A/N: Hey, all! Short chapter today, but I promise it's important! Just a warning: This is one of the many reasons as to why this story is rated M.

Enjoy!

Ding dong, bing bong!

After that annoying sound played, I looked over towards the monitor to see Monokuma in that same monitor room.

"Good morning, everyone!" He greeted. If I didn't know any better, I'd say it was like a recording. "It is now 7 AM, and nighttime is officially over! Time to rise and shine! Get ready to greet another beee-yutiful day!"

After the announcement, I sat up, still half asleep, and rubbed my eyes. Slowly, I pulled myself out of bed. I was still in Maizono's room, and if I remember correctly, I didn't hear anything suspicious last night.

"Oh!" I gasped. Remembering something very important "I just remembered, I promised to eat breakfast with everyone else."

I left Maizono's room and made my way toward the dining hall.

A few people had already gathered at the dining hall by the time I got there. There was Asahina, Chihiro, Sakura, and Ishimaru.

"Hello Naegi, and good morning!" Ishimaru cheerfully greeted. "Can you believe it? I was the very first one here this morning!"

"Ehehe…" Chuckled Chihiro. "Good morning."

"Mornin'!" Greeted Asahina.

"I suppose I'm early…" Mused Sakura.

I figured everyone who had arrived on time could be considered model high schoolers, and the ones who showed up a little late…

My train of thought broke away when I heard the doors opening and Yamada, Junko, and Mondo walked in.

"Yo." Greeted an unamused Mondo.

"Sorry I'm late!" Junko apologized. "My make-up would NOT cooperate this morning!"

"My apologies, ladies and gentlemen." Said Yamada. "My morning, ah, duty took a little longer than usual…"

After a while, the remainder of the students came pouring in.

"…I suppose I'm late." Mused Kirigiri.

"Good morning, everyone." Greeted Celeste.

"My bad, guys!" Apologized Leon. "Slept right through my alarm!"

"Wh-What?" Fukawa stammered. "Is it s-so awful to be l-late?"

"I didn't oversleep, just so you know." Said Hagakure. "Nope, got lost! I blame the Bermuda Triangle…"

I looked around the room. Everyone had arrived. At least, that's how it was supposed to go…

"Wait, aren't we still missing some people?" Asked Ishimaru to no one in particular.

"Yeah, Maizono and Togami aren't here yet." Shrugged Asahina.

I don't know about Togami, but I would assume that Maizono would be one of the first ones here. So for her to be late…

"What's going on here? Did something happen?" Asked Togami as he stepped through the doors.

"Hey man! Have you seen Maizono?" Asked Mondo.

"Why would I have?" Togami asked back. "I just came straight from my room to here."

"Did she forget about our breakfast promise…?" Worried Yamada.

Kirigiri then spoke up. Gaining everyone's attention. "I got the sense she always has her stuff together…"

Listening to everyone talk like that, a small, dark speck of unease rose up inside of me. And that speck started to grow quickly…

"I-I need to go…" I said softly, then loudly panicking. "I have to check on her!"

The words had barely left my lips before I flew out into the hall.

Where I headed first was my room, where I'd let Maizono stay for a singular night. Where she was supposed to be safe…

But over the course of that one night, the room had been completely transformed.

The bed was a mess, slash marks and gouges were on the walls and floor, the table and trash can were knocked over, the replica sword was out of its sheath and was laid out on the floor, and Maizono was nowhere to be found.

"Wh-What the hell!?" I gasped as I looked over the messy room. It was almost as if a fight was taken place.

I then noticed that the bathroom door was wide open. I figured this is where Maizono was if she was hiding. But if she was hiding, why was it open? I opened the door some more and peeked inside.

"M-Maizono?" I called out before looking at what was inside.

It took me a second to realize that I was screaming. What I saw dug its way through my eyes and buried itself in my brain.

There, lying down in the shower with blood everywhere and a knife plunged into her stomach…

Was Maizono.

And then…

…Everything went black.

When I opened my eyes, I found myself staring at a huge ceiling. It was a ceiling I remembered seeing before. And when I sat up, I saw someone looking at me. Again, it was someone I'd seen before.

It was Kirigiri.

After she helped me up, Asahina spoke. "Ah! You're awake! Finally! Are you okay?"

"Now's no time for sleeping." Grunted Mondo. "Get your ass up!"

"Huh…?" Was all I could say.

"You were unconscious, dude." Explained Hagakure. "I had to carry you back here."

"It's no surprise, considering what happened." Said Sakura.

"What… Happened?" I then remembered that image of Maizono's corpse in my shower. "Gh-! Grraaah!"

"H-Hey, are you okay?" Asked a concerned Asahina.

"So it wasn't a dream?" I asked. "What I saw… It was real…?!"

Togami then spoke up. And what he said haunted right then and there.

"That's right. It really did happen. Maizono Sayaka is dead."

A deep, dark despair worked its way through my body, and then exploded out of me. I shot up and took off running, but Togami's voice stopped me.

"Hey, where do you think you're going?" He asked.

"I have to see for myself!" I panicked. "I have to see if Maizono is…"

"You can check once, twice, a thousand times. Maizono is completely and irrevocably dead."

"No!" I exclaimed. "I have to see for myself!"

I took off running again, but Mondo caught up with me and grabbed my arm. "Listen to us, man! Whaddya think's gonna happen if you go out there?" He yelled.

"Well, what good is it gonna do just sitting around here!?" I yelled back. "I mean, why are we all hanging out in the gym at a time like this?! Our friend, Maizono. She's… She's dead!"

Dead…

When I said that, it finally hit me. I realized she really was gone and there was nothing I could do about it…