During her lunch break, Alice met with Shun in the food court of her work building and handed him a stuffed lunch bag. "As a courtesy for coming to my house last minute, lunch is on me today. How nice that you don't classes today..."

"Finally, something in return after all the drinks I paid for."

While they both ate, Alice brought up her suggestion. "I really think I should tell the police what Lync told to me. The correctional staff won't report visitor conversations to the authorities. Some media outlets are also reaching out to me about Mira's death because of my past. Everything just gets worse and worse."

"We still don't know if Lync actually recovered from his attempted suicide. Joe hasn't told me anything, although it may not be important enough to reach his mom's inbox. Maybe—" The raven-haired student's phone received a call from Dan. "What now?"

"Uh...we have a huge problem."

"Details, please."

"Lync is dead."

Shun gasped and put his phone on speaker for Alice to listen in. "He was fine when I saw him last time."

"Chan said that Lync tried to kill himself after he spoke with Alice. Speaking of which, she wants to bring Alice in for interrogation. Anyway, I need to go. Chan doesn't know that I snuck out."

The radio host stared at the black phone screen and breathed heavily again. "With Lync gone, it'll be my words against...Hydron's, if he ever gets interrogated or stands for trial."

"Do you know how bad this could look for you if you do go with Chan for questioning? You already said that media wants commentary from you about Mira's death. They'll eventually ask you about Lync's death eventually too."

"But I can't be a bystander and let Hydron live life as if nothing happened." Alice then checked all the incoming messages from her coworkers. "Chan's here already. Runo and Julie told her that I'm at the food court. I'd better find Chan so she won't see you with me—"

Shun grabbed the radio host's hand before she left and asked softly, "What's wrong with that?"

Alice sighed and playfully pulled his hand on her and answered, "Can't be too careful. I'll be fine."

After following Chan to the police station, Alice found herself in the same interrogation from previous cases where she was a person of interest. Chan asked all the questions while Dan took notes. "Why did you visit Lync, Alice? We're all well aware that he stabbed all of you in the locker room murders three years ago."

"Lync previous told Doctor Brown, his supervising psychologist, that he wanted to see me. Doctor Brown relayed the message to her son Joe, who's a friend of mine, so I set up an appointment through the correctional staff. Even though he hurt me and my friends back then, I really wanted to know why he did that."

"But he ended up hurting himself."

"He did...and it might be due to something that I said."

"How so?"

"Lync revealed why he stabbed all of us. He said that Hydron told him my friends hated me and planned schemes behind my back. Then Lync tried to confess his feelings for me, but I rejected. Even if he regrets what he did, how do you expect me to accept that? Then he said that he knew I wouldn't reciprocate his feelings and then tried to snap his neck by throwing his head against the table edge while standing up. The security guards escorted me off the premises afterwards."

Although the brunet wrote everything word for word, he commented sheepishly, "I completely believe what you're saying, but since Lync didn't make it, it's your words against...nobody's."

"Not exactly," Chan interrupted. "We're still investigating Mira's death. Hydron is still at Bayview City Hospital for his rotations. But Dan's not wrong. Even though we have nothing against Hydron for the locker room murders—and that everyone believed Lync was responsible—we could still charge him for Mira's murder if he is truly responsible."

After a few more general questions, Chan and Dan completed the interview and escorted Alice outside. The redhead a replied to some unread messages from her colleagues and returned to the office studio immediately. I really need to keep my mind off things. I know I'm innocent, but the public doesn't...

"Alice, you're up for your next segment!" yelled Runo as she handed a stack of papers to the radio host. "Nene's your co-host today. She's already inside."

"Thanks."

The redhead entered recording room and set up her station. The office assistants listened to the segment while completing their own tasks. "Is it just me, or does Alice seem distracted?" Julie commented.

"She did just come back from the police station," the bluenette replied. "You'd think that it's nothing new by now, but still—"

"Good afternoon! I hope I'm not interrupting." Kato suddenly let himself inside and handed a white envelope to Runo. "We found this at the front reception. There's no return or recipient address, and it only says, 'To Alice'. Nobody knows who dropped it off. My colleagues are checking cameras as we speak."

"Oh boy... Thanks, Kato." Runo placed the envelope on Alice's desk just as the redhead returned. "You're done already?"

The Australian whispered to the bluenette, "Time flies when you're talking about suspicious items with people."

After Nene left, Alice answered, "We didn't get that many submissions for Q&A...not that I was completely focused, anyway. We ended the show early and have music playing until the next segment." She stared at the envelope that Runo was holding. "What's this?"

"Kato said someone dropped it off at the front reception. This looks like another prank letter."

The radio host cut open the envelope immediately and read the contents inside. "This can't be happening."

"What does it—hey! Slow down!"

