Tozu’s game. The way Eva expressed her deep-seated negativity, paranoia that festered so long that it unconsciously controlled her, until someone finally weaponized that against her better judgment—it made him wonder, if he were to survive, how much of his humanity would remain? What would be left of the person he was before? Would he have changed for the better, or would he be a shell of himself? In the aftermath… would he ever be able to bring himself to believe in anything anymore? He didn’t know, and he didn’t want to know. So, he shut off his brain, closing his eyes despite knowing he should remain alert, and listened to the stillness of the air. It was his last moment of peace before the fragile veil of trust between them all shattered in the coming storm.

He was unfortunately unable to enjoy his silence for long, and something about that cast a shadow over his heart, one of somberness for what was about to occur. Damon pulled himself out of his chair, looking towards the door as none other than his roommate, Kai Monteago, using his leg to hold it open. On his back was a mildly uncomfortable looking Eva Tsunaka, who definitely wanted the impromptu piggyback ride to end. It was such an absurd thing to see that he couldn’t help but crack a small smile, smirking at the two of them. Kai merely smiled back, while Eva shot him a piercing look, huffing indignantly at the state of affairs.

“Damon! I was wondering where you went, man,” the influencer said, giving him a nod of gratitude as the debater came over and helped hold the door open. “Eva told me you headed out to clear your head or something, but you weren’t in the hall outside.”

“Yeah, I was walking around, and then… I decided to make some tea for us all. I didn’t know how long it would take the other two to wake up, so I was thinking in the long run.” He refused to admit to him that he was doing it as repayment for them listening to his thoughts and feelings. It was embarrassing enough to know he nearly cried in front of both of them. Damon didn’t need something else on top of that.

“Aw, thanks dude!” Kai grinned. He gently set the mathematician on one of the red sofa chairs, and pushed it forward towards the table and tray. “You know, you’re not as prickly as you actually seem. Maybe Toshiko was right with that Mochi nickname, huh?”

The blond narrowed his eyes at that. “Don’t act like you know me.”

“Wow. And not an ounce of venom in those words. Is it possible… you genuinely can’t get yourself to be mean to me?” He peered at him with a devious smirk, and the debater knew then and there, that it was war.

“Would you shut up? You’re completely wrong. We barely know each other, so obviously you’re reading into it wrong. And here I thought you were perceptive.”

His counter fell on deaf ears. “Oh my god, I’m right! The old you would’ve sounded super icy, but not now, ha!”

“Like I said, you’re wrong,” he growled, struggling to push back the creeping blush. “That’s your overactive imagination deluding you.”

“You know deflecting doesn’t change reality, right?”

That’s it, this ends now, Damon decided. “Do you want to sleep alone at night, or do you want someone there to ensure your safety?”

“H-Hey! Not cool, man!”

“You started this.”

“C’mon!”

“Fufu…”

Their bickering was interrupted by a soft, yet unmistakable laugh. Damon wasn’t used to hearing such things from her, but turning his head to see that small, gentle smile on Eva’s face, voice light and carefree, a slight dash of color gracing her cheeks—the debater had to admit that a smile was a good look on her. Considering the only other expressions he had generally seen from her was deadpan or miserable, it was a nice change to see her have some enjoyment. Kai seemed to agree too as he smiled back at her, hopped over to her chair, and patted her on the head. The redness in her face deepened a bit as his pink haired roommate ruffled her hair with a laugh. The exchange was so natural that Damon nearly forgot that the two weren’t remotely close prior. His realization made him do a double-take.

“You two became awfully close in the time I was gone. Did you have a talk or something?” he questioned.

His inquiry caused the influencer’s face to fall slightly, sadness in his eyes and hand dropping to his side. However, though he looked reluctant, Eva’s nod of approval seemed to be enough to get him to respond. “Uh, yeah… we had a pretty long talk actually. I was able to apologize for what I said and explain my reasons… and Eva…”

“I told him what I thought of him, as well as my hopes to change my thinking,” the mathematician cut in, Kai looking ever grateful for her taking over the explanation. “I also explained what I had planned in the boiler room. We had a bit of an argument about it, but came to a middle ground of understanding.”

“I still want to talk more about that by the way,” the guy chimed in.

“Bweh… later. When I’m not in pain.”

“Sounds good, but don’t keep me waiting too long.”

“I know that, stupid…”

“Sheesh, no need for the sass, haha!”

Damon blinked in shock watching the two of them banter at each other. Despite having spent more time with Eva and Kai in the past five days, it was like those two had known each other for years. The influencer seemed unfazed by her mannerisms and speech, and the mathematician had no trouble matching his witty comments and teasing. Maybe he was just that bad at reading people’s behaviors, or maybe they just clicked in ways he didn’t with them. Either way, he couldn’t help but feel a little left out, which he immediately bit back before his face turned red. He felt like a child getting jealous over something as small as this.

“Anyways,” Eva cleared her throat, directing them back to the topic at hand. “We were both able to express our opinions in a productive manner.”

“Mhm, and then we chatted a bit about other stuff so we weren’t just down in the dumps, and we realized we were a bit more alike than we thought. Jean interrupted us midway though to tell us to gather in the dining hall. That was at around… 1:30 PMish? And now, here we are,” his roommate added.

That means I was here, stuck in my thoughts and spaced out for much longer than I thought , he mused. He had definitely left around an hour prior to their arrival, or at least, it was the best he could deduce since he didn’t check the time before leaving. There weren’t many clocks in the academy, and those available were easy to sabotage. Not only that, unlike Jean, he didn’t have any sort of internal clock to go off of for time. Seconds, minutes, hours—they all blended together in an odd haze. Combined with how exhausted he still was from the morning’s events, considering it was most likely noon at that point, he felt like he could sleep for days, wake up, and believe that it was just the next day. If anything, Damon was lucky he hadn’t fallen asleep in that chair since he wasn’t sure any of them would be able to wake him up. Kai was definitely more rested than him, having not only held possession of the bed for the entire time they were rooming together, but also managing to get in a longer nap. However, nothing probably compared to however Eva was feeling. There was no doubt she was beyond the boundaries of tiredness, but her injuries were most likely keeping her awake. The debater was sure moving from her bed to a chair probably wasn’t helping her either. Concerned, approached her carefully, inspecting her posture and tension.

“Damon?”

“Are you feeling okay?” he asked. The question seemed to throw the girl off guard, staring at him blankly.

“Um… what?”

“I mean… are you okay? You know what you’re going to have to do in a little bit, right?”

“...” She fell silent, staring at her teacup as small puffs of steam rose from the liquid. He could see her chewing her lip anxiously as she recalled the whole reason she was here in the first place instead of resting. Guilt panged in his chest as he realized he hadn’t been very tactful about the subject which was weighing heavy on her shoulders.

