Hello everyone and welcome to Chapter 4! I'm so excited to start this Chapter with you all, I've been planning this one for a while and I'm so happy to share it at last!

This Chapter title comes from the Epic of Gilgamesh, specifically when Gilgamesh is mourning Enkidu. Make of that what you will!

Thanks again to Sempi for betaing! Now enjoy everyone!

Chapter 4 Daily Life: Beloved, Wait, Don't Leave Me

Maria was standing in a hall, which was decorated to the nines, with gentle lighting glinting off the crystal decorations. Red roses and white chrysanthemums were in the center of each table, with royal purple ribbons tied around the stems to hold them together. People filled the room, though Maria couldn't tell who they were, only that they were important to her.

Someone's hand was in hers, squeezing it tightly in reassurance and excitement, the shock of metal against her skin still new and exciting after only a few hours. They entered the hall and everyone in it screamed as they did so. Maria laughed as she was spun around, only to feel the hand holding hers slip away like mist.

She didn't have a chance to worry, however, as the world around her shifted until she was in a wasteland and Chiasa was gripping her wrist. They were running, fleeing from something Maria couldn't see. Chiasa looked back at her, fear and panic in her eyes. Her skin was dusted with dirt and there was a prominent scar on her left temple. There was a frayed string on her cardigan and that alone made Maria's heart race.

Chiasa would never let her cardigan come to such a state willingly.

Maria blinked as Chiasa seemingly yelled something, pulling Maria's body forward before she suddenly released her wrist. Maria turned back, Chiasa's name on her lips as the huntress pulled out her bow, an arrow nocked and ready to fly, but she never got the chance to scream.

"Tr…gito…aki go…here…"

With static ringing in her ears, the ground suddenly vanished under Maria's foot and she was falling, falling, falling through the earth until she landed in a courtyard. The moon was shining down on her and benches surrounded her on all sides. Maria turned this way and that until she spotted Ren, who smiled gently at her. He looked tired, but his smile was still so kind and Maria's heart ached.

She reached out, trying to grab Ren's hand, but he slipped away between the benches, the shade of the trees falling over him. As soon as the shade covered him, Ren vanished from sight and Maria was left alone once more.

The trees began to shift then, their branches extending like limbs and grasping onto Maria, pulling her in the opposite direction Ren had vanished. Maria struggled, trying desperately to escape, but nothing worked.

"Dust to dust, ash to ash."

"Let…dammit…ry…no ti…aki!"

Maria shivered, the clear voice leaving her feeling as if she were stranded in winter, before the static filled voice pushed it away. She was tangled in the branches, unable to escape no matter how much she struggled, when all of a sudden the branches were gone.

Maria cried out as she fell, snow softening her landing and she instinctively clutched the item nearest to her. A hand extended to her and she took it, finding her gaze meeting Jordan's once she was on her feet.

Jordan looked so tired, the faintest trace of silver in his buzzed hair, as if he had aged more than a decade. His hands were callused, but protective and Maria knew she could trust him to catch her when she fell. They were in the middle of a snowstorm, but Maria felt warmth here with Jordan's hand in hers.

"…it, look…her…to…"

The wind suddenly increased to an almost violent degree and Maria could do nothing as Jordan was ripped from her grasp, fabric flying around and hiding him from view.

Maria was tumbling through the air, unable to tell up from down. The only thing she was certain of was that she still held on to the item she grabbed before. Finally, finally, she tumbled to a stop as her back slammed into a tree. She gasped from the pain but was finally able to see just what it was she held.

A shiny, almost ruby red apple glistened in her hand, touched by snow that fell around her. Maria's breath shook as it escaped her lungs, unsure of just what it was she was going to do.

All she knew was that she was trapped in this snow covered wasteland and this may be her only way out.

She raised the apple to her lips.

"No! Ma…top!"

Warm hands grabbed her wrists, stopping her from moving any further. Maria blinked, only just able to make out the face of her rescuer before everything went dark.

Irusu stared down at the piece of paper which he'd been staring at for ten minutes now, following the morning announcement. He'd written it last night but hadn't had the nerve to put it into action then. If he was honest, he still didn't feel like he had the nerve to do it now either.

But after what he woke up to during the trial yesterday, this was necessary on more than one level.

Nima, I know you're hiding things from me and apparently I need to know them. Tell me. Now!

