《Death by Deceit》


 Chapter 1

    An ordinary classroom full of students in a luxurious-looking high school, far up north of Sydna with little civilization. Despite that, it still reigned as one of the most prestigious academies in the world. There remained students with characteristics such as, studious, rich, poor, or those who simply do not care. Though, none of those qualities mattered when ranks already predetermined one''s future.


    "Please finish all your work and hand it in by next Monday. No late work will be accepted," the teacher drawls. The dark eye bags on her face and her disheveled, unprofessional appearance exposed many of the school''s failures. Understandably, she wasn''t very amused with students who never took her seriously. They never had to, considering their high social standings.


    The bell rings and she dismisses the whole class. All that remained were three friends in the now empty classroom, waiting for the rest of the group to join.


    "That bitch talks too much," Lydia scoffs. She flips her wavy black hair to one side and opens a pocket mirror to examine her makeup. She fixes her eyeliner quickly before turning to the others. Her black, doll-like eyes made her look like she was straight out of a movie. Former actress, and daughter of a high executive with close ties to the government of Atarina. Not even the teachers could do anything to stop her if things got out of hand. "What''s even the point of keeping us here to do meaningless paperwork? She''s just wasting our time."


    She leans on a desk and adjusts her jacket and skirt.


    "You can''t call anyone a bitch, when you''re one yourself," Rey chuckles playfully. He brushes his thick, brown hair back and does not bother to adjust his messy collar with undone buttons and slightly-oversized pants. His personality often contrasted his muscular and intimidating appearance. Son of another high ranked executive closely tied to a prestigious assassination firm.


    In front of them was Shinta, a studious-looking teenager who had just about enough of the two. Compared to Shinta, Rey looked like a peasant with how trim his collar was along with his clean, sleek outfit. In addition, his dashing looks made it easy on the eyes for almost anyone.


    "Quiet. I can''t focus with your incessant shouting. Stupid fucking bitches," he rolls his eyes and mumbles under his breath. It was abundantly clear who will have a successful future, considering he was the youngest son of the country''s ruler. His personality was a slight issue, however. He ties up his long, black hair into a half up half down to keep his hair neat. Always calculative for the best options, even hairstyles. Rey scoffs and shoots him a dirty look.


    "Yeah, yeah, whatever," Lydia shoos him away. "Anyways, can I copy your homework again, Rey?"


    Rey rolls his eyes and opens his palm facing towards Lydia, "You can once you actually pay me back for last time. And don''t try lying to me that you did, cause I can tell. Just make sure to change it up a bit so it doesn''t look like you just copied it. Though knowing you, you wouldn''t."


    "Oh come on, now! I helped you edit your shitty essays using my valuable free time!" Lydia argues. "And I paid for dinner last time too!"


    Before they could continue bickering like children, five more of their friends finally arrived. Hopping off the desk, Lydia gestures to them to sit down.


    "What took you all so long?!" she teases. She hooks her arm around Karna and pulls him down, who was essentially a palm tree to her, making him slouch in an uncomfortable position.


    "Ugh, having the old man right before lunch is such a pain in the ass. He''s too strict over everything," Karna responds. The rest of the friends follow behind, gathering around Shinta''s desk. Khari stands slightly further away from the group and redoes the bandages on her hands that keep falling off. Hazel eyes that shone golden in sunlight with dark brown hair tied back into a neat ponytail. A golden string was visible from the hair ornament hanging next to her ear. Oldest daughter of the high secretary in the government''s council.


    "Khari, are you okay?" Lydia asks with a concerned expression. She tries to clasp Khari''s hands, but she flinches and turns away. Uncharacteristic to her cheerful and bright spirit, Khari shuffles back quietly, hiding herself in her baggy clothes, juxtaposed with her background.


    "She''s fine," Elios puts himself between the two of them and turns Khari the other way. He was like a statue, tall, brooding, and cold to anyone except his lover. Silver, fluffy hair, onyx eyes, and glasses that fit him just right. If he stood next to Shinta, they''d look of the same class, which was far from the truth. Elios was only a son of a mere low executive that worked for the government after all. Clearly no one approved of his relationship with Khari, but none of that mattered to the two.


    "How odd," Shinta quietly notices, but doesn''t pay mind to it.


    Kenji ignores the interaction and turns to Rey. He was the tallest, but had a thin frame, making him appear more lean than the rest of the boys. Two piercings on his left ear and an eyebrow piercing, all a result of Rey''s persuasion. Brown eyes and long, brown hair tied neatly into a low ponytail. Son of the sister noble family from another country, Eunsiatia.


    "You aren''t getting lunch, Rey?" Kenji asks. Rey stares confusedly, then suddenly jumps up off his seat and looks panicked.


    "Aw, shit! I completely forgot!" he says in frustration. "I hope they still have fried rice!"


    He bolts out of the classroom and shoves his way out of the group.


    "Thank you for reminding meeeeee!" he shouts from a distance, Rey''s voice slowly becoming a soft echo. Kenji chuckles lightly and everyone gathers together except for Elios and Khari. Lydia, Karna, and Kenji gather around Shinta''s desk.


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    Rika stood behind Lydia, despite being close to the group, she was obviously excluded. She was the shortest of the bunch, and her timid nature definitely didn''t help with fitting in. Big onyx eyes that always looked terrified, and long, straight black hair. Rika also wore baggy clothes, with at least some sense of style that pales Khari''s, but it didn''t change how low her status was. Daughter of low end workers, or in other words peasants, which no one wanted to associate with.


    "Ugh, fuck I''m thirsty. Rika, get me some water," Lydia throws coins at Rika''s face, leaving marks on her forehead. She picks up the coins from the floor and scurries away. "God she''s so fucking useless. I still don''t know why my dad even gives that useless family a chance."


    "You''re such an asshole," Karna laughs and jabs her arm. Long hair around his bangs, with his roots dyed into a lighter brown at the ends, making a gradient. Brown eyes with more piercings on his ears than Kenji''s. Typical delinquent look, which was not so far from the truth. Son of another high executive to the government with ties to Shinta''s father.


    "What? Don''t even, you''re no better, you son of a bitch," Lydia snarls and combs her hair. "She''s so annoying. But hey, I gotta give credit, she''s the reason I don''t have to do any homework."


    Karna rolls his eyes and turns his attention to Shinta. He ruffles Shinta''s hair playfully and notices the amount of work he was doing during a break time.


    "Come on, don''t always have a stick up your ass! Stop doing work for once and experience the joys of life! Have fun with us man!" Karna smiles and puts his arm over Shinta. He doesn''t do anything in response, but simply accepts his fate, hiding a small smile.


    "I don''t understand how he''s so comfortable with you. He doesn''t even let us lay a finger on him!" Lydia shakes her head in mock disapproval, obviously joking around.


    "Come on, you don''t know? Obviously because we''re together!" Karna puckers up his lips to Shinta. Shinta pauses. "I''m just kidding. I don''t know, maybe he likes me or something."


    Shinta lowers his pen for a brief moment to process what happened, losing concentration from the comment. While everyone continues to joke and goof around, Khari and Elios stand together near the door.


    "Do you feel like joining this time?" Khari inquires.


    "No, I''m okay just standing here with you," Elios brings Khari closer to him. He gives her a light peck and Khari chuckles.


    He mutters quietly to himself, "Not like they ever cared about me anyway."


    "You are sweet indeed, but you can''t just rely-"


    Khari''s face scrunches up in pain and she stumbles. Elios catches her with his left arm around her waist.


    "What''s wrong? Are you okay?" he asks with great concern.


    "Yeah. Just...the migraines," Khari holds her head, trying to regain control of herself. She starts sweating and breathing heavily.


    "Khari...I''m worried for you. You''ve been having these migraines for weeks and it doesn''t seem to be getting any better. Your hands too...you can tell me what''s wrong, right? It can''t have been just an angry cat that bit you," Elios holds her up so she doesn''t fall. Khari reaches into her pocket, but realizes it''s empty.


    "I think...I just need to go to the nurse''s office. I''ll be back," Khari pushes Elios''s arm off her and leans on the wall, preparing to leave the classroom. "My hands are fine, it''ll go away soon."


    "Khari, are you sure you''re fine?" Elios asks before she leaves. She looks at him longingly and decides to make a white lie to not worry her lover.


    "...Yes, I''ll be fine." She says with a small smile.


    Khari makes her way down the never-ending hallways. Trudging, further and further. Bandages falling, wheezing getting worse and worse. Vision blurring, everything starts to become hazy to the sick girl. Her world starts to spin into a-


    "Are you okay? Hello? You there?" Two random girls ask with worried expressions. Khari looks up in confusion, unable to understand what they were saying. Realization struck. Khari looks up in terror, her whole body freezing up, unknowing of what to do. One of the girls extends their arm out to help stabilize Khari with how much she was heaving. "Do they know already?" Khari''s vision starts to blink a tint of red. "I can''t let them know!"


    She swats the hand away and starts running, continuously stumbling on the way and running into many confused students. After the struggle, Khari finally hobbles her way in the nurse''s office and the nurse stares nonchalantly at her weakening state.


    "For what reason are you here today?" she picks up her clipboard, unfazed.


    "I...need painkillers," Khari pants. "Urgently."


    The nurse gives her a perplexed gray look. Authority also revolved around traditional standards of age in Sydna.


    "I''m afraid I can''t give you anything until you tell me your condition."


    "Migraines. Really...really bad migraines."


    The nurse starts writing information down on the paper, not paying much attention to Khari about to faint, trembling and gasping. It didn''t matter what Khari''s status was so long as she was older and of the same rank.


    "Name?"


    "Please...! Just give me the painkillers, I need something to alleviate the pain!" Khari almost loses it, her patience dwindling with her consciousness. Her mind and vision could no longer comprehend the nurse as a coherent person.


    "Quiet, child! This is a nurse''s office and I will not tolerate such demanding behavior!" The nurse slams her clipboard down on her table. "You may leave."


    "What? I-"


    "I said, you may leave. You are no longer permitted to enter the nurse''s office due to your disrespectful behavior," the nurse scorns at her.


    "W-what?" Khari''s face contorts to shock. "You want me to leave? Because I''m being rude?!"


    The nurse glares at her and notices the atmosphere had changed with Khari''s pissed off expression.


    Meanwhile, Elios taps his foot impatiently in the classroom, awaiting Khari''s return.


    "Dude, can you stop? The whole foot tapping is starting to get really annoying," Karna snaps Elios out of his mind.


    "Oh...sorry," Elios stops and starts biting his nail instead. "She''s been pushing me away for a while...I thought she''d be able to handle this, but it only seems to be getting worse."


    "What''s got you so worried anyways?" Kenji asks.


    "Had none of you noticed? Khari''s been in pain for weeks and it only seems to be getting worse. That''s why I''m worried," Elios snaps.


    "Dude, chill the fuck out. Yes, we''ve noticed, but we haven''t brought it up because you''re hovering over her like a bodyguard. Besides, if you''re so worried about your girlfriend, go to the nurse''s office to check up on her instead of waiting here and making us all uncomfortable. I would if it were me," Lydia rolls her eyes, annoyed at Elios''s attitude. Elios nods and puts his head down, leaving the classroom abruptly to join Khari.


    "I really hope she''s okay." Elios thinks to himself. He arrives at the nurse''s office and opens the door. There sat the love of his life, mutilating the dead nurse and ripping flesh with her teeth like a rabid animal. Her eyes were bloodshot, nails turned black, and the veins on her neck popped out. He tried to look into her eyes, hoping to find a glimpse of his lover. Reality struck. She''s gone. Whatever that creature was standing in front of him was no longer her.


    "K-Khari?" Elios reaches his hand out, still hoping she was somewhere in there. All there was in response was an abrupt stop in movement and deafening slurring. She turns to Elios and stares at him with piercing eyes for a couple seconds. He could only stare at her odd movements. Suddenly, she viciously lunges towards Elios, her mouth agape. He could barely react, fear halting any control he had in his entire body.


