No one moved.
The locker room lights flickered once, then steadied weakly overhead. Dust drifted through the beams from Harris and Park's flashlights, turning the air hazy.
Dr. Sarah Lin stood in the doorway like she had been expected there all along.
Not frantic.
Not emotional.
Calm.
That was the part that felt wrong.
Harris stepped forward first.
"Dr. Lin, step away from the door."
She didn't move. Her gaze passed over Madison, who had curled into herself on the bench, then over the diary in Park's hand. Finally her eyes settled on me.
"You found it faster than I thought," she said quietly.
I said nothing.
Park asked, "You've been sending the messages."
"Yes."
"Why?"
Sarah tilted her head slightly.
"Because the police were asking the wrong questions."
Harris's voice hardened.
"Two students are dead."
"Three," Sarah corrected. "Lily."
Silence pressed down on the room.
Park said softly, "You think this is justice."
"I think it's truth."
Harris shook his head.
"No. Truth doesn't involve dead teenagers."
Sarah looked at him.
"No?"
Then she gestured toward the locker room.
"Tell me, Detective... how many children were hurt in this building before anyone cared?"
Harris didn't answer.
Park said quietly, "That's not your decision to make."
"No," Sarah replied calmly. "But it became mine when my sister stopped breathing."
The words settled in the room like dust.
Madison began crying again.
"You killed Olivia," she whispered.
Sarah didn't look at her.
"Yes."
Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.
Harris's jaw tightened.
"You're confessing to murder."
"Yes."
"And Emma?"
Sarah shook her head.
"Emma killed herself."
Madison gasped.
"That's not true!"
Sarah turned toward her slowly.
"You pushed her."
Madison froze.
Harris looked sharply at Madison.
"What?"
Madison shook her head violently.
"She's lying!"
Sarah's voice stayed calm.
"You were arguing. You told Emma the police found the video."
"Stop!"
"And Emma realized the game was over."
Harris stepped closer.
"Madison."
She looked at him helplessly.
"We were on the roof," she whispered.
Park's flashlight lowered slightly.
"What happened?"
Madison's voice trembled.
"Emma said Olivia ruined everything."
"And?"
"She said we should run."
"Run where?"
"I don't know!"
"What did you do?"
Madison swallowed hard.
"I told her it was too late."
Harris waited.
Madison's hands shook.
"She tried to climb down the fire ladder."
"And?"
Madison's voice broke.
"I grabbed her."
Park asked quietly, "To stop her?"
Madison shook her head slowly.
"I was angry."
Silence filled the locker room.
Madison looked down at her hands.
"I pushed her."
Harris exhaled slowly.
"That's manslaughter."
Madison started crying harder.
Sarah watched without expression.
"Two players gone," she said quietly.
Park turned toward her.
"You orchestrated this."
"No."
"You manipulated them."
"No."
"Then what did you do?"
Sarah looked at the diary again.
"I reminded them the game existed."
My phone vibrated.
Another message.
Even though Sarah stood right in front of us.
The screen lit up.
Final player.
My pulse slowed.
I showed the phone to Harris.
He frowned.
"You're texting him right now?"
Sarah shook her head.
"No."
Park stepped forward.
"Then who is?"
No one answered.
The phone vibrated again.
Another message appeared.
The referee can't play.
The words hung in the air.
Sarah's expression changed for the first time.
Confusion.
Just a flicker.
Park saw it too.
"You didn't send that."
"No."
Harris looked at the phone again.
"Then someone else is."
Madison's crying stopped suddenly.
She looked around the room, fear spreading across her face.
"No..."
Park asked, "What?"
Madison whispered,
"There were five of us."
The locker room went silent.
Harris said slowly, "What do you mean five?"
Madison looked at the floor.
"There was someone else that night."
My chest tightened.
The shadow in the video.
"Who?" Park asked.
Madison whispered a name.
"Daniel."
Harris frowned.
"Daniel who?"
"Daniel Reyes."
Recognition flashed across Park's face.
"Lily's lab partner."
Madison nodded weakly.
"He followed us."
"Why?"
"He was recording."
"Recording what?"
"The game."
My phone buzzed again.
Another message appeared.
She finally remembered.
Harris grabbed my phone.
"Where are you?"
He typed the question.
The reply came instantly.
Right behind you.
Harris spun.
So did Park.
So did I.
But the locker room door was empty.
Only darkness in the hallway.
Madison started shaking again.
"He was obsessed with Lily," she whispered. "Always watching. Always filming."
Park looked back at the duct in the ceiling.
Her flashlight moved slowly upward.
Then she froze.
"There."
Harris followed the beam.
At the edge of the ventilation opening—
A hand appeared.
Then a face.
Daniel Reyes crawled halfway out of the duct.
Thin.
Pale.
Smiling.
A phone in his hand.
Recording.
"Hello," he said softly.
Harris's voice hardened.
"Daniel, get down from there."
Daniel laughed.
"You finally figured it out."
Park said carefully, "Daniel, we need to talk."
"We've been talking."
He lifted his phone slightly.
"Through Ethan."
My stomach tightened.
"You've been sending the messages," I said.
Daniel nodded happily.
"Yes."
"Why?"
His smile widened.
"Because the game wasn't finished."
Harris's patience snapped.
"Enough. Get down."
Daniel tilted his head.
"Do you know what the best part is?"
No one answered.
He pointed toward Madison.
"She thinks she's the last player."
Madison screamed.
"Stop!"
Daniel's eyes sparkled.
"But she's wrong."
Park asked quietly,
"Why?"
Daniel looked at me.
"Because Ethan never told you the truth."
Every head in the room turned toward me.
Harris's voice dropped.
"What truth?"
Daniel grinned.
"The night Lily died..."
"...Ethan was here too."
