Hi y'all! I know I say this every time, but I'm sorry for the wait, a lot of this whole Chapter in general has been fighting with me. But I'm back and ready to share more of this with all of you! Special thanks goes to SakuraIdol and all the discord friends I've made who gave me the inspiration to FINALLY get my act together. I hope the wait for the first part of Chapter 3 was worth it! Enjoy!

Chapter 3 Daily Life: The Way is Clear, The Light is Good

The familiar wooden barre under her hand was a relief to Maria. She knew these grooves as well as she knew herself, having used them so often that the calluses on her palms matched the wood entirely. She fell into a plie, raising her right arm above her head in a gentle curve and held the position for several moments. When she straightened her legs, she raised her left one towards her knee before she extended it behind her, rising onto the tips of her pointe shoes and extending her arm into a perfect arabesque.

The movements were all simple and practiced, a craft well honed over the years she'd been working on it, to the point that there was not a single sign of strain to be seen.

Expertly, Maria windmilled her arms before twisting on her right leg so that her raised left leg was in front of her instead of behind. She leaned back before she allowed herself to step forward and land on her feet. She raised her hand, as if expecting someone to take it as the routine demanded…and they did.

Pale burned hands gently held Maria's hand, the touch just the barest amount of support as it helped her turn so she could perform a grand jete. Once she touched down, she turned to face her partner, bowing at the waste to him with her arms spread wide.

Robin stood across from her, bowing like a gentleman even with his scarred hands. It was his eyes, however, which caught Maria's attention the most. They looked so exhausted, so old that Maria felt her breath freeze in her throat.

Robin's smile was so bittersweet and his lips parted as if he were going to say something, but nothing ever came. Instead, he slowly turned to ice until all that remained in Robin's place was a statue.

"…ria….nee…..this…..be yo….."

The man's voice rang through her mind, still as mired by static as it was the previous times, even if she could make out some words this time. He was pleading…pleading with her? But…why…?

Maria ignored the voice, racing to Robin and gently holding his frozen hand within both of hers. The instant she did, the floor under her feet opened and she fell, down and down into endless darkness. It felt like an eternity before she finally landed on what looked like a bed.

It was hard as stone and white like marble too. Maria glanced around, finding nothing but the endless darkness and…Rosamie. Her back was to Maria, but she could see her hair had grown longer, cut in a choppy style as if in a rush, and she wore a leather cord around her neck which Maria didn't recognize. She was standing beside what looked like a nursing station, sorting through paperwork. Maria wanted to call out to her, to see her face, but she never got the chance.

Just as Rosamie turned towards her, her glasses took on a shine which rendered her eyes impossible to see. Seconds afterward, she dissolved into water, leaving behind only her gleaming silver wristwatch.

"Th…sta…zur…how is…kun?"

It was the woman this time, but she sounded further away then she had previously, as if she were speaking to someone other than Maria. Perhaps she was.

Maria pushed herself from the bed and stood up before cautiously stepping into the darkness. She didn't know what she was looking for, just that she needed to keep going. If she stopped here, she'd never start again and the darkness would consume her.

She promised she'd never let it consume her. She couldn't give up now.

Maria walked through the endless darkness, trying to find the light which had to be at the end. It simply had to be, because otherwise…otherwise…

She had no idea how long she'd been walking when her right arm was wrenched back by a hand which was both flesh and mechanical. Maria cried out as she lurched to a halt, feeling her body being pulled back towards whoever it was that held her. She didn't look back, couldn't. If she did…if she did, it was over. The end, story over.

She couldn't let it be the end…!

"Shit! Nagi…heart r…need to…hurry!"

"…chan, ple…ne…u…"

The static in her ears was worsening by the second and she could no longer make out any words. The hand grasping onto her arm, pulling her back into the darkness, was pulling her so hard that she briefly worried about her shoulder. But what was a dislocated shoulder to being trapped in this darkness forever? She'd make the sacrifice in seconds.

Maria threw out her left hand, trying to use her weight to escape or perhaps grasp onto something, anything, to pull herself free.

Her hand connected with something warm and it took her a moment to realize it was another hand. The fingers curled between her own and suddenly Maria realized there was the coolness of metal pressed on her skin, but whether it was a ring she wore or one the other person wore, she couldn't tell. Their grip was tight and reassuring in exactly the way Maria needed. They pulled her forward, just the slightest tug, and she felt the hand grasping at her fall away.

She fell forward, but this time she felt no fear at what awaited her.

This person was someone she trusted with everything, after all.

Rinka stepped outside her bedroom door long after the morning announcement had played. She'd been unable to bring herself to leave for some time, staring in the mirror and trying to convince herself this wasn't a nightmare she could just wake up from.

