TORNED AMITY

DAVIEN'S POINT OF VIEW

I took Elena's advice. I filed an indefinite leave on my work and spent the days to hang loose and relax. But I returned after a few days as well. I guess being workaholic will never leave my system, it's embedded already on my DNA. I just can't stand the feeling that I'm lounging around, doing absolutely nothing while some people is need of my help.

But tonight, I feel so helpless and vulnerable. I feel so powerless and impuissant. All my efforts to find the culprit of the Ridley University students' killing are all futile. It's been almost a year, and yet all my effort to thwart those bastards have gone into waste. The investigation has no progress yet.

Am I still deserving with my title as a detective?

I shook my head. I shouldn't wallow in self-pity. That's the last thing that I should do in this forlorn juncture.

@349!8#5-3(8))34

I have wasted a lot of time to decode this set of characters, but all those endeavor are pointless.

My phone lights up. I open it, one of my colleagues sent me a message. I stared at the screen of my cellphone for a moment. My forehead creased, and with a trembling hands, I grab the paper where I typed the various symbols that Lauren sent me. I kept the paper alongside with the screen of my phone. For few moments, I just stare at them in silence.

My breathing hitched when realization dawned me. I finally figured it out. Those symbols and numbers corresponds a certain letter on a phone's keyboard!

I have a hunch that Lincoln mistyped his message because of agitation. I want to punch myself for getting the hang of it just now!

"Fuck! I knew it!"

I get a pen and another paper before I write down everything. My hands are literally shaking in suspense.

And when I finished it, my eyes widened in shock. My heart almost pumped out of my chest. Beads of sweat formed in my forehead as I read the words over and over again.

I can't believe it. This is beyond what I can fathom. How can this student commits such nefarious and atrocious crime?! What pushes them to do this?

My stupor was sundered with the continuous ringing of my phone. Luther's name appeared on the screen. Why is he calling me in the middle of the night?

Despite my confusion, I answer his call. "Luther, what is it?" I asked.

"Detective? Fuck! Thank heavens you answered!" I can hear his heavy breathing from the other line. The frowns on my forehead got worse. He sounds so nervous. "We have a huge problem!"

I heard the obfuscated noises of students on the other line. "W-What's the matter? Did something bad happen?" I asked while fixing my belongings on the table.

Luther sighed. "There was an explosion that happened earlier on the venue, and I have an intuition that the killers are affiliated with the said accident."

My eyebrows furrowed. "Why?"

"I've been searching for Lauren, but she's not here. And not just her, their entire class is missing."

I was stoned on my spot. I feel like my brain will explode in any moment will all that is happening.

"H-How?" The only words I was able to uttered.

Lauren sent me a message weeks ago. She told me that someone gave her a cryptic note. I finally understood what those words are trying to tell

As everyone gets adrift in the rhythm, when their souls dance in liquors and ecstasy, I will creep along the darkness. As the pale crescent moon glimmers like a silver claw, the scent of cruel fire will pervade the night. Before the sun cast a rosy hue across the morning sky, they will bite the dust and will be soaked in blood.

Again, I feel so pathetic and hollow. Those words on that epistle, rhythm, dance and liquors, they are talking about the damn prom! And if I'm not mistaken, the subsequent words are implying death.

They will kill those students. They will end everything tonight.

I close my eyes for a moment to gather my resolve. "Try to locate them, Luther. I will go there in a moment."

But I will do everything in my power to not let it happen. I just hope that it's not too late.

•••••

ALEXANDRIA'S POINT OF VIEW

"Alex! Wake up!"

I slowly open my eyes. The faint light coming from the bulb greeted me. I felt the painful throbbing of my head when I pulled myself up.

"Thank heavens you woke up!"

I turned my attention to the person next to me. "W-Where the hell are we?"

She shakes her head. "I-I don't know. I was sleepy a while ago because I have no decent sleep yet for almost a week. I took a nap, and when I woke up, we are already here."

My eyebrows furrowed. I take a look around, there are several boxes lying on the corner. I guess we're inside a storage room.

Earlier, I felt a strange sensation coursing through my body in the midst of the drive. For some unknown reasons, my eyelids felt so heavy.

I sighed. It seems like Claire is as clueless as I am.

"Where are the others?" I asked her.

"I don't know, okay? Can you stop asking questions and just shut your mouth?!"