“I-I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have-”

“No,” she cut him off, shaking her head with a morose look. “It’s okay. I can’t avoid it after all. I knew the moment he told us to meet here what Jean wanted us to do. It’s a bit soon, but it’s better to do it while we’re conscious for who knows how much longer, not to mention while all the events are still clear in our minds.” She let out a shaky exhale, glancing at the both of them nervously. Eva still clearly wasn’t used to being open about her emotions, but nonetheless she tried to persevere through it. Just as she told him, she wanted to change back when she tried to reach out to him. However, this time she was trying to follow through, regardless of how much it probably scared her.

“I… I can’t refute that I’m scared. I already have an idea of how they’ll react, and that’s to be expected after everything I’ve done… but I’m more terrified about what happens after that. I don’t know what they’ll do to me… or what Tozu will…”

Wait… that’s right…

“Eva, don’t say that,” Kai murmured, resting his hand lightly on her shoulder. “No one will hurt you. Damon and I will make sure of it too, and Diana will probably-”

“I don’t deserve her help after what I put her through.”

Eva failed to complete her deal with Tozu… which means that…

“Hey, that’s not true. It’s not too late to ask for her forgiveness, and it’s not too late to get help from others. Sure, it’s not easy but-”

Tozu’s going to kill her… she’s on borrowed time… and I…

“-shouldn’t trust-”

I thought I had time to repair things with her… she didn’t even correct me… why didn’t she correct me…?

“-that’s not-wait, Da-”

No, there’s still time. There has to be a way I can argue against it. There has to be some sort of loophole…

“-amon, hey are you-”

We just sorted everything out. I refuse to let us go through all of that just for that bastard to-!

“Damon, snap out of it!”

He yelped as he felt a hand touch him, scurrying away only to trip and fall backgrounds onto the floor. His vision came back into focus, only for it to be filled with pink hair and golden eyes that gazed with care for him. Yet, when Kai reached a hand out towards him, the Ultimate Debater recoiled at the mere gesture, recoiling away from it. For some reason, he was struggling to breathe. He didn’t know why however. A second ago, he was just pondering what his next step of action was after his realization. Damon had been perfectly fine, so why was that guy staring at him with such a pale face? Why was Eva looking at him so guiltily? His roommate chewed on his lip bitterly, retracting his hand away with worry plastered on his face.

“Hey, Damon… breathe with me now. In and out.”

Huh?

“C’mon, man. You can do it. Just slow breaths, in and out.”

Did I… did I really-

“That’s it. Just calm down.”

“... I-I didn’t realize I-”

A finger to his lips stopped his words. “No need to explain. I know why you freaked out. I was a bit confused since you already heard the whole story, but Eva told me you didn’t really process that part of her explanation. It’s no wonder you started to panic.”

“I’m sorry for not bringing that to the forefront, Damon,” Eva mumbled, looking downwards at her lap. “You were already getting a bit emotional, and I was just trapped in my own issues so I didn’t think to-”

“Hey now,” Kai chided, shaking his head at the girl. “Neither of you are at fault for this. You were going through a lot already just trying to explain your situation, and Damon had other emotions to prioritize sorting through.” 

“But-”

“No buts, both of you,” he cut in, an almost motherly tone in his scolding. Letting out a sigh, his eyes grew dark. “It’s terrifying, but there has to be time to change things… right?” The influencer was trembling, that look of terror about his own assumptions bleeding through his golden eyes. Damon knew that he was just trying to put up a front to stop the two of them from going back to panicking, but it was clear he didn’t have the ability to remain calm himself. Both of them knew that the person they were talking to, caring for, could be gone at any second. And, in the end, there wasn’t much they could do but beg Tozu to not. Most likely, he wouldn’t reveal his hand until she told everyone her story in order to raise tensions. So, even if they tried, he didn’t know how many of them would even try to back them up. Diana would most definitely help, possibly even Toshiko, Ingrid or Jean. However, the debater couldn’t pin an answer on any of the others. Despite some of those people being good natured, he had no clue how they’d feel about Tozu killing someone who tried to murder someone else. It was that uncertainty that scared him more than the possibility of failure, as he refused to believe that he could. He had to go into it thinking he could win, or he’d be doomed from the start.

“That’s right,” Damon breathed out, a slight quiver still remaining in his voice. “I know I can convince Tozu to change his mind in a discussion. I’m the Ultimate Debater after all. Logical arguments are what I do best.”

He turned his gaze to Eva, those blue eyes of hers like an ocean of resignation. “I promise you, I’ll defend you. Kai will help me, and I’m sure Diana will be by your side as well.”

Her expression fell further at the mention of her name, curling into herself as if to disappear within the chair. “... even after everything I did to her…? Won’t she hate me…?”

“Diana wouldn’t, I’m sure of it. She clearly tried to take care of you down in the boiler room based on how we found you, and she must have known one of you was the aggressor. Yet still, she stepped in to help because you’re important to her.”

Damon walked over and knelt in front of his ally, grasping her hands gently as teardrops fell onto the back of his own. Kai had also shuffled to the mathematician’s side as well, rubbing small circles into her trembling frame. Her cries weren’t of misery or pain, nor were they of guilt. For once, she was crying because of happiness and relief, due to the love and care of others. A girl who had never known much joy in her life, finally receiving what she sought for so long; Damon couldn’t imagine how overwhelmingly warm it must have felt for her. Silently, he followed the influencer’s gesture and slowly moved his thumb over the back of her hand, tracing various small shapes to help as she processed it all. If the others had seen him in that moment, he’d be sure they’d take back some of their suspicions of him. As nice as that'd be, he wouldn’t want to reap those benefits in consideration of why he was helping her in the first place. He didn’t need a reward for being there for a person he wanted to give his trust to.

As her sobs calmed down to sniffles, he retracted his hands and stood back upright. Shooting his roommate a small signal of what he was doing, he headed back to the kitchen to find some tissues or napkins somewhere. The cabinets stocked relatively well, so it didn’t take him long to find what he needed. He walked back to where the other two were, and just as he was handing off the items to Eva, the door creaked open. Damon could see the girl visibly flinch away, her face whitening as she became as still as the paintings on the walls. The Ultimate Influencer looked worryingly between her and the door, nervous of who was about to announce their arrival. If it was just Diana they’d be fine, or even if it were others like Wenona and Mark, who had opted out of tending to the injured. Even if those two were a bit more open with their negative views of others, it’d still be better than facing the heavy hitters from the get go. But of course, what was life but a series of challenges that came to set you back.