    "Fuck!"

 Chapter 2

    Elios darts down the hallway, barely unscathed. Khari, dead. He refused to believe it. As much as he wanted to go back, he couldn''t. Whatever that was was not Khari anymore. No matter how tired he was, he had to run. No stopping until he was ensured safety. Almost tripping while trying to stop himself, Elios opens the door and slams it shut. His face sweating bullets and his heart pounding like a drum in his chest. He still didn''t want to believe what he saw.


    "Elios? What the hell was that?" Rey asks, startled by Elios''s entrance. He was already back with a finished lunch, staring confusedly. Rika was also back with Lydia drinking her water. Elios doesn''t respond and he sits down, curling himself up by the door. It was nothing new for Elios to keep himself at a distance from the others, but this time, he was alone. No Khari, no one on his side.


    "Elios?" Rey asks again, the first to approach the grieving loner. "You there?"


    Elios puts his head up for a brief moment, "Khari is dead."


    Everyone was stunned and confused, no one said anything for what seemed like eternity in deafening silence.


    "Dead?! What the fuck do you mean?! Stop joking, where''s Khari?!" Lydia springs up and looks around, but she was nowhere to be seen on the large windows.


    "Do I look like I''m joking to you?! I mean it when I say she''s dead!" Elios stands up and yells at her. Tears start to pour out of his eyes and he turns around, crying. Kenji strolls up to him and pats his shoulder.


    "Breathe, Elios. I''m sure she said that out of panic. It''s okay, alright?" Kenji tries to comfort him. But he, like everyone else in the group, still couldn''t process the absurdity of his claim. Elios jerks his shoulder back in frustration.


    "It''s not okay! Khari...she...I can''t even describe how it happened! Do you know what it feels like to lose someone important to you?! Do you-"


    "That''s enough, Elios. Kenji''s just trying to help, you don''t need to lash out at him," Rey walks over to Elios and pushes Kenji back. Elios turns away in anger and sits himself down again.


    "Stop being so dramatic, Elios," Shinta rolls his eyes at him. Everyone turns and stares at him, shocked at what he said. "Crying and bitching doesn''t make it any better."


    Elios stands up and walks to Shinta''s face, grabbing him by the collar. Shinta stares at him, unfazed by Elios''s anger. Both of them knew Elios couldn''t do anything. The class difference was far too high between the two.


    "What the fuck did you just say?" Elios glares at him. Before anything could get ugly, Rey breaks them up.


    "Enough. Now is not the time to pick a fight. So shut the fuck up, Shinta," Rey glares at him. Shinta mumbles something to himself and tends to his work again. Amongst the whole group, there were only a few who could stand up to Shinta.


    "Elios...you''re purposefully not telling us something," Rika hops off her desk, surprisingly comfortable enough to approach him. She empathized with him. "Your face says it all."


    Elios looks at everyone with a hesitant expression, not knowing if he should tell what he fully saw. It was almost too absurd for anyone to believe anyway when he couldn''t accept it as reality either.


    "The nurse is dead. Khari killed and ate her," Elios admits. Dumbfounded, Lydia just stares at him with the most bamboozled expression.


    "Ate?! Now you''re actually joking, what the hell are you talking about?!" Lydia shouts.


    "I don''t know how to explain it either! But you all have to believe me! Khari killed the nurse and ate her..." Elios retorts with an incredulous face.


    "It''s not that we don''t want to believe you, Elios...it just sounds absurd," Kenji says with as much sympathy as he could muster. But he knew that he, himself, didn''t remotely believe Elios. Before the conversation could be continued, distant screaming is heard from the hallways. Karna stands up to check it out and looks at the farthest side of the window. Elios was not lying.


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    Students were running and screaming for their lives from monsters already turned like Khari. They rampaged other students relentlessly and ate them alive mercilessly with faces contorted to a manic grin. It was as if their body no longer belonged to them. Slaughter, blood, and screams were approaching at an alarming rate.


    "Wha..." Karna barely utters out at the sight. Suddenly, an arm is thrown and splatters towards the window along with viscera, blood staining the glass into a menacing crimson, frightening Karna to the point he falls to the ground in pure terror with a yelp. Lydia turns away immediately, experiencing a nauseous feeling in her stomach. Elios grimaces at the sight and everyone stares at him quietly.


    "W-what the hell are we supposed to do now?!" Rey yells, knowing there wasn''t an option for leaving the classroom anymore. Suddenly, a random student presses their face and repeatedly punches on the window violently. Scratch marks are left behind, a fracture made in the glass.


    "Please! Please! Let me in, I''m begging you! I don''t wanna die!" he cries with anguish. Blood smeared his face and clothes, his body quivering and frantically looking around in fear. Everyone freezes, unsure of what to do, but Shinta jumps out of his seat to make a quick decision. He locks the door so there was no access to the classroom and approaches the terrified student.


    "We''re prioritizing our own safety. Find somewhere else." he states callously. The student violently shakes his head.


    "No! It must be here! Everywhere else is closed and they''re coming, I need to get in here, please!" the student rushes to the door and violently swings the doorknob until the lock breaks.


    "What the hell?! That was locked!" Rey yells in horror. The student''s eyes turned bloodshot and his face distorted to the point where it looked no different than a rabid dog. Lydia screams at the terrifying sight, backing up being the only thing she can do. She throws Rika in front of her and runs to the other side of the classroom. Rika stands frozen, knowing she can''t defend herself at all.


    "Do something!" Lydia shrieks. She jumps on top of the desk, hoping it wouldn''t target her.


    Rey courageously sprints and body slams the monster, trying to force it out of the classroom. However, it only makes the student angrier and decides to target Rey. The monster lunges with its mouth agape, but Rey side steps, and the zombie slams its head to the ground. It persists and stumbles up again, lunging once more.


    "Over here, asshole!" Karna throws his backpack at the student, diverting its focus. It slurs indecipherably, saliva dripping out of its mouth before sprinting at Karna. He barely dodges the attack and tries to box it in with the wall and a desk. Unfortunately, he also wasn''t strong enough to stop the raging beast. "Ugh, fuck! Help me!"


    "Move!" Rey roars.


    Karna swiftly moves to the side before Rey grabs the student''s head and smashes it to a desk adjacent to him. The student loses balance and Rey takes it on alone, trying whatever he can to knock it out. To no avail, the student was far too vicious and powerful. It takes his powerful hits like nothing. The monster suddenly gets on top of Rey and starts clamping its teeth viciously, trying to infect him first.


    "Get this thing off of me!" Rey yells desperately for help. He flips the zombie back over and holds it at a chokehold, legs around its torso. Even his athletically inhuman stamina wasn''t enough to keep the monster down. His grip on the student was weakening, so he pushes his whole body weight down. It does nothing as Rey loses balance from the monster''s violent wriggling to break free.


    Just as Rey falls off the monster, Shinta pushes Rey and grabs the back of the student''s shirt. He stabs its neck with scissors with no hesitation to ensure the student would at least stop moving. He continuously thrusts the scissors in and out until the student finally falls limp momentarily. Shinta throws the scissors to the side and grabs the student by the arms.


    "Help me move the body!" Shinta yells. Kenji and Elios rush first to assist and take the body out. As Elios reaches outside to finally push the body out, another dead student forces their way in. He spots another student rapidly sprinting with its mouth wide open and Elios lets the student through instinctively. Rey struggles to sit up, feeling lightheaded and notices the second student intruding the classroom.


    The student targets Rika, who only holds her arms up in fear. Rey grabs a chair and smashes it into the student''s head. The student''s head plunges through the seat of the chair and Rey quickly drags it to the other side of the classroom. He smashes a window with the student''s head and uses all of the strength he has left to throw the body out. Glass shards leave shallow cuts on his hand and he winces in pain. Shinta tries to lock the door as quickly as possible.


    "The lock''s fucked!" Shinta yells. He violently swung the door, but it was no use.


    "Block the door! Do something!" Lydia screams in response.


    "Shut the fuck up and help then, smartass!" Rey bellows. He heaves on a wall and breathes heavily in exhaustion. Lydia pauses and starts to help moving desks and chairs to create a massive barricade covering the entire entrance.

 Chapter 3

    Karna leans on the wall, exhausted after pushing so many desks to stall the rabid students. Chairs, desks, anything large enough was used to make a barricade large enough to be impassable. It''d been hours, and the screaming had died down, with only faint animalistic sounds heard from the outside. No one dared to look out the windows and check.


    Kenji bandages Rey''s hand with the emergency first aid kits under the teacher''s desk. He wraps a bandage around tightly after disinfecting the wounds, making Rey wince once more.


    "Sorry, was that too tight?" Kenji pauses in worry.


    "No, I''m fine. That whole fight took a lot out of me, though..." Rey hesitates before lifting his shirt up to reveal multiple large bruises on his torso. Kenji flinches at the sight and starts rummaging in the tiny medical box.


    "How did that happen?! You weren''t even attacked there! There''s no ointment in here for bruises! Don''t tell me those bastards did that again! Someone must have took it...let me look-"


    "Calm down. They''re just bruises. As bad as they may look, they don''t hurt too badly. I didn''t break any bones, so I''ll live. I''ll just be more careful," Rey comforts Kenji, feeling bad for revealing the hidden injuries. "Sorry...I forgot you don''t like seeing me so hurt."


    "It''s okay. What matters most is your well-being right now," Kenji finishes wrapping Rey''s hands after regaining his composure. "I can''t say the same for Lydia though."


    Lydia trembles in horror, despite not being targeted or the ones fighting against the monsters, she took it the hardest. After two hours, she finally broke her silence.


    "Fuck! What are we supposed to do now!" Lydia throws her hair pin to the ground out of anger. "How are we supposed to get out of here alive now?! Those things are way too strong! I don''t wanna die!"


    "Shut up, Lydia. Seriously, I''m not in the mood for another tantrum right now," Karna glares at Lydia, annoyed by her noisy complaining. Lydia scoffs and glares back. She looks into her pocket mirror again and notices her hair completely out of place, irritating her. Her thick and long hair got messy quickly after long periods of time.


    "Ugh, fuck! Now my hair''s ruined!" Lydia tousles her hair even further in fury. "Rika! Get over here and fix my hair!"


    Rika hurries over and picks up Lydia''s comb from her bag and starts combing as gently as possible. As she untangles the hair carefully, she accidentally breaks a knot and Lydia winces.


    "Fucking hell!" Lydia grabs the nearest item, a ruler, and throws it to the ground, almost cracking it in half. "I said fix it, not rip my hair out! I swear, if you do that again, I''m making sure your parents will never escape their debt! Fucking useless! Do it properly, dammit!"


    Lydia screeches loudly at Rika, ordering her around in a much more agitated state than normal. Lydia''s shrill voice makes Rika flinch in fear. All she could do was listen quietly, having no power to talk back or do anything. Her status was far too low to even fathom that.


    "Instead of complaining, we could do something useful," Shinta rolls his eyes. "Like calling the authorities?"


    "Right. I''ll call and see what they can do," Rey pulls out his phone and starts dialing the number. It doesn''t take long until a dispatcher gets on the line with the group.


    "Authorities on the phone, what is your emergency?" a monotone voice drawls, sounding bored and unamused.


    "We need assistance at Sidina Academy, please! There are...er..." Rey pauses, not knowing what to call the rabid students. Silence arises in the group, contemplating how to describe or what to call the monsters.


    Lydia puts her hand out to gesture to Rika to stop combing. She bolts and intervenes, "Zombies! They''re-"


    "What are you saying, Lydia?! They''re not going to believe us if we call them that!" Karna puts his hand over her mouth and whispers harshly. "Those only exist in movies, dumbass!"


    "Am I wrong?! They are basically dead and killing people mindlessly! Did you see how inhuman they were when you guys were fighting?! We might as well be in a movie!" Lydia argues back. Rey bumps Karna''s shoulder and signals them to be quiet with a finger over his mouth. Rey continues speaking.


