In Sector 1, in Lecture Hall 3, where the victim died, Luo Yan leaned near the deceased Erica Bennett, staring into her dead, empty eyes that had faded into an eerie white.
"Her skin has begun to pale more and more due to the blood loss. Witnessing such a criminal process right before my eyes is an immense honor... but it's terrifying," thought Luo Yan to herself, feeling a shiver, a chill, and awe every time her eyes met Erica's lifeless ones. Then, behind Erica's corpse in the corner of the room, Luo Yan noticed something strange—something shiny. She stood up and walked to the corner.
"Something's shining? Is it a coin?" Luo Yan thought in confusion and curiosity. As she got closer, she finally saw the white, shiny object—it was a piece of chalk.
"Chalk? Why didn't I sense it with Mana Sensitivity? That's strange," Luo Yan whispered to herself in confusion, kneeling to pick it up, but then paused, realizing something.
"This... this is mana chalk! Impossible!" said Luo Yan, gasping in surprise.
"That's why I didn't detect it... I can't believe this. Mana chalk is used to draw magic circles for conducting... rituals! Noah and Livia were right!" Luo Yan thought, then stood up without touching the chalk and walked out—but she stopped at Erica's corpse.
"Thank you. Your death wasn't in vain... Also, you proved that the theory about black people always dying first in horror movies is wrong. Your name will be remembered!" said Luo Yan, then hurried out to inform Livia of what she'd discovered. As soon as she left the room, the shadows twisted, and from them emerged something strange—a mask resembling an Oni.
———————
In Sector 6, Building 4, third floor, Room 201, after Noah closed the door, he kept looking at Calli as she pulled her shirt down off her shoulder, sliding it low enough to reveal the curve of her breasts in an attempt to seduce him. Noah slowly shut the door, staying silent and tense, and started walking toward Calli.
"A-Are we really going to do it? I-I can't believe this!" Calli thought, feeling a little dizzy and dazed from the tension and embarrassment.
Noah stood in front of Calli, silently staring at her. He had a good angle to see her chest, but he looked away in a fake shy tension.
"I could do it with her, and that would strengthen our relationship. She'd open up to me. But if we do it... she'll see a side of me I'm trying to hide. Instead of that... it's better to take it slow," Noah thought in tense silence. Then he leaned forward, placed his hands on her straps, and lifted them to cover her chest and put them back in place.
"Eh? N-Noah?" Calli said, flustered, embarrassed, and shocked.
"I-I'm... not that kind of person. I'm sorry," Noah said, glancing sideways with fake shyness and tension.
"A-Ah, I-I see... N-No need to apologize. I misunderstood, that's all. I-I should be the one apologizing. I'm sorry," Calli said, her voice apologetic and filled with guilt.
"Yeah, you should be. Everything I was trying to build would've been ruined just because you were horny," Noah thought coldly but kept smiling with false shyness as a mask.
"Maybe... we could just talk or do something else? What do you think?" Noah said, offering Calli an alternative. She sensed he was trying to avoid discussing what just happened and respected that.
"O-Okay... we can talk," Calli said nervously, twisting strands of her hair in anxiety.
"M-Maybe he just prefers innocent girls... a relationship that isn't just about the body, just about talking... Is he really that pure?... Maybe I should ask him if I get the chance," Calli thought anxiously, watching Noah with shy eyes. Even she didn't understand her mixed feelings toward him. Maybe love, or just fleeting admiration—or maybe she was confusing comfort and safety with love.
"I-I'll go get us something to drink," Calli said nervously as she stood and headed toward the bedroom.
"I need to steer the conversation toward something useful, not this nonsense. Seducing her helps me, but not entirely. Maybe I should bring the conversation back to Erica to appear... pure. Yeah, purity will do the trick," Noah thought. From his spot, he could hear the clinking of glasses and the drawers opening.
"...look pure, huh?" Noah thought to himself, then smiled faintly and headed toward the room Calli went into. He entered the room, eyes on the floor.
"Do you need help?" Noah said, slowly raising his eyes to the chaotic room before him.
"D-Don't! Don't come in!" Calli said, waving her hands to keep Noah from seeing inside—but it was too late.
The room was a mess. The two beds on either side were against the walls, and the floor was littered with clothes—fancy outfits, even underwear. Only scattered patches of floor were visible, just enough for Calli to walk without stepping on her or Erica's clothes.
"T-They're Erica's clothes. S-She always leaves her stuff lying around even though I warn her. It's not like I'm disorganized or messy," Calli said as she rushed to grab clothes off the floor and throw them into the closet, slamming it shut.
"They probably won't come out of there for years..." Noah thought with a faint smile, letting out a soft laugh that only made Calli feel more embarrassed.
"W-What are you laughing about? I bet your room looks just as bad or worse," Calli said with a small pout, her cheeks reddening.
"It's just... you look cute when you're flustered," Noah said with a light laugh, then paused and gave a charming smile.
"Screw you," Calli said, blushing deeply, then walked into a second room next to the bedroom that Noah hadn't noticed before.