Alice immediately rushed back to the recording room and locked the door like last time. She cancelled the on-air music and screamed into the microphone, "Is everyone listening to me right now? If you don't know who I am, then let me reintroduce myself. This is Alice Gehabich from 'AOA: Alice On-Air' again. I know everyone is still talking behind my back about how I miraculously survived a kidnapping and attempted murder, while the murderer himself just committed suicide. Then there are others who decide to dig up my past again after my comatose friend Mira died due to medical errors. Someone of you might even ask, 'Why work as a radio DJ if you're expected to be in the public's eye?' Well, I'm not working to be a celebrity and didn't ask you to expose my life to everyone. You know who you are."

With that said, she left the recording room, grabbed her phone, and exited the office studio without another word.

All the staff stared at each other in confusion until Runo dialed Dan's number and attempted to follow Alice. "You will not believe what just happened!"

Meanwhile, Julie reached out to Shun. "We need help! Alice just ranted about her life story on-air out of nowhere! Did you hear what she said this time?"

"No. I don't have classes today, so I wasn't listening. What triggered her this time?"

"Kato said that someone delivered a plain envelope that only says 'To Alice' to the front reception. Alice opened it, read the letter inside, and then stormed into the recording room. I don't know if this has anything to do with trolls and haters that were commented on her fanpage lately."

Alice said that Ace denied sending her the random-styled note from last time, so I don't think he would've sent the letter this time. "Did Alice leave again?"

"She did! Runo called Dan while following Alice outside. I don't know if the police can do anything because it's not comparable to the horrific packages in the past."

"I'll come right now." Shun hung up and made his way back to the alleys behind Alice's work building. "Alice, I know you're here somewhere. I don't want what happened last time to happen again."

"How can you be so sure?" The radio host appeared behind him with today's letter in her hands. "Read this."

"Everyone that's been keeping you on the edge in the past is gone. Life will be better, but not completely yet."

Shun paused for a minute to process the message in his mind. "You think Hydron sent this?"

"Who else could it be? Mira and Lync aren't here anymore. Maybe I've always been on the edge thinking about Mira's health, with occasional nightmares of seeing Lync stab us all again. If he wants to go that far back, then Shiori-san also gave me some anxiety because she also handled Lync's case at some point. What does 'not completely yet' mean? What else is he capable of?!"

"Listen to me. The letter mentions only the people in your past are gone. 'Not completely yet' means that there could more to come...maybe referring to people in your present?"

"In the present? But what did any of you do to offend him?! None of you know the exact details of my past—"

"Except me." The raven-haired student ripped up the letter, stuffed into Alice's bracelet hand, and pushed her fingers to close her fist. "Stop reading this useless letter and stop giving yourself anxiety. You told me everything about you because you trusted me, and I helped you to the best of my ability. If Hydron sees me as an obstacle to his ridiculous plan, then—"

"I can't let that happen." The radio host retracted her arm and inadvertently dropped the paper scraps all over the sidewalk. "You've already done so much for me, and I can't imagine how he'll exact vengeance on you. Leave now before something bad happens to you to."

This time, he grabbed both her wrists to stop her from another nervous breakdown. "Why are you still thinking about yourself and only yourself?! I admit—everything I initially did was for my mom because I couldn't let her work go unfinished. Then I met you, and the more I learned about what happened three years ago, the more I realized that none of this is a simple accident or misfortune anymore. You're the victim one left from the locker room murders. I know you hate being called a victim, but you don't have to anymore once this is over." Shun let go of Alice's other hand and gently pinched her bracelet hand's middle finger. "You're the reason why I persevere. Do the same for me?"

"I...aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhh!" Alice shoved Shun forcefully and ran off without another word.

Meanwhile, everyone from the office studio plus Dan just arrived at the back alley. "Shun, what happened?!"

"She ran off...again."

-x-x-x-x-x-

Alice rested her arms over the harbor railing and logged into a cloud storage website. She scrolled through old photos of herself with her friends and covered her mouth as tears flowed down her face. It still feels like only yesterday that we took these photos, yet I don't even store them locally on my phone. What does that say about me?

She found and played an old video of a music recital on campus that another classmate recorded for the five of them. Hydron and Lync briefly appeared in the background on separate occasions. Should I have stayed in Wardington instead? None of this would've became worse if I hadn't come here. Komba, Shadow, Lync, even Hydron...oh, what difference would it make? Wherever I go, I'll never escape the past.

Numerous calls and texts flooded her phone afterwards. As much I hate being in solitude, I want to be alone for once where no one and nothing will bother me.

After continuously rejecting every call, she paused at the sight of Shun's name on the screen. What am I supposed to do now?

Thick clouds later obstructed the blue sky. Even the weather isn't in my favor. The radio host stared ahead at the distant waters ahead of her. Here goes nothing. With her phone still in her hand, Alice wrapped her fingers around the top rail and pushed herself up to stand on the bottom rail. Then her phone vibrated again.

"I'm sorry," Shun texted.

Sorry about what? The radio host stepped down and waited for a follow up text, but nothing came through. Alice, stop giving yourself false hope!

"I mean it. I didn't mean to invade your life and push you to the edge."