    "Anyways, we need help! Students are dying everywhere and we don''t know how long until we''re next!" he shouts desperately.


    "...Name of the address please," they make a brief pause before continuing to talk.


    "Sidina Academy. We''re near the borders of the walls leading outside, north of Pradana''s main building. I''m sure a station is right next to the school."


    "Describe to me what type of troops are needed for your situation. We just need confirmation on the type of emergency you have. "


    "Well, we definitely need some armed troops to take down the people attacking and some medical help. A rescue team too! Please, come quick!"


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    "Please refrain from speaking too fast. We still need to assess what''s happening. How many are dead and alive?"


    "I don''t know...? Me and my friends are in a classroom right now and we''re all alive, from what we''ve seen, many are dead. We can''t check because we''ll risk losing our lives. Is that enough?"


    "Wait. We need to call the school to confirm your help."


    "Can''t you do that later...? The administration might not even be alive right now."


    "It''s better to be safe than sorry. Please wait-"


    "Why the fuck are you trying to stall us?! We need help, so why won''t you help us?! Every second that passes, we''re in more danger! Stop asking unnecessary questions!" Karna snatches Rey''s phone and yells at the dispatcher. Rey shoves Karna away to shut him up and grabs his phone back. The dispatcher stays silent for a couple seconds, everyone worrying if they hung up.


    "...Call them off. These children are simply being a nuisance to us," the voice responds coldly.


    "Hey! Wait, you can''t do that! You''re supposed to help us, that''s your job!" Karna steals the phone again in anger.


    "We are not obligated to send help if the receiver is trying to keep us from assisting with real emergencies."


    "Stop it! This is an emergency! Send-"


    CLICK!


    The dispatcher hangs up, leaving Karna speechless. He lowers the phone and clenches his fist in anger. Rey seizes his phone quickly before it gets smashed.


    Lydia walks up and shoves Karna, "What the fuck was that?! If you were patient enough to let Rey answer all the questions, we would''ve gotten help from the authorities! That was our only chance and you blew it!"


    "Did you hear that heinous bitch?! Those were stupid questions! She was stalling us! She was never going to help us if we didn''t insist on it!" Karna shouts back, getting up to Lydia''s face. He''d always hated the power difference revolving around age. "Those aren''t even questions the authorities ask during an emergency! They should''ve been assisting us right away instead of condescending us!"


    "Look where that went dumbass! Did we get the help we needed? Are the authorities coming? She ended the call because your bitch ass was stupid enough to provoke her and think we''re just trying to prank her! It''s not even possible to get outside help anymore!"


    "At least I did something in trying to help! Look who''s stopped crying just to get up and blame someone else trying to assist our group''s survival!"


    "Help?! Stop trying to act all high and noble, you arrogant fuck! At least hold some fucking accountability for being the reason authorities won''t help us anymore! We can''t even call from a different device because of the stupid location law! I swear, if Khari knew what you did, she''d fucking hate you for being the death of us," Lydia points and shoves him back.


    Karna grabs Lydia''s shirt and glares at her.


    "Say that one more fucking time."


    "You''d be the death of us and Khari. Imagine how she''d feel. You already fucked up and that''s why Elios is with her. If she knew what you did, Khari would hate your fucking guts." she scoffs, looking straight into his eyes without fear. Elios glares at Lydia from afar.


    "Bitch," he snarls under his breath.


    Before Lydia could continue provoking him, Karna punches Lydia in the face and throws her to the ground. Elios''s mouth tugs into a slight smirk. She coughs in pain and slowly sits up, an evil grin spreading on her face.


    "Ha! You''re fucking proving my point! With how violent and deranged you are, no wonder she rejected-"


    THWACK!


    Lydia gets punched again, much harder this time. She wheezes, the wind taken out of her with how heavy Karna was hitting. She smirks, knowing he was playing into the bait. As Karna starts walking closer to Lydia, Kenji puts himself between the two.


    "Enough. We aren''t being productive or gaining anything by fighting each other. Be rational and calm down," Kenji puts out his arms to keep them at a distance.


    "Blame Mr. Got-Rejected-and-Still-Salty-About-It. It''s not my fault he lunged at me first," Lydia stands up weakly, holding her chest in pain. Karna tries to push through Kenji''s body, but Rey interferes and shoves Karna to keep him away.


    "Listen to Kenji! Not a single word from either of you anymore! We should be trying to find useful solutions, not trying to murder each other!" Rey stands over Karna. Karna scowls, but complies and turns around. "I''m not saying you guys need to be buddy buddy. I''m telling you to have self-control now and once we''re out of this shit, then you can kill each other. And for future reference, maybe don''t take my shit and go crazy like that. Not like we can even do that now."


    Lydia rolls her eyes and leans on a wall, mumbling something to herself. Shinta glares at Lydia, which makes her flinch and look down. She takes out her pocket mirror again and quietly fixes up her face which now has a large purple bruise.


    "What are we supposed to do then? The authorities can''t help us and we can''t leave either," Rika speaks up, slowly walking to Lydia''s right side. "Our phones are useless now because of the new law. I can''t believe they made it apply to our families too."


    Rika glances over at Shinta, whose face darkens after her statement. She averts eye contact and stares at the floor.


    "We rest and calm down. No more talking now thanks to these two fucks. We collect our thoughts, then make a plan," Rey seats himself next to Kenji on the floor and leans on him. Lydia scoffs and mumbles, as if mocking Rey''s words. Karna and Lydia glare at each other for what feels like eternity.


    Two hours later, still quiet and tense. Kenji looks around and decides it was enough time to start a conversation.


    "After sitting around for a while, I certainly feel famished. Shouldn''t have skipped out on lunch," Kenji rubs his stomach.


    "Good thing I ate already," Rey pokes Kenji''s face and continues to lean on his shoulder. Kenji rolls his eyes and hides a small smile. Rey plays with Kenji''s long, brown hair out of boredom.


    "Well I''m sure at least one of us ought to bring something to the table. We brought food, right?" Rika stands up and looks at everyone. In response, everyone looks away to hide a guilty face. "No one? There''s seven of us! There has to be something!"


    "Oh, shut up already! You act like you brought a Thanksgiving feast and no one contributed when you didn''t bring anything either!" Lydia exclaims. She picks up her water bottle and takes a sip. "Luckily we all have water."


    "That won''t be enough," Shinta says. Everyone looks at him with a perplexed face.


    "Enough for what?" Karna asks.


    Shinta stands up and offers a solution, "I have a plan. With how limited we are on resources , we need to leave as soon as possible before the energy runs out. While we''re still able to, we leave now before we can no longer do so."


    "I suggest all of us eat at least something before trying something too risky," Rey turns down the idea. "Remember those zombie things?"


    "There''s nothing here at all. How are we going to get any food?" Rika asks with a hopeless expression. Shinta''s mouth curls to a wide grin and he points to a connecting door leading to another classroom.


    "There. That''s where we''ll get food."

 Chapter 4

    "Are you fucking crazy?! There could be more of those...things in there!" Lydia screams. "Did you see what those monsters can do?! We nearly died earlier!"


    "If you have a better idea to get food, I''m listening," Shinta leans on his desk with a smirk. Lydia lowers her hostility, keeping quiet. Elios shoots an icy glare at Shinta.


    "Shinta, you''re getting ahead of yourself. So what if there''s food there? We risk losing our numbers as a cost. That''s not worth it. If any one of us turns into those monsters out there, we''ll end up killing ourselves," Elios nitpicks the idea. "Lydia''s right. All of us struggled against only two. What if there''s more?"


    "We''ll lose numbers either way if we do nothing the whole time. It''s better if we at least try to survive rather than slowly rot away," Shinta refutes. "If you have a better idea, I''m listening. Tell me, what do you have in mind? Sit here until we all die? I''m giving us a chance to make it out of here, and what are you doing? Besides, who are you to speak to me like that?"


    "I''m telling you the pros and cons of your ''little plan.'' It''s ironic that you can''t take criticism very well. Your plan is extremely flawed, you and I know that well. And in this catastrophe, ranks no longer matters between us. Our survival is top priority."


    Shinta rolls his eyes and shrugs. He ignores Elios and continues talking.


    "We should be smart about how to approach the neighboring classroom. I only want a couple of people to go with me inside and leave some people to protect this place in case of an ambush. If we succeed, we''ll expand our territory." Shinta orders.


    "Look who''s decided to be an assertive leader. What happened before? You were so quiet before all those fucking monsters came in. You dismissed me before you even got actual proof. Now you''re trying to take advantage of everyone when we''re vulnerable?" Elios continues to be opposed to anything Shinta proposes. "You''re only killing us faster, you know. We have a better chance of rotting in here than fighting off those monsters again."


    "Guys, let''s try to come to a consensus, okay," Karna pushes the two away from each other to prevent a likely fight. "I do feel like we need to eat if we are planning to survive. Maybe we can give Shinta''s plan a chance."


    "Will you all just listen?! We''re ignoring the biggest danger here! We barely fended two of those creatures off at our peak, so how are going to be able to fight more?! We''re only becoming weaker as time goes on!" Elios yells in frustration. The power blacks out for just a second. As the lights flicker on again, everyone stays quiet, knowing deep down Elios was right. But Shinta''s strong manning would eventually overpower Elios''s facts. After all, Elios was nothing more than a lowly peasant in Shinta''s eyes. Not even Rika was that intolerable.


    Rey adds his opinion, "...Guys, how about we give Elios a chance? We may not interact with him much, but that doesn''t mean his ideas are automatically bad."


    Rika tries to involve herself in the conversation, "I agree. We should-"


    "All the more reason why we should listen to Shinta instead. We barely know the guy, how can we trust him? Let alone plans risking our lives?" Karna counters instantaneously. He doesn''t even look at Rika, only focusing on Rey. Rey glares at him but doesn''t say anything, always trying to avoid any sort of conflict or confrontation. Although hesitant, he steps back and backs off.


    "So he''s always going to be right just because you know him more?!" Elios''s face starts turning red from anger and he pinches his forehead in fury. "If we follow that logic, would you rather listen to him telling you to jump off a cliff just cause he''s your friend?! You all know what I''m saying isn''t wrong!"


    "Can this guy just fucking shut up?!" Karna''s eye twitches in annoyance, but he doesn''t say anything to express it.


    Silence erupts the room with tension thicker than the soundproof walls of the classroom. Shinta''s status that exuded nothing but perfection made it more difficult to deny him.


    "It looks like whatever I say won''t make a difference."


    Everyone avoids Elios''s piercing gaze, his anger burning in his eyes.


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    "I''m glad we can come to a consensus," Shinta poignantly ignoring Elios''s angered expression and proceeds on with the rest of the group. He still notices Elios clearly against this and rolls his eyes. "How about this? How about we all vote to make a decision so everyone plays a part in what we plan to do. All hands up in favor of going to the classroom next to us."


    Everyone but Rey and Elios awkwardly raises their hands, and Elios glares back in response. Shinta smiles in smug satisfaction despite not getting full votes. Kenji looks at Rey with confusion.


    "You little..." Elios grits his teeth. "You didn''t even refute my claim! Guys, you know I''m right! He''s endangering us all!"


    "Then I guess it''s settled," Shinta grips Elios''s shoulder tightly and continues to ignore him. "Shame. Would''ve loved to see what you could come up with."


    Elios swipes Shinta''s hand off, "Don''t pretend to be a genius."


    Shinta''s smile drops and he turns to the others.


    "I only want a few people to come with me, again, we need to defend this classroom too," Shinta looks at everyone. Rey raises his hand to volunteer.


    "I can come with-"


    "That''s quite alright. Besides, you''re injured and probably need rest the most. I was hoping some other company could join me.," Shinta glances at Rika. She flinches, barely saying anything to the group.