I was startled with the sudden rise of her voice.

"W-What the hell is wrong with you?"

Her eyes widened. I saw how her eyes flickered anxiously.

She bows her head. "I-I'm sorry, Alex. I'm just burned out with all this mess. I can't function properly anymore. Sorry," she apologized with a sigh.

I just nod somberly and look around the room. I walked towards the door. I was about to open it when Claire yelled.

"It's locked!"

But I already twisted the knob. My forehead creased. I look at her in confusion. What is going on with her? She's acting weird.

"What do you mean it's locked? It literally opened."

She avoided my gaze. "I-I tried opening it earlier, but it didn't even badge. I don't  k-know why it o-opened now," she reasoned out, but the nervousness in her voice is very obvious.

Instead of having a hissy-fit with her, I chose to step outside the room. I heard her footsteps coming towards me.

I casted a wary glance around. I cringed when I felt the wind fondling against my skin.

"This place is creepy," Claire whispered.

I hummed as a response. The peeling wallpapers, ripped curtains and cobwebs on the ceiling makes the place indeed hair-rising.

"Do you happened to know this place?" I asked Claire.

"No."

We continue walking through the huge house. We stop in front of a two staircases.

I suddenly remember something. "Claire."

She arched a brow. "Yes?"

"Where is Summer? You told us that we're going to save her."

I saw how her face turned pale. Something is definitely not right.

She averted her gaze. "I-I know. I explained it to you already, didn't I? I have no idea where we are. This place is not the same where the killers imprisoned me either. I'm also wondering how did we get here and why are we here in the first place."

I look at her sternly, weighing if she's telling the truth. I know I shouldn't suspect her, but she is acting really strange.

Where are our other classmates? What's that weird sensation that I felt hours ago?

Claire let out a harsh laugh when she noticed my stares. "You're suspecting me." It wasn't a question but a statement.

I averted my gaze from her when I saw how her eyes pooled with tears.

"I just escaped from a traumatizing situation, and I immediately went to you all because I don't want anyone from our class to experience the same thing anymore. I didn't expect that I will just receive mistrust and suspicion in return. Wow, you're impossible."

Guilt strikes me. The way she uttered those words is suffocating me, it was laced with so much bitterness and resentment.

I heave out a sigh. "I'm sorry."

She turned her back. "Let's look for the others. It will be easier if we search for them separately," she said and climb up on the right stair.

I watch how she faded along with the darkness. I shook my head. "Damn, I should really guard my mouth sometimes," I chastised myself.

I shrugged my shoulders and climb through the left stair, its wooden structure creaking every time I take a step.

A deserted hallway greeted me. The only illumination of the place is the moonlight seeping through the broken windows. I can't see clearly. To make the situation worse, I'm starting to get uncomfortable and annoyed with the dress I'm wearing.

We're supposed to be enjoying tonight. But here we are instead, stuck in this wretched place.

I flinched when I heard a clatter from behind. I instinctively turn around.

"Amber? Ash? Ethan?"

Silence. The crickets and whipping of the air are the only sounds I perceived.

Shiver run down my spine when I felt a puff of breath on the back of my neck. I was about to scream, but a hand muffled my voice. Tears brimmed my eyes when that person pulled out a knife and point in right on my neck.

"Goodbye, Alex. I enjoyed playing with you."

The voice of this person is so familiar. My blood suddenly boils in agitation.

I close my eyes and calm myself. No, I will not die here without putting up a fight.

Gathering all the strength could muster, I strongly remove her stranglehold on me and throw her arms in mid-air. Her eyes widened, obviously surprise. I took advantage of the situation and hit her stomach using my elbow. After gaining a momentum, I kick her. She hurtled on the cold floor.

She winced in pain, but I didn't feel any remorse.

I laugh harshly. "I knew it," I said underneath my breath. "I know that there is something wrong with your sudden return."

I look at her with contempt. "Did you kill Samantha?"

She raises her head and looks at me. The intensity of her sharp stares is matching mine. "Yes, I killed her."

I swallowed a lump. I look at her with disbelief. "W-Why?"

"Why? You're asking me why I killed her?" She scoffed. "Stop acting like you don't know anything, you traitor! She took Clark away from me- the person who keeps me from moving! She flirted with him that's why he broke up with me. I was fucking devastated, Alex. My grades dropped and I failed because I couldn't focus on my studies anymore!"

