Wednesday.

I stayed sitting at the rooftop to spend the night. It was chilly, but the cold never bothered me. Because I could clearly see the moon, a light source that God created. It was also relaxing, despite the harsh cold weather. As I remember, it's still autumn, where red-orange, orange, and yellow-orange leaves started to fall. It is that time of the year where it's windier and colder than usual. It can't be helped, can it? After all, this is a place where 4 seasons occur.

Am I actually reminiscing everything that I have learned as a demon in disguise?! I'm surprised at myself!

As thoughts keep circling back and forth in my head, the sun started to rise without notice. Ah, I still have school today. What a bummer. I wish I wouldn't attend school anymore. That damn Patricia and Johnny wanted me to be there. I wonder why though.

I shouldn't waste my time like this. I should get going before this sun just starting to rise will become the sun starting to set.

I levitated my way through the bedroom window, flawlessly entering it. I can get used to this.

I traveled my way to my parents' room, currently occupied by a sick Zan. I face the door with no sign of hesitance. I barged in without knocking like it's my own room. "Hey Zan." I called out.

Zan jolted. He was instantly woken up by my voice. He immediately sat up soon after he jolted, looking like he was just in a nightmare. His sweat is covering him like waterfalls. Is he ok, I wonder? Is this normal for a human, I wonder? That's the third gross thing I've ever encountered from being a human. One is the suspicious looking long yellow fruit called banana, another is when tears fall from the eyes, and now this-- I can't explain it.

"What's wrong, Celeste?!" Zan asked with extreme panic and fear. Is it fear for my life or his? I shouldn't get arrogant now. Of course he's worried about his life more than mine.

"N-nothing. H-how are you?" I awkwardly stuttered to make a meaningful conversation out of this. His waking will just be a waste if I don't make a reasonable excuse out of this.

"Ah..." He hung his head. I'm glad that he calmed down. "To be honest, I'm quite grateful that you suddenly barged in. For me, it was a way to wake me up. I...have this nightmare, you know." He meekly responded. It's hard to determine if this is usual or not.

"What about it?" I asked, not moving from my place.

"Well...." He stared into space. I don't know why but my thoughts are telling me that the only reason why he's wasting his time in this is because he is hesitant on whether or not he will tell me. Is it that hard for him to tell me?

"You know what, never mind. You're wasting my time staring into space like that. I'll go get ready for school. You should rest some more." I decided to let him be alone for a while with a statement that sounds convincing.

•

Before Class.

I passed by the guard, ignoring his existence completely. I went straight to my locker, without looking at anything else.

As I make my way to the classroom, I hear voices from inside. I was hesitant at first whether or not I listen. But I followed what my guts told me and listened to it anyway. I cautiously placed my left ear on the door and started to carefully listen to the conversation.

"Do you think she'll know?"
"Of course not! That dumb bitch is one step behind. She's left in the dark and there's no way she can get out of it!"
"How can you say that?"
"Because her broad knowledge about the people she thinks are involved in this case actually contradicts to the limited knowledge of the case itself. That is our main plan. Unfortunately, that is also our weakest spot. If ever she knows the answer since we are quite unsure on what she knows yet, that would surely be a problem. But don't worry. I'll make sure she doesn't."

At that point, I think the conversation is done so I entered the classroom like usual, like I just entered the classroom, not hearing a word they said.

"Antoinette Clarice." I mumbled as I put my things on my desk. It wouldn't be a surprise that she replied.

"Yes?" She says with a carefree and laid-back tone.

"I wish to reopen the Murder Case, the case of which two students in Class A School have died." I proposed. "Let us start this debate on who the killer is."

"Now that's more like it." Her lips curled into a wide smirk, eager to join in the fun. But the one beside her seems to feel the opposite. Judging by her actions alone prove that my assumptions are correct. "I have accepted your offer. Let us begin." AC continued, standing from her seat.

"Now then," I started. "If I recall, you two are the only ones who saw the bodies. You were the first ones to discover the bodies."

"That is correct." AC immediately answered, confident about her "carefully" laid out plan.

"Also, you said that the body is sacked, blindfolded, smelly and bloody, correct?" I continued.

"That is also correct." AC answered with the same attitude before.

"May I ask what time did you come yesterday?" I continued on, with the same confident expression on my face. Not as conceited as AC's, but a more relaxed one since I know the truth.

"Very well. We arrived at 5 o'clock." AC answered with a solemn expression. Her conceited expression from earlier has quickly faded away. What a scene!

