Day 19

Soon the next morning arrived and as usual, the morning announcement played and woke me up after the approximate two hours or so of sleep I managed to get in. I just… can't handle being trapped. I don't know how much longer I can keep going through this traumatic game I'm being forced to play. I never thought I'd take a role as judge, jury, and executioner all in one and yet here I am doing exactly that by getting my new friends killed for killing one of my other new friends.

But just knowing Manako is still in danger… that's sending me plummeting over the edge of the despair cliffs I've been treading on ever since I came to Hope's Peak! "I… ca-..."

I soon realized that my voice was completely demolished and weak. I was screaming and crying with such overwhelming agony that this was the result of my actions as I had no way of speaking right now. If Terry were with me he'd hit me on the back of the head hard and scold me for ruining my vocals. He'd always do that if I did something to myself that would not only be bad for my career but for myself as well.

Soon the doorbell rang out but I didn't care at that moment. So I ignored it. Then again a few minutes later, then again, and again. I think a few hours passed before I decided I needed to go before I starved to death in my room. I weakly got up and dragged myself to the door. I opened it and saw no one there. I couldn't recall how long ago my doorbell was last rung but I didn't bother trying to remember.

Suddenly I heard a familiar accent shout, "Kai! What the hell, partner!? We have been ringin' yur doorbell for nearly six hours now! Everybody was scared you got killed…" His screaming at me ceased as I heard him whisper out, "Oh dear Lord. What the hell happened to you?"

"No-thing," I croaked out.

"Kai, w-what happened to ya? I can't hear ya at all! Yur voice is gone! You need help! C'mon!" Willie hollered at me before grabbing my hand and rushing me down the hallway. I groggily tripped over my own feet and collapsed as my vision started to go black.

I heard the ground thunder as my eyes wavered. Willie knelt above me as he was looking at someone. It looked like he was crying out for help because the next person above me was Luca as he looked beyond panicked as Ollie and Shana also appeared worried in my fading view before I lost my grip on reality.

Suddenly my world became warped and nightmarish as I saw what I could only describe as zombies, mindlessly wandering around me as I found myself standing in some random dark lobby. They weren't your typical zombies, dead and decomposing with chunks of rotting flesh missing, but rather it was like watching a fully living human walk around with no brain of their own. But what I couldn't grasp was the fact that despite them being cascaded in shadows was the fact they all looked familiar. This imagery caused me to panic before a glittery red curtain began wrapping them all up into their grip before a lusty woman's voice giggled and dragged them away but one zombie remained facing away from me. That's when its head suddenly did the horror movie cliche and rotated around its body like a puppet as I saw its bloody eyes stare at me. "…DEATH…DESTRUCTION…DESPAIR...I WANT YOU TO HAVE IT ALL!" The monster let out a shrill screech as it lunged at me with its gaping mouth and razor-sharp fangs growing longer and wider the closer it got before I was immediately swallowed by the complete darkness.

I jolted up, feeling extreme throbs of pain in my body but was unable to cry out due to my voice being too hoarse. I began breathing heavily and gulping in air as I began taking in my surroundings. It was the Nurse's office I woke up in and I soon realized my left arm was punctured and hooked up with an IV as I laid in one of the beds.

Soon I looked over to the entrance to see Shana staring wide-eyed at me, before rushing away and down the hallway, her heavy boots echoing across the tile floors of the school. A moment later and her footsteps were heard now sounding like a stampede as Shana had brought in Ollie and Willie next to her as they rushed to the front of my bed as Paul and Melinda came in and stood nearby the entrance.

"Kai! Thank God you're awake! You scared us so badly! You were gone for so long!" Shana cried out, looking to be on the verge of tears.

"What the hell is up with you? It's not like you to vanish on us and then suddenly appear only to faint on us," Ollie scolded me, sounding upset yet her face looked relieved.

"I'm just happy you ain't dead! I was worried about ya and scared everybody would think I killed ya since they saw me with ya," Willie chuckled lightheartedly.

Then I heard someone step in and stop as my attention went to Luca, now standing in the doorway with a tray of food in hand. I saw a small frown but it was quick to transform into a big grin of relief. He stepped forward, walking towards us, and looked to the others closest to my bed. "Guys, give him some space. He's obviously overwhelmed by the trial last night. I'm sure bombarding him with all these questions and worries aren't helping him. I doubt Kai wants to feel like the paparazzi are gunning for him in this place."