“Kai, Damon! Good to see you’re here already,” Jean chuckled heartily as he and Grace helped support a rather bandaged up Wolfgang. His hair was an absolute mess, as Damon had seen when he helped the ship captain. However, he vacated the room early due to the golfer’s pointed glares at him for being in the room, so he hadn’t seen Wolfgang after his treatment. His neck was fully wrapped up in bandages, alongside his hands that had been clawed up as well. All his bruises and any other cuts he had were hidden under his shirt, to which he was now wearing a fresh set of clothes, minus his jacket and tie. The man wearily looked up to greet the two of them, but he immediately froze the moment his violet eyes met blue. He stared at her, flicking up and down as if analyzing her threat level. Eva on the other hand hadn’t dared to move since the moment the door opened. Her body was locked up fully, her line of sight never straying from the lawyer. The black haired man pursed his lips after finally breaking away eye contact, pondering something Damon couldn’t begin to comprehend, before glancing back at the mathematician softly. There was no smile, but a simple polite nod of greeting. Robotically, the girl did the same, wide eyed with shock. He could hear Grace muttering something under her breath, seemingly displeased with the entire interaction, but didn’t dare to comment with Wolfgang seemingly giving his approval of Eva.

“We haven’t been here too long, or well, Eva and I haven’t. Damon was here before us,” Kai spoke up, standing a bit closer to the girl.

“Yeah,” Grace butted in, giving the debater a look he couldn’t discern. “Soybean nearly launched a kettle at my face after jumping like a pansy.”

“How is that my fault?! You shouted in my ear,” he growled, clicking his tongue in retort. His anger was only met with an eye roll from the woman as she helped the Ultimate Lawyer sit down in one of the other sofa chairs.

“Sure, after calling out to you six or seven times prior to that. Your head was up in the clouds thinking about who knows what.”

“... I was just trying to piece together a timeline of events.”

“Right, you did say that. Any luck, wannabe detective?”

“...”

Damon kept his mouth shut after that, both out of a bitterness of not knowing anything more, but also not wanting to reveal what he had been actually thinking about. Grace seemed to take that as him admitting defeat, as she gave a little prideful huff of victory. Her smugness made him want to start arguing with her, but he pushed back the temptation. After all, it wasn’t worth his time to spend another moment trying to deal with the Ultimate Golfer when he had more important concerns that were about to be addressed. He needed his full focus on whatever Wolfgang and Diana would speak about to understand fully what happened after Eva dissociated. He blinked with realization at the thought, and scooched over close to Eva leaning down and whispering in her ear as soon as he was sure Wolfgang and Grace weren’t boring holes into his head.

“They don’t know what you did, by the way,” he whispered softly. “You don’t have to worry about them immediately jumping at you. You can still tell them yourself.”

As he backed away, he could see Eva flick her head towards him, eyes widening at the revelation. He had meant to tell her the moment she arrived with Kai, but he had gotten distracted by the other conversation they had. That talk had been productive, but it made him nearly forget the whole reason he even dared to ask Grace Madison a question about Wolfgang’s actions. Had the situation been anything else, he was sure that the golfer would have had him in a choke hold to protect the man. In fact, he probably wouldn’t have even gotten a chance to ask. If she knew prior, she’d probably approach him and demand to know if he was an accomplice. Now that he wasn’t in range of a threat, it seemed so obvious. Sighing, he glanced back at the black haired girl, whose expression was full of doubt. It didn’t surprise him at that point. Saying she wanted to change and trust others was far easier than actually doing so. She was still fighting her inner demons and bad habits which had become second-nature to her after all.

Wanting to reassure her that he was telling the truth, he cracked a small, but confident smile. It wasn’t much, but it seemed to do the trick. The mathematician let out an inaudible sigh of relief, tension leaving her shoulders. Finally, her body had unlocked itself from its stuck position. He hadn’t been sure prior whether she froze because she was scared to see Wolfgang, or she had been terrified he had told Grace something. However, now he understood that it was a combination of both. Watching her decompress was like watching the weight of the world being lifted away. There was still a hint of nervousness in her eyes, but Damon could tell she’d be able to handle it. And if not, she could rely on him or Kai. He was sure of that assumption as she looked back up at him and returned a smile back in gratitude. He really hoped that there would be more opportunities for her to be happy in the future.

“Ingrid and Toshiko should be arriving soon with Diana,” Jean announced, fiddling with his trinket to pull up the map of the school. “Wenona and Ulysses went to double check the boiler room one last time, Mark, Jett and Cassidy were double checking the storage closets, and Desmond and Eloise-”

“-have just finished looking through all the notes Ulysses gave us. Sorry for the wait everyone.”

The sudden interruptor, Desmond, gave a wave of greeting as he walked into the dining hall with Eloise trailing behind him. As per usual, he was maintaining his cool, calm demeanor, a chill smile on his face. Peering over at the Ultimate Fencer, the debater could tell he wasn’t just doing that for himself, as for once, Eloise Taulner looked relatively free of nerves. He gave the two a nod of greeting as the Ultimate Marksman cheerily waved in his direction, followed with a small bow from the fencer. They didn’t say anything to the people of interest, most likely not wanting to bombard them with questions prior to everyone’s arrival. However, it didn’t stop Damon from noticing the brown haired girl narrow her eyes ever so slightly at the mathematician. It wasn’t out of hostility or outright hatred, but rather out of unwavering suspicion. He hadn’t thought her much of an analytic or observant type when he first met her, and even less so after the mock trial. Yet, it was clear she had pieced together something, or at least just had a gut feeling about who the attacker was. Whether Ulysses’ notes tipped her off in the right direction, or she merely maintained her suspicions of Eva prior to the situation, it was clear she wouldn't be surprised by the incoming testimonies. Feeling wary, he took a step closer to Kai and Eva, the former evidently having noticed the same as he based on him lightly grabbing the debater’s hand.

The ship captain, unaware of any of the tension, grinned at the two. “Aye, indeed you are! No worries, you two, we’re still waiting for everyone else.”

“U-Um… can you give this to Ulysses when he arrives…?” Eloise questioned, holding a familiar brown notebook in her hands.

“Sure, not a problem.”