"5 o'clock is truly early. So early that no other person should be present other than you two, is that correct?" Either way, I decided not to mind it and continue on.

"That is correct." AC is back to her confident self. I wonder what she will do now.

"Hm... The guard is impossibly that early too. I wonder who let you in."

"What do you mean?" AC immediately reacted, glaring at me as she did.

"Judging from the unresponsive guard the time I just entered this school earlier, it seems like he had just entered too, like a minute or 5 earlier than me. This gives me a clue about the guard's schedule."

"And what is that?" AC glared at me harder.

"It seems that the guard was not present at around 5. His usual time is between 5:30 and 6. Since I just encountered him earlier, which is around 6. Is that correct?"

"Huh?! What do you mean 'unresponsive'?! That doesn't make any sense!" AC shouted, slamming her hands on her desk in full force. "Maybe another person just took the position! Maybe the guard you passed by earlier was the original guard and he was absent yesterday!"

"Negative." I immediately replied. "I saw him yesterday, I know. I usually come here at 6, right? I always pass him by with the same unresponsive manner. And by dismissal, I still see him. But his eyes are what's bothering me. Every time I pass by, I can feel his glances toward me. It was useless information so I intend to not gather it but today's situation calls for it, no?" I smirked and cocked my head to the side. The feeling of victory is great! And what's more, it's the victory you get from trying to verbally attack your enemy with facts!

"If he comes at around 5:30-6 like you said, then explain why Lana and I are able to come in! Don't tell me that we entered the same way we entered yesterday." Her glare is glued to me. It has no intention of leaving me alone and go pierce someone else.

"Of course not!" I giggled. AC took a step back wearing a panicked expression. She's at lost for words, isn't she? "Because today, you entered around the same time I had."

"E-explain this at once!" She demands. I don't mind. At least she's being honest that a dumb bitch like her cannot understand a simple sentence like this.

"Don't you get it? You arrived at the time after the guard arrived and before I arrived."

"That means?" She asks, waiting for a possible answer that can break her once she knows.

"Yesterday and today times are different. If what you said about being here at 5, then who let you in? And what were you two doing here so early?"

"Tch. Ok, fine! The two of us arrived at 5:30. So what about it?!" She kept slamming her hands on the desk. I'm afraid the desk will break sooner or later, along with her throat.

"Oh, that changes everything." I said. "Not only was I able to witness you getting easily flustered over this, but the fact that at 5:30, that early, you said that you two heard a crash from upstairs while touring around the school. Well, that would make the time as 5:40 when you heard the crash. That would make it inconsistent, don't you think?"

"Oh?! And why is that?!" She started pounding her fists again. My, what a child. Stop getting flustered at every trivial thing.

"Because, the guard would've heard it and should rush upstairs too. Because, you gave in, saying that you arrived at school at 5:30, when there's already a guard that lets you in. Unless, it's either you didn't actually arrived later or you busted in. Either way, everything you say is just full of contradictions. Starting from the very beginning, all you said were pure lies." I explained.

"But, even if I lied about everything concerning our statements, what does that prove? You know oh so well that I'm not the true culprit here, don't you?" She confidently stated. It was true, however. She's not the culprit, I know that so well. In other words, I wasted my time trying to argue my way out of her useless statements.

I sighed before I can continue. AC visibly raised her brow in confusion. Is she underestimating me? I thought she was just on the right track. "You want me to cut to the chase, don't you? Very well. It was Adam."

AC, unexpectedly, doubled over. I couldn't quite see her face and expression if she was doubling over in defeat or whatnot. "Hehe..." She quietly mumbled creepily. "You were caught right where I want you."

I furrowed my eyebrows in denial. She tricked me? How can a normal human trick a high-standard demon? "H-how..." I stuttered, still in denial. Maybe she's just lying again, maybe it's really Adam.

"Simply put, how does Adam connect to this case? There is no way that there's proof that Adam has been here, or rather, killed two students." She told me professionally. I don't know if she's used to it.

"Well, I know it's not you since you don't know who the victims are." I calmly responded.

"What?! Aren't they the ones who are taking advantage of Cervi?" She acts surprised.

"How do you say so when one body is blindfolded and sacked, plus being covered in the curtains?" I asked.

"Hmph. Fine, I'll tell you the truth. I am merely an accomplice." She started.

"I already know that." I rudely interrupted.