Irusu hated communicating with Nima, simply because it was so complicated. When he'd first learned of Nima's existence, he'd been forced to go to a therapist in order to 'help' him and it hadn't gone well. Irusu hadn't liked the therapist and Nima, according to the therapist, had been uncooperative.

They couldn't even communicate in their shared head space like the therapist said they should, they were so uncooperative with each other. Irusu wondered some days if calling the two of them a system was even worthwhile when they couldn't work together worth a damn.

They'd resorted to using notes to communicate, but only when they had to. Irusu hated leaving a note of any kind for Nima, mostly because he never intended for the alter to front in the first place. Nima, on the other hand, must just be lazy considering he never left a note at all. Maybe things were better, in those memories that only Nima held, where Jordan was there to help the two of them.

Irusu didn't know now and depending on how this situation panned out, he may never know. He tried to ignore the ache in his heart at the thought, unable to explain it away in a logical manner.

The only person who had answers, as infuriating as it was, was Nima. And if Irusu wanted any answers, he needed to switch with him.

Irusu had never done this on purpose, but the therapist had tried to talk him through it a few times so he theoretically knew how to do it.

So he took a breath, closed his eyes and reached back, praying that it would work.

It was strange to exist in a world where Chiasa no longer existed. It left Fuwari feeling as if she was struggling to breathe when she first woke up, even more than she normally did. Her eyes burned with tears still, but she blinked repeatedly, forcing them back.

Chiasa wouldn't want her to completely break down. She'd tell her to survive, no matter what. And Fuwari would survive, she promised she would. She would not become prey to Satou's predator.

Because that's who was most likely to continue the game now, Fuwari knew, and as much as she hated to consider it, she had to be practical. At the very least, Fuwari wasn't alone with only Satou as her friend. She had others, including Yoshi, Maria, Sayuri and the rest of the class.

She would be fine. If not for herself, than for Chiasa.

With that thought in mind, Fuwari got ready for the day before she left her bedroom behind. She made her way down the hallway and stopped outside of Yoshi's room, knocking on the door.

"Yoshi?" she called when he failed to open it within a few minutes. It wasn't like him to take so long to open the door, but considering the day they had both had yesterday, she wasn't too surprised.

When he still failed to open the door a few minutes later, she knocked again. Thankfully, this time the door did open, but Fuwari was unable to stifle the gasp that left her lips.

Yoshi looked so tired in a way that didn't look right on his features. He was paler than Fuwari looked on her bad days with an almost sickly tinge to his skin and his clothes were wrinkled in a way that just screamed wrong to Fuwari.

"Ah," Yoshi voiced as his eyes focused on her. "Fuwari, good morning."

"Are you all right?" Fuwari asked, instantly raising her hand to feel Yoshi's forehead. "No fever…are you struggling to b-breathe or does something…hurt?"

"No, no, I'm fine," Yoshi sighed, shaking his head. His hand came up to hold Fuwari's, cradling it between the two of them. "I just didn't sleep well last night and my headache has returned with a vengeance. I'll be all right."

"A-Are you sure…?" Fuwari questioned, unable to brush her concern off just like that. Yoshi really didn't look all that well, after all.

"I'm fine, I promise," Yoshi reassured, squeezing her hand and forcing a small smile. Fuwari didn't really believe him, but she let it go all the same. There was no point to arguing right now, not when they had just lost the person they both cared about most in the world besides each other.

"W-We'll be okay," Fuwari insisted, startling Yoshi a bit as he glanced down at her. "Chiasa would…want it for us. So…S-So we'll be okay, e-eventually."

"I hope you're right, Fuwari," Yoshi sighed. He still looked so tired, but there was a smile playing on his lips. For now, Fuwari would count that as a victory. "Now then, are you hungry?"

Fuwari nodded and followed him to the dining hall, unsure of what to say. After all, how do you talk to your partner when your other partner is dead? How do you handle such grief?

She didn't know.

Sayuri found herself pacing outside the gallery, unable to bring herself to enter, but also unable to bring herself to leave. If she stepped past the door, she knew she'd find three new portraits hung on the walls, showing Chiasa, Ren and Jordan.

But if she did that, then that meant yesterday was reality and she now existed in a world where Ren did not.

