Someone had been killed… one of us. Our friend… and he was killed by one of them, someone we had once called a friend.
I swallowed bitterly. My throat felt dry, as if filled with the volcanic ash I had once inhaled during the disaster. I couldn't just stand there watching them like this—the people who had been full of hope this morning now looked like dry leaves ready to crumble in the wind. I took a deep breath, forcing the words out with what little strength I had left, even though my throat still hurt.
"Aulia… Zahra… stand up," I said. My voice was rough but gentle at the end, like when I forced myself to get up after a building collapsed in the past.
"If you give up now… MonoGaru wins. It wants us to despair. It wants to make us so afraid that we start hating each other, until we're the ones who begin killing. But we can't give it an easy victory like that. We're still alive. We still have each other. And as long as that's true, there's still hope. Stand up… let's meet the others. We have to talk. We have to find out who died, who did it, and why. We can't just stand here waiting for time to run out like people who've already accepted death."
Zahra shook her head slowly. Her voice trembled with despair, tears still flowing like a small river that refused to stop. "But… someone is already dead, Reno. And the killer… is one of us. How can we trust each other again? I… I'm scared. I don't want to die here… and I don't want to become a monster who kills my own friends."
Aulia looked at me for a long time, tears streaming slowly down her cheeks. She nodded faintly, her trembling hand moving to help Zahra stand. "Reno is right. We have to… we have to go back. The dorm is the safe place. Every time there's a problem, every time something needs to be discussed, we always gather there. Let's go now."
Zahra was still crying softly, but she stood with Aulia's help, her hand gripping the girl's arm tightly. "I… I don't want to. But… I don't want to stay here alone either."
"Just like Aulia said. We'll go together. You're not alone… we're here."
In the end, we walked back to the dorm. Our steps were heavy on the stone path, many questions still hanging in the air during the journey.
When we arrived at the dorm's common room, the wooden door creaked softly as it opened, and we saw Zayn, Sinta, and Bima already there. Their faces were pale, eyes wide when they saw us enter. Zahra immediately looked at Sinta, ran over slowly, and hugged her tightly, tears flowing again.
"Sinta… someone died… someone really died…"
Sinta hugged her back, the girl clearly understanding Zahra's fear. Her voice trembled. "I know… I know… we got the notification too. I… I still can't believe it."
Bima clenched his fist hard and slammed the table. The loud bang echoed through the room. "I never thought anyone would actually do it! We agreed we wouldn't kill each other, but… damn it!"
Zayn bit his own finger, stamping his foot repeatedly on the floor, his voice tense. "What about the others? If someone really died… who was it? And who's the killer? We can't trust anyone anymore."
Aulia and I sat down on the chairs, waiting for the rest. Not long after, Krisna, Dion, and Anya arrived, their clothes dirty with dust, faces filled with tension. Dion immediately asked, his voice calm but pressured.
"You already got the news from the MonoWatch?! A murder really happened?"
Everyone nodded slowly. Anya let out a sigh, her thin veil swaying. "Finally… the Killing Game has truly begun."
Krisna, who was usually expressionless, now showed a face full of rage, his teeth grinding. "This… this is unacceptable. Someone from us… is dead. And the killer is among all of us."
Then Nova, Rian, and Adi arrived from another direction, their entire bodies dirty from being in the Stone Mountain caves for so long. Adi threw his notebook to the floor with a loud thud, his voice rising with anger and despair.
"Why would someone be heartless enough to kill?! We had an agreement! We agreed we wouldn't do that! How cruel…"
Rian looked at everyone, his voice tired but still sharp. "Who hasn't returned yet? Vina, Yusuf, Lira… where are they?! Who died?! Who's the killer?!"
Nova lowered his head weakly, his voice soft and pessimistic. "We've already lost one person. And now… we don't know who we can trust anymore."
That was when Adi approached, carrying something—a yellow vest with several tears. He handed it to me.
"You took this off in the cave, right? I brought it back."
I took the vest from him. "Thanks, Adi."
He then went to his seat and took out a new notebook from his shirt. "What we can do now is wait for the others. And find out… who the victim is."
Everyone waited anxiously, eyes meeting, guessing what had happened to Vina, Yusuf, and Lira. No one wanted to believe that one of them might be the victim of that murder.
The silence was broken when the door opened with a loud creak. Vina and Lira entered, breathing heavily, their faces covered in sweat and fear.
Vina spoke immediately, her voice raised. "You guys… have you seen Yusuf? Yusuf… Yusuf is missing! We've been looking for him since earlier around Stone Mountain, even all the way to the Sacred Forest, but there's no trace. Then the notification from MonoGaru came…"
Lira added, still struggling to catch her breath. "Yusuf… isn't… here? Don't… tell me… he…"
The room fell instantly silent. Everyone looked at each other, hearts pounding, afraid to face the truth of MonoGaru's notification. No one wanted to believe that Yusuf—the quiet one who always held his potted plant like a talisman of hope—might have become the first victim of the Killing Game.
The silence was broken by Zayn, who now looked at Vina and Lira with narrowed eyes. He reopened the discussion.