It had taken her so long that before she knew it, an hour had passed since the designated time for breakfast. She'd hurried up after that, clutching her ice crystal close and making sure her candle was doused, lest she burn her room down. She doubted Monokuma would like that very much.

Now, here she stood, making her way towards the dining hall when a sharp whistle rang out.

"Oi, Rinka," Nat called out as they approached her. Rinka did her best not to shrink under the phantom thief's gaze. They had nothing to do with Robin's death and didn't seem inclined to hurt Rinka in any way, but being in her former master's service made her hesitant around people in general. Luckily, Nat didn't seem to expect her to answer. "You still got that crystal? Lemme see it."

With a slow nod, Rinka complied, passing over the crystal. It was her most treasured possession and if she was going to prove she trusted everyone, then offering the crystal would prove that well enough. The last thing she expected, however, was for Nat to take out some tool Rinka didn't recognize and start cutting into the ice crystal.

"Wait, sto—"

"Relax, it'll take me two seconds." Nat rolled their eyes, dancing out of Rinka's reach easily. Gooseflesh formed on her skin as she nervously eyed her crystal, praying it didn't shatter.

But Nat was a person of their word and soon, they put the tool away and took out a thin silver chain. They threaded the crystal through the chain via the holes and held it out to Rinka.

"Being a thief's good for more than just getting rich quick," Nat grinned as Rinka carefully took her ice crystal back. "Learned a few tricks on how to make some fucking wicked jewelry. Now you don't hafta worry 'bout losing it."

"Thank you…" Rinka whispered. She was unable to believe her eyes, her body moving automatically to connect the chain around her neck. The crystal rested gently against her collarbone and Rinka swore she'd start crying again. But she forced herself to not and instead turned to Nat. "What…was that tool?"

"Oh, this? Called a Dremel. It's damn good at drilling holes into stones, that's for fucking sure," Nat grinned, taking out the tool in question and flipping it around the fingers like it was a pencil. Their movements were smooth and lithe with no sign of hesitation. Rinka couldn't help but admire them. "Helped me make some damn good fakes too, heheh!"

"R-Really? Could…you tell me about them?" Rinka asked, hesitant and unsure. Nat stared down at her for several moments and Rinka almost feared they'd say no when they smiled, almost softly.

"Why not? My old man was always hounding me for being alone. An assistant is just what I need!" they declared. They snapped their Dremel up and put it away…wherever it was they kept it. They then extended their hand to Rinka. "Whaddya say, squirt? Wanna join up with the greatest thief there ever was?"

Rinka suspected there was every reason to say no and pretend this never happened. But at the same time…Nat had lost Rosamie in the same trial that cost her Robin. No matter the connection between the two events, that still united them both as the ones left behind. And besides…Nat obviously had a lot of interesting stories they were keeping to themself and Rinka, well, she really wanted to hear them.

Besides…living was about being daring every once in a while, right? And so, with a deep breath, Rinka extended her hand and shook Nat's. The phantom thief grinned and Rinka felt her heart settle, just a little.

Do you see, Robbie? I'm doing it. I'm living. She thought as their hands parted. For the briefest second, Rinka swore she felt the cold breath of winter against her cheek, as if it were Robin giving her his blessing.

She hoped he was proud, wherever he was.

Sayuri hummed under her breath as she and Maria cleaned the dishes. She could feel the ballet dancer's eyes on her, but she couldn't bring herself to care that much. Everyone coped in their own ways, after all.

"Okay, spill," Maria conceded, setting down the plate she was drying to finally face Sayuri. "You've been far too happy for everything that's been going on. What happened?"

"Can't I just be coping with what happened?" Sayuri questioned, raising an eyebrow. Maria returned the expression with an incredibly deadpan one and Sayuri cracked. "All right, you're correct. I feel terrible, but I also haven't been happy like this since I ended up here. I can't…help feeling this way."

"I'm not saying you should feel bad. Like you said, we all cope differently," Maria pointed out. Sayuri watched as she turned towards the door which led to the hallway, almost wistful. "Why else would we be avoiding the new floor?"

Sayuri couldn't deny that she was wrong. Breakfast that morning had been a small and somber affair, with quite a few of their friends not showing up. Sayuri could admit she was worried, but Akihiko had gone on a palace wide search for everyone to reassure their fears. He'd reported back just a couple minutes ago that everyone was accounted for on the first two floors with Rinka finally appearing alongside Nat in the dining hall.