After handing off the journal the two strode over to the far side of the dining room, taking the seats at the table closest to the kitchen. The golfer ended up following suit, though she grabbed her chair and dragged it to be right next to Wolfgang, who looked thoughtfully at her. The space then was filled with an awkward silence, not in the sense that no one was speaking, but more of the fact no one speaking outside of their groups. The fencer and marksman were discussing what sounded like theories on the series of events, while Grace kept chiding the lawyer for scratching at his neck as he sheepishly chuckled in response like he wasn’t currently recovering from having been maimed. Jean was the odd one out, but he kept to his position at the door, conversing somewhat with Kai, who had thankfully taken the initiative on responding. Damon was worried the wait would be awhile, but to his relief, the others began showing up. Wenona and Ulysses were first, both deep in thought, with the historian furiously copying down notes he had taken on scrap paper into his newly returned notebook. It was almost terrifying how quickly he managed to finish it, but the debater supposed as the Ultimate Historian, he had some experience with quick work crunches. Soon after, the game tournament trio arrived in boisterous fashion, with Cassidy shooting Eva a small friendly, concerned wave of greeting, to which the mathematician reciprocated in kind, guilt hidden behind her blue eyes. Though he didn’t know what happened during the setup of the tournament, he had no doubt she and the Ultimate Pro Gamer talked a fair bit, most likely clicking on the subject of video games. It was one of a few things that the Ultimate Debater was sure wasn’t a lie. He had no doubt she’d ask Kai or him for help to apologize to her afterwards.

Not more than a few minutes later, the final group members arrived. Toshiko opened the door as a bright faced Ingrid popped inside, carrying Diana Venicia in her arms like one of those damsels in distress he’d seen in some cheesy movies. The cosmetologist looked worse for wear, despite having the lightest injuries, her eyes dipping in and out of focus. Pain flashed across her face ever so subtly, but she was doing well in trying to mask it. The only bandages of note were around her sprained ankle, as well as around her head. Damon had only believed it to be a mild concussion, but it was certainly possible she had somehow exacerbated the negative effects by pushing herself. Considering the explosion that came from the boiler room, it’s more than likely. A sound that loud in her state would have felt like her eardrums were rupturing.

“It seems that’s all of us, aye?” the ship captain inquired, watching as the blacksmith gently sat down the pink haired girl in the sofa chair closest to Eva, which seemed to be her own request. The girl wearily smiled at the mathematician who immediately turned the other direction, a shy, but undeniable expression of shame on her face.

“Yeah, now, which one of you is going to fess up,” Grace growled, glaring at the two girls.

“A-Are you accusing Diana?!” Toshiko exclaimed angrily, her face flushing red. “She is not the instigator here, I can guarantee you that. After all, she’s the least injured out of these two!”

“Can it gremlin, it has to be one of those two! It’s obviously not Wolfgang!”

Obviously. The word made that sick feeling in his gut twist again.

“Now now,” Ingrid scolded, holding back the matchmaker from charging the golfer herself. “It’s no good tryin’ to argue facts when we don’t know the whole story. Isn’t that right, Wolfie?”

The lawyer looked a bit surprised to be called out, but quickly regained his composure and answered with a weak nod. “Indeed… it’s not good to make assumptions without evidence.”

“The evidence is clear as day! There’s no motive for you to go down to the boiler room! Those two on the other hand,” the golfer spat venomously, standing up as she yelled. “could have every incentive to attack you. Diana clearly has been trying to follow your every footstep and could have wanted to take your leadership spot, and the mathlete hated you for calling her out!”

“... sh-she’s not wrong… at least about her, that is…” Eloise chimed in, surprisingly defending the person who screamed at her a day ago.

“Can’t say I don’t agree, but it would still be wrong to make assumptions without evidence, like Wolfgang said,” Desmond nodded.

“As usual, always riling everyone up like a rabid animal,” Wenona scoffed. Ulysses didn’t add his own input, but by the way he looked up from his writing at her comment, it was clear he agreed.

“Oi, fuck off, bitch!” the woman snarled back. “The evidence of motive is enough to show that it was one of them! But, out of the two of them, the mathlete-!”

“Hey, call her by her name, Grace,” Kai spoke in Eva’s defense, surprising both of them. “D-Don’t glare at me! Your guesses are valid assumptions, but you calling Eva like that is only furthering the reason as to why she probably doesn’t like you or Wolfgang to begin with. That isn’t her fault.”

“Oh yeah? Who’s the one who lied about her talent? Who’s the one who tried to tell us all not to trust each other? Besides, if I’m guilty, you’re the bloody same.”

“Th-That’s…”

“ENOUGH! Stop bickering like a bunch of kids!”

The room turned in the direction of the person who shouted, the one to dispel all the sound within the room. Damon didn’t mean to yell so loudly, but he had gotten fed up with everyone chaotically throwing accusations when they hadn’t even bothered to establish the facts they knew. Grace was probably impatient to find whoever hurt Wolfgang, but her screaming at everyone wasn’t going to make the person fess up. He wanted them to go over their investigations, as well as what they already knew about the situation before diving into the testimonies. With all attention on him now, he gulped nervously and began to speak.

“We need to establish what we already know first. Then, once we have that settled, we can ask them for their side of the story and piece it all together from there. If someone does happen to confess, then we have the answer, but dogpiling on the person or going on a witch hunt to find them is pointless. You’ll only make that person want to keep quiet even more.”

“... tch, fine, soybean. Have it your way then.” To his shock, the golfer relented, stepping back and plopping back into her chair. “Well? Go on then. You wanted to play detective so badly after all.”

“R-Right… then, from what we know…”

No one tried to stop Damon from leading the conversation. In fact, no one even tried to derail him off the subject or take over his role. Everyone let him lay out the facts, and when he asked people to confirm their testimonies and what knowledge they had about certain topics, they chimed in and answered. It was an odd feeling being treated with respect from people he knew definitely didn’t like him all that much (if they didn’t hate him), but he didn’t dwell on it. He found people he trusted, but that didn’t mean he trusted any of the others all that much. So long as they were willing to cooperate with him, it made his life easier. Establishing everything they found, excluding everything he already knew, the scene was like this:

Wenona, Ulysses, Desmond and Eloise all headed out early into different sections of the academy, specifically the courtyard and the tree room, to hang out, while seven of them went to the game tournament, and the rest of them stayed in their rooms. Toshiko left to go to the pharmacy to help Ingrid, who had a terrible headache, and as she came back, she saw Wolfgang leave his room at around 8:10 AM. He claimed to be picking up a batch of laundry before he went to the game tournament, despite saying previously that he wouldn’t attend. After that, a loud explosion occurred in the boiler room at approximately 9:35 AM, causing a blackout only within the dorms. The seven game tournament attendees also heard a loud scream after the explosion went off, and decided to go downstairs to investigate, as well as turn the power back on. At around 9:45 AM, Jean, Kai, and himself found Diana, Wolfgang, and Eva all in the boiler room injured, with Diana being the only one somewhat conscious. After analyzing the scene, a fired taser, a bloody knife, unidentifiable shrapnel, most likely related to the explosion, and a burnt extension cord were found in the boiler room, and in the dining hall, a piece of extension cord was found tied to the vent.