The three were quick to draw away from me as they looked ashamed of themselves which made Luca lightly giggle before he now stood next to me and stared at me before speaking. "Here. I made you breakfast." He gently lowered the tray into my lap and I blinked in surprise. It was like seeing a buffet was somehow jammed into a tiny plate right in my lap! I had no idea Luca could cook like this! He then added, "Well, I guess this is technically breakfast for you but in actuality will be dinner with the time. But I hope it's enough to fill you up after missing two meals."

"Two-!" I croaked out before I felt myself grab my throat in pain and start to cough. Luca then went authoritative with me like a doctor as he began talking like one. "Don't speak. Your vocal cords and body need time to recover. I was able to get you set up here after Monokuma explained your weakened state to us and you need to rest in here until tomorrow morning before you can start talking or walking again."

"In the meantime, if you want to talk, Paul has offered up the use of his laptop," Shana told me which I blinked in shock at.

Paul rolled his eyes. "I did no such thing. The parkour freak was the one insistent on it but I only agreed to get him to shut up. Besides, I would have absolutely declined if this was anyone besides Kai."

Shana leaned into me. "The moment he found out it was you, he was quick to jump at the chance to help. Most likely to try and snatch you into his little posse."

Melinda glared at Shana. "I heard that.

"I know," taunted Shana, now smiling devilishly at her.

Melinda growled and stepped menacingly at her just to be stopped by Paul. "Stop. We are not involving ourselves with fodder or our little traitor," He said now looking at Ollie who rolled her eyes and looked away from him, folding her arms. Paul then opened his laptop and opened a blank page for me to type on. He then set it down next to me and pressed a button that activated the holographic projector he used in his traitor theory before. "Just type what you want to say and it will appear up here for us to read. But do… not… even… think… about clicking off this and exploring my laptop. I'll be right here the entire time to ensure you don't do anything. If you do, I'm taking my laptop back, capiche?"

I nodded my understanding as he walked back and stood with Melinda again. I went to type something but Luca waved his hand. "Nu-uh. Don't say anything right now. Eat first. Then we'll talk." With no argument, I quickly began to eat the amazing food given to me.

It didn't take long before my tray was completely empty. Luca smiled and then took the tray back leaving my lap free for the laptop. As tempted as I was to snoop on the hacker cult leader, I restrained myself since he was right there. I began typing out a message that quickly appeared in the air.

"Thank you for the breakfast, Luca. I didn't know you were a phenomenal cook," I typed out.

Luca blushed and laughed. "Guess you don't know everything about me then."

I soon asked everyone, "So, is there a new area for us to explore?"

Ollie answered, "Yeah. We already explored the fifth-floor Monokuma unlocked for us and we can't wait to tell you what we found. Things are interesting, to say the least."

"First of all, the only things not new were the classrooms. They're all sealed up just like before. However, there was one thing I did manage to find inside," Willie told me before he presented a shiny, blue, circular object. "Don't got a clue what it is, though."

I tilted my head as I soon recognized it. I flicked my fingers across the keyboard. "It's a sequin."

"What… does that say?" Willie asked, puzzled.

"It says sequin. It's a… a uh… what is a sequin, Kai?" questioned Shana.

"They're plastic circular scale-like objects that are often embroidered onto flashy, colorful clothes typically for stage costumes," I answered.

"That's odd. Why is something like this in the school? It clearly doesn't belong to anyone," Ollie replied thoughtfully.

"Unless Kai has a secret costume stash in his bedroom," Melinda chimed in.

I rolled my eyes and replied, "You wish. Besides, even if it was mine, I haven't been up to the fifth floor yet and we've only gotten access to it today."

"I think we should hold onto it for now. If something is out of place, it must be important one way or another," suggested Ollie.

"Kai's backpack can be our keepsake for it and keep it safe," Shana stated as she took the blue sequin from Willie and slipped it into my backpack near her.

"So anything new?" I asked.

"Yeah, we found four major places of notice. First, there's an art room down a long hallway. It's the farthest room to travel to on the fifth floor from the staircase and the room itself is filled with canvases and art supplies that would make an Ultimate Artist faint in glee from the sight. Sadly, it looks like no one has painted anything in there," Luca informed me.

Ollie spoke next. "I found a research laboratory with a bunch of normal chemicals you'd usually find in a science lab but I noticed one disturbing detail. It looks like that place is a morgue of some kind. The walls are covered with fridges that are set on to keep the dead bodies I saw inside fresh.

I was blankly staring at her before I shook my head and could only type, "Wait what?"

Ollie looked down. "That's right. I found the place Monokuma has been storing the bodies. The doors are glass so all I needed to do was wipe off the condensation to see what was inside. Most of the bodies are wrapped and covered but some you can see enough. I saw one body with black pigtails from underneath the cloth."