They were all too aware of the third floor which was most likely open now as well as the portrait of Rosamie which had assuredly appeared. But they were also all avoiding confronting the reality of these two things for just a bit longer, preferring to get their bearings first before charging into the unknown. Yoshi had sworn he would let everyone know when he and Chiasa intended to investigate so they could all do so together, with Fuwari eagerly promising to join the two.

Which was how Sayuri herself had ended up here with Maria, cleaning the dishes in order to buy just a bit more time.

"So what's got you so peppy?" Maria asked again, her voice cutting into Sayuri's thoughts. She wore a smirk, as if she already knew the answer to her question.

Sayuri felt her cheeks heat up and she ducked her head, focusing intently on the dish she was washing before she answered.

"Ren asked me to join him in the courtyard tonight, just the two of us," she admitted. "I…know it's not the best thing to do right now, but it feels…special. Today feels special."

"Special how?" Maria questioned, a curious look in her eyes. She took the plate Sayuri had been furiously cleaning over and over again gently, as if any sudden movements would cause Sayuri to drop it.

"Like…Like it's a day that matters. That probably doesn't make sense though, does it…" Sayuri admitted, folding her hands together in the water to hide their trembling.

"I don't think so," Maria said, causing Sayuri's head to shoot up and meet her eyes. Maria smiled bittersweetly, shrugging. "I mean, we're missing memories, who knows how many important things we don't remember." She set the plate aside and folded her right hand over her left, as if to hide it from view. "I think any sense of memory is something to be cherished."

"Thank you, Maria," Sayuri smiled. Tears burned her eyes, but she wouldn't let them fall. This was too good of a moment to let her tears blur it from her sight. Maria returned her smile and squeezed Sayuri's shoulder.

"Now then, since we're finished, how about we bite the bullet and check on the gallery?" she suggested. There was fear in her eyes, but Sayuri could understand where she was coming from. Better to rip the bandage off then to leave it to fester, after all.

"Of course." Sayuri nodded, drying her hands as delicately as she could. "Shall I gather the others or will it just be the two of us?"

"Just us for now," Maria stated, opening the kitchen door to let Sayuri leave first. "I don't want to push anyone, Nat and Rinka especially."

"That's very considerate of you," Sayuri smiled, linking her arm with Maria's. "Now then, let us be off!"

Their manner was cheerful, but Sayuri knew all too well that they were both projecting a forced façade lest they both break down. Whatever a person did to survive, they did and she had no right to judge anyone, least of all herself.

If Maria thought about it too much, she could almost consider this trip to the gallery a pilgrimage of sorts. It was certainly starting to feel equally as ritualistic, but she'd never pray to Monokuma for those portraits. They were a mockery of the people they showed and there wasn't a doubt in Maria's mind that if hers was to be revealed, it would be just as mocking.

But at the same time, it felt cruel to not acknowledge those who the portraits portrayed, the sacrifices to this evil game which had haunted them all since they were children. And Maria would never allow herself to forget a single one of those fallen four, even as she fervently hoped no more would be added to their number.

It was a foolish hope, but it was the only one she had.

The gallery was as dark and dreary as it had been the last time she'd entered, beautiful but silent as a grave. And just as she expected, two new portraits decorated the walls.

The first portrait depicted a graveyard at night and with Rosamie sitting on a tombstone, wearing a completely black suit and a glimmering silver bracelet. Resting in her arms was a swaddled baby while a skeletal hand grasped onto her right ankle, but neither seemed to hold her attention. Instead, she was staring into the distance, while in the background Maria could see a familiar top hatted silhouette crossing the full moon.

The second portrait showed Robin kneeling in what looked like a room made entirely out of ice. His skin was somehow even paler than it usually was as he stared down at fragments of ice on the floor, wearing a heavy dark blue parka, black pants and heavy winter boots alongside his gloves and scarf. The fragments of ice were arranged into letters, though considering they were upside down it was difficult to decipher them for several moments. Under the ice, however, was a warm spark of fire and what Maria thought was a street perhaps, but it was difficult to tell.

"Eternity…" Sayuri whispered, causing Maria to glance at her. "That's what the ice spells out, 'eternity'."

"And with a flame on the other end…while Rosamie's has Lupin's silhouette in the moon…he's really trying to carve the knife even further," Maria sighed. She felt too exhausted at this moment to be angry. Oh, she'd be furious later, she had no doubt, but there was no point to it now.

"But we won't give in," Sayuri insisted, her eyes determined. "No matter what he tries, we won't give in to any more motives."

"You certainly sound certain, Cindy."

Maria turned around just to see Satou and Jordan enter the gallery, a satisfied smirk on Satou's face.