“... and that is everything we know,” Damon concluded, breathing out a sigh of relief that his job was done.

“Well done on summarizing everything,” Wolfgang complimented, a gesture he was wholly not ready for, the words almost feeling jarring coming from him. “I suppose that means it’s our turn to explain our stories, right?”

“Whatever you can recall,” he replied flatly.

“I-I can go first.”

A soft voice rose up from the silence. He turned his gaze over to the cosmetologist who had raised her hand, her smile not reaching her eyes. She looked somehow even more exhausted than before, but this time, he wasn’t so sure it was because of her wounds. Rather, it was likely the information dump he and the others provided them. It was clear that they were all involved with the current state of affairs somehow, but not all of them had a full understanding of what occurred. The only assumption he had been able to make as when he laid the facts out again was that Diana received her injuries outside of the boiler room. It was the only thing that made sense, as she most likely heard their scuffle while the dining hall people couldn’t. If she had entered during the fight, then she would have sustained more injuries with the assumption that Eva would have attacked her if she even heard her walk in. Which meant, she had to have fallen or tripped on something trying to hurry to the boiler room and by the time she got there, they had exhausted themselves to unconsciousness. It was a mere theory, but he was rather sure of his deductions. Now, he only needed to hear from the girl himself.

“Go ahead,” he nodded.

“W-Well, to start, I don’t really know much about what happened since I arrived later. I received a note to meet in the boiler room at 8:45 AM. It was signed by Wolfgang… about the blackmail motive.”

“Huh? That can’t be right,” Jean mused aloud. “After all, Wolfgang had my blackmail, ey?”

Wolfgang nodded to confirm this, but refused to elaborate more. Even if it was out of politeness for Diana to continue onward, Damon wished the lawyer elaborated on it all.

“I-I knew there was a chance it wasn’t from him… or that it was and it was a trap… but I didn’t want to let him down in case it was real. I know you probably think I’m stupid for agreeing to meet in a place like the boiler room… and I know I am. But, that’s how I reasoned it to myself at the time,” Diana self-deprecated, weakly laughing at herself.

“Diana…” Toshiko mumbled, a look of worry on the child’s face.

However, Diana merely shook her head. “I should have been smarter about it. But, unfortunately I wasn’t. I left my room at 8:40 AM, and as I was walking down the stairs, I heard a scream coming from below. Specifically… I heard Eva screaming.”

That fact seemed to catch everyone’s attention as they slowly turned their eyes towards the black haired girl, who looked just as surprised as the rest of them. It made sense to Damon with what he knew, but it was still quite the revelation to know how long she had actually been dissociated for. He had heard about it being possible for someone to be dissociated for hours or even days, but it wasn’t something he had personally ever encountered. It was still a little less than an hour, but even being mentally gone for that long while evidently putting up a struggle… he was strangely impressed by how much the body could do without mental input.

“Eva… you heard her screaming?” Grace queeried, a slight hint of suspicion in her voice.

“Yes, and she sounded like she was in pain,” the Ultimate Cosmetologist said with a nod. “As soon as I heard it, I panicked and started hurrying down the stairs… but I ended up tripping down them which is how I hit my head and sprained my ankle.”

“If you injured yourself,” Damon murmured, holding his chin in his hand. “Then how did you get to the boiler room? Surely you didn’t just…”

“No, it’s exactly what you’re thinking. I… pushed myself through the pain and kept going forward. I even checked all the storage closets since I didn’t know where the scream originated from, and everything had gone silent. I was worried I’d be too late…”

“It’s not good to push yourself that hard,” Ingrid scolded in a motherly way. “Bodies aren’t made of steel and iron. From what Jean told us, your ankle was very injured.”

“Aye, you certainly did a number on it,” Jean agreed. “From my time at sea, I’ve learned that sprains are far worse than breaks. A clean break is easier to heal, but tearing ligaments… it can do far worse damage that can still affect you later on in life.”

“It was very reckless of you,” the matchmaker softly said, her voice bleeding with worry. “What if you weren’t able to continue and got stuck in the hallway? Or if you passed out from your head injury?”

“Oh that’s right! She got concussed!” Cassidy exclaimed. “That’d totally mess up all your vision and hearing!”

“A person shouldn’t be able to do much with a concussion,” Ulysses explained, flipping through pages in his notebook. “From what I know, disorientation, nausea, and hearing sensitivity are common symptoms of head injuries like that. Realistically, Diana should have been too dizzy to even see where she was going, yet somehow…”

“Somehow, she managed to get there anyways,” Wenona cut in, her piercing gaze shooting right at the girl. “Either it was the adrenaline rush from the pain, the emotional charge, or both. Honestly, a bit impressive.”

Eloise frowned. “St-Still, it was really dangerous to do that…”

“Reckless or dangerous, she still got there in time,” he stated. The concerned parties looked at Damon like he spit in their drinks, either with anger or disappointment. He wasn’t wrong though.

“Look, I get it. You’re concerned about her pushing herself. However, Diana would have understood the risks in that moment. Even if her emotions were clouding her reason, she still had the right thing in mind, to try to intervene and save Eva. Her moral compass was correct, and for that, I’m thankful to her.”

“Damon… Thank you.”

Diana smiled sweetly at him as he looked away with a blush. Everyone else probably looked like he had lost his mind, expressing gratitude to her of all people, someone none of them probably imagined him getting along with. Yet, that gratitude did come from his heart. Had she not arrived in time, there was no telling what Eva and Wolfgang would have done to each other. There could have been the possibility that, had she been late, she’d have stumbled upon one of their corpses, and the other with blood on their hands. However, he didn’t need everyone dwelling on that. Clearing his throat, he urged the cosmetologist to continue her story.

“Right,” she said. “I managed to get to the boiler room door. Even before that, I could hear Eva yelling and crying, which is how I knew she had to be in there. When I got there, I called out to her a few times, with no response. I decided to keep trying, but instead of Eva, I heard Wolfgang warning me that it was dangerous and to not come in.”

“Wolfgang?”

“Mhm,” she confirmed to him. “I could hear him struggling with Eva, though I didn’t know in what way. I told him that I wanted to help Eva. He refused at first, but eventually he relented when I agreed to follow his instructions once inside. When I opened the door and stepped inside… I saw them. Wolfgang was holding Eva by her wrists and had her pinned against the wall. She was struggling against his grip… and both of them were so bloody and bruised. It… it was scary, but I knew I couldn’t run. Wolfgang told me to get closer and try to talk to Eva to calm her down. I didn’t know what had happened, but I knew that I didn’t want to hear her in so much pain. So, I managed to calm her down by softly speaking to her while I held her in my arms. She eventually relaxed and then fell unconscious, and Wolfgang passed out a few seconds after her. I was all alone in the boiler room, and I couldn’t walk anymore, so I tried to take care of some of their serious wounds at the very least, then… I heard a thud and something falling into the water. Soon after, there was an explosion. I don’t remember anything after that.”