    "Why...me? I''m not fit for the job, Shinta. I''m not as athletic and courageous as you guys," Rika fiddles with her oversized sweater. Lydia scoffs at Rika''s timidness. Rika flinches at Lydia''s behavior.


    "I can''t believe she''s still treating me like this..." Rika thinks quietly, glancing at the problematic girl.


    "She''s right, Shinta. Rika is the last person to ask for a plan that has risks like this. We''re going in a fight and our lives are at risk. She''s not cut out for the job either," Lydia folds her arms and scoffs snarkily. She was only logical when it came to bullying the only one intimidated by her.


    Shinta sighs, "Well, see, here''s the thing. I just want to make sure all of us get a chance to contribute at least something to the team. If Rey and I were to get food yet some don''t contribute, how is it fair at all for them to eat? Would you want someone to have a share of your rewards when they do nothing but hide and cower in a corner while the rest actually do something? It sounds more like keeping dead weight for no reason."


    Lydia shrugs, "You have a point there."


    She contemptuously looks over at Rika quivering in fear.


    "Probably more useful dead than alive. Face it, Shinta. If you bring Rika with you, you''re dying with her."


    "If you''re so confident about that, how about you come with me as well?" Shinta gestures.


    "W-what? Me? Why me when you have the others?" Lydia points at herself in surprise.


    "Don''t make bold claims if you don''t have the guts to prove me wrong," Shinta smiles arrogantly.


    "Going off of what you said, I''m assuming you''d want to take different people so they have a chance to contribute. But wouldn''t that just have more risks for death if you don''t bring one of us?" Karna asks, skeptical.


    "Correct, and don''t worry. I''ll make sure we return safe and sound." Shinta gives a playful grin. All Elios could do was shut his mouth and turn away, knowing no one would be willing to listen to him anymore. The circumstances may have changed, but socially, everything remained the same.


    "And what if you''re not safe and sound...? Look, I know what you''re trying to get at, but it''s much safer to have us go instead," Karna sighs. "You have a flaw in that plan, dude. You''re taking the most incompetent people in our group, so how is everyone going to be safe if you''re not planning to take one of us? I''d rather not have you guys die yet."


    "I don''t want to take you guys because you all need some rest. Our two strongest fighters bravely took down the two zombies on their own. If even Rey sustained injuries, I''m sure you did as well. Besides, when have I ever failed to keep my word?" Shinta waves off the clear concern. Karna stays quiet, deciding to trust him. "We''re going to have weapons to defend ourselves as well. If anything happens, I''ll take charge."


    Shinta grabs multiple pencil cases and takes out two large and colorful scissors to give to Lydia and Rika. He picks out a black pair of scissors for himself and puts the pencil case away. Lydia turns and scowls at Rika.


    "Just stay out of my way and we''ll be done with it. Okay?" Lydia glares at the cowering girl. She musters up courage and glares back, holding back her tears.


    "Stop treating me like your servant. Especially in this situation, I deserve to be treated more like an equal," Rika suddenly marks her boundaries with a more confident voice after years of timidness. Everyone''s face morphs into shock and glances at Lydia in silence. Utterly humiliated by a measly peasant.


    Lydia''s face twists to fury, the veins on her face becoming more visible, "You little, pathetic, low-"


    Before she can do anything, Shinta grabs both of their shoulders with an unsettling grin and steps in.


    "We should focus on our main priorities. The longer we wait, the more time we waste. Besides, it''s a bit childish to bring up ranks now, isn''t it? Our lives are on the line here," he states with a condescending tone. Knowing what Shinta means, they both keep their mouths shut and listen.


    "Get ready to shut the door once we''re in," Shinta waves his hand to the rest of the group.


    "Shut the door? For what?" Elios asks, irritated with the complete separation.


    "If we all go down, which is unlikely, they can''t get to you."


    Elios almost speaks up again, but decides it isn''t worth it to spark more conflict and make him more antagonistic than he already is. He reluctantly complies and turns around.


    "Alright, let''s go," Shinta grips the doorknob tightly.

 Chapter 5

    Just as the three are about to enter, Karna grabs Shinta''s forearm.


    "Promise me you won''t die," he states worriedly. Shinta was his closest friend after all.


    Shinta grins arrogantly, "I don''t need to promise you anything to guarantee that. Just trust me."


    Karna lets go hesitantly, looking at him with concern. He watches as Shinta opens the door and the trio enter into the unknown.


    SLAM!


    Lydia slams the door shut behind them and they all turn, ready to fight. Nothing. There was nothing but an empty classroom and backpacks as the only remains of the infected students outside.


    "What...it''s empty?" Lydia lowers her scissors and looks around.


    "Looks like luck is in our favor then. No need to fight," Shinta walks around the nearly identical classroom, the only difference was its unusual cleanliness. "How odd...I never considered the fact there''d be nothing in here. That''s not important right now. We should try to look for anything useful to us and bring it back to the others."


    Shinta sighs, looking almost disappointed at the sight, but wipes the expression off his face before the other two notice.


    "Well, at least, we don''t have the risk of casualties," Lydia whips her head to Rika. Containing herself, she maintains calm composure instead of lashing out. "Rika, go look around the teacher''s desk and board."


    Rika just stands defiantly, refusing to move. Angered by her sudden willpower to fight back, Lydia strikes her with the back of her hand with contempt. Rika falls to the floor and looks up at Lydia with shock and fear.


    "Don''t make me repeat myself! I said go look over the teacher''s desk and board!" Lydia barks commandingly and raises her hand to strike once more. Rika hurriedly gets up and complies quickly, looking over the desk. She lowers her hand and starts rummaging through shelves on the opposite end of the room.


    Shinta looks at Rika''s hands trembling in fear and anger looking through all the items available and smiles. Rika clenches her fist as she shakily picks up a binder from the desk.


    "Even in a crisis like this...I''m still treated the same. I''m still treated like I have no worth or value to bring. I''m just a useless servant in her eyes..." Rika glares at Lydia with her back turned. Her expression darkens as an intrusive thought comes to mind. "Right now...she''s so vulnerable. If I just make it quick...I won''t have to endure the pain anymore, right?"


    She subconsciously picks up the scissors and tightens her grip, the very idea compels her to follow through. Her mind snaps back to reality and Rika drops the scissors, trembling at the thought of doing such a thing.


    "You were thinking about killing her, weren''t you?" Shinta whispers in Rika''s ear, suddenly appearing behind her. Rika falls back, startled. Shinta''s figure looms over her and he smiles at the opportunity.


    "I know, it must be difficult to endure that pain, Rika," he states, words laced with honey. "You deserve your worth. You deserve respect. You deserve the right to get revenge and kill her."


    She shudders at the idea of actually killing another person, let alone at the thought of doing that to Lydia.


    "No...I couldn''t possibly..." she quivers at the thought.


    "Rika, you need to consider this. We''re in an apocalypse and everyone''s most likely dead. You''re not going to be reprimanded for killing someone. It''d only be considered self-defense in this case. This is your only chance to do this. To avenge your pride and dignity."


    He whispers in a hushed tone, "I would kill her if I was in your situation."


    "How could you think I''d do such things to another human being? And for something like this? It''s so...morally wrong..." Rika avoids eye contact, the very idea challenging her morals and core character.


    "Tell me, then. Did she ever use her morals to consider you as a human being? An equal?"


    "Well...I-I don''t-"


    Shinta grins, "That''s your answer then. If she treated you like shit for so many years without any regard for you, why is it so ''morally wrong'' for you to do the same? You''re just getting your own justice," with a snake-like hiss at the end.


    "But still...I am the one to carry that burden if I follow through. What will the rest of the group think of me?" Rika still contemplates her decision, trying not to act too hastily. "I''ll become just like her then."


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    "This is different. You have a justifiable reason. And if you''re worried about what the group will think, I''ll cover for you. Because I''m willing to treat you with full respect," Shinta lifts his palm over the right side of his chest. "I promise. You can trust me."


    Looking at the reassuring expression on his face, Rika finds herself between a rock and a hard place. Despite that, the intrusive thoughts only grew louder and louder in her mind.


    "I don''t know...if I can trust you," Rika states blatantly. "This is basically our first time speaking to one another. We never interacted much in the past few years."


    "At least I know how to treat you with respect unlike Lydia. And unlike your parents," Rika''s eyes flash at the mention of her parents. "I overheard from Lydia. The reason you''re even associating with her is to repay the debt your parents put you through by gambling their money away and getting Lydia into a nasty scandal. Otherwise, you''d be free to do as you wish. You''re enduring this abuse for them."


    "So what? Who cares about them anyways?" Rika sits up and Shinta moves back, smiling from striking a nerve. She looks away with a bitter expression. "Why does that matter now?"


    "Because I want to show you that I can be better than that. You have a kind heart that was never repaid for and I would want to be the first person to do that. Regardless of whether it is the first time meeting or not, I respect you. That''s why I never wanted to associate much with Lydia anyways," Shinta gives Rika a comforting grin. She just gives him a blank stare in return.


    "If you''re speaking of kindness, why are you encouraging this kind of deed then?" Rika looks at him with suspicion, her walls still up, but starting to crumble.


    "Because sometimes you can''t be kind all the time. Sometimes people don''t care no matter how kind you may be. Lydia? She never cared," Shinta shakes his head in disapproval after glancing at Lydia. "You deserve to do this, for everything she''s done to make you miserable. This is the only chance you''ll ever get."


    A few seconds of silence passes before Rika turns back with a hesitant expression. Her eyes were anxious in contrast to Shinta''s eerie calmness.


    "...Will you promise you''ll look out for me? And that the group won''t hate me for this?" Rika asks, her moral conscience being clouded the more Shinta sings a reassuring tone.


    "Yes. I promise," Shinta smiles.


    Rika sighs and pushes her long, straight hair back before making a major decision.


    "Fine. I''ll do it," Rika exhales almost in a defeated manner, but she knew there was no going back after choosing violence as the best option. Shinta smiles and gestures to Rika to keep low so Lydia couldn''t see them hiding behind the desk. He grabs the scissors and places them in Rika''s hand.


    "She''s not looking at the moment. I suggest you make it quick. I''ll cover for you," Shinta looks at her with determination. Rika nods and clenches the handle of the scissors.


    "This...this is meant for my justice. Lydia deserves retribution for her actions. I''m not in the wrong, she is. This is what she deserves," Almost trying to reassure herself, Rika stands up and glances at Lydia, back turned. Lydia hums as she rummages through anything she can find in a closet. Rika approaches quietly, slightly trembling.


    Standing behind Lydia, Rika hesitates, but lets her desire overcome her morals, character, and everything she believed in. She raises the scissors slowly, prepared to make the killing blow. Lydia notices the faint silhouette of Rika behind her. Annoyed and confused, Lydia turns around, ready to order Rika around again.


    "Rika, what are you-"


    The gleam of the scissors shone in Lydia''s eyes before she quickly raises her arm to guard herself from being stabbed at the throat. Her arms take the brunt of the hit and Lydia yells in pain. She tries to pull her arm back, but Rika slashes a long slit across Lydia''s forearm, making her scream louder in agony as the blade slices through her skin. Blood drips from the scissors, the skin on Lydia''s arm completely tattered and torn up with blood and flesh. Shocked by Lydia''s cat-like reflexes, Rika pulls back her arm before planning to stab again.


    STAB!


    Before Rika could even move, a knife plunges in the back of her neck, instantly paralyzing her. She drops her scissors and tries to grasp her neck.


    "S-shin-"


    STAB!


    Shinta stabs her again in the back before she could utter anything, though the gargling of blood in her voice made it impossible to decipher her words anyways. He stands over the corpse with a calm and cold expression on his face, holding scissors covered in Rika''s blood. Lydia falls to the ground in horror with Rika''s dead body in front of her.


    "Lydia! Are you okay?" Shinta turns his full attention to Lydia to try and comfort her. She shudders in shock, with little to no response from her. Shinta looks at the long slash over her forearm and takes off his jacket.