Sayuri continuously folded her hands together only to then unfold them, starting the process all over again. Her left ring finger felt bare, her gait too steady and she was struggling to breathe at times, her thoughts spiraling over and over as she tried to force herself to make a choice.

Enter the gallery or be ignorant for just a little longer.

She wondered if this was how the others had felt when their partners had died only to shake her head almost violently at herself for even considering such a thought. Of course they had felt like this. She still remembered Arisu's tears when they had all looked over her and Tori's wedding album, there was no way the game host hadn't felt just like this. And yet, Sayuri couldn't bring herself to talk to any of the others. Whether it's because the loss of Ren still felt too fresh or there was another reason that she couldn't consciously recall, it didn't matter. Sayuri just…couldn't bring herself to talk about any of it, not right now.

And so, she was left here alone, pacing back and forth.

"You know, you'll make a hole in the floor, pacing like that."

The sudden voice startled Sayuri and she swayed from the offset to her balance before she settled on her heels. She really shouldn't be surprised, but she was as she turned to find Akihito smiling at her.

"Why are you here, Akihito?" Sayuri sighed, crossing her arms. The track star shrugged, a relaxed set to his posture that didn't match how Sayuri felt.

"I saw you pacing, figured I'd offer you an ear if you wanted to talk," he explained, "And if not, I'm happy to be a shoulder to cry on once we go inside."

"What makes you think I want to go inside?" Sayuri questioned, her nails digging into her skin. It didn't matter that it was obvious from looking at her, Sayuri simply didn't like how quickly he had read her, as if he were a mark he was trying to pickpocket.

"I mean…I do." Akihito shrugged. He set his jaw, glancing down at the ground, and Sayuri noticed then how nervous he seemed. How off balanced. "I know you were the most important person to Ren here and I know…that none of us can remember the past, but…he felt like my best friend. That probably doesn't even make any sense, but…it feels right, to honor him with you."

"I actually think it does make sense," Sayuri countered. Akihito looked up at her then, his wide eyes meeting hers and she smiled slightly. "I mean, I'm acting like a widow, who's to say you acting like you just lost your best friend is worse than that?"

"Sayuri," Akihito whispered, his voice breaking on her name.

And maybe…maybe this is what Sayuri had been waiting for, the one person who truly could share her burden once she stepped past those gallery doors in a way that even Maria probably wouldn't be able to.

Sayuri extended her hand and the warmth of Akihito's skin against hers was all the affirmation she needed.

"Come on," she whispered, squeezing his hand in her own. "Let's go."

Together, the two of them opened the door and stepped inside.

Satou stared at her reflection, fluffing up her hair as she finished preparing for the day. It really was such a shame that her plan hadn't gone the way she intended, but it's not like that was her fault. Monokuma probably just didn't want his precious game to end so soon, with only three trials to his name. Not that Satou could blame him, the tropes must be adhered to after all!

But it meant that she was now stuck with the rest of the ants, without her partner at her side to act as her tool when necessary. And that truly was such a shame…Jordan had been working on some fun projects too. Oh well…

That just meant Satou had to work harder going forward! How many trials had the game Enoshima hosted had? She was pretty sure it was six.

"Right then," Satou beamed, clapping her hands against her cheeks in order to give them that delicate pink shade she so adored. "Three down and three more to go! I can handle that!"

And she could! After all, everyone thought she needed a big strong man like Jordan around to commit murder now. They'd never expect she could do anything by herself! But Satou would. She'd wait for two more trials and then she'd end it all, with a trial that would stump even Monokuma himself! She'd be the greatest victor in the entire history of killing games, acknowledged by all who were watching!

Yes…that was exactly the plan she'd use.

And so, with a bright smile and a wink, Satou opened her bedroom door and made her way out to the dining hall.

It was time to put her grand plan into place!

Rinka hadn't understood her fairy tale assignment from the moment she'd woken up here. It seemed more based on her talent than anything else, unlike others here who fit their assignments in a better way, like Nat, who seemed extremely proud of their thievery, or Ren, who wanted to help everyone find their true love and would help them in any way he could.

But as she sat in the mostly empty dining hall now, staring at her breakfast, she couldn't help but think how much it fit her now.

It felt as if she were staring at her classmates and watching them slowly fade away, mere smoke from a struck match and gone just as quickly. One by one, everyone had lost someone they loved and there was nothing that could convince her it would end anytime soon.