Shana cringed as she looked saddened. "That… That's Sienna…" Willie put a comforting arm around her shoulder as she leaned into him.

"But that's not what's got me worried. I happened to notice a big thing about that place. How many fridges do you think are in that room?" She suddenly asked us.

I could only assume one thing so I answered, "It has to be sixteen. One for each of us in case none of us make it out alive."

Ollie shook her head. "No. There are thirty-six in total and twenty of them are in use right now."

This left everyone stunned.

"Wait then, are you saying there are more dead bodies than what we started out with!? How the hell does that work!?" Paul suddenly shouted out, getting involved in the conversation.

Ollie shrugged at him. "Your guess is as good as mine but there are twenty more fridges than there should be and eleven of them are in use with bodies of people that I know are not our friends."

"Maybe you just thought it was someone we knew?" Willie suggested, trying to make sense of it.

"Then can you recall any of our nine classmates who have died that had a prosthetic leg?" Ollie blurted out, effectively silencing us. "That's what I thought."

"So, twenty of the thirty-six fridges are in use? But that's over half of what it can store! Why are there so many bodies?! Where did the other eleven come from?!" Shana cried out in horror.

Ollie closed her eyes. "I wish I knew."

"Well, no point in trying to think of an impossible explanation. How about I tell you all about the most interesting room I found in the entire school?" Melinda chuckled.

"Oh, I almost forgot ya actually investigated," Willie deadpanned at her.

Melinda ignored him and continued, "I found a room capable of creating a world of your desire before your very eyes. It's a Virtual Reality room!"

Again, we all were baffled by this news as she kept speaking. I knew that would shut you all up. You especially Kai." I glared at her which made her giggle before she continued, "Anyway, it seems there's an AI program that goes by UsagiKuma that takes a request to make the room into the biome of our choosing. I asked to be in a tropical rainforest and suddenly I was in one! Granted it was all virtual but the floor can somehow be warped to match the feel of the ground you're seeing and puffs of fragrance made it feel like I was really there. So in a big way, it's like an out of this world experience and I mean that as in out of this world we've been living in for almost a month now."

"Don't remind me," I begged her. "But that is probably the best room we've gotten so far. Doubt it will help us escape but it can certainly help us cope."

"Well, if I'm gonna be honest, I think what I have overshadows a lot of what has been talked about," Shana admitted.

"Oh, really? And what did the dirt girl manage to dig up? The rocks piled inside your skull?" Paul mocked her.

Shana huffed at him but didn't retaliate which surprised me. But then she said, "Well, those blueprints show that this floor is the last built floor of the school. So then why did I find another staircase going up from the fifth floor?"

Why can we not go five minutes before we are all dead silent when someone announces something unbelievable? "But the blueprints clearly showed us there were only five floors altogether for the school's design."

"It has to be Monokuma. After all, he's revamped this school since all the windows and exits are barricaded. Not to mention, he modified it since the school store is always loaded with new weapons, he can appear and disappear at will and execute us from anywhere if the rules are broken. It also explains why we have places that shouldn't exist such as the class trial grounds and now a mysterious sixth floor, both of which are clearly not on the blueprints of the school," Paul deduced.

"That's gotta be it. But the question is… what lies beyond the fifth floor on the sixth? A way out… or another dead end?" Willie asked, leaving us all quiet with no way of answering him.

"This is a lot to take in but I'm positive we're gonna make it out. With the rest of us left, there's no way we can't do it! After all, I think we've all survived for a reason," I told the others who all began to perk up.

"Yeah. Kai's right! All of us have gotten stronger through this and we will survive this! Monokuma doesn't have any more power over us!" shouted Luca, energetically.

And that's when Monokuma popped out, "WHAT DID YOU SAY!?"

"Oh, look. Monokuma's here," Ollie yawned out.

"How dare you mock me! I've never felt more insulted in my life! Well, then I guess I'm gonna have to hit you with your next motive!" Monokuma hollered out.

"Already!? That's not fair!" Shana shouted back.

"Who's gonna choose it this time?" Melinda asked him.

Monokuma laughed to himself. "Actually, no one is. I kinda only have five motives prepared for you guys and because four have already been used, I only have one motive to give! However, I like to think I'm a bearly thoughtful bear so I'm gonna give you guys a few days to soak in the possibilities that the fifth floor may bring to your daily lives! So enjoy this time before I sink this last motive into your brains!"

"Monokuma, I do have one question," Luca spoke up.

"Wassup, Mr. Club President?" Monokuma asked him.