"You three were supposed to stay together, right? Why could Yusuf disappear just like that? Where were you at that time?"
Lira lowered her head slowly, her hand gripping her own sleeve, her body trembling with clear guilt. "I… I stopped seeing Yusuf after I left the warehouse to go to the toilet. There was no place to pee around the pier, so I went behind the dorm for a bit. When I came back… he was already gone."
Vina crossed her arms, like someone holding back anxiety. "Yusuf said he wanted to go to Stone Mountain to deliver the items he found in the warehouse. He said the cave team might need extra supplies, so he wanted to look for them himself. I and Lira said it wasn't necessary, but he insisted. We thought he'd only be gone for a short while… but he didn't come back."
Adi frowned deeply, his notebook open in his lap but untouched again. "Weren't your group supposed to be circling around Stone Mountain? Why did you go back to the warehouse instead?"
Vina shook her head slowly, her blonde twin tails swaying. "It was all Yusuf's idea. He cared so much about the cave team. He said if they were short on tools, so he decided to go back to the warehouse. We didn't have the heart to refuse, and we thought it was safe because it was still daytime. But… he…"
Bima closed his eyes, his voice low and heavy, like someone who had just lost a brother. "Yusuf… he really was a good man. Too good… until… until he died because of it."
"Has anyone seen Yusuf's whereabouts after that?" Aulia asked while resting her chin on her hand.
Bima shook his head. "Me, Sinta, and Zayn were exploring the deeper corridors in the cave. We didn't leave at all."
"I, Krisna, and Anya went to the Main Building at that time. We didn't go to the pier at all," Dion replied next.
Adi added, his voice rising slightly. "Me, Nova, and Rian tried to continue exploring in the Stone Mountain caves. We didn't see Yusuf."
I let out a slow breath. "Then me, Zahra, and Aulia were at the pier and met Vina, Lira, and Yusuf at the warehouse. After that… we went to another area. Then the notification came."
The room fell silent again, as if all words had run out and only emptiness remained. Everything had reached a dead end.
Selena bit her lower lip and then replied. "At that time… I was with Bima's group. I stepped out of the Main Building for a moment and saw someone running from the direction of the pier toward the Sacred Forest… though I don't know who it was. They ran very fast, and I'm not sure who it was."
Zayn scratched his head hard, his voice tense. "That means the last traces of Yusuf are most likely from Stone Mountain, the pier, and the Sacred Forest. The area is too wide."
Anya shook her head slowly from behind her thin veil, speaking with skepticism. "The area is too wide to search in the remaining time. Especially since this is no longer about searching for someone who is still alive—but searching for a corpse."
"Even so, he must be found. From MonoGaru's announcement, it's most likely that Yusuf was really killed. We… we have to know the truth. Even if he is already gone," Aulia said with determination.
Everyone put on faces full of sadness and anxiety, eyes glassy, breaths ragged. I felt my chest tighten, my hands trembling. We who had once united because of hope were now beginning to crack because of fear. And now, our unity was cracking even further.
Finally, I spoke up to prevent everyone from falling silent. "We can't just stay here too long. The timer has less than half an hour left. If Yusuf's body isn't found, the killer escapes. We have to search now."
Bima stood up, fists clenched again, his voice rising with emotion. "I won't let the killer get away so easily. They already took Yusuf—one of us. I won't stay quiet!"
Dion nodded firmly. "We should move immediately now. We have no time left."
Zayn let out a long breath, his eyes narrowing with focus. "Alright. We'll split up and search for Yusuf's whereabouts. I also won't let the killer escape after killing our friend."
Adi picked up his notebook that had fallen to the floor again, his voice soft but full of determination. "Whoever the killer is… they will be judged. We will find the truth."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The timer on the MonoWatch blinked softly on my wrist: 00:30:00. Thirty minutes. Thirty minutes more, and if Yusuf's body wasn't found, the killer would escape—free to go home, while the rest of us would continue the Killing Game. That number felt like blood dripping from an invisible wound, every second leaving a deeper sting.
My mind spun wildly. Why now? Why Yusuf? And why did the killer dare to do it right after the announcement of the new rule? I seemed to understand the answer, even if I didn't want to admit it.
They must have been aiming for the benefit.
One hour to hide the body, and the killer would be free to return to the outside world—back to loved ones, to a life that had long been lost, to a place that no longer felt like hell. That was a strong reason, stronger than fear or the morals we had tried to hold onto since the beginning. The killer wasn't just someone who had lost hope. They were someone with a bigger reason than all of us to get out of here, even willing to dirty their own hands to achieve it.
I kicked a small pebble in front of me. The sound of the stone rolling was soft amid the gusts of wind. The pier was visible in the distance, the silhouette of the small warehouse standing there. Maybe there was a small detail that Vina and Lira had missed—maybe there was a clue about Yusuf there, or maybe it was just an illusion I created myself to keep moving. But I couldn't stay in the dorm waiting for the end to come. I had to do something, anything.