    "Goodness. I never knew Rika would do such a thing." he wraps the jacket carefully over her arm. "I guess that''s what happens in a moment of desperation. At least she won''t be a threat anymore."


    He tightens the jacket and Lydia flinches in pain. Tears started to well up from her eyes as the adrenaline rush wore off and her arm started to sting. She grasps it, now starting to realize the gravity of the situation.


    "Why...why did you k-kill her?" Lydia utters out, feeling nauseous looking at Rika''s soulless eyes and blank expression in shock.


    "Obviously, she tried to kill you. Shouldn''t you be happy I protected you?" Shinta feigns innocence with a somewhat friendly grin.


    "B-but you killed her...!"


    Shinta grips Lydia''s arm and he stares at her, immediately dropping his smile. She winces again in pain.


    "Lydia. I saved you. Had I not been there, Rika would''ve killed you right on the spot. You shouldn''t let your emotions overcome your morals, her death is justifiable. You should be more grateful."


    "Why should I?! You...you could''ve stopped her or did something else! You killed her, Shinta! You killed Rika!"


    Shinta sighs and shakes his head.


    "I thought I''d get at least some sort of gratitude for saving you. But Rika was right. You really are an ungrateful bitch."


    "Excuse me?! What-"


    Shinta shoves his scissors in Lydia''s hands before she could finish speaking.


    "Hold this for me, would you?" he says in an irritated tone. Lydia looks confused why she''s holding the scissors, still sitting down next to the corpse, shell shocked. With that moment of confusion, Shinta suddenly sprints to the connecting door, twisting into a face full of panic to the others.


    "What the fuck?! Is everything alright, Shinta?!" Karna leaps off a desk he was sitting on and runs to Shinta.


    "No, it''s not!" Shinta almost reveals a small smile. "Lydia...Lydia killed Rika!"

 Chapter 6

    Everyone freezes at Shinta''s statement, including Lydia.


    "W-what?!" Karna exclaims in shock and incredulity.


    "It sounds insane, I know..." Shinta steps aside for them to go into the classroom. "I''m being serious, Rika is dead! I saw it with my own two eyes!"


    Everyone rushes to see Rika''s still corpse and her blood pooling next to Lydia''s quivering state, unable to process Shinta''s accusations.


    "This...!" Kenji''s face scrunches up, not wanting to believe the gory sight. Everyone''s face morphs into disgust, in utter shock at the horrific image before them. It was an outcome no one expected to happen. Everyone shuffles back to the other side of the room, away from Rika''s corpse. No one could bear the sight of someone they knew so brutally murdered.


    "Lydia...killed...Rika?" Rey asks in disbelief. He glances at Lydia, whose face was still frozen in terror. Her clothes were covered in blood and her hair was now more disheveled than ever before.


    "I know it may be difficult to believe, but I witnessed it all," Shinta explains. "We were collecting supplies, Lydia and Rika were together when I was at the far end of the classroom at the teacher''s desk. I didn''t think anything of it, but I heard an awful sound followed by screaming. By the time I rushed over, she was dead."


    "Lydia...how could you even think of doing this...? As much as you hated her..." Karna turns to Lydia with a face of disgust, immediately believing Shinta. "There''s no way he could kill anyone."


    Lydia stands up abruptly, vexed from the immediate accusation.


    "It wasn''t me, guys! I didn''t kill Rika!" she points a finger to Shinta. "He did! He forced me to go along with him or else he''d kill me! How can someone like me kill her?! Me?! Of all people?!"


    "The evidence here is against you, Lydia. You can''t blame me because you got caught," Shinta sighs in disbelief. She glares at him, knowing he was ridiculing her. "I can tell you never meant to kill her. Your form of ''discipline'' so she''d stay in line is what resulted in this unfortunate accident. And now you''re panicking shamelessly to get out of this situation."


    Her face almost turns purple from the humiliation, veins starting to pop out from her neck.


    "I didn''t! Listen to me! Rika attacked me for some reason and then you killed her as a way to ''save'' me! You only killed her to put it on me!" Lydia screeches. "You must''ve done something to cause this! How could I even think of killing her?! Guys, you have to believe me!"


    Karna and Kenji just stare at her with clear disgust. Although Rey was also staring at Lydia, it was not with disgust, but confusion. Elios glances at Shinta and raises his suspicions.


    "As far as I can assume, this death was no accident," Elios points out. "Something happened in there that you''re not telling us about. This was an intentional murder, a death by deceit. Why would Lydia commit such a treasonous act just to discipline someone? For what reason? Getting rid of the only servant she has when she hates doing any type of work so much more? Your little story isn''t adding up."


    Elios glares at Shinta, and he glares back. Although Elios was involving himself into the conflict, he still stood at a distance in comparison to the rest of the group. The questions start to infiltrate everyone''s minds.


    "Elios is right! Besides, look at this!" Lydia reveals her injured arm with a large slash by taking off the jacket. Blood sticks onto the jacket as it peels off her skin, making her flinch in pain. "I don''t even have the guts to kill someone! Even if I do, with my arm fucked up, how am I supposed to even do anything?!"


    Murmurs arise, now starting to question Shinta, as Lydia''s story seemed way more believable now. The tides were turning, shifting in Lydia''s favor.


    "If you didn''t kill Rika, then..." Rey glances at Shinta, who was a bit too unfazed at the situation. He sighs in disappointment, his face too unreadable to decipher what he was thinking.


    "I have no association with Rika. I have no opinion nor have I ever really interacted with her. Why would I want her to be dead when I barely knew her? On the other hand, we have someone who''s had a history with Rika. Someone who she hates so much, she''d rather cut an arm off than even see her as an equal. It''s safe to say that both of them were in a struggle before Rika died, Lydia got slashed in the arm, but she still fatally struck her in the end," Shinta defends himself calmly. "Besides, it''s not like her fingers were chopped off. She still could''ve stabbed Rika."


    "He''s got a good point there. However, he''s acting too calm for someone who just died," Elios ponders to himself. "Way too calm. Shinta has to be the killer."


    "I''d like to point something out," Rey joins in and breaks Elios''s train of thought. Everyone looks at him with anticipation. "As long as I''ve known Lydia, she''s a terrible liar. She can''t make up an elaborate story like that within the minutes we''ve been talking. We would know right away if she''s the killer. On the other hand, Shinta seems way too calm and precise with his words. All of us know the least about him, anyways. And despite not having history with Rika, he might have more guts to kill her."


    Rey knew Lydia the best besides Khari, and given his reputation in the group, he was the best person to bring up this point.


    "I''d like to add on to that. Wouldn''t it be easier to kill someone you know nothing of than someone you know? Lydia doesn''t even hate Rika enough to kill her. Otherwise, she''d be dead already. Meanwhile Shinta would feel little to no guilt because he has no association with her," Elios states. "Besides, judging from what we saw on our first encounter with zombies, this isn''t too far off for something you would do."


    "You speak of me as if I''m some murderous monster. Are you seriously making assumptions about my character?" Shinta responds, displaying clear frustration. "When we encountered the zombies, I was only trying to help us. Is it wrong of me to try and defend my friends? I threw myself into danger and risked my life to drive those zombies off. Now you''re saying I''m some murderer for doing that? For being the first to take initiative and try to survive?"


    Kenji steps in, "Calm down, Shinta, that''s not what he means. We just-"


    "How can I ''calm down'' when accusations are being thrown in my face saying that I''m the killer? You expect me to confess to something I didn''t do?" he raises his voice.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    Everyone stays quiet knowing deep down that he made a good point and that these were only just accusations. Yet there wasn''t much for him to defend himself. Elios speaks up from a distance.


    "The whole point of this is to figure out the murderer! There''s a killer amongst us and we have to-"


    "Have to what? Kill me? Make me suffer the same fate? Wouldn''t you be the same as the killer by then?" Shinta almost loses it. "Is it so wrong for me to be upset that my very friends are accusing me of something I didn''t do?! Am I supposed to play into this emotionless monster to confirm I''m the murderer?! Is that it?!"


    "No, that''s not-"


    "Forget it. I refuse to cooperate any further with how shamelessly fake you all are acting," Shinta scorns indignantly and leaves the classroom. He slams the door behind him angrily, creating a deafening silence to the group left behind.


    "Wait! Shinta-"


    Kenji rushes to the other classroom to catch up with Shinta. He was the second closest friend to him, given how much he admired Shinta''s charisma and unwavering confidence.


    "Listen, we know you''re upset right now! But we''re just-"


    "Why, you wanna be a fucking detective now? Stop acting like a goody-goody bitch, so drop it. Its fucking annoying, dumbass." Shinta shoves Kenji away and walks off. Kenji just stands there, feeling hurt. Rey tries to comfort Kenji amidst the whole situation.


    "I should stay out of this," Rey thinks to himself, staying close to Kenji''s side.


    "...Is this why you never really liked him?" Kenji stares blankly at Shinta, whose back was turned. Rey looks up and nods silently. "...Right. Sorry...for never listening to what you had to say about him."


    "It''s okay, Kenji. That should be the least of your worries right now."


    The rest of the group catches up, but Lydia runs up to Shinta first and yanks him by his shirt. Rey stretches his arm to stop her, but pulls back at the last second with hesitation. He''d only add fuel to the fire.


    "Oh, so now you don''t want to resolve the situation when you''ve been caught?! Admit it, you killed Rika!" Lydia yells at Shinta, getting up in his face. "That''s why you''re running away! You don''t want to face the consequences of your actions!"


    Shinta swipes away Lydia''s hand, his patience now running dry.


    "Making more assumptions about me, huh? You always think about a way to villainize me, no matter the situation! Why would I admit something I didn''t do? Have you ever even considered other reasons why I do the things I do other than being a bad person? I am the reason we got the zombies out of the room! I am the reason we''re alive! I came up with the idea to try and get food for our survival! You''ve overlooked the things I''ve done to be beneficial to our group, and the one time you get caught, you pin it on me!" Shinta yells. He turns to the rest of the group. "And you guys believed her blindly! You probably never even took into consideration what I did to save us!"


    A loud silence erupts the room, everyone''s face morphing to surprise and shock. Shinta''s outburst was the most emotion he''s ever shown in their years of friendship. No one even dared to respond. Any remembrance of social status was draining away the longer time passed, giving everyone free will to say or express their true intentions.


    "I see how it is," Shinta snarls, infuriated. "Is this really the gratitude I get for trying to be helpful? For trying to save our asses when the rest of you were just planning to sit here and rot? For trying my best to keep us all together? Is this it?! Tell me! Say it to my face!"


    Elios calmly walks up to Shinta, "Are you expecting pity for what you did? So what if you actually didn''t kill Rika? Your very plan led her to her demise. You played a part in her death regardless if you did it or not. If you really aren''t guilty, then why are you trying to win us over with a sob story rather than facts? You''re getting sloppy, Shinta."


    "Obviously you''re hiding the biggest fact! Maybe admit you''re the killer because everyone now thinks the same too!" Lydia instigates even further. "You''re not innocent, so just give up already!"


    "So now what? You plan on getting rid of the only person willing to take the lead for our survival? Is this seriously the thanks I get for what I''ve done? Don''t try to become a hero after antagonizing me so much. Is it so wrong to want my friends to acknowledge what I''ve done to help them?"


    "The only thing we can acknowledge is you being the killer. It''s not like the rest of us aren''t capable of taking charge. We just need to get rid of the biggest liability here," Elios states, choosing the most offensive words for Shinta. The more aggressive he was, the more disapproval started to show on the rest of the group''s faces. Before they could continue the dispute, Karna steps in between the three.


    "I think we may need some time to process this and cool off. By the rate we''re going, you''re going to end up killing each other," Karna scratches his head in annoyance, trying to calm the brewing storm. "It''s already starting to become dark and we''re wasting more energy by-"


    "We wouldn''t be wasting more energy if we got rid of Shinta!" Lydia probes at Karna in anger. "And who cares if it''s becoming dark or not?! Just get rid of him and be done with it!"