"Satou, what the hell do you mean?" Maria sighed, irritation causing a pulse of pain to form behind her left eye.

"Just that Cindy seems confident nobody else will want to play the game," Satou stated. She gasped dramatically, laying her cheek in the palm of her hand. "Not that I would, of course, I'm far too weak for something like that. But…not everyone here is like me. Who's to say someone else won't give in like our dear Picasso and Aristotle up there?"

"Even knowing how close we all were, you would say such a thing?" Sayuri gasped, clearly unable to believe anyone could think that way. Maria, however, wasn't shocked at all.

"There's no guarantees here, after all. Who's to say the memories we 'remember' are even real, hmm?" Satou suggested, sticking her bottom lip out in a pout. "I don't want to trust some false feelings that could easily be implanted in my head. Especially considering where we are, you know?"

Maria had no counter to that. It was an unspoken agreement amongst them all, after all, that they didn't want to address the elephant in the room. They all knew where they most likely were, but saying it aloud made it real…and none of them wanted it to be real.

"What do you think, Jordan?" Maria asked, turning to the silent young man for his opinion. He still looked so tired from the day before, as if his sleep had been restless last night. It wasn't surprising, all things considered, but Jordan looked drawn in a way that Maria didn't remember seeing him be before.

"Well, you all know me," Jordan chuckled nervously, rubbing the back of his neck almost awkwardly. "I'm a lover, not a fighter."

"Jordie, you know that's not an answer!" Satou sighed, clutching onto his arm as if he were the only thing keeping her feet on the ground. "Besides, weren't you the one who mentioned this to me?"

"Jordan…?" Sayuri whispered. She stepped forward just a bit as Jordan glanced away, avoiding the two young women's gazes.

Sayuri looked heartbroken and Maria didn't know how to fix this, if it could even be fixed. Could two trials really be enough to wreck the trust they'd built, that she and Jordan had built?

Sayuri, however, straightened up with that same determined look in her eyes.

"If we can build trust between our group, would that be enough to reassure you?" she asked, her voice steady.

"Oh…?" Satou hummed, her eyes glinting. Jordan remained silent, but he finally met their gazes and that…that was progress.

"Give me…a day to come up with something and we'll do it together, all of us," Sayuri pleaded. She took another step forward, releasing Maria's arm and trying to bridge the gap between herself and Jordan and Satou. "One day and I'll prove to both of you that we can trust each other, I swear it."

"Big words, Cindy," Satou grinned. She opened her mouth to say more only to fall silent when Jordan placed his hand in front of her mouth. She pouted up at him but otherwise remained silent.

"I can give you that." Jordan nodded, his voice warmer, just a little. "If I can trust you all to not give in, then I'm sure we can figure a way out of here, somehow." Maria smiled, grateful when Jordan returned it easily before he gently tugged Satou towards the entrance. "C'mon, Satou, let's check out the third floor before Monokuma starts pestering us."

"Well, I suppose," Satou sighed dramatically, following after him. "Oh, do you think we could…" Her voice trailed off into nothing as the two faded into the distance and Maria shivered.

Sayuri slumped, as if all her strength had left her body at that moment.

"Sayuri?" Maria called out, concerned.

"I'm all right," she reassured, straightening up. "I just need to come up with something that can reassure everyone that we can all trust each other."

"Let me help," Maria offered, stepping forward and taking Sayuri's hand in hers. The singer looked at her and Maria smiled. "You're not alone in this and besides, someone's gotta think tonight while you're on your date with Ren."

Sayuri's face bloomed as red as a rose and Maria had zero regrets as her smile widened.

"Now then, what do you say we also tackle the third floor, hm?" she suggested. "I think I've had enough of the bear for now, so let's not give him a chance to ambush us for being lazy."

"I wholeheartedly agree." Sayuri nodded, squeezing Maria's hand back. "Thank you, Maria, for everything."

"I haven't done a thing." Maria rolled her eyes as they left the gallery behind. "But you're welcome."

It was with hopeful smiles that the two made their way to the third floor and Maria knew this hope was fragile, but god help her, she would hold onto it for as long as she could.

That final scene is dedicated to my brand new discord server, who have all vehemently informed me that they hate Satou very, very much. Speaking of, yes, I have a discord server now for my various stories, including this one! If you'd like to join, let me know in a review and I'll send you a link! And be sure to continue checking out SakuraIdol's deviantart because she made even more beautiful art, including the new cover image which is now HNA's official logo (can you tell I've been screaming for 24 hours about this because I have been)!

Not much else to say, but FTE votes are still ongoing and next time we kick off the exploration of the third floor! Hope you all look forward to it! Bye for now!