“The pain must have been so bad that it conked you out… rough man,” Jett commented. “Hearing was a problem right?”

“I mean, any loud noises that close up would have disoriented anyone,” Mark rolled his eyes.

“Hmm, that thud could have been when I stumbled back into that one sofa chair,” Jean suggested aloud. “But, could the chair running into the wall really cause an electrical fault like that?”

“Considering how old the boiler used to be, it wouldn’t be impossible,” the historian added. “There were several exposed wires, though not close to the water. However, since we can’t check inside the machine itself we can’t confirm.”

“Either way, is this cleared enough for you?” Toshiko pointedly asked, her tone a bit prideful. The golfer clicked her tongue in annoyance, but admitted defeat nonetheless.

“The makeup girl is cleared, but that doesn’t clear out the math-Eva.” She was quick to correct herself as Kai shot her a look of warning again. “Considering I don’t feel like she’ll tell the truth, I’d feel better asking Wolfgang for his account first. Anyone else object?”

There wasn’t a single person who disagreed, and those that did wouldn’t deny it since hearing his account was important. Diana seemed to shrink into her chair, a look of guilt washing over her as she remained silent and unmoving in her spot. Wolfgang, who was being put on the spot, didn’t seem all that reluctant to speak next, sending Eva a look of… worry? Or was it reassurance? He couldn’t tell what was going on inside the lawyer’s head, but he stood up on his feet, albeit a bit wobbly, and began to speak.

“I suppose going next wouldn’t hurt. Though, Grace, it wouldn’t be so quick to say that Ms. Tsunaka wouldn’t tell us the truth.”

“...!” She looked at him, dumbfounded.

“We… may not see eye to eye, but it’s not a reason to always assume the worst of everyone. It’s best to consider every angle… to understand why someone acted the way they did. Wouldn’t you agree, Grace?”

“I-I… I guess so…” she grumbled, backing down quickly.

“Thank you. Now then, for my account, it begins when-”

“Wolfgang, stop.”

“Ms. Tsunaka?”

All of a sudden, Eva was standing on her feet, looking the Ultimate Lawyer directly in the eyes. There were so many emotions swirling around her: fear, anxiety, gratitude, regret, confliction, bitterness, and even understanding. Every single one of them was directed at that man, whose own look of surprise seemed to catch every little signal. He gave her a worried tilt of his head, almost as if to ask ‘are you really sure about this?’ Damon didn’t understand it. Wolfgang had been the target in her scheme, and he knew that, yet instead of viewing it as another point to ostracize her, he had some kind of divine epiphany while being attacked that Eva wasn’t as bad as he imagined. It almost sounded like Stockholm Syndrome, yet he was perfectly sane and behaving normally. The lawyer had to have heard something down there, or pondered Eva’s possible reasons for targeting him. Yet, he was still surprised that something like that had been enough to knock him off his place.

“It’s fine, Wolfgang. You don’t need to cover for me. I can tell them what happened,” Eva mumbled, her body clearly shaking.

Wolfgang looked reluctantly at her. “You don’t have to force yourself. I realize this wouldn’t be easy for you and-”

“No. I need to do this myself. If I don’t, I’ll run away. And… I’m tired of that.”

“I see… I understand. I’ll let you explain, and I’ll fill in any gaps that need it.”

“Thank you.”

The others looked confused at her statement, but were quick to understand why the moment Eva began explaining everything. Damon had heard it all before, as well as Kai, so neither of them were surprised. They still feigned a bit of shock to not draw suspicion. Throughout most of it, however, the debater focused on watching people’s reactions: the shock on Ulysses’ face when Eva said she cracked the code to the PIN pad by using the equation hidden in the posters, Eloise’s disgust at she heard the deal Tozu prepared for her, Wenona’s scathing glare when she said she took the perk despite the deal attached to it, the way Mark’s face paled when he realized his small off hand comments the day they received their blackmail became her reason to commit to her plan, the way Jett and Desmond’s faces turned to horror when she admitted to stealing the lithium battery and taser, Toshiko’s sadness when she heard that Eva planned knock out and drug Wolfgang, Ingrid’s surprise at hearing about her mechanism to kill him, Diana’s disbelief when Eva admitted to wanting to frame her roommate under the suspicion of her actions meaning nothing, Grace’s warped anger when she heard the reasons why she chose Wolfgang as her target, the conflicted look Cassidy’s eyes at her using the game tournament as her alibi, Jean’s somber stare as she told of her regret and fears throughout the entire process, and Wolfgang’s pondering gaze as she said she couldn’t remember anything after she attacked him—every action she made elicited a whirling hurricane of feelings perpetuated by the underlying sensation of betrayal and despair. By the time she finished no one could say a word. Her tale seemed so absurd, and yet, in context of where they were, and her sobs as she uttered her last comments, it was all believable. The reality of their situation became all too real, that they were in a death game where anyone could become a killer if someone was pushed hard enough.

Diana stared at the mathematician, her eyes filled with hurt and betrayal. Yet, somehow, Damon could still see love behind it all. He had assumed she’d forgive her, but it was still jarring to see the person who was going to be a victim in her scheme still showing unwavering adoration. It seemed to be too much for Eva to handle, as she averted her gaze away in shame. Silent tears rolled down her cheeks, dripping onto her bandaged hands. He could feel his hand twinge, wanting to reach out and hold her hand like he did back in her room, yet he couldn’t get himself to do so. It wasn’t pride nor embarrassment, but simply the fact that his touch would do nothing. He wasn’t what she needed.

The silence seemed like it’d continue forever, until Wolfgang finally spoke up when no one else would. “To explain what happened after Ms. Tsunaka dissociated, I ended up hearing her behind me, as she wasn’t fully aware of what she was doing anymore and lost her ability to be stealthy. We got into a scuffle where she instinctively was attacking me out of panic, and I tried to defend myself by dodging, but at some point, I also started acting aggressive from what I can see from her wounds.”

So he is at least aware of that fact now… Damon analyzed. He hadn’t been sure the lawyer would admit to it, but similar to this whole meeting, he was once again faced with the unexpected.

“Regardless, I did at one point… pull out the knife I had been carrying with me just in case. I was worried about my own note, which told me to meet in the boiler room at 8:15 AM, signed by Ms. Tsunaka impersonating Ms. Venicia. The knife was for defending myself… at least that’s what I kept telling myself.”