"Shut up!" She shouted, a bit annoyed. She cleared her throat before continuing professionally. "Anyway, I couldn't have known what the murderer was thinking. They just told me that I should push this button once someone entered the room to investigate. They told me what statement I should give and everything else. Basically, I'm a puppet."

"Oh, don't you know that you're actually a victim yourself?" I tilted my head, wondering.

"How come?" She did the same, mirroring my actions.

"Because he betrayed you." I bluntly put it. Though I may have stated it subtly.

"Yeah. I know." She quickly replied. "Even an imbecile knows that."

"Hmm.." I put my hand on my chin. "I guess we're on the same page then. Feeling betrayed, don't you think it's right to also betray him?"

"Not really. In the contrary though... Because I don't mind. You are the prime victim anyway." She calmly stated while slightly turning away. It seems that she's honest about this.

"I see... The murderer targeted me. Every evidence points to Adam. Tell me the reason why Adam isn't involved." I'm still not convinced that Adam isn't involved in this case.

"If he is, what is his reason for killing? Not only that, but knowing Adam, your sworn mortal enemy for quite some time, you know that his method of killings are not this brutal. There's no way he could've done it." AC calmly explained. Hearing her statement, I was immediately convinced. She has a valid reason for it anyway. With my knowledge about Adam, I can agree to her as well. And her actions seem like she's not lying...compared to the other statements she had said. She's not confident nor flustered.

Shit, I'm in a pinch. I only have Adam as a suspect. Other than him, I can't think of any other suspect.

"You're in a pinch? Great, great. This looks like that it's my win, right?" AC proudly smirked, puffing her chest out.

Hmm... Am I missing something? If I am, then what is it? I thought this is an easy case. I thought I already know who the culprit is. Why am I not reaching an answer now? What am I missing?

In the middle of a dead silence, we suddenly heard a faint voice from outside.

"Alright. On three; one, two, THREE!"

After that, 3 people came inside, slamming the door open. We were surprised at their sudden grand entrance. Looks like time has stopped when they entered. Our debate on who the killer is instantly stopped when they entered. The two bodies are stacked on each other while one body is still standing still on the doorway.

"What's with you guys? The door is open." I bluntly told them.

"Open? Seriously?" Carol dryly stared at me with his dry voice. He was on top of Cervi.

"Hm?" I walked towards the now broken door and examined the doorknob. Weird. Why is it locked? I'm pretty sure it wasn't locked when I entered. "That's weird..." I mumbled to myself, hoping that nobody heard it.

"Hey, what the hell?!" Kanae complained from the doorway. "What were you three doing?"

"Debate." I non-hesitantly answered. "Oh right, you're also involved in here, right? I forgot. You're late."

"Debate? Debate about what?" Carol slowly stood up. He made sure that he doesn't hurt Cervi.

"Oh, shut your mouth. The adults are talking." I replied. I was able to shut him up though.

"I'm telling you this now. I don't know if you've reached this or not but what you're thinking as the prime suspect is wrong. It's not him. It's true that evidences point at him but that's what the trap is. And the only reason to tell them apart was the true murderer's mistake." Kanae explained. Well, I'm surprised that he busted in at the right time.

"Actually, what a great timing you had! We were just discussing about that matter now." I smiled, praising him. Hm? That's weird. Did I just praise him directly? Ugh...

"I already know who the murderer is but I don't know his motives." Kanae puts his hand on his chin, thinking about it deeply. I guess he was really willing to cooperate. If he didn't, then that order he just gave me was meaningless. Why is he this desperate?

"Hmm.... Is that so? Come on, share us what you have learned." I suggested.

"Sure." He immediately obliges. "Well, first things first, Adam wasn't the one who possibly killed the two students because if he did, then the guard wouldn't let him in no matter what, right?"

"Well..." I interrupted.

"What's wrong?" He quickly asked.

I then faced Cervi, thinking about him. I wanted to talk to him but something in me doesn't want to. That's why I was ended with just staring at him in the distance.

"Aha!" Kanae snapped his fingers and pointed at Cervi. "I almost forgot that he's your father, isn't that right? If he declared that you're his father, then he should've came in easily!"

"Hm... That's wrong." AC quietly protested. "There's no way that he could've easily granted access in this school. He's a new face. As a guard, it's hard to say that he's telling the truth, don't you think? Also, it's suspicious for a man in a dirty trench coat with his face almost covered to just suddenly want to enter the school and say that it's someone's parent."