She breathed deep before continuing. "But my miseries didn't end up on that. You know what's the worst? My parents started disowning me, they always reminded me how much of a disappointment I was. Everything in my life turned up side down because of what she did! I trusted her, I trusted the both of you! She deserves it! She deserves to die!"

Tears are dripping down from her eyes as she scream those words. I just watch her as she breaks down in front of me.

I shook my head. "I pity you. You are blinded with anger and desire for vengeance."

Clark Sullivan. The man who came in Claire's life disguised as a beautiful rainbow.

Samantha and I witnessed how Claire admire that bastard from afar. We saw how the prologue of their story began. Everything was doinv just fine- not until we discovered his secret. That man was a fucking sexual predator- and he almost had Claire as his next victim.

Claire was head over heels for that bastard, and telling her that his boyfriend was just toying with her feelings without any consummate evidence would just ruin everything.

Samantha tried to get close to him, with the sole purpose of finding any evidences that would support our allegations. Unfortunately, it seems like Claire mistook her actions.

She was stunned for seconds, she looks at me with confusion. "What are you saying?"

I shook my head. "You're pathetic and hopeless. Even if you and your cronies succeed on killing me... on killing us, you will forever live in despair, you are bound to live a lifeless and solitary life. And you know what will be the reason behind your misery?" I paused to let her taste every virulent words that I'm spitting. "Because you chose to turn a deaf ears."

She could not say anything. The blazing fury in her eyes seem to fade along with the night breeze.

I breathed deep. "Samantha never betrayed you, Claire. What she did back then was for your own sake. Trust me, she will never do anything that will hurt you."

"Liar," she uttered. "Stop lying to me!"

Without any warning, she raises her hand holding a knife and made a mad dash towards me. I defended myself and stop her hands on mid-air.

"I will kill you! I will fucking kill you!" she screamed furiously, the veins in her bulging.

I gritted my teeth. I grip on her hands tightly and twisted her arms behind her, causing the knife to fall. Wasting no time, I pick it up and point it on her with a trembling hand.

"Stop this already, Claire! P-Please, I'm begging you. Your vengeance will not take away your sorrow!" My voice cracked.

I saw how tears once again cascaded down her cheeks. Her knees fell on the ground. "All I wanted is to be love by someone unconditionally. Someone who would embrace all my flaws and imperfections. Someone who will stay even in my ugliest days. Because those are the things that I was deprived of! Is that too much too ask?!" Her pained voice shattered the silence of the night.

I smiled bitterly. "And she did. Samantha did," I whispered, but she probably didn't hear me because her cries drowned my voice.

With my trembling legs, I walk towards  her direction. I crouched down and wrap my arms around her shoulder. She suddenly tensed up and stops crying.

"Stop this, Claire. I will help you."

She looks at me. "Y-You will? Despite the things I've done?"

I wipe her tears away. "Of course, that's what friends are for, right?"

Slowly, a smile crept in her lips. My heart leaps when she returned my embrace.

With the faint gleam of the moon that serves as the only illumination of the place, we hug each other. I was happy, but that feeling immediately vanished- when I felt a searing pain on my back. I was petrified on my place. A bitter smile made its way on my lips.

Claire stabbed me using another knife. But she's not contented yet, little by little, she buried the knife on my flesh, aggravating the pain.

Her nails digs on the skin of my arms. She slowly detached herself from me. The heavens that I just witnessed on her eyes a while ago faded, I can only fathom the fire of hell as she stared at me with a wicked grin. "Do you seriously think that I will believe you? Do you really think I can still feel remorse? I planned the deaths of our classmates with them, and I'm willing to kill more just to satisfy myself."

"Y-You're a monster," I uttered weakly.

She grinned at me. "I am more than a monster, Alex. Darkness and death are now my friends. And you're one of the people who give rise to this devil."

I smiled and reach for her cheeks. The grin on her lips disappears. "You are indeed hopeless."

Without any preamble, I pierced the knife I'm holding on her chest. Her eyes widened and her grip on me slackened.

The wind ripples in cold despair. Silence hover between us. I felt an extreme pain overthrowing my body, eventually weakening me. And like a leave that falls off from its branch, my body collapsed on the cold ground with a loud thud.