Suddenly, light footsteps sounded from behind. I turned quickly, hands reflexively ready to defend—but it was Aulia who appeared. Her batik scarf fluttered gently, her wavy black hair slightly messy from the wind, her dark eyes looking at me with an expression that was hard to read—a mix of worry and fragile determination.
"Reno," she greeted softly. "Let me come with you."
I frowned. "Why? Aren't you going with the others?"
Aulia shook her head slowly, her steps approaching until she stood beside me. "Everyone already has a partner to search with. I… I was left alone. Then I saw you walking alone toward the pier, so I followed."
I simply nodded, not knowing what to say. We walked side by side in silence for a moment, only the sound of the wind filling the space between us. Then Aulia spoke again, her voice soft but heavy with burden.
"Why did all this happen? Why was Yusuf the victim? Why was the killer heartless enough to do it? I… I don't understand. I thought we could stay united, together, able to trust each other, and able to get out of here without losing anyone. But now…"
I let out a long breath, speaking honest words from the heart. "I also want to know the answers to all that. Everything feels so insane. I can't imagine anyone among us being heartless enough to kill Yusuf—he was the quietest, the least troublesome, and the least dangerous. But… MonoGaru succeeded. It pressured us with the countdown, with that new rule. It cornered us until we couldn't think clearly anymore."
Aulia nodded slowly, her eyes looking forward toward the pier that was getting closer. "I feel disgusted with myself. Thinking I could unite everyone, like I always did out there. I thought I could be the mediator, could be the hope for everyone. But in reality… I couldn't do anything. I failed again."
"You're not wrong, Aulia. This isn't your fault. MonoGaru is the one to blame. It pressured us with time, with the threat of execution, with sabotaging our escape attempt. It cornered us until we couldn't think clearly anymore. But you… you're still standing. You're still trying. That's already more than enough."
Aulia smiled faintly, a fragile but sincere smile. "Thank you, Reno. Even though it seems… I can't be sure everything will go back to the way it was."
We arrived at the pier. The small warehouse stood silently at the end, its iron door slightly open like yesterday. I looked in that direction, my heart pounding hard. "Let's check again. Maybe we missed something."
She nodded. "Alright. Let's search."
Aulia walked slowly toward the right side of the containers, her steps careful on the dusty warehouse floor full of debris and broken glass. The dim yellow light grew even dimmer, making the atmosphere even gloomier. I stood still in my place, my eyes sweeping over the container near the upper shelf, searching for anything we might have missed—scratches, stains, or anything that could give a clue about Yusuf.
On the upper part of the container, there were fresh scratches—long, deep gouges, as if someone had tried to climb up with great difficulty, nails or the tips of shoes scraping the rusted iron and leaving reddish-brown marks. I was sure they weren't old—the scratches were still fresh, small iron flakes still clinging to the edges. Without help from others, Yusuf—who was so quiet and not very muscular—along with Vina and Lira who were women, definitely couldn't have easily climbed up there. Maybe he tried alone, using the small wooden box below the container as an emergency foothold. The box hadn't been there before—perhaps he found it earlier—then Yusuf tried climbing several times until he finally succeeded.
Then I walked toward the lever we had built with Rian, my eyes sweeping over the long wooden lever and the gears that were still in their original position. The container was still lifted, the safety pin still perfectly in place, and the pin was now in my hand—nothing had changed much. But there was something strange, like an uncomfortable feeling creeping up my spine.
From the other side, Aulia's soft voice sounded. "Reno… everything is too dark even though the lights are on. I need more light to search on the other side."
I turned, seeing Aulia standing under another container, her eyes trying to pierce the darkness.
"Maybe there's a spare flashlight on the upper shelf. Want to try climbing up?" I asked her.
Aulia approached and stood in front of me. I spread my legs wide again, hands outstretched. She placed her foot on my palms and pushed—until Aulia's body rose smoothly. Her uniform skirt swayed gently, and from below I unintentionally saw her underwear again. The sight made my face flush red again, but I immediately turned my face away, focusing on the floor.
Aulia reached the top, walked a bit, then stopped for a moment before speaking with a raised voice. "Reno… there's something wet up here."
I looked up, asking with worry. "Why? What's there?"
Aulia bent down slightly, her hand touching something on top of the container. "This… liquid. Wet and sticky."
"Maybe spilled oil. Maybe Yusuf accidentally spilled it because the oil can's position was easy to knock over."
I watched her nod slowly, then her hand reached for something on the shelf. "There's a flashlight here." She turned it on, bright yellow light illuminating the surroundings. Then she bent down again, shining the light downward—and suddenly let out a small, restrained scream of shock.
I immediately panicked. "What's wrong?!"
She tried to climb down from above, so I helped her. Once below, I felt her body trembling violently, her face pale like white cloth. She took off her shoes with trembling hands, showing the soles that were wet with dark red liquid.
"That… that's blood."
I stared at her shoes, my heart pounding hard. It really was blood. Not oil. Fresh blood that was still wet, dripping slowly from the soles of Aulia's shoes onto the dusty warehouse floor.