Smoke curled around Rinka, none of it keeping her warm in the face of the coldness that seemed to permeate her entire being. Her free hand clutched onto Robin's ice crystal, unwilling to let it go.

"Stop thinking so damn much."

Rinka startled as Nat sat down across from her, glaring at her.

"I-I'm sorry?" Rinka stuttered. Nat only rolled their eyes, reaching a hand out to snatch a piece of bacon from her plate. "Hey!"

"You're thinking loud enough I can hear you across the damn hall," Nat scolded. Once they swallowed the bacon, they eyed Rinka, causing her to shrink in on herself. "You're worrying about another death, aren't you?"

"Well…how can't I?" Rinka questioned, hating herself even as she said the words aloud. She should trust everyone here, she did, but at the same time…

"I don't blame you, not with that bitch still alive and kicking," Nat scowled, crossing their arms. "But that's why we can't let her get away with this fucking bullshit. It's this kind of shit that lets her win, you know?" Nat gestured at the rest of the dining hall and Rinka glanced over at it.

Outside of the two of them, Hibiki and Arisu were the only ones in the dining hall, talking quietly at a table of their own. Nobody else had arrived yet and Rinka couldn't blame them. She almost didn't show up either, except she felt too guilty about not making breakfast for the others to actually follow through.

"We just keep her shit from influencing everyone and we win, nobody dies," Nat insisted. They wore a confident smirk when Rinka glanced back their way and she couldn't help but return it with a small smile of her own. "There's the bitch. Knew you had it in you, Rinka."

"I…thanks," Rinka smiled. It was an unusual way to cheer someone up, but it seemed in character for Nat.

"Awwwww, how touching…ly boring!"

Rinka let out a yelp as Monokuma suddenly appeared beside her, yawing into his paw. Nat let out a curse, drawing Hibiki and Arisu's attention so they, too, rushed over.

"What the fuck are you doing here, bear?" Hibiki scowled, standing between Rinka and Monokuma. Arisu stood beside her, holding her hand.

"You okay?" she whispered, squeezing Rinka's hand gently.

"I-I think so." Rinka nodded, which Arisu returned before glaring at the bear.

"Well, I was gonna let you all know that the fourth floor was open…but you lameos aren't even here for me to share it with!" Monokuma pouted, crossing his arms. "The morning meeting is traditional for killing games and our protagonist isn't even here? No wonder a two bit side character got the POV this time, ugh!"

Rinka glanced at the others, not understanding what Monokuma was talking about at all.

"Shut the fuck up and get your ass out of here!" Nat hissed. They looked seconds away from punching Monokuma but held back. "We can fucking figure it out for ourselves!"

"Right! It's late enough in the game that we players don't need you to play the rulebook anymore!" Arisu agreed, raising her nose in the air snootily. If they weren't facing down Monokuma, Rinka might have laughed at the faux attitude.

"That's what you think," Monokuma giggled, sending shivers down Rinka's spine. "Fine, fine, I'll give you all privacy then! Happy exploring!"

With a wave of his cape, Monokuma vanished once more and Rinka let out a sigh of relief as the weight his presence caused lifted from her shoulders.

"Fucking bastard," Hibiki cursed, glancing at Rinka and Arisu as if to check on them. Rinka tried to smile up at him, though she was unsure of how successful she actually was.

Robbie…I really wish you were here right now.

As if in response, a cold breeze blew against her skin and Rinka shivered. Arisu's grip on her hand tightened.

"We should…go explore the fourth floor then, right?" she suggested aloud. "M-Maybe there's something useful up there."

"Considering where we are, I doubt it," Hibiki sighed, shaking his head. "But the damn bear won't leave us alone until we do it, no doubt."

"What a lousy game host, playing the rulebook so strictly," Arisu pouted. "That's unforgiveable."

"Sure, that's all it is," Nat snorted sarcastically, clapping Arisu on the shoulder. "Come on then, let's get this shit show on the road."

Rinka wouldn't have phrased it like that, but she agreed all the same. The sooner they got started, the sooner this was all over.

But…would it ever truly be over?

And there we go! Next up, we begin exploring the fourth floor! Hope you're all looking forward to it! And of course, the poll for FTEs this Chapter is still open so if you haven't voted yet, go do so if you want to have a part in who gets FTEs!

I can't think of anything else to say, but I hope everyone enjoyed! Bye for now!