"That's what I was about to say. That's why Adam wouldn't be a suspect." Kanae sided with AC. I thought he was on my side!

"Then who do you think it is?" I asked, still convinced about their statements that Adam isn't the true culprit. "You said you know but you don't know what his motives are, right?"

"Right... I'd say it was a person we don't interact that much. Since if we did, we'd absolutely accuse him right away, right?" He explained.

"I'm directly asking you who it is!" I demanded, not in the mood for subtle hints that I could've solved easily.

"It was Cervi." Kanae immediately responded.

AC snorted and I furrowed my eyebrows. There's no more other actions that can tell him that his guess was absolutely wrong. And he even made my hopes rise up.

I managed to catch him smirking as he glances at AC. "Just kidding." He whispered. I was able to faintly hear it and make out the words by watching his mouth. "It was the guard, wasn't it?"

AC jolted back, clicking her tongue. "I-I don't know." She turned away. Judging from her actions, it seems that Kanae was correct this time.

"You're really a bad actress, you know that? You're too easy to read. Well? We solved who the killer is, right? Mind explaining it to us?" Kanae sighed. I guess he was bored on how AC reacts towards everything he's saying.

"Hmph. Shut up." AC clicked her tongue in annoyance. "If you say that he's really the killer, then tell me everything about what you know. Just until then will I tell you everything I know."

"Well... If we're discussing about a total stranger that we see everyday, then is it ok if these two can join in?" He pointed with his thumb at Carol and Cervi, who's completely silent while we're arguing.

"Hmph. If you can squeeze some informations from them then whatever. It can make things more interesting anyway." AC crossed her arms while still turning her eyes away.

"Does the guard look suspicious?" He proceeded to ask, not confirming AC's decision any further.

"Not at all. I only know his time of arriving. I have concluded that when he just arrived, he is unresponsive." I shared what I know. My job here is done now.

"Is that so?" Kanae faced me, turning his whole body.

"Yeah. Oh right, you're usually late so the guard might act different." I realised.

"I don't know what time he usually arrives so I just arrived early yesterday to try and confirm it. But it's still the same. He acts the same. But, this time, he was truly unresponsive. Isn't that right, Carol? Cervi?"

"Now that you mention about it, that's right." Carol reminisced as he faced Cervi.

"How can you even tell? You've been saying nothing but crap, you know that?" AC protested. Maybe it's really hard to tell from just that alone. That's why I prepared my answer so obviously.

"Can't you even see? Geez, even a worthless imbecile like you can see this, duh!" I sassed. She was about to talk back but I showed her my boots. "Do you even notice the fact that I don't wear my school shoes?"

"Gh... Th-that doesn't prove anything! The guard just don't care about appearances!" She desperately tried to hide the fact.

"If that is true, then why does Kanae always look decent inside the school?" I raised a brow.

"Yeah, she's right. Every time I try to look my usual self, the guard will start his never-ending lectures. Ever since then, I started to dress decent." He said in a slight embarrassed tone.

"But even so, you still look indecent whenever you're not in school." I commented.

He blushed in retaliation. How weird.

"Hey, don't tell me you two are--" AC stared at us suspiciously.

"Ah, to be honest, we--" I was immediately cut off by a guy who covered my mouth.

"Suspicious...." AC stared at us dead in the eyes. "So, we say your statements are correct. What does that prove?"

"Nobody but the guard has access to the school." I happily stated, as if I solved this case a step closer.

"That means, no one else can be the culprit except for the guard." Kanae happily stated too, stepping forward farther.

"Tch. Curses. You suspect someone who's a total stranger. You don't even know his motive!" AC arrogantly put it, crossing her arms as if to indirectly tell us that we're still very far from answering this case correctly.

"It's true that we don't know his motive and identity but we can reenact the scene from the very beginning." I confidently stated, signalling Kanae to start. At first he didn't understand, but as soon as I glared at him, he put up a carefree smile and proceeded to exit. "Follow me." I told them. "I also need you two." I bluntly told the two outsiders who absolutely have nothing to do with this case.

------
Around the time where no one was in school, the guard, whose name is unknown, contacted AC and Lana. He dragged the two with him in his plan. Little do the two know that they are being used. They only noticed it when it's near the end.

He told the two gals to help him kill two students. The reasons and motives are unknown and whether those persons were killed intentionally or randomly. Either way, they were killed brutally.