The cosmetologist gasped, her hands trembling at his words. “Wolfgang… don’t tell me you…”

“I can’t say for sure,” he confessed. “But I can’t deny it’s a possibility I instinctively intended. If not… that… then to at least cause harm.”

The debater glanced over at Kai’s expression, which had morphed into mild horror, one hand covering his mouth as he stared at the ground. His eyes were full of questions and thoughts, clearly analyzing every word and piecing together the entire depressing and chaotic tale that had been woven together. He had no doubt the influencer had considered those actions a possibility, seeing as he wouldn’t have overlooked the nature of Eva’s injuries. However, just as Damon was shocked at the confirmation from the lawyer himself, his roommate most likely hadn’t anticipated those inferences would be proved right or wrong. His golden eyes flicked over at him, and all he could do was shake his head. He wished he could say something, but nothing he said would be able to change what happened.

“I’m sorry everyone… for betraying your trust. I’m not the man you thought I was…” the Ultimate Lawyer said, bowing his head in regret.

“I-I’m sorry too,” Eva followed suit, lowering herself even further than him, hands clenched at her sides. “I… what I was planning to do is… unforgivable, but still… I want to apologize…” The words came out as a choked sob, violent shudders rocking her body as she failed to keep her composure any longer. Her poker face was decent at times, but she was being bombarded by far too many things at once to focus on maintaining it.

“I-It seems that much has occurred without our knowing,” the Ultimate Matchmaker stammered, clearly at a loss at how to respond. “But… I do believe accepting their apologies is-”

“Bullshit.”

“I beg your pardon?”

“SHUT YOUR BLOODY MOUTH!” Grace let out a roar, slamming her fist into the table with a reverberating bang. Toshiko let out a yelp of fear, hiding behind Ingrid who gave the woman a disappointed look. Next to him, Kai rushed over to Diana’s side, who was clutching her head at the sudden noise. Meanwhile, the golfer wasn’t processing anyone’s reactions. She remained huffing, her breaths heavy and a fiery rage burning within her turquoise eyes. Every fiber of her being screamed for vengeance, and all of it was directed at a single person. A single girl with a crow’s feather in her hair.

“Wolfgang did nothing wrong. He knew only some psycho would ask to meet down there and tell him to close the fucking door. He doesn’t need to apologize for being correct.”

… the hell? Is she ignoring everything he just-

“But you… how fucking dare you… you two-faced, lying snake… HOW FUCKING DARE YOU TRY TO KILL HIM!”

She jumped from her spot, her hand balled into a fist aiming straight for Eva’s face. She yelled bloody murder as she charged at the injured girl, a gesture that made everyone else tense up except the target. Eva didn’t try to move. She hadn’t even flinched or looked away in fear. The expression on her face was… of acceptance. His eyes widened in disbelief, gaze ensnared by the small smile on her face. She was willingly allowing herself to get beaten up by someone who could absolutely kill her if she tried, even though she was battered to pieces already. After everything she had been through, no matter how much their vitriol was warranted or justified, he couldn’t stand her getting physically hurt any more than she already was. He didn’t want to see her getting beaten within inches of her life… laying in a pool of her own blood… not again. Never again. Before he could fully process it, he lunged in front of the girl, shielding her with his body. From that angle, Damon was finally able to get a good look at the full brunt of Grace’s face, her unbridled, protective fury that sought blood for blood. His instincts screamed at him to move away, but he remained frozen like a deer in headlights. Through even his terror, he knew he shouldn’t move away. All he could do was brace himself for the strike, squeezing his eyes shut as her fist was about to collide with his face.

“That’s enough! You need to calm down!”

The pain never came, and instead, he heard the grunts of Jean DeLamer as he held on for dear life while the golfer struggled within his grip, seething at his interference. At the sight of it, Damon’s legs turned to jelly, and he nearly fell over if it wasn’t for Kai, who stared at him with concern, hopping over to keep him upright.

“LET GO OF ME! THAT BITCH DESERVES THIS!”

“Violence, urgh… is not the answer,” Jean groaned as he got an elbow to his gut. “I understand you’re mad, but taking it out on her won’t fix anything!”

“I concur!” Toshiko chimed in, peering from behind the blacksmith. “Senseless aggression is unnecessary. A-And besides, Eva has already apologized for her actions. It’s evident she isn’t going to do such things again. Her hand was forced after all!”

Her comment earned her a scoff from the other side of the room. Wenona looked at the child like she had personally spat at her. “Trust her? That’s rich. Why should we trust anything she says? This is the person who lied to us, told us not to trust each other, and tried to murder someone. I am not conversing with a killer.”

“I-I must agree… I am wary of taking her promises of change at face value,” the Ultimate Historian mumbled.

Desmond raised an eyebrow at that one. “Hey, but isn’t that implying you’re still trusting in her words? You believe her confession to trying to murder is genuine, but you don’t believe her claims of regret? A bit of a double standard if you ask me. Though, I can’t deny that I don’t exactly believe her hand was forced. It’s still her own fault for taking the perk.”

“I get where you’re coming from Toshiko… but I also agree with Desmond…” Eloise hesitantly said, side eyeing the mathematician.

“Well, I think Toshiko is right! Besides, Eva and I chatted a whoooole lot yesterday night while we were setting up, and I don’t think she’s coldblooded! She’s actually pretty cool! Knew all sorts of awesome niche games,” Cassidy grinned, throwing a peace sign at the mathematician.

“Right on, she did!” Jett nodded enthusiastically. He turned to Mark, whose face immediately revealed his disagreement with their sentiment.

“She said all those things to gain your trust to use against you… and clearly it worked,” he grumbled. “Don’t lump me in with you guys.

“Broskii, come on…”

“ALL OF YOU SHUT THE HELL UP! I’M NOT LEAVING THIS ROOM UNTIL SHE UNDERSTANDS WHAT THE FUCK SHE TRIED TO DO!” Grace screeched, flailing even harder.

“Grace, that’s enough!” Wolfgang shouted at her. “She may have attacked me, but she didn’t do it out of pure malice! It doesn’t justify her actions, but hitting her will only make everything worse!”

However, his words fell on deaf ears. “Stay out of this! You’re too nice for your own good! It’s exactly how she exploited you!”

“You should listen to Wolfie! You’re entitled to your opinion, but all you’re doin’ is playing Tozu’s game,” Ingrid interjected dryly, her voice deathly serious. “He wants us to get all mad at each other.”

“So what?! That conniving witch tried to pull the wool over our eyes and murder someone! And, if she had her way, she would’ve tried to get us all executed! How can you not see how deranged and twisted that is?!”