I don't blame you anymore...

"Please come back to the radio station. Or at least tell me where you are."

The white clouds in the sky turned gray. Will it rain soon? I need to find shelter, but I don't want to go back...just yet. Alice replied, "I should be saying sorry. You don't need to worry about me anymore." This time, she shut down her phone and stepped on the bottom rail one more time, only to be pulled down by someone else. "Who is—"

"Are you seriously contemplating suicide?" asked Hydron. Before Alice could even response, he took out a white cloth and pressed it over her face. "I'm not letting you die that easily..."

-x-x-x-x-x-

"Alice just replied, but I don't understand what she's saying."

Shun displayed the text message for everyone to read. After long thought, Runo asked, "Why does it sound like she's going to solve problems her way instead of through the police?"

"Speaking of police," said Dan as he paused his own side phone call. "Chan just told me that Hydron's not scheduled for rotations today, so no one at the hospital has seen him. He's not answering the police's call attempts either."

"What does Hydron have to do with all this?" Julie asked.

"Because he's—" The brunet stared at his best friend, who shook his head. "You know...whether he's seen Alice or not lately."

The raven-haired student then received another text from Alice, only it wasn't her that sent it. "You need look at this. Someone's using Alice's phone to send me a picture of her tied up unconsciously somewhere." Then an incoming call from Alice's phone appeared on the screen. "Who is this?!"

"Do you honestly think you can save her from the past?"

"Hydron, what do you think you're doing?" Upon hearing Shun say the physician assistant student's name, Dan called Chan again. "We know you killed Mira by switching the saline drips. Why do that just now?"

"Shun Kazami, you clearly don't understand. Alice Gehabich is mine, and you can't change a thing about it. But it wouldn't hurt for you to come see her in person one last time before you'll never see either one of us again."

"Fine. Where are you?"

"A destination that your mom was never able to reach. You're coming alone."

After Shun hung up, everyone minus Dan exclaimed, "What if Hydron wants to kill you?!"

"I'm definitely not letting that happen. Hydron said that he's somewhere that my mom was supposed to go to, but never actually went. How am I supposed to know her whereabouts from the past? It's been so long already, and her files didn't mention anything."

"Shun, don't worry about that," reassured Dan while he was put on hold. "Chan will call her supervisors for permission to utilize SWAT team members for this mission. We'll track both Hydron and Alice's phone locations and trying to find their whereabouts using traffic and security cameras. Leave it to the professionals. Right now, all of you should go home or back to work. Chan might send people over for witness statements."

While the office staff went back upstairs, Shun returned to his motorcycle and entered the coordinates of a particular cemetery. Sorry, Dan. I already know where Hydron is and need to find Alice by myself.

-x-x-x-x-x-

After another bumpy car ride from the work building to an unknown location, Alice woke up some time later and found herself on the ground with hands tied behind her back to a tree behind her. The same scenario is happening again, except that I'm outside under a cloudy night and can barely see anything.

"Somebody's finally awake."

"Hydron?!" The radio host turned around saw the shadow of the physician assistant student towering over her. "Haven't you had enough?! Lync told me everything that you told him and then drove himself to suicide. You killed an innocent person!"

"Hah. Funny that you call him innocent after believing that he was worse than the devil during all these years." As Hydron squatted to speak with Alice at eye level, the latter backed up against the tree in terror. "The moment I saw you on campus for the first time, I knew I wasn't going to let you go that easily."

"What are you talking about?"

"You were so much more perfect compared to all your other four friends. Too bad our paths never crossed directly. Do you know how hard it was to get close to you or your friends? I have Taylor to thank for being the outgoing 'big sister' of your group and the only one interested in dating."

"So...you never liked Taylor to begin with? You played with her feelings and used to her to get close to me?"

"Did you honestly think that she liked me back? She probably wanted to date a popular smart guy at school for the publicity, and I couldn't care less for all the other girls that drool every time they see me."

"How does Lync play in all this? What did you tell him when you visited him?"

"We just reminisced about the past, nothing too complicated. He did appear from nowhere and left bad impressions with the five of you. Technically four, since you were the only one nice to him. Together with the camping trip that you all went to, all this this actually worked out in my favor, because I convinced him to believe that your friends needed to be eliminated so I could have you all for myself."

"Then why tell Lync to kill me?! He clearly didn't want to because I was genuinely nice to him!" And that's why he hesitated...

"I told him to stab you as a wakeup call, but also told him to take it slow so that that you would still be alive." The PA student leaned closer, leaving Alice with no more space behind her to retreat to. "And I would be the only person for you to lean on while grieving."

"You...disgust me!" Seeing that her feet were untied, the radio host kicked forward, but Hydron dodged and took out a pocketknife. "What are you doing with that?"

"There's only one solution to the mess that my oversight—"

"Drop that weapon immediately!" All eyes faced the direction of a flashlight that shone from nowhere. "Alice, are you okay?!"

"Shun! Hydron was going to kill me!"