I immediately borrowed the flashlight from Aulia's trembling hand and turned it on upward. The yellow light illuminated the container that was lifted by our lever. Although it was hard to see from below, there were dark red stains sticking to the surface of the container—traces of something that had been dragged or fallen, the blood already starting to dry but still clearly visible under the flashlight.
My hairs stood on end. I didn't want to admit it, but something had happened in this warehouse. Something I didn't want to acknowledge.
I looked deeply at Aulia, swallowing hard before speaking. "It's most likely… Yusuf was here."
Aulia covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes glassy. "Yusuf…?"
The timer on the MonoWatch blinked: 00:10:00. Ten minutes. Ten minutes more, and if Yusuf's body wasn't found, the killer would escape.
I knew exactly what I had to say, even though the words felt like stones crushing my chest. "Yusuf's body… is most likely here."
Aulia, still trembling, turned quickly, her eyes widening, her voice hoarse. "Reno… why are you so sure about that?"
My finger pointed upward at the container while the flashlight shone there, the yellow light illuminating the fresh scratches on the iron surface. "Look at those scratches. They're still new, small iron flakes still clinging. Yusuf tried to climb up there alone—without help from others. Vina and Lira are women; they weren't strong enough to lift him. So he tried by himself, using that small wooden box as an emergency foothold."
I lowered the flashlight to the floor, shining it on the small wooden box. "He climbed using that box until he could get up there alone. Though I don't know where he got the box from."
Aulia looked at the box. "But… where is the body? If he was killed here, where is it?"
I walked to the other side of the container, the flashlight sweeping across the narrow gaps between the stacked containers. "Let's search. He can't be far from here."
I stopped under the container that was lifted by our lever. Right there, there was a pile of wooden boxes stacked somewhat messily, as if someone had hurriedly shifted them.
Aulia approached, her eyes narrowing as she tried to see through the darkness. "It's true… there's a pile of wooden boxes over there. Maybe Yusuf took them from there."
I shook my head slowly. "How could he get there? All these containers are blocking the way. Unless… there's another path."
I walked again until I reached the container at the end of the warehouse, which led toward the pile of wooden boxes. That container had been open from the beginning, its rusted door slightly tilted. I shone the light on the end—and behind that door, there was a wooden wall covering the back, like a secret partition.
Aulia followed, her voice soft but surprised. "I had no idea about this at all. It was too dark… I didn't notice before."
"I didn't know either… so there was a wooden wall at the end. I thought it was a hard wall," I replied.
I tried to approach the wooden wall and knocked on it—the sound was hollow and thin, as if it could be easily slid or knocked down. I pushed gently. The wooden wall shifted with a small creak, and we entered the hidden middle section of the warehouse. A small, dark space. Then Aulia's flashlight swept across the area around the container.
I approached under the lifted container. Right there, there was a pile of wooden boxes stacked somewhat messily. My steps suddenly stopped. I felt my hairs stand on end.
Aulia approached from behind, her voice soft. "Reno… why did you stop?"
"Shine the light on the floor beneath me."
She followed my words exactly. The yellow flashlight illuminated the floor—and there were traces of liquid, as if something had been dragged forcefully, leaving dark reddish-brown stains that had partially dried but were still clearly visible.
We both followed the trail, steps slow but hearts pounding hard. The trail led us behind the pile of wooden boxes in the corner. I stopped again, breath held.
Behind the boxes, there was something covered with black cloth, with clear blood stains visible under the flashlight beam. The shape was human—sitting leaning against a box, head bowed, hands hanging limply. From the brown pants the person was wearing, I immediately knew.
It was Yusuf.
Aulia let out a small scream of shock, her hand dropping the flashlight that rolled across the floor, its yellow light spinning wildly and illuminating the walls and floor. She fell to her knees, hands covering her mouth, tears flowing heavily.
"Yusuf… no… it can't be…"
I stood frozen, my heart feeling as if stabbed by a cold knife. Before I could say anything, MonoGaru's voice sounded from the MonoWatch, flirtatious and cruel as usual.
"Wah wah wah~ Congratulations! You have successfully found the body!"
A small hologram appeared in front of us, MonoGaru's face smiling widely, its wings fluttering gently. "Finally you can say thank you to whoever managed to commit the first murder. I look forward to your thanks at the Class Trial later—that is, if you manage to guess who the killer is~!"
The hologram disappeared instantly, leaving the two of us in the darkness of the warehouse, only the rolling flashlight on the floor illuminating the black cloth covering Yusuf's body. Aulia cried softly, her body trembling violently. I stood silent, hands clenched, heart shattered but mind racing fast.
Yusuf was dead. The killer was now walking among us. And now… everything would shift to the Class Trial, where we would all determine who the killer was.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Footsteps sounded from outside the warehouse door—quick, hurried, like people who had just received bad news they couldn't believe. The rusted iron door opened with a loud creak, and one by one they entered: Adi, Anya, Bima, Dion, Krisna, Lira, Nova, Rian, Selena, Vina, Sinta, Zahra, and Zayn—all faces pale, eyes wide, breaths short and ragged like they had just run from a nightmare that had become reality.