    "Stop it! Karna is right, we''re wasting our energy! This is important, but it''s going to keep us all night if we keep arguing! Do we really want to scream at each other forever?!" Rey decides to step in and back up Karna. "I say we stop here for the night and rest to-"


    "The murderer is right there! We''re so close to getting this fucking bitch ass out, and you want me to REST?!" Lydia''s face turns bright red, almost about to burst a blood vessel. "Are you CRAZY?! The longer he lives, the faster we die! Stop bitching about resting and just get rid of him already!"


    "Lydia, you need rest too. You''re clearly-"


    "No! We get rid of him now! Listen to me guys!" Lydia''s desperate body language insinuated she was most likely telling the truth. "Fucking hell, god dammit! Use your ears and listen to me! He''s right fucking there! We''ve made our points and you know we''re right! He''ll fucking kill us all if we don''t do anything!"


    "...I''m sorry Lydia...but still. Shinta...no, even any of us killing someone seems so outlandish. I can''t choose right now between my friends. I''m becoming increasingly tired from all your arguing, and it''s better if we just cooled off first so we can talk more rationally later," Kenji also steps in to agree with Karna and Rey. If there''s anyone the whole group would be willing to listen to, it was Kenji. Shinta''s face relaxes, gathering all composure he could muster.


    "Fine. I am quite tired after the events of today. If it can ease tensions, me and Lydia can sleep together so there''s no risk of another ''casualty''," Shinta sighs, being surprisingly compliant. Everyone makes a repulsive face at the suggestion. He palms his forehead. "I mean we sleep in the same classroom together. We''re not fucking."


    Everyone''s face now changes to relief, but of course, Lydia had something to say about it.


    "Fuck no! I''m not sleeping with a murderer! He''s gonna kill me overnight!" Lydia shrieks in fear and disagreement.


    "Lydia, killing you automatically paints me a target when everyone knows that I''m the only other person alive in that room," Shinta rolls his eyes. "Use common sense, stupid."


    She glares at Shinta, then looks at the rest of the group. No one spoke up, not even Elios anymore. They were starting to distance themselves from her like how Elios was isolated now.


    "I am not sleeping anywhere near that asshole," Lydia firmly makes her point. "Why are all of you always siding with him like some fucking minions?! Now I know how Elios feels with how irresistibly annoying you all are!"


    "Listen to us, Lydia! You both have the plausibility of being the killer, the rest of us cannot trust either of you as of now to be with us! We''re all at risk of death knowing there''s a killer amongst the two of you! Shinta can''t kill you because it makes him an obvious target if we find you dead tomorrow," Rey tries to reason with her. "Just one night. Please."


    "Lydia, Shinta''s got a point. If he did kill-" but Karna gets cut off.


    "Ugh, fuck!" she grips on her tangled hair in anger and punches a desk. "I swear if I''m dead by tomorrow, this is all your fault!"


    Lydia walks into the connecting classroom in anger and slams the door, almost breaking the hinges with how violently it was slammed. Shinta looks out the window and his eyes light up.


    "Well at least she''s in there now," Karna rubs his ear in pain. "Bratty ass. Anyways, if we''re sleeping tonight, what are we doing tomorrow?"


    "Tomorrow, we will solve this nasty situation. As of now, arguing all night will make us more exhausted than anything," Kenji sighs. "We need rest or we''ll wear ourselves out."


    Everyone awkwardly shuffles to ''bed'' in the cold classroom. Shinta enters the connecting classroom without reluctance and closes the door behind him.

 Chapter 7

    Six hours later, Elios looks around and makes sure everyone is asleep. He carefully gets up and tries not to make any noise that would wake anyone up. Slowly creeping to the connecting door, he passes by Rey and Kenji quietly cuddling.


    CREEAAAK!


    The door makes a slow creaking noise as it opens and he curses under his breath. Rey''s eyes open slightly before he shifts into a more comfortable position and quickly falls back asleep again. Elios sighs in relief, turning his attention, he spots Shinta and Lydia on opposite sides of the room, sleeping peacefully. He closes the door and hides under the desks to stay out of sight. Elios then starts crawling to Rika''s corpse and scans for clues that may help them figure out the culprit. As soon as he approaches closer, a strong, pungent fragrance emits around Rika''s vicinity. Elios looks up and glares at Lydia. He tries his best to ignore the stench and turns his attention back to Rika.


    "What we have isn''t enough to deem Shinta as the killer. There must be something around here, something!" Elios looks frantically. He notices a black, bloody pair of scissors on the ground next to Rika.


    "This is...Shinta''s scissors? It''s laying right next to-" Elios connects the dots. "I was right! Shinta did kill Rika after all! This is solid evidence!"


    He grins victoriously, snatching the scissors to bring the evidence back to the other classroom. Just as he stands up, a shadow looms over Elios. He turns around to see Shinta holding a pair of scissors above him.


    SLASH!


    A slash to the throat, and Elios slumps over, creating a loud thud. Blood splatters on Shinta and he smiles ear to ear at Elios''s shocked face lying motionlessly next to Rika. He takes off the spare jacket that shielded him from Elios''s blood and shoves it into one of the many backpacks in the classroom.


    "Should''ve stayed out of it," He whispers with a hint of glee. "You took the bait. I thought you were smarter than that, Elios."


    Being the light sleeper she is, Lydia starts to wake up, her eyes blinking to see what was going on with all the noise Shinta was making. It takes a second to process before it hits her like a truck. Shinta killed Elios.


    Trying to get up to run to the other classroom, Shinta leaps over desks and sprints to the farthest corner where Lydia was sleeping. He yanks her injured arm and keeps her still, gripping her tightly. Her wound throbs and she recoils in pain, her face twisting.


    "No. You''ve ruined everything for me already, and I will not allow you to make it worse," Shinta puts the scissors to her throat. The sharp end pokes her throat and Lydia''s eyes turn as big as saucers. Tears pool around Lydia''s eyes in fear, unknowing of what to do, knowing that she could die right then and there. A smile appears on Shinta''s face. He removes the scissors from her neck.


    "I have a better idea than to kill you. But first, I need your full compliance, got it?" Shinta asks. Without much of a choice, Lydia nods frantically out of fear. "Good. Don''t make a single noise or I''ll kill you right here, right now."


    With no hesitation, he yanks her hair by force and starts dragging her across the room. Jolting in pain, Lydia forces herself to cover her mouth instead of fighting back to muffle screams of agony. He drags her to Elios''s body and forces her to face his corpse. She shuts her eyes, her face morphing to fear and disgust. Despite that, Shinta grabs the back of her neck and forces her to look at the bloody body.


    The pool of blood starts spreading and touches Lydia''s knees, the uncomfortably cold feeling making her shiver. Her disheveled hair touches the blood with how close her face was, half of it being dipped into the crimson liquid. Elios''s slashed throat was enough to make her feel lightheaded, but Lydia could not afford passing out at this moment.


    "If you utter any more words with your loud-mouthing ass, that will be you." Shinta threatens. She nods as fast as she could to make her stop looking at Elios and Shinta drops her. "Ugly, wretched bitch."


    She falls back and gasps in fear, trying to catch her breath and panicking. Her vision gets blurry and a flood of thoughts enter her mind. Being overwhelmed with fear, she dry heaves next to the corpse and quivers in terror.


    "I''m gonna die. He''s gonna kill me. No no, only if I tell them. But he could still kill me at any time! No, no, no! I don''t want to die! I don''t, I don''t! I want to live!" She panics in her head while Shinta pays no mind to it and glances at the window. She curls up, horrified, and shrinks into the thoughts flooding in her mind. "What is he thinking? What''s going to happen to me?! What do I do?! What can I do?!"


    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    Meanwhile, Shinta smiles calmly, having already formed a well-thought-out plan and goes back to Lydia. The smile scares her to death and she tries to scurry away, but he yanks her by the hair again.


    "I need you to do a favor for me," Shinta''s mouth contorts to a wide, disturbing slit. Lydia gulps in fear. All she could do was helplessly look up at her potential killer, submission being her only option if she wanted to live. "You loved acting right?"


    5 Hours Later


    Kenji is the first to wake up, as sunlight starts spilling in from the windows and covers the room with light. He yawns and looks over, the corners of his mouth forming a faint smile towards Rey, who was laying on his shoulder. Trying to be careful, he slowly tries to inch him off, but to no avail, Rey still wakes up. His eyes flutter open, Kenji being the first person he sees, making him grin back softly. He presses a soft kiss on Kenji''s cheek.


    "What''s going on...?" Rey asks, rubbing his eyes. He sits up and yawns loudly.


    "Sorry, I was trying to move you off because I woke up first. Do you still need sleep?" Kenji asks.


    "Forget it. Already awake anyways," Rey stands up and stretches. He looks over to his left and flinches. Shinta and Lydia were already in the same room with them. Shinta was on his desk laying back while Lydia leans against the wall, fiddling with her fingers.


    She grabs her comb next to her and instinctively looks to her right, only to find no one there. Her hands tremble as she quietly combs her tangled and knotted hair, now matted with dried blood, knowing it was useless trying to straighten it out. Despite how messed up her hair was, the blood wasn''t exactly visible due to the thickness of her hair. Her appearance may have looked noticeably worse, but it was expected given how long they''ve been stuck in the classroom.


    "I...should have listened to her when I had the chance," Lydia spaces out, a certain woman with short hair coming into mind. "I should''ve taken her advice. I should''ve just taken her advice."


    Rey glances over at the odd pair.


    "I''ve been thinking about it for a while now, but..." Rey thinks to himself squinting at Shinta. "He''s definitely doing something suspicious. He''s never acted out like this to us before. Nor does he ever try to win us over with emotional manipulation. Something''s definitely wrong."


    "Finally woke up, I see," Shinta looks at them and gives them an odd, lopsided smile. Kenji does a quick scan of the room, Karna is still deep asleep. Elios was absent in the group, however.


    "Where''s Elios?" Kenji asks. "And what are you two doing here?"


    "We came here pretty early and took a nap in here. Couldn''t sleep in the other room with Rika''s corpse. Way too uncomfortable. Isn''t that right, Lydia?" Shinta leans over and smiles at her in an oh-so-casually manner. Lydia only nods slowly without saying a word. "As for Elios, we don''t know. Maybe he''s in the other classroom?"


    Rey''s left eye twitches in suspicion.


    "Wouldn''t you know?" he asks with distrust.


    "Did you not hear what I just said? We slept in here and Elios was still present. Both of us woke up earlier than you guys and Elios was missing."


    "Why didn''t you look for him, then?" Rey keeps his guard up.


    "...Wanted to wait for you guys. Not that big of a deal. Just go check," Shinta responds nonchalantly after a quick pause. Kenji notices and stares at him with suspicion.


    "I can go check," Kenji stands up and walks to the door. Rey also stands up, but doesn''t follow along like usual, continuously glancing over at Shinta with wariness.


    Kenji opens the door and freezes in shock. It was Elios''s dead corpse and one zombie lurking around the room. Shinta stands in front of the connecting door to block it and conceals an evil smile.


    The zombie lunges for Kenji and he deflects by shoving them away. He grabs a chair and tries to fend it off. He runs to the opposite end of the classroom and throws the chair at it. It does nothing to block the zombie, only making it more wrathful and relentless with its attacks. Kenji pushes a desk to stall the zombie and looks at Shinta for help, but he just watches the hopeless fight with amusement. Panicking, he notices another one enter the classroom and realizes the door to outside was wide open. Kenji screams and gets another chair to defend himself.


    "Stay back!" he screams.


    "The fuck is going on?!" Rey yells, snapping out of his immersion. He tries to get a closer look, but Shinta''s whole body was wedged between the door. He enthusiastically watches the desperate struggle. Knowing Kenji was in trouble with the screaming in the background, Rey tries to get Shinta to budge. Karna flinches and sits up, rubbing his eyes and trying to figure out what''s going on.


