Aragi entered the room. The room where they were already waiting for him. Not "greeting," not "welcoming." Waiting, and that said a lot about the mood.
"Where were you?" Yahweh started.
"Wandering... around different corners of the mansion."
If we're being honest, it didn't sound too convincing. But who had the right to accuse anyone of implausibility right now?
"Since we're all here," Kamiki's voice fired off like a countdown to the inevitable. "I suppose it's time to discuss what happened... after the murder."
Gerudo's murder. As expected, they circled back to that topic. The topic I couldn't escape, even if I wanted to, even if I died. I needed to come up with something, anything. Even a ghostly possibility to lift this curse of suspicions from Enua.
"Then let's begin. Aragi, you remember the inscriptions on the wall... the ones left after Gerudo's death?"
Ah... right, I completely forgot. Forgot about those red scribbles, written in his blood. A creepy font, penned with the most convincing ink in the world. But if they're talking about them now... it means this isn't directly about Enua. Though it's too early to relax.
"Yeah," I nodded. "I was too shocked back then. Death... you know... knocks out your memory. I rushed to you guys to report what happened, and the inscriptions just... slipped my mind."
"We decided to put that topic aside then. Catching the killer was more important," Yahweh responded. "Good that Cheryl and Morgana reminded us when they went to clean the kitchen. The problem is, we can't decipher them, no one knows what language they're in. Even the servants have no idea, we thought they might clue us in... but no. Total zero."
"In the end... the inscriptions remain untranslated. And Enua, as you know, is avoiding us like we're already the verdict. Which, honestly, isn't far from the truth," Hov added.
"Still... this could be the key to the real killer. The inscriptions are a clue, even if in an incomprehensible language, but a clue nonetheless."
"So... you've decided not to push the version with Enua anymore?" I finally asked.
"Absolutely not," Yahweh's words followed immediately. "He'll stay under suspicion until he proves otherwise, and honestly, he doesn't have much time. It'll be decided before the second murder."
"Second?" My body twitched slightly. "What do you mean?"
"Consider it a reprieve. We're waiting for the second twilight. If we assume there'll be a new murder every night... we have little time."
So they're leaving him until the next murder. If he doesn't prove his innocence by then... they'll just cross him out.
"I hope you understand," Kamiki's voice sounded as if from afar, though they were standing right there. "We know you're with him, want to cover for him. So... you have that time too. Use it."
"Alright," Hov exhaled. "Back to the inscriptions. There were four of them, right?"
"Four lines, each with several words. One after another," Yahweh stated. "We just have no idea how to translate them. No one knows this language."
"...The library," it slipped out of me.
"There's a library here?" It burst out simultaneously from Yahweh and Hov.
"I only found out about it recently myself, it's on the second floor, right side, at the very end. I think there might be an answer there."
"And you're only saying this now?! Why were you silent?" Kamiki said.
"Because the entrance is locked. The key was with Gerudo, no copies."
"Damn. So it's sealed."
"Then... we'll break in? Or just kick it down. Two, three of us, the door won't hold," no one but Yahweh could suggest that option. By the way, he was used to radical methods of solving problems.
"The problem is something else, it's not just a door. Five meters high. Sturdy, as if magic itself is holding it."
"Five meters?! In a library?! What a joke?" Hov's dissatisfaction poured out.
"There are grimoires stored there," Morgana suddenly cut into the conversation.
Like a knife through fabric. Silent, sharp. Without permission.
"Thousands of grimoires. Some of them... can grant power beyond comprehension."
"So it's that serious... Then there's only one option: find Gerudo's keys."
"Except even Cheryl and I don't know where he kept them. According to him, the keys were given to him by the first owner of the mansion. The one Ryujin trusted more than anyone. He even entrusted the library, all his knowledge collected over a lifetime."
"So we need to search everything, the whole mansion. I suggest we split up."
The search began. Everyone rushed to scour the mansion. Everyone except fear, it stayed. It always stays.
Gerudo's room. The logical first choice; if I were a key, I'd hide there too. Morgana and I were there. Morgana, by the way, agreed to help. Which, overall, seems like a common occurrence.
"We've been searching for half an hour," Morgana huffed. "Nothing. Maybe he hid them somewhere else?"
"Maybe..." I muttered. "We've turned everything upside down. No results."
"Then let's go tell the others; they're probably hoping we'll find the key first."
The message was short: no key. The room is empty.
Everyone gathered in the living room. Again.
"Are you sure you searched everything?" Yahweh asked.
"Absolutely. The room's tiny, no hidden spots. We even went through a second round," Aragi said.
"Got it... The other rooms are empty too. Then... where?"
While they hadn't decided what to do... I had one chance left.
"Allow me..." I stepped forward. "I'm ready to prove Enua's alibi. Right now!"
"You... really have proof?" Yahweh said in astonishment, as if prepared to hear irrefutable alibi.
Everyone froze. Even the air.
"Yes. It's all about the inscriptions."
"Inscriptions?" Kamiki, like a question mark.
"Think about it. Why would the killer leave inscriptions in the victim's blood in a language no one understands? Not us, not the servants."
"So you're denying his guilt... just because you don't understand the language? Seriously?"
Of course. The first to attack me — you, naturally.
"You can't know what languages he speaks. Don't forget who he is. The creator of civilizations. He could know a language beyond comprehension," that was Yahweh, who knew better than anyone what his longtime enemy was.
"He's right. Enua could have created his own language and used it. That's just like him, to confuse us," Hov agreed.
"And yet... what's the point? He knew suspicions would fall on him. It would be too obvious, any of us could invent a language. That doesn't make Enua unique. On the contrary, it makes the suspicions too convenient."
"