Zayn immediately spoke. "I got the notification… it said the body was found. Yusuf Rahman Hakim, the Ultimate Botanist. Found at 11:50—ten minutes before the timer ran out. The discoverers… Reno and Aulia. Cause of death… unknown."
The room fell instantly silent, only the sound of ragged breaths and the sea wind creaking against the metal walls of the warehouse. Bima clenched his fist hard, slamming it against a container with a loud clang that echoed through the room. Blood trickled thinly from his knuckles. Tears finally fell, his voice turning into sobs.
"Yusuf… damn it! Why him?! He was the kindest! The one who loved plants, never hurt anyone! Why did he have to die?!"
He punched the iron container again, the loud bang echoing, blood flowing from his knuckles. Tears flowed down his cheeks. "Yusuf… you didn't deserve to die like this…"
Selena approached Aulia, who was still kneeling on the floor. Her hands trembled as she hugged Aulia's shoulders. "Aulia… calm down… calm down. We're all here… it must have been really hard for you."
Aulia shook her head slowly, tears flowing more heavily, her voice trembling. "I… I… Yusuf… he…"
Selena hugged her tighter, trying to keep Aulia from sinking into guilt. Anya sat slowly near Yusuf's body, still covered by the black cloth, her hands clenched in her lap.
She bowed her head, her voice soft. "I will pray for you, Yusuf. May your passing be peaceful. He… was a good man. He didn't deserve to die like this."
Sinta covered her mouth with her hand, tears flowing slowly. "I… I feel guilty. I couldn't do anything. I'm used to making potions to heal people… but there's no potion that can bring the dead back to life. I… I'm useless."
Lira lowered her head weakly, her hand gripping her own arm, her voice almost breaking. "I… I left him alone. I didn't realize he was gone. If we had stayed together… maybe he would still be alive."
Vina stood silently. "We… we shouldn't have let him go alone. We should have been more careful. This… this is our fault."
Zayn cursed softly, his voice full of anger but also despair. "Bastard… I never thought a murder would actually happen. I thought we could avoid this… I thought we were stronger than this."
Adi moved first, his steps slow but firm as he circled the crime scene—Yusuf's body still covered by the black cloth with dried blood stains, the container lifted by our lever, and the blood trail like a dark ink line on the floor. His notebook was open in his hand, his pencil moving quickly to note every small detail he could find: the position of the shifted wooden boxes, the scratches on the container, the blood stains on the floor that had begun to dry.
He stopped for a moment, his voice firm even though it trembled. "MonoGaru gave us fifteen minutes for investigation and gathering alibis. We have to use that time properly. Instead of mourning. If we don't move now, the killer could escape, and we all die."
Bima immediately clenched his fists, his face reddening, his voice rising with anger. "You say don't mourn? Yusuf is dead, Adi! You want us to immediately become detectives like in a movie?! He was our friend!"
Zayn immediately stepped forward, his hand firmly but carefully holding Bima's shoulder. "Calm down, Bima. Adi has a point. We don't have time to cry now. If we don't find clues in these fifteen minutes, the killer escapes, and we're all finished."
Bima growled softly, but he stepped back, fists still clenched, breathing heavily. He looked at Yusuf's body covered by the black cloth, tears flowing slowly down his cheeks.
Nova approached the container lifted by the lever, his long black coat swaying gently. He picked up the fallen flashlight from the floor and turned it on, the yellow light sweeping across the surface of the floating container.
His eyes narrowed. "There are blood stains up there. On that floating container. Like something was dragged or slammed from above."
Krisna approached the floor, kneeling near the drying blood trail, his eyes empty but focused. He touched the edge of the stain with his finger, then nodded slowly. "The murder happened quite a while ago. More than tens of minutes. The blood at the edges has started to dry, but it's still wet in the middle."
Rian turned, his thick glasses glinting faintly in the light. "How do you know that?"
Krisna answered politely, his voice flat but clear. "I've used many types of ink for drawing. Blood is one type of ink I've also used for my symbol works. I know how blood dries, how its color changes over time."
Zahra shook her head slowly, her voice full of disgust. "That… is quite horrifying."
Adi noted everything quickly, his voice firm. "Thank you, Krisna. That helps. The murder happened more than tens of minutes ago, not recently—meaning the killer hid the body for quite a while before it could be found."
Zayn turned toward me and Aulia, his eyes full of sympathy but firm. "Reno, Aulia… it must be hard for you who found it first. But I have to ask. Explain what happened again from the beginning."
I nodded slowly and immediately explained. "Aulia and I went to the warehouse because we felt there might be a clue we missed about Yusuf's disappearance. I saw fresh scratches on the upper part of the container—like someone tried to climb up alone. The small wooden box below it had been moved, as if Yusuf used it as an emergency foothold. Aulia climbed on top of the container, then found wet liquid—blood. When we tried to search deeper, we found a gap in the end container, with a thin wooden wall covering the middle space. I slid the wooden wall, and… found blood trails on the floor, then discovered Yusuf's body covered with black cloth behind the pile of wooden boxes."
Aulia added with a trembling but polite voice. "When we were circling the warehouse earlier, there was no small box near the container. But now there is. As if Yusuf tried to look for it himself."
