It all looked familiar, but at the same time, completely new. She knew she'd seen it at least once before, yet she was certain she didn't visit this place very often. Narrowed purple eyes scanned the room, analyzing her surroundings. On her left were many shelves of CDs, and on her right were two large windows with deep blue curtains. However, in the center of it all was something she absolutely could not take her eyes off of.

Is that… a grand piano!?

She hastily made her way to the seat, almost slipping on the sheet music strewn all over the floor in the process. She smoothed out her skirt and straightened her back. Kaede grinned, hands poised and ready to play, when she was hit by a realization.

My lab… I'm in my lab.

Her face fell, but her hands still hovered above the piano keys. The only reason she even had a lab was that killing game. She had a space where she could play for days on end because she was thrust into a barbaric game of survival.

Harsh memories flooded into her mind: waking up in that locker, encountering some two-toned, death-obsessed bear and his cubs, overwhelming hatred for the mastermind and the drive to kill whoever that even was. From all that, there was one memory that stood out to her.

She and the other participants had found an underground tunnel, one that they desperately hoped lead to an exit. While she did remember the exhaustion and hopelessness, she couldn't recall any of their names or faces. What she also didn't understand was why she was suddenly sweating.

Why she felt like something was missing.

No, not something, someone.

She paused, unsure of whether or not to continue that thought.

That might just... make my head hurt. I-I should just… calm down, play some piano, and it'll work itself out. I'm sure something will come to me if I do that.

But she couldn't.

Her fingertips wouldn't press themselves onto the keys like they used to do so effortlessly.

Her brain, her thoughts, her feelings, her body…

They all froze.

Her mind was foggy, she couldn't concentrate, her muscle memory wouldn't kick in when she needed it most. She tried willing herself to play, but nothing happened.

Maybe I shouldn't play the piano. Kaede forced those silent words through her lips and stood, slowly approaching one of the windows. She stopped when her toes barely touched a bookcase beneath the glass and stared ahead, pondering over the lost memory.

The memory that felt so important, that made her feel incomplete without it.

Made her feel so damned lost.

She closed her eyes, imagining herself reaching into a pool and fishing out the missing piece. Every time she pulled her hand out, sparkling black water spilled out of her palm and not a hint of those names or faces became clear in her mind. It was like the answer was on the tip of her tongue, but slipped away as the water drained from her hand. She did this thirty times before she gave up. Her eyes opened and her shoulders slumped as she heaved out a sigh. When she turned left, wanting nothing more than to return to the piano, she noticed something off about the chalkboard. Under the section with what looked like the notes to a song, there were fifteen names with quotes next to each. Taking a few steps closer, her eyes widened as she silently read the message.

Tsumugi Shirogane. "I've never been poked from both sides like this. How truly unexpected."

Himiko Yumeno. "But… I'm officially called the Ultimate Magician."

Angie Yonaga. "Nyahahaha! How divine!"

Kirumi Tojo. "Please let me know if you require my service."

Ryoma Hoshi. "I'm nothing more than his empty shell."

Kaito Momota. "Luminary of the Stars!"

Gonta Gokuhara. "Becoming true gentleman Gonta's goal!"

Korekiyo Shinguuji. "Well of course it's fun. It is a study focused on humanity."

Miu Iruma. "I'm the gorgeous girl genius whose good looks and golden brain will go down in history!"

Maki Harukawa. "I don't look like someone who'd like kids, do I?"

Tenko Chabashira. "I don't like to be praised by degenerate males."

Kiibo. "I have a recording function. If you make any robophobic remarks, I will see you in court."

Kokichi Ouma. "Hey, do robots have dicks?"

Rantaro Amami. "I know I must have been some kind of Ultimate… I just don't remember."

Shuichi Saihara. "I'm not a real detective, Kaede. What kind of stupid detective is afraid of finding the truth?"

Without her realizing it, tears had started running down her cheeks. She re-read those names and quotes more times than she could count, and every time she did, the memory of everyone grew clearer and clearer. Their faces, clothes, and eventually their bodies formed crystal-clear images in her mind's eye. Soon enough, she could read each quote in each person's distinctive voice.

Now noticing how blurry her vision was, she wiped the tears from her eyes with a sad smile and looked out the window.

They're all worried about me, aren't they?

…

Wait. Worried? I'm in the academy, right? Why would they be-

She whipped around, facing the chalkboard in alarm. A name that used to be written in white chalk was now in bright, almost glossy pink ink, impossible to wipe off the board.

The name Rantaro Amami stood out more than anything else.

He's… dead, isn't he? His name is written in blood, but why did he die?

Then she remembered it all: the trap she'd laid without Shuichi's knowledge, seeing Rantaro's body at the back of the library, the investigation, the class trial.

Her execution.

Suddenly, she felt a ruthless squeezing sensation around her throat. Dropping to her knees, she grasped at her throat with both hands. Her mouth parted to gasp for air, but the horrible, familiar feeling stopped as quickly as it started. Silently panting, she shakily brought herself to a crouching position on one knee. She stayed that way until she was sure there was no danger, then stood up, facing the bloody name again. Unrelenting guilt settled in her stomach.

It's all my fault. I'm so sorry.

If she'd started the killing, did the others continue? Was there ever another case? If so, was the mastermind the target again, and were they eliminated? Were the others set free?

So many questions swirled around in her mind, and all of them went unanswered.

While she wasn't even sure it was possible, she desperately hoped that the rest of them made it out of the killing game alive. She hoped there weren't any more murders among them, that they revealed the mastermind together, that they all made it home safe and sound.

Who knows, maybe Shuichi's gained more confidence in himself, too.

A sad smile graced her lips. One of her regrets was not seeing Shuichi with any confidence. He always hid behind that hat, and while she did think he was attractive, she believed he'd be even more so if he just took it off and became more assertive. She knew if he ever went through with that, she wouldn't be around to see it firsthand.

Speaking of seeing people…

Kaede glanced around the room and her eyes landed on the door. She took her time as she walked towards it, not sure if it was real or an illusion. Slowly, she reached for the doorknob and turned it.

Locked.

… Locked?!

Alarmed, she jiggled the knob and banged on the door several times. If she could, she would've called out, but her voice failed her. There was no answer. She sighed through her nose, resting her forehead against the door, the barrier between her and her freedom. Hopelessness and a bit of despair began to seep in and cloud her mind.

It must be locked from the outside.

There wasn't much else she could do about being trapped in her lab, so with a new look of determination on her face, she slapped her own cheeks and whirled around, facing the piano.

There was one thing on her mind right now: her friends. They might be having a time of peace, they might have just discovered a body, they could be in the middle of a trial, an execution could be taking place, they could be going through anything. No matter what, how or where, she had to support them. Not only did this give her something to do while she waited for someone to unlock the door, it was also something she was passionate about and felt she had to do right away.

Kaede marched to the ever-so-welcoming piano seat and sat down with conviction. Stretching out her fingers in preparation, she quickly figured out which song to play first. She was no longer afraid to touch the keys for any reason. Her muscles did not tense up as she gave her fingertips a pointed look before gently lowering her hands to the keys.

The first note struck a chord within her heart and she began to smile, effortlessly hitting every note and closing her eyes.

She would always be there for her friends, whether it was directly or from a distance. The piano had always cheered her up, so she hoped her song reached them and made them smile too.