    "Shinta, move!" Rey tries to push and nudge, but it wasn''t doing anything. With frustration, he shouts, "I said move!"


    Rey grabs Shinta''s shirt and throws him to the ground, sprinting into the next classroom to help Kenji. He grabs a chair and throws it at one of the zombies, temporarily knocking them down. Rey pins it down with a desk and tries to help Kenji fend off the other zombie. He violently swings his chair at the first zombie, only to break a window and cut himself with more glass. His bandages tear and he winces in pain.


    The zombie lunges at Kenji and he holds it up, trying not to fall. He grabs the zombie''s neck and pins him down to stop him from attacking.


    "How do we get them out?!" Kenji screams. Rey waves to Kenji and grabs the zombie, then launches it out of the broken window, ignoring the pain from bruises on his body. Rey gasps for air and smiles in victory. The satisfaction is short-lived when Kenji remembers the second one is still in the classroom. He turns around to find it lunging behind Rey.


    CHOMP!

 Chapter 8

    Kenji pushes Rey out of the way and takes the bite with his hand. He screams out of agony, bones cracking; the sound of flesh being ripped apart. Rey''s triumphant face quickly disappears, now mortified. He shoves the zombie to the ground, forcing it away from Kenji. However, the zombie''s teeth clamp down and Kenji pulls back his hand, a quarter of his palm ripping apart to get himself free. Rey smashes the zombie''s face before dragging it outside and slamming the door shut. Kenji kneels down, his hand shaking, and the bite exposing flesh that stung in the cool air.


    "Kenji!" Rey shouts, sprinting so he could tend to his lover. "You''re bitten! No, no, no! What the hell do we do?! You can''t...you can''t be bit! What are we going to do now?!"


    "...I don''t think there''s anything we can do," Kenji looks up at Rey''s face, starting to tear up. Rey gently touches the infected hand, starting to swell from how torn up it was. Kenji winces in pain. "This is bad...I think I might have to-"


    He snaps back to reality, finally noticing his significant other shedding tears like a waterfall.


    "I''m sorry...I''m so sorry Kenji..." Rey cries. Kenji''s eyes soften in pity.


    "Don''t be. This was never your fault." He reassures serenely.


    Kenji stands up and reluctantly pulls his hand away, approaching the door leading to the hall, filled with zombies. Rey stumbles and follows quickly, grabbing Kenji''s uninjured hand.


    "Let me go with you, please," Rey looks at Kenji with a fearful, yet determined face. Shocked, Kenji turns around.


    "What...? No, no, you can''t. I''m not letting you go out there, especially when I''m about to turn like those monsters too," Kenji places his hand on Rey''s cheek. "Just...just live for me, okay?"


    Kenji tries to pull back, but Rey grips his hand tighter. No one in the group came close to his monstrous strength.


    "A life without you is no life at all! Please, I don''t want to keep going if it means that I have to let you go!" Rey wails even louder. Kenji just watches remorsefully and lets out a sigh. He leans in and presses his lips against Rey''s, muffling the loud sobs into quiet sniffling.


    "I love you. And I''m sorry," Kenji''s vision starts to turn red and so do his eyes. With Rey caught off guard, he hastily leaves, eventually succumbing to the inevitable fate of a zombie as well.


    Unable to hold it in, Rey falls to his knees and bawls, crying uncontrollably. The twin forces of despair and agony hit him all at once, knowing that''d be the last interaction he would ever have with his lover. He lets all his tears, all his screams, all his emotions out in the decrepit, empty classroom. Kenji was gone. And nothing can bring him back.


    Trying to sort out his thoughts flooded with emotions, it dawns on him on who started this. Shinta stares at the forever unrequited love story, with nothing more than a blank stare of boredom. Rey stomps steadily toward him and slams his fist on the unbothered face in a fit of rage.


    "Why didn''t you move out of the way?! Because of you, Kenji is..." Rey holds back his tears and grips Shinta''s shirt. He raises his fist to pummel him again. "Kenji''s gone because of you, dammit!"


    Karna grabs his bloodied fist and pulls Rey back before it gets worse. Shinta interjects after getting a moment to breathe.


    "Don''t blame this on me! He was going to get bit regardless-"


    "He wouldn''t if your fat ass wasn''t blocking the fucking door dammit!" Rey screams, his voice hoarse and cracking. "He would''ve lived! He would still be with us, had it not been for you!"


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    He turns to everyone else, "And why didn''t any of you guys help me and Kenji?! We were barely able to fend them off ourselves! You all stood there like fucking cowards! You guys didn''t even try to make an attempt to help!"


    Karna speaks up, "Well, some of us don''t run into death like you do, Rey! You''re clearly in a bad state of mind and-"


    "Why do you think I''m in a bad state of mind?! My boyfriend just died and you all act like nothing major just happened! And you have the audacity to say it''s my fault for acting like this?!" Rey''s vexed fury makes everyone go quiet. Despite his angered state, he finally noticed something was wrong with Lydia. "Lydia? Why aren''t you saying anything?"


    Rey walks up to her, still no response. All she does is quickly turn away, avoiding all eye contact. Shinta hides a cunning smirk.


    "Why are you looking away? You only do that when-"


    He comes to a realization and grips her by the shirt.


    "You. You were the one that opened the door weren''t you? That''s how they got in right?!" Rey''s raging voice echoes, ringing throughout the classroom. No response. He grits his teeth and slaps her in the face. The last piece of conscience defending her was now gone. "You''re the reason why Kenji''s dead!"


    Tears pool around his eyes, his thoughts clouded by growing fury. Lydia still remains quiet, not even fighting back. It was like she lost all will to fight, or even speak back. She quickly glances at Shinta, but looks away after he glares at her.


    "I''m gonna go take a leak," Shinta breaks the tension. "All of Rey''s incessant crying has my bladder acting up."


    Rey shoots an infernal look that could burn a hole through Shinta''s head. He scowls bitterly, "Excuse me?"


    "What the fuck are you even talking about?" Karna asks, confused and repulsed. Nothing could describe how bizarre Shinta''s statement was. "What...huh? Why? At this time?"


    "You heard me," Shinta smirks.


    "Where...?" Karna stutters, confused. "What?"


    "Out the window? Why, you wanna see, dipshit?" he jokes, patting his crotch. Karna and everyone else just stares at him silently for a couple seconds.


    "Really? Now? Can''t you hold it?" Karna pinches his forehead in absolute frustration. The thought made him nauseous. "How are you even smiling after what just happened?"


    Shinta ignores the last question.


    "Or I can do it in here-"


    "No. Just go. Fucking hell, you''re nastier than I thought."


    Shinta lets out a disturbing chuckle and leaves to the connecting classroom. He closes the door, leaving a small gap open unseen. A creak is heard, indicating a window opening. Lydia sinks to the ground, gasping uncontrollably for breath, her face ghostly pale.


    "You good, Lydia?" Karna asks, kneeling down to look at her face. He''d never seen her so horrified, like she''d just seen a ghost. No, something much worse. Rey scoffs at her. She pulls him closely and puts a trembling finger over his mouth.


    "Quiet, please!" her shaky voice whispers desperately. "Please...I-I''m scared. Last night, he threatened, and forced...and made me act....like this-"


    "Slow down, Lydia. Deep breaths," Karna whispers, trying to make her calm down. But it was no use.


    "Shinta''s the killer, guys, he really is! You have to believe me!" Lydia exclaims quietly.


    "You''re still hung up on that?" Rey folds his arms with a sour expression on his face. It was clear emotions got the better of his rationality. But this was more serious than basic morals. "Explain."


    "Last night, he really killed Elios! That''s why he''s gone! I saw his body when I woke up!" the flooding memories making Lydia gag and vomit beside the two before continuing. They both flinch in shock but don''t say anything. She wipes her mouth. "H-he...he made me look at his corpse...! If...If I spoke out like I did with Rika..." she shudders. "I''d...be killed too...! He opened the door last night! He made me take the blame for it so he can feign innocence...! I had to look guilty so he didn''t get outed! I didn''t do anything...I was forced into this! I swear!"


    She quivers in fear, biting her nails in distress. The two share a look briefly before deciding there was no reason for Lydia to lie anymore. Given her state, she probably wouldn''t even be sane enough to think properly.


    "...Is that why you were acting so shifty earlier?" Karna asks, finally starting to open his eyes to reality. Rey exhales a deep sigh after Lydia confirms his suspicions.


    "...Sorry about that earlier," he apologizes, starting to feel guilty after jumping to conclusions so hastily. For once, Lydia didn''t seem to care about an apology.


    "Yes! I was forced to! I-" Lydia freezes and the room goes quiet. She looks at the connecting door and so do the other two. Shinta''s footsteps start to sound nearer as he walks back to the classroom. She pulls Karna up. "Get up! Pretend like nothing happened, please!"

 Chapter 9 [END]

    Shinta enters back into the classroom, noticing all three of them standing awkwardly together. They were all huddled up together, making it obvious that they were talking about something important considering what friendships were ''burned'' moments ago.


    "What''s wrong? Did something happen?" he smiles, trying to cover his intrigue.


    "Yes, something did happen," Rey steps forward. Karna grabs his hands to hold him back. Shinta slightly flinches at the sight.


    "What are you doing?! Why are you confronting him?! You''re still injured!" he whispers quickly.


    "I''ve had enough of waiting and fucking around. I''m making that bastard pay," Rey whispers aggressively and snatches his hand away.


    "Have you killed everyone so far?" Rey asks boldly, words blunt and immediately raising the tension.


    "...Why do you ask?" Shinta responds just a little too calmly. "What led you to that daring assumption?"


    "Answer my question."


    "Even if I did, what would you do about it?"


    "Did you kill Kenji?"


    Shinta scoffs and rolls his eyes.


    "You saw that he got bit. How could I possibly do so?"


    "You opened the door."


    Shinta briefly glances at Lydia who turns away, trembling behind Karna. As Shinta lets his guard down, he looks back to see a flying bloody fist in his view. Rey punches Shinta square in the jaw, the force knocking him to the ground with a nasty crunch. The glass in his hand dug deeper into his fist, but he didn''t care. Rey''s eyes darken as he approaches slowly, his face demented.


    "You fucking murderer. You bastard. You little fucking bitch," Rey pulls Shinta by the shirt and continues to beat him down, bones on his face cracking and blood gushing. "I should''ve known it was you. You were acting so fucking shifty from the start."


    Rey grits his teeth and grabs Shinta''s hair, smashing his face to the floor. Shinta struggles to breathe as Rey''s heavy hits were quickly taking him down. His vision starts to blur, his face looking blotchy and deformed. Bruises start to form, swelling up his face and blood dripping from his nose and mouth.


    Rey brings Shinta''s lolling head to his seething expression, "How could you?! How could you do this?! You killed him! You killed everyone! Why?! Why would you do this to people you care about?!"


    His eyes start to water again and he bashes Shinta''s head in before stopping the brutal beatdown. Shinta stops moving, blood starting to seep out of his head.


    "That one was for you, Kenji," Rey stands up and leaves Shinta''s limp body behind.


    STAB!


    Shinta immediately seizes Rey''s ankle as soon as he drops his guard and stabs it with a new pair of scissors. Rey freezes, unable to react. Shinta drags the sharp blade all the way down, creating a ghastly sight as blood spurts out of Rey''s leg. He sinks down to clasp it in agony, but notices a shadow loom over him as soon as he kneels down, unable to recover quick enough. Bloody raised scissors with bits of Rey''s flesh and carnage flashes in his eyes.


    SLASH!


    Shinta grins ear to ear, admiring the sight of Rey''s blood pooling over his grotesque body.