Adi noted everything quickly, his voice soft but firm. "I'll record it all."
Nova finished circling the area, shining light on Yusuf's body while thinking hard. "I didn't find any traps or weapons around here. But the blood stains on the upper container… are suspicious."
Krisna nodded slowly. "We need to know the cause of Yusuf's death. Maybe we need a simple autopsy on his body."
Zayn nodded firmly, his eyes sweeping over all of us. "Alright. I'll uncover the black cloth. Anyone who can't bear to look, better not watch."
He approached Yusuf's body, his hand trembling slightly as he touched the black cloth with dried blood stains. Everyone held their breath. Zayn pulled the cloth slowly—and we saw everything.
Yusuf's chest was covered in dried blood, his shirt torn in the middle, his breastbone visibly crushed as if pressed by something extremely heavy and strong. His face was pale, eyes closed, but his expression was still calm—like someone who didn't have time to feel pain before dying.
Krisna knelt near Yusuf's body, his hand carefully touching the edge of the black cloth with dried blood stains, his eyes now so focused like he was reading invisible patterns on a canvas.
"Most likely Yusuf's cause of death was a very hard blow to the chest. His breastbone is crushed, as if pressed by a very heavy load. Killed by a direct, strong, and precise blow," he said with certainty.
Adi followed up on Krisna's observation. "Nova said earlier he didn't find any weapons around here. No iron, stone, or anything heavy enough to crush the chest like that."
Zayn stepped forward, his eyes narrowing toward the container still lifted by our lever. "Nova, shine the light on the container above."
Nova turned it on again, the yellow light sweeping across the surface of the floating container. Dried blood stains were clearly visible on the edge of the container—reddish-brown lines as if the container had been dragged hard. Zayn pointed with his finger.
"Most likely, that container up there. Was the heavy object used to kill him."
Bima frowned, his voice rising with doubt. "How? That container weighs dozens of kilos. It couldn't have just been dropped like that."
"If that container was dropped, I would have heard it. Me and Vina were circling the pier at that time looking for Yusuf. The sound of a container that big falling would have been loud, echoing all the way outside. But we didn't hear anything," Lira said while shaking her head slowly.
Sinta turned to everyone there. "Who made that lever?"
"Rian and Reno made it," Zahra replied quickly.
I nodded slowly. "Yes. We made it yesterday to open the upper shelf."
"How does it work? Isn't there a possibility the tool broke and suddenly fell from above on its own?" Selena replied.
Rian shook his head hard. "I made sure the tool was safe. We both tested it—the lever is strong, the gears are stable. The safety is also still perfectly in place. It couldn't have fallen on its own."
I added. "The safety pin is with me now. Only I can remove it. Because I was afraid it could fall suddenly, I always carry it." Then I showed the pin that I took from my yellow vest.
"Everyone has their own alibis. We were far from the pier before. Me, Krisna, and Dion were exploring the Main Building at that time," Anya commented after finishing praying for Yusuf.
Vina crossed her arms. "Me and Lira were searching around the pier. We didn't hear the sound of the container falling. If it was dropped, we would have known."
Aulia, who had calmed down a little, stood up again and spoke. "The incident most likely happened on top of the container. There are blood stains up there. He was up there before."
"Is there a possibility the body was dragged from up there?" Dion replied while pointing to the location in question.
Zayn nodded. "Possibly. The killer tried to hide Yusuf's body after doing it—didn't want the body to be found. In other words, the killer really intended to use the new rule to escape from here."
I decided to leave the middle space of the warehouse, leaving everyone still observing the crime scene. The air inside the room felt increasingly stuffy. The tension mixed with blood that had begun to dry made my throat feel dry and my stomach nauseous. I didn't want to look there anymore—but I had to. I had to make sure.
I approached the lever we had built with Rian, my hands checking the long wooden lever, fingers tracing the gears and the safety pin that was still perfectly in place in my hand now. There was no damage. No cracks in the wood, no broken cables in the gears, no signs that this tool had ever jammed or fallen on its own. The safety was truly intact—only I could remove it, and I was sure I had never removed it. It was impossible for the container to fall because the tool was broken. It was impossible for Yusuf to have been crushed by accident.
I let out a slow breath, my hand still touching the lever, my mind racing fast. As I was about to let go, my eyes were drawn to something on the floor—something almost swallowed by the darkness. If not for the reflection of the dim yellow light from the broken glass around the floor, I might not have seen it. A transparent string lay on the floor, quite strong, possibly nylon rope or thin fishing line that was strong but not easily broken. I knelt, touching it—the string was still intact, about two meters long, its ends neatly cut, not broken from rough pulling. This string… shouldn't have been here.
From behind, soft footsteps sounded. I turned quickly—Adi stood at the threshold of the hidden room, his notebook gripped tightly, his eyes narrowed toward me.
"Reno… what are you doing?" he asked, his voice firm but full of suspicion.
I lifted the transparent string, showing it to him. "I was double-checking that the lever really wasn't broken. The safety pin is still perfectly in place, the gears aren't broken. It's impossible for the container to have fallen on its own."