It was a room with no door, clearly a kitchen—Noah could see an oven, a fridge, and some cabinets on the wall, though the space was too small for a table.
Noah followed Calli to the kitchen, stopping at the doorway as he saw her bent over a lower drawer, pulling out two glass cups.
"What kind of beer do you prefer?" said Calli shyly, opening the fridge.
"I don't drink alcohol," said Noah, a bit tense. Since their conversation began, this was the one thing he hadn't lied about.
"Oh, really? Then would you like some juice?" said Calli nervously and awkwardly, feeling like she was entertaining a child—but found that innocence cute.
"I mean... that's fine," Noah said gently and nervously, pretending to be sweet.
Calli smiled in response to what she saw as kindness and innocence. A few minutes later, in the living room, Noah sat on the couch holding a glass of what looked like lemon juice, while Calli sat across from him on another seat, sipping alcohol from a fancy glass.
"I didn't expect to find a university student who doesn't drink," Calli said teasingly, her cheeks slightly red from the alcohol.
"I'm really weak to it. I might get drunk from the first sip," Noah said with a teasing tone, smiling tensely.
"He really is... innocent. How adorable," Calli thought, resting her head on her palm as she looked at Noah with desire.
"I'm lying. The truth is, it's disgusting. The smell alone makes me want to throw up—especially what comes after. People lose awareness and get drunk off 'happiness.' That's not happiness. Rot and vomit aren't happiness. Being drunk is just an excuse for fights and blaming it on alcohol. I'd rather cut off my tongue than drink that animal piss!" Noah thought, watching the beer glass in Calli's hand, how the bubbles rose, how the disgusting smell filled the room.
"...It's funny to hate something without needing a reason."
———————
In Sector 1, in front of the university entrance, Luo Yan walked outside to find Livia. She reached the entrance but couldn't spot her anywhere in sight.
"Where the hell did she go? Don't tell me she left just because I said a few words?" Luo Yan thought anxiously, wondering if she had hurt Livia somehow, but she didn't regret it—she had to say it, or the annoyance would've continued. Luo Yan looked around, turning her head left and right searching for Livia, but didn't find her.
"...Maybe I should just go back—" Luo Yan whispered to herself in frustration when she suddenly felt someone tap her on the shoulder from behind, and her whole body flinched in fear and panic as she jumped back like a startled cat... only to find Livia standing behind her.
"Th-the fuck?! Next time, make a sound or something!!" Luo Yan snapped in irritation, pointing an accusatory finger at Livia.
"I'm sorry..." Livia whispered, her voice barely audible from how tense and anxious she was.
An "Oh" slipped out of Luo Yan's mouth, shocked by Livia's reaction.
"...Alright... if she's this weak, can't even handle a few words, then... I don't want a friend like that anymore, especially after what happened between us," Luo Yan thought to herself as she stared at Livia with eyes full of disappointment, then shook her head to refocus on the matter at hand and push away the thoughts clouding her mind.
"Anyway, I found something at the crime scene," Luo Yan said, steering the conversation back to its original path—or rather, her train of thought.
"W-What did you find?" Livia asked nervously, fiddling with her fingers in worry.
"Mana chalk!"
The moment the words left Luo Yan's mouth, Livia finally looked up with a glimmer of hope in her eyes. The presence of mana chalk meant the ritual theory was true.
"Let's go!"
A few minutes later, Luo Yan and Livia hurried toward Lecture Hall 3, and along the way, a few conversations sparked between them.
"Since mana chalk is made of mana itself, I couldn't detect it using mana sensitivity... the killer must've left it behind by mistake, hoping no one would ever find it since everyone relies on mana sensitivity. Your spiritual senses get stronger, sure, but you lose your regular vision because of the overload," Luo Yan explained to Livia, but Livia had a completely different take on it.
"...Maybe he left it on purpose... this killer is playing with us, treating us like we're just ordinary university students. I don't think he made a mistake—not with that kind of ego. He killed seven people without leaving a single clue that could lead to his identity... he's toying with us!" Livia thought to herself, heart full of anger and frustration. No one liked being played with—especially not Livia.
And then, they finally reached the room. Luo Yan pushed the door wide open as she stepped inside.
"Over here—" Luo Yan said, turning to look at the room... and froze. She was completely stunned. Livia looked around too, equally shocked. Her eyes widened in disbelief as the tension and fury inside her grew heavier.
Everything inside the room was in place. The windows were untouched. The door had been locked when they arrived. The only thing that had changed... was the body. Erika Bennett's corpse had completely vanished from the room—along with the pool of blood around it and any trace that a murder had ever happened here. And on the wall in front of them, written in red spray paint, were the words: "fools."
"N-No way..." Luo Yan muttered in shock as she slowly walked deeper into the room, then dropped to her knees. She was the one who had volunteered to guard the body, and now... it was gone. And it was clear who had taken it and cleaned up everything behind them—it was the killer himself.
"...Fuck!"