    "You should be more grateful. I gave you an entryway to see your bitch again," he smirks. Karna just stared at the gory scene, speechless and dreading that he was next. Shinta had finally revealed his true nature. Every standing nerve in his body told Karna to run, but all he could do was stare and watch, his eyes widening in fear. Shinta notices and smiles innocently.


    "What''s wrong, Karna?" Shinta strides towards him with a cheerful pace. He wipes his bloody hands on his shirt and gives him a playful smile. No matter how good looking Shinta was, it couldn''t cover up the fact Rey rearranged his face to something as hideous as the beholder''s personality. He taps the bloody scissors on Karna''s chest lightly. "I was defending myself. I was going to die if I didn''t stop him."


    Karna grinds his teeth in fright and fury, unknowing of what to do. He couldn''t let a killer like that loose. And he let it all happen in front of him. He suddenly grabs Shinta''s hand.


    "Karna? What are you-"


    Karna yanks his arm and swings Shinta''s body to the ground, his stomach facing flat on the floor. Shinta groans in pain and looks back in surprise. Karna starts to bend Shinta''s arm at a nasty angle. Shinta''s voice becomes louder the more his arm twisted unnaturally. First, slow cracks, then-


    SNAP!


    Bones shatter, Shinta''s arm wrecked into a horrid sight as his screams of agony fill the room. Trembling, Karna still stands over him.


    "I never expected you to do something like this," Karna clenches his fist. The thought of him defending Shinta minutes before made him sick. "Why?! I trusted you! I believed you! I really thought it wasn''t possible for you to kill the others! Why...why would a sick bastard like you even think of killing your friends so gruesomely?!"


    He looks away, unable to face Shinta and pushes his hair back in frustration.


    "Ha...! What a fool I made myself to even think this..." Karna laughs at himself. "I never wanted to believe it. That you murdered everyone. But now...now it''s too late. I can''t believe I thought you were ever a good person."


    Shinta stays quiet, staring blankly at Karna facing the grave reality of the situation. As Karna circles back to finish the job Rey couldn''t, Shinta uses his right leg to trip Karna. Shinta stumbles up slowly, which gives Karna enough time to stand up.


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    "I did it...because I needed to get rid of liabilities," Shinta sprints at Karna, scissors raised, but he deflects it. Karna catches his arm and keeps a tight grip on it. "I never planned to get rid of you. But now...now that I realize how you intend to kill me, I have to."


    Unable to break free of Karna''s iron grip, Shinta forcefully shoves Karna down with his weight, tripping Karna and ramming his head down on a desk. Karna screams as he goes down, trying to crawl to a wall close by for support. Shinta quickly lunges and seizes Karna''s neck, instantly closing his airways. Karna claws at Shinta''s hand for air, unable to breathe. Shinta flinches in pain with how much skin Karna was tearing off, but he wasn''t budging.


    "I wanted you to live, you know. I liked you the most. I didn''t want it to be this way."


    Karna gasps and chokes, unable to respond nor process Shinta''s words.


    "But you forced my hand."


    Shinta tightens his grasp, pushing the back of Karna''s head to the wall. The gasps and wheezing become breathier and shorter as Karna slowly feels his body losing strength, and his lungs losing air. His eyes glint with desperation, his last sight being Shinta''s solemn, malformed face before he finally stops struggling. Shinta releases as soon as Karna''s eyes close shut. As his body goes limp, Shinta catches the body and lightly touches the welting, purple ring he left behind on Karna''s neck. Shinta hears a noisy rustling behind him, breaking his immersion and turns around to see Lydia stumbling back and trying to run away.


    Shinta''s face darkens to malevolence seeing her still alive. He gently pushes Karna''s body off and stands up, slowly closing in on Lydia. She tries to back away, but bumps into a corner of the room.


    "S-stay back!" she shrieks in terror. Shinta traps her in the corner and boxes her in with his leg, pointing the scissors to her throat. Tears start spilling out of her eyes again and Lydia starts hyperventilating, feeling the sharp edge scraping roughly against her skin. A drop of blood slowly leaks down her neck.


    "Please, spare me! I...I don''t wanna die!" Lydia cries in fear. There was nothing she could do now.


    Shinta rolls his eyes, "No one wants to die. That doesn''t mean I''ll-"


    STAB!


    Blood starts gushing out of his torso as Lydia pushes her scissors deep inside his stomach. She hid a pair behind her back in case of this exact scenario. Seeing Shinta groan from the pain, she takes the chance to shove him to the ground and run away to the connecting classroom. Lydia looks around frantically, no exit whatsoever to get away from the psycho that would stop at nothing to kill her. She was trapped. In her peripheral vision, she spots Shinta standing up, staggering, and holding his side for stability. There was blood caked onto his clothes and body, his limp arm and face nastily contorted.


    "I should thank that woman for that. She taught me to use my acting as a disguise in dire situations," Lydia backs away cautiously from Shinta.


    "You little bitch..." he huffs in a raspy voice, bloodthirst seeping out of his face. "Why didn''t you kill me? Too scared even though I''m a murderer?"


    Lydia flinches, grabbing anything around her to defend herself. She spots another pair of scissors lying around and frantically snatches it, pointing it at Shinta.


    "I-I''m not a murderer like you."


    "Ha! You act like you never did anything wrong," he approaches slowly, getting closer with each step he took. Despite how weakened Shinta''s state was, Lydia had never felt more fear than before. She was really going to die if she didn''t do anything, and she didn''t have the guts to finish the job. Lydia starts to back up again as he approaches closer. "In the end, you''re just like me."


    "No! I am no murderer like you! I''m not a monster! I wouldn''t just kill my friends for the hell of it!" Lydia screams in response. Shinta pauses and a manic laugh erupts the room.


    "Except you are," he smiles. "You don''t even realize the things you did, do you? You''re deluding yourself by painting your deeds like some sort of saint. Think about it. You disrespected Khari''s name after she died. You treated Rika like shit until the end. You grimaced at Elios''s body. You couldn''t even look at Kenji. You watched Rey die even though he defended you. And you couldn''t even help Karna when he needed it. Your frivolous acts contributed to their deaths."


    "Shut up! I''m nothing like you!" Lydia wails and covers her ears. Her loud, shrill voice still bled through her closed off hearing. "I''m not the one who soiled my hands with blood! I''m not the one who deliberately killed everyone like some psycho! I''m not the reason why everyone''s dead!"


    She stumbles back and trips over a chair. Shinta cackles at her utter helplessness and kneels down to her, the adrenaline rush blocking out the pain in his arm and torso, making it easier for him to move around.


    "Look at you, you pathetic, worthless bitch. I''m the one who''s injured and yet you still trip over yourself. Who''s that woman that seemed to have taught you so much? Should I thank her now that she''s made you easier to kill?" Shinta laughs derisively. Lydia tries to get back away again, but he kicks her down at her futile attempts. He yanks her hair and brings her face closer to his. "You don''t deserve to die yet. I''m going to make you pay for almost fucking up everything I planned."


    Lydia raises her scissors in hopes to stop Shinta, but he swiftly dodges and drops her.


    "Stop trying. It''s not getting you anywhere," Shinta stomps her face and she falls to the ground again, trembling. She recollects all her strength and musters courage to kick his shin. As Shinta howls in pain and caught off guard, she hastily pulls herself up and runs to the connecting classroom again. Both of them knew that one of them had to die. Lydia looks around, but there was nothing. She flinches seeing the two corpses and grabs a chair. Shinta again recovers, but was far more sluggish as the adrenaline slowly starts to wear off, blood starting to seep through his clothes from the wound.


    "Your biggest mistake was never killing me in the first place," Shinta exhales completely, with Lydia''s scissors in his hand. He launches the scissors and winces from the pain in his torso, but Lydia uses the chair as a shield and deflects. Knowing he would stop at nothing to kill her, she drops the chair and instinctively opens the door to the hallway. She sprints and shuts the door behind her.


    As soon as Lydia spots zombies, she realizes what a grave mistake she just made. She spots the broken window from the other connecting classroom leading to the hallway and tries to climb back in. Glass shards start to cut and scrape against her hand, but she still persists. Shinta rushes back over and smiles. He shoves her back, even though she continues hopelessly to climb in. As one zombie notices the commotion, Shinta throws a chair outside the window. Lydia shrieks and takes the full brunt of the hit, the force knocking her back to the ground.


    CRUNCH!


    Before Lydia knew it, an opportunistic zombie bites her arm. Her eyes widen as more rush in to feast on her, gnawing away at her body. Only a bloodcurdling scream is heard, then extinguished, before only the crunches of biting and chomping of her now-dead body remained. It doesn''t take long until Lydia turns into the very monster she feared most. Shinta''s mouth curls into a manic smile, knowing he just won. Suddenly, a thought intrudes his mind and he starts hobbling back to the other classroom.


    "Testing, testing? Ok this works, thank you. Attention to all people at Sidina Academy that are still alive. A rescue team has arrived with reinforcements from the police force. Find somewhere safe to hide, as we will be searching any possible place for remaining survivors. We''ll take care of any other creatures lurking around and will ensure your safety," An announcer speaks up, assuming an officer had finally arrived. "Do not fret. You are all safe."


    Hearing the reassuring message, he cackles victoriously. But as Shinta arrives back to the other classroom, wheezing, he looks remorsefully at Karna''s limp body and brings it up to lean against the wall. He slumps to the floor and leans on Karna''s shoulder lightly, holding his wound that was progressively getting worse by the second. His breathing turns into gasps and wheezes as the amount of movement starts to take a toll on him. Shinta''s vision starts to blur, blood starting to pool on the floor.


    He looks around at the bloodbath staining the once clean walls with blood-red and corpses decorating the once-dull classroom. His body starts to feel heavier and the feeling of death grips him. Shinta takes one last glance at everything he caused, the corpses, the massacre, and the stained classroom. He closes his eyes and exhales tiredly, "...I''m sorry."


    For the first time in his life, he genuinely apologized. And not a single soul was able to hear it.


    END

 Authors Note + Bonus

    Well, well, well. It appears the long-awaited Death by Deceit has been published. I honestly never imagined something like this to happen, if I''m not going to lie. I can''t believe I was actually able to write a full story coherently and publish it like this. However, I must give credit where it was due as I couldn''t have done it without these people.


    Firstly, shout out to my editors for helping me with potential issues with the story and grammar issues! You all are amazing for your feedback! Secondly, the test readers who took their time to read and give feedback so I can know what areas are needed to be fixed! I appreciate it so much! And lastly, the most amazing artist I know to create this stunning and spectacular cover for me! You made my vision for this book to come true!


    I am so happy and appreciative of everyone who worked with me on this journey for this to happen. I am beyond grateful for that. But, my journey as a writer does not end here. I''m already working on a book that will follow after this one, and many more to come. The book following this does not act as a prequel or sequel, but the events in this story will come to occur sometime in the following book. Stay tuned for that, as I''ve been working hard to crank the story out! Just a word in advance, it will not be a horror/thriller like this one. It will be classified as a romance novel (GL), just so you all know.


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I would like to personally thank all my readers making it to this point and finishing Death by Deceit. One by one, you all are making my dream come true to share my stories to the world. That is what drives my passion to keep going and pushing more books for everyone. Now then, I want to ask you a question I''ve been asking everyone who''s read this book before publish: Do you think Shinta is really dead at the end of the story or could he have been saved by the authorities on death''s door?


    I''ll leave you to think about that since it is quite vague. The following book will provide the answer, however. And lastly, as provided in the title, I shall give you a bonus to look upon with the characters. (Hint: There are TWO major things to infer from this, and I will be shell-shocked if you can understand it!) Again, thank you everyone, readers, editors, and my artist, thank you all for the support on my journey and debut with Death by Deceit!


    Bonus:


    Shinta: Superior Rank


    Lydia: High Rank


    Karna: High Rank


    Rey: High Rank


    Kenji: High Rank


    Elios: Middle Rank


    Rika: Low Rank


    Khari: High Rank