Adi nodded slowly, approaching. "Then… what is that?"
I shook my head. "Nylon string. Thin, strong. Why is it here?"
Adi frowned. "Wait… what was it used for?"
I shook my head slowly because I didn't know the reason. Then I walked toward the container with the small box that had been shifted underneath it. "This box. Yusuf tried to climb on top of the container using this box as a foothold. He wasn't tall enough, so maybe he used the string to help pull himself up or pull something from there."
"Do you want to climb up? Try to investigate?"
I nodded. "Yes. I want to try climbing up. You search for something down there."
I climbed onto the small box, spreading my legs wide again. Adi looked at me for a moment, then left. I took a deep breath, muscles tensing, then pushed my body upward with one jump—hands gripping the edge of the container, feet kicking hard, body rising with difficulty. I rolled gently on top of the container, breathing raggedly, hands scraped again from the rusted iron friction.
I shouted toward the others. "Throw the flashlight here!"
Nova, who was standing not far from the container, threw the still-lit flashlight. I caught it with one hand, the bright yellow light sweeping across the surface of the container.
As Aulia had said, there really were so many blood stains up there—near the shelf, dark red stains that had partially dried but were still clearly visible. I shone the light closer and saw: the blood formed a long drag mark leading toward the space with the boxes over there. The drag was irregular, as if someone had hurriedly dragged something heavy, leaving a blood trail that grew thinner but was still clear.
I thought to myself: the killer probably tried to hide Yusuf's body by dragging it there, hiding it among the boxes. The nylon string earlier… maybe it was used to pull or tie something.
But what…?
I climbed down slowly, my legs trembling from exhaustion and tension. Below, everyone was voicing their opinions and alibis.
Zayn asked directly, his voice firm. "Who was at the pier area at that time? Or around there?"
Zahra raised her hand. "Me, Aulia, and Reno were at the pier, but we were exploring the other side of the beach."
Vina crossed her arms. "I was at the warehouse earlier, but I walked toward the dorm waiting for Lira."
Lira nodded. "At that time I had gone to the dorm to pee. When I came back, I found Reno near the warehouse and asked him."
"I was indeed around there, because I had some business…" I said.
Lira looked at me sharply. "Reno said he had just come from the toilet, but I didn't see Reno coming from the dorm direction but from the warehouse. He didn't want to tell me the reason at that time."
I shook my head weakly. "That… was a private matter."
Nova, who was standing in the dark corner, approached, his long black coat swaying. He knelt near the container, his hand touching something on the floor. "I found something."
He lifted a small piece of yellowish polyester, small but clearly visible under the flashlight. Bima approached, examining the piece.
"Isn't this material usually from a safety vest? Bright yellow, thick, durable."
Everyone looked at me. I, who was still standing on the container, climbed down slowly, my heart pounding hard.
Vina looked at me coldly. "Wasn't only Reno who could open the safety with his pin?"
"That's right. Only Reno has the pin," Rian added.
"From Lira's statement, Reno was around the warehouse." Selena replied.
Zahra remembered something and spoke up. "Reno left for a bit to pee. But… he came back from the warehouse direction."
Anya shook her head slowly. "Reno… you are very suspicious."
Lira, who was provoked by emotion, raised her voice. "Don't tell me… Reno was the one who killed Yusuf."
I was stunned, frozen in place. Everyone now looked at me with disbelieving eyes. The room fell instantly silent, only the sound of ragged breaths and rising tension.
Aulia immediately stepped forward, her hand outstretched trying to calm everyone. "Everyone… please, please calm down. Don't jump to conclusions too soon… we don't know everything yet."
But no one cared. The whispers continued, growing louder, sharper, like knives being sharpened in the darkness. Zayn looked at me with narrowed eyes, Bima clenched his fists again, Vina crossed her arms with a cold gaze, Anya shook her head slowly from behind her thin veil. Even Sinta, who was usually chatty, only bowed her head, her hands gripping her woven bag tightly. Lira and Selena looked at each other, eyes full of doubt. Dion let out a long breath, but said nothing. Rian looked around as if searching for a gap, but eventually gave up too.
I stood on the container, cold sweat flowing more heavily, hands trembling uncontrollably. I couldn't say anything at all. I could only stand silent, listening to the accusations piling up like bricks I myself had built but which now collapsed on top of me.
Aulia stepped forward, her hand outstretched trying to calm everyone. "Everyone… please, please calm down. Don't jump to conclusions too soon… we have to really think about this carefully."
But no one cared. The whispers continued, growing louder, sharper, like knives being sharpened in the darkness. Zayn looked at me with narrowed eyes, Bima clenched his fists again, Vina crossed her arms with a cold gaze, Anya shook her head slowly from behind her thin veil. Even Sinta, who was usually chatty, only bowed her head, her hands gripping her woven bag tightly. Lira and Selena looked at each other, eyes full of doubt. Dion let out a long breath, but said nothing. Rian looked around as if searching for a gap, but eventually gave up too.
I stood on the container, cold sweat flowing more heavily, hands trembling uncontrollably. I couldn't say anything at all. I could only stand silent, listening to the accusations piling up like bricks I myself had built but which now collapsed on top of me.