"That's actually what I wanted to bring up. Can we… maybe stop doing those club activities?" He asked the bear.

Monokuma looked shocked. "Say what!? After all that trouble, I went through to get you kids together and now you want to disband your first club?!"

"You saw us after that last trial. Not all of us are exactly being cooperative with everyone else," Luca reminded him as he looked back at Melinda and Paul.

Paul sneered at him as he speed-walked past him. "I could say the same of someone else. I'll be taking this back," He scoffed as he snatched the laptop away from me out of petty pride as he and Melinda marched away.

"What a pansy," Shana whispered.

"Heard that!" Melinda shouted out to us from down the hallway.

Monokuma sighed. "Very well. I'll add a special rule that allows me to give permission to ignore a rule. But that one rule about mandatory club activities will be the only one you get to ignore, got it?!"

"Crystal," replied Willie.

"Well then, I hope you all enjoy your time because I'm not gonna announce the motive until I feel like it. That may be in a week or tomorrow. Who knows. Anyway, see ya later!" Monokuma squealed out as he quickly slipped away from our sights.

"What a joke," Shana commented as we heard our e-handbooks ping, indicating the new rule being added.

With that, I thought everyone was just gonna leave but the others stayed with a serious expression now plastered on everyone's faces. Even Luca looked more serious than usual as he leaned into me.

"Okay, Kai. We've all been talking and we are positive that one of those two is the traitor. We did consider the fact that one of us may do a 180 on us like Marcel did but we think it's unlikely, don't you agree?" Luca asked me.

'It is a possibility for one of us to be fooling us all but Shana, Willie, Ollie, and Luca have all been good people and I've felt no malicious intentions from any of them. Well maybe Shana and Willie when they fought but I know they're past that,' I thought as I answered him with an assured nod.

"We're glad you feel that way because we think one of them will make a move for Ollie," Luca suddenly told me, making my eyes widen. "It's because they feel like she backstabbed them and I'm positive us supporting her has painted a target on her. So we are gonna be on watch duty with Ollie."

Ollie sighed out, "I told you guys I don't need protection. I can handle myself."

"It's not that you can't do anythin' for yourself, it's just those two are sneaky and dangerous alone like any cross-patch ruffian would be. We don't know what underhanded tricks they may try to pull on ya," Willie mentioned.

Shana quickly added, "Let's not forget one does have superior huntress reflexes and senses and the other is a hacking syndicate leader. Those two are beyond dangerous if they work together. Even if they don't kill you, who knows what they would do if they got their talons in you again."

Ollie stayed mute for a while before looking back at us."...Fine. But Luca gets every other watch. That is my only request for this "Ollie-watch" you guys are insistent on."

Luca smiled. "I'm fine with that. We'll switch shifts halfway through the day. I'll take the eight hours from 7 AM to 3 PM and the next assigned person will watch her from 3 PM to 10 PM. Sounds good to everyone?" He asked us in which everyone, including me, nodded with a confident smirk on our faces.

"Good. Now let's go back and let Kai get the rest he needs. Hopefully, you'll get your voice back soon so we don't have to deal with a mute Kai for much longer," Luca replied, as I opened my mouth in offense and chucked my pillow at him which he nimbly caught and ricocheted it back at me which slipped between my arms and slammed into my face, causing the others to laugh out and me to blush in embarrassment.

Soon they all began filing out of the room but not before Luca came up and suddenly began making things comfortable for me by fluffing the pillow and ensuring I had enough blankets to stay warm. I looked into his sea-green eyes as he tucked me in and soon his eyes looked back into mine. As soon as eye contact was made, it was a tidal wave that surged through my chest as he suddenly leaned forward and hugged me. He then whispered, "When you're ready to talk about the real reason you put yourself in this state, I'll be waiting."

With that said, he pulled away and walked away looking back at me from the entryway before disappearing into the school hallway. The tidal wave of energy faded away as he left my sights but his words lingered in the back of my head as I felt myself drift back to sleep. 'When I'm ready to talk… Does he know then? No, he just knows it's not because of the reason he told the others to get them to not bother me about it. He must have known how uncomfortable a position I was in. So… should I tell him?' Soon sleep had entrapped me in its grasp as my mind shut off and my body began its recovery from my current state.

This may be a weaker opening for a chapter but I hope I made it interesting enough for you guys. I certainly enjoyed writing it and I'm excited to keep going! Got Kai exploring the fifth floor himself tomorrow and getting some free time events in! Keep an eye out for it but until then despair until then and tell me what your thoughts are on this chapter! See ya soon! Puhuhuhu~