One body was hanging on the ceiling next to the door of the Year 10 room while the other body is transferred to another container, may it be a casket or garbage disposal, and its place was occupied by a skeleton instead. That skeleton is not the other body of the other student though. The guard implanted a bomb in the wrapped/sacked skeleton that looks like a body and told the statements that the girls are going to say when questioned. The two obliged and so, went on their own lives while the guard returns to his own home. It is most likely that the murder was committed at nighttime so the guard wouldn't be suspicious as he carries on to his daily routine.

Of course, school rules being school rules is that: the guard is the only one that has access to the school at morning. And how did two students have access to the school? Simple, because the guard is their ally.
------

"... Well, you got us." AC easily gave up. "It's not like I can talk back after that convincing conclusion. Well, all we have to do is to fill those unknown informations, right?"

"NO!" A small mouse finally decided to scream. It was a high-pitched scream that I doubt any human would've heard except for AC. She was so silent and clingy to AC that I forgot she even exists. "OBJECTION!" She continued with the same pitch and tone. My, how annoying. "It ain't t' guard I tell ya! It were someone else, ya! Want proof? Someone could've killed ze guard and someone else took 'is place! Your conclusion is too weak, ya! Tell me more!" Who could've known that when she panics, she turns into a country-french girl all of a sudden?

I sighed as I lazily pointed at her. "If you talk like that, it will only make you look like the killer." I explained with a bored expression. It was supposed to be a joke but she suddenly turned silent. I can't help but list her down as the number 1 in the suspect list.

"Sh-sh-she figured us out...." AC stuttered with almost a faint voice. "DAMN YOU LANA, I'LL REALLY TEAR THAT BLOODY USELESS MOUTH YOU HAVE!!!" She threatened as she shook the dead (in an inside manner) Lana over and over.

When she was finally been shaken into reality, she slapped AC's hands out of her shoulder and glared at her. Now this is an unusual scene. This is worth watching. "Shut up." She threatened in a low voice. Now she's changing her accent again? How interesting. "You've done nothing all day but complain and you didn't think of me as a human being! Damn it all, alright?! I quit!" She bravely announced. It was enough to leave AC in a trance. "AUDEN, you have that thing that can stop our aura right? Shoot us. SHOOT US RIGHT HERE RIGHT NOW!"

As soon as she finished her speech, I shot them both in the heart. I could've shot earlier but she was still having her speech so it was kind of like it's out of respect.

"That gun...is Eskar's, right?" Kanae examined the gun carefully. "Woah, how cool, Missy! I thought you and Eskar are enemies!" His eyes sparkled in delight.

"Ah, no. Kunai just gave me this because she made me bullets that can stop their aura. But I didn't think that it will knock them unconscious first." I glanced at the two lifeless bodies who were once my enemies.

"Well of course. That's common sense, isn't it, Missy? When a human gets shot in the heart, no matter what the bullet is, it will knock them unconscious if ever it will make contact to it. Basic science." He proudly said as he titled his head with a proud and conceited smile.

"Hmph. I guess you're right." I weakly smiled, trying hard not to let it be seen in his line of sight. I don't know why I smiled though. Sigh. I can't just really understand my own feelings, do I?

"Missy, what are you sighing for? You defeated your two enemies! Smile, smile!" He laughed as he moved his fingers on my lips upwards to create a smile.

I slapped his hands away, thinking about my victory. Is it really called a victory? Well, that fight was useless.

"Marvellous!" I heard a voice not far away. He was sincerely clapping. He's not embarrassed that he's the only one doing it but as he clapped and tried giving me an applause, he was also walking towards me. He paused for a while, looking at me in the eye while still having that relaxing smile. "You won." He said, again with the shoving of red roses on my face.

I giggled in reply as I took it by the hand. "Thanks." I said with a chuckle and a warm bright smile.

"Don't go flirting in front of us please." Kanae bluntly told us as he took a step back while wearing a disgusted face.

"You didn't change at all, Celeste..." I heard a warm voice that I'm unable to hear and is pained to not hear it, even if it's just a short time.

"So did you, Cervi..." I smiled with a single tear coming from my eye. Subconsciously, I dashed to him while he was still welcoming a warm hug. I don't feel cold and distant anymore. The void in my heart has been filled again. But it's not enough. I know for sure that one more thing can fill it...

I removed the hug and immediately called a certain someone, because I have been indulged in utter happiness right now. I can't think of anything else. I felt like my mind is blank from all the bliss that it's feeling.

"Sorry for not contacting you sooner...... Joan."