Suddenly the speaker on the wall blared. MonoGaru's voice sounded loud.
"Puh huh huh~ The investigation time has ended, my dear students! Now you will be asked to carry out the Class Trial!"
The MonoWatches on all our wrists lit up at the same time. The small screens displayed a map of the island with a glowing red path leading to the Main Building, exactly to the third floor.
We had no choice. So everyone moved, leaving Yusuf's body behind, with heavy feet heading toward the main hall. Whispers continued to be heard in front of me, clearer, more painful.
"…so the last one at the warehouse was Reno, right?"
"…he was the one who made that lever…"
"…only he has the safety pin… if he removed the pin, the container could have fallen…"
"…Lira said she saw Reno coming from the warehouse direction, not from the dorm…"
"…those wet shoe prints… the size is big… like a man's…"
"…he was the one who found this hidden room… no one knew about it before…"
"…he saved them last night… but who knows if that was just acting to cover his motive…"
"…maybe he was the one who killed Yusuf… hoping everyone would believe him because he had saved people before…"
Each whisper felt like a needle slowly piercing, entering the ears, then the heart. I stood silent, cold sweat dripping from my forehead to my cheeks, hands trembling uncontrollably. I wanted to speak, wanted to deny, but my mouth was locked tight, words trapped in my throat. I could only look at the floor, seeing my own shadow that looked small among all of them.
Aulia stepped forward, her hand outstretched trying to calm everyone. "Everyone… please, please calm down. Don't jump to conclusions too soon… we have to really think about this carefully."
But no one cared. The whispers continued, growing louder, sharper, like knives being sharpened in the darkness.
I walked at the very back, head bowed, listening to all those mutterings like needles slowly piercing. I looked at my own hands that were starting to tremble, the white bandages there already dirty with blood and dust.
Old memories slammed back like a small tsunami: the ruins of the building I built but which collapsed because of an earthquake, the people who once trusted me now blaming me, their eyes full of disappointment and anger, their words like needles.
"You're the one who made the building collapse!"
"Murderer!"
"I'm disappointed I trusted you!"
Their trust disappeared, and I was considered a murderer. And now… the same thing was happening again.
We arrived at the third floor. Standing in front of the large door with the unique mechanism that I had once said would open "at the right time." We stopped in front of it, breaths held.
Suddenly the door opened with a horrifying soft creak. Bright light blinded our eyes like a small explosion, making us all close our eyes for a moment. When our eyes opened again, the Class Trial room stretched out before us.
The room was vast and grand, with the atmosphere of a luxurious kingdom long abandoned but still radiating an aura of arrogance. The black-and-white marble floor was striped like a giant chessboard. The white marble walls were decorated with gold and silver carvings of dragon and ancient bird motifs that gleamed faintly under the large crystal chandeliers hanging from the high ceiling. The ceiling itself was like a royal dome, decorated with faded paintings of a night sky full of stars and a crescent moon, but cracked in several places like a symbol of destruction deliberately left behind.
In the center of the room stood a large circular podium made of shiny black stone, surrounded by sixteen small podiums arranged in a circle with our names engraved on them in gleaming golden letters. Behind the main podium was a large king's chair made of intricately carved black wood with a tall backrest towering like a throne, and there MonoGaru was already sitting, its small legs swinging, its torn wings fluttering gently, its red eyes glowing with delight.
"Wuahaha~ Welcome to the first Class Trial! Please stand at the podium with your respective names~!"
We walked slowly, our steps heavy like people heading to the gallows. I walked at the very back, my eyes fixed on Aulia who was walking on the other side. She turned for a moment, her eyes full of anxiety but with a small light inside them. She whispered softly, almost inaudible in the silence of the room.
"Reno… I believe in you."
I gave a slow nod, my heart feeling warm for a moment even though the cold of the room still pierced my bones. I reached my podium, next to Adi and Anya. Adi patted my shoulder gently, his voice low but firm.
"You have to be strong, Reno. If you keep staring blankly and staying silent, you'll be cornered even more. Believe in yourself, for now."
He turned, his face serious as he looked at everyone at their respective podiums. His voice rose, firm and full of determination like someone used to leading amid chaos.
"Most likely the killer is among everyone in this room. Even though I myself don't want to believe it. But I want to believe in Reno. I want to believe in the voice of my heart that has guided me until now. We won't let MonoGaru win. We will find the truth—together."
The room fell silent for a moment, then MonoGaru laughed softly from its king's chair, its voice echoing in the luxurious hall.
"Wah wah wah~ Such wonderful spirit! Okay, okay, with this… the Class Trial… officially begins~!"
The crystal chandeliers on the ceiling lit up brighter, golden light filling the room like a stage ready for the final drama. Our podiums lit up with our names in golden letters, and in the center, a large circle with a blinking red symbol like a gladiator arena waiting for a bloody battle.
I stood at my podium, hands trembling, heart pounding hard. I knew—this was no longer about escaping. This was about life or death. And I… I might become the first blackened to be judged.