“W-Well… that’s… um…”

The buff woman opened and closed her mouth to reply, but nothing came out. Damon knew the blacksmith understood that Grace was correct. He knew it too, even if he was able to look past it somewhat. Eva’s success would have meant sacrificing fifteen people in order to escape with her life. There wasn’t even a guarantee that his offer was even legit. No one knew what would happen if they won Tozu’s death game as a Blackened. For all they knew, they could walk outside the academy and then get shot in the head by Mara. To gamble on that chance using the lives of others… from anyone’s perspective the idea was fucked up. Even so, validating her actions under the pretense of justice struck a chord in him. It was the same sort of chord that Wolfgang had hit that pissed him off. Maybe it was hypocritical of him to get angry at them for something he did as well, using something else to justify the way one behaved or acted. However, in this particular situation, he could care less about being called out for it. He shook himself from his roommate’s grip, and opened his mouth to counter Grace, when-

“Everyone stop!”

Her voice was strained, unused to yelling, but it still rang clear in Damon’s ears. She was breathing heavily, as everyone stared at her, a bit startled by her sudden shout. Their bafflement only lasted a few seconds, however, as he watched the golfer’s face flush red with anger. She finally managed to squeeze herself out of Jean’s grip, and before he could recapture her, she leapt over to where the mathematician was standing. The girl winced as Grace grabbed her by the collar, her fist poised to deck her square in the head, positively livid about being ordered around by someone she viewed lower than dirt.

“Why you…! Who do you think you are, ordering-!”

“You and Desmond are correct.”

“Huh?” That seemed to finally take Grace out of her outburst. She did a double take, her grip loosening and her fist lowering. With a dumbfounded stare, she tried to analyze the girl’s face, searching for the lie. Yet, it was clear as day that she spoke the truth.

“I-I… I was desperate, that wasn’t a lie. I thought someone would kill me after what I did, and if I died, no one would care. But… that isn’t an excuse for what I did,” Eva shakily sighed, exhaustion evident in her voice. “The moment I saw the poster, I knew it was a trap. It was blatantly obvious seeing how it catered to my talent. Yet… I was blindsided by my anxiety. It blindsided me to the poster trap, and it blindsided me when Tozu brought up his deal. No matter if I was forced to act in the end… I’m still… guilty. I’m guilty of so many things… and nothing I say can excuse that. In the end, my plans just prove how far I was willing to go just to satisfy my own personal vendettas. There was malice in my actions even if I truly didn’t want to kill.”

She looked up at the Ultimate Golfer, who flinched at the black haired girl’s expression. With a shuddering inhale, Damon expressed the smallest of smiles as Eva spoke. It was hard for someone like her to admit her own faults, but if there was any proof humans could change, her actions were it.

“I’m sorry,” Eva said softly, voice nearly a whisper. “And I’m sorry to everyone else too. It might mean nothing to you, but I do mean it. You have every right to hate me for what I did… and every right to take that anger out on me. I deserve it.”

Damon frowned at that last statement. However, before he could even open his mouth, she shook her head at him. His retorts halted within his mouth, and despite his skepticism, he stood down. He didn’t want to hear Eva say she deserved to get hurt in return, especially after everything she had already gone through. Yet, he didn’t have it in him to tell her otherwise. She had to move forward at her own pace and will, and he had no right to dictate it. All he could do was advise as needed, and whether she accepted those words or not was her own choice. That was all he could do.

The woman stood there motionless, silence permeating the room again. The others looked like they wanted to comment on her apology, but everyone’s focus remained on Grace and her reaction. She stared with confliction on her face, her eyes narrowing with hatred and rage, yet there was a glimmer of understanding behind it all. A couple of times, she opened her mouth to speak, but fell silent again. Each second it continued felt like a minute, just the two of them staring each other down. Finally, the blonde yanked her hand away, leaving Eva to cough ever so slightly after finally being freed from the tight grasp. She looked back up at the golfer, who clicked her tongue, sighed, and then looked away. It was hard to see from his angle, but Damon could swear he saw melancholy in her eyes.

“Ugh… I won’t sock you, at least for now. Your frail little body would probably snap in two if I hit you now anyways,” she spoke, her words a bit harsh, yet her voice completely level.

She turned her head slightly to look Eva in the eyes. “I may not like you, but I’m not wishing for your death.”

It was a small gesture, not of kindness or mercy. Her words were merely a statement of emotion and thought, a declaration to Eva’s apology. Yet, for the mathematician, it was plenty. She returned her words with a small, guilt-filled smile, gratitude and regret blended into one. Grace turned her head away again, huffing out a breath before marching back to Wolfgang’s side. The lawyer had a look of shock on his face, but, within moments, he gave the girl a smile in return, one laced with pride. It was a step in the right direction.

“Um… I hate to break up the moment…” Ulysses cleared his throat, a look of concern dotting his lips. “But, Eva’s deal with Tozu… didn’t she say that if she didn’t kill soon, she’d die? And now that we know she’s not going to… doesn’t that mean…”

“Eva… will die…” Jean mumbled, his expression drooping.

All of them looked somber, even the ones who were actively against Eva’s actions. People definitely felt the same as Grace; even if Eva’s actions were unforgivable, she had failed and she was regretting her actions. They could hate her all they wanted, but death was not something they wished upon her. Yet, Tozu’s trap rang clear in their minds. What could they do against that masked bastard? Not to mention Mara could simply shoot them if Tozu demanded it. Though it was doubtful he’d kill anyone else on whim without reason, the anxiety still existed. The debater still didn’t have an answer as to how he could confront him, however, he had his talent. If there was anything he could rely on, it was his ability to argue and make people agree with his points. He’d simply have to do the same with the psychopath.

“I won’t let it happen,” Damon declared, his face darkened. “I… I have some ideas of how I can convince him to not kill her.”

“And I’ll lend you a hand too,” Kai offered, grinning at him. For once, he was comforted by his stupid smile.

“R-Right,” Diana chimed in, her face a bit blanched from the realization of their immediate situation. “We can’t let Tozu hurt her! We need to protect her and-”

“Hold on.”

Diana glanced in Wenona’s direction, startled by the sudden interruption from the entrepreneur. The woman sighed, running a hand through her hair.

“I may not want her to die, but I’m not obligated to help her.”

“But Wenona-!”

“Enough. These are the consequences of her actions, and I feel no reason to fight against that.” She looked back at the cosmetologist, her gaze softening slightly. “Besides, it seems like Eva has accepted that fact.”

At those words, Diana whirled back around to look at Eva, desperate for those words to be wrong. Yet, there was nothing but resignation in those eyes. She stared at her, crestfallen, and Damon could feel his heart twist angrily at the sight. Even if she was prepared, he wouldn’t allow it to happen, he just couldn’t let him hurt-

“Well, well, well! It seems I’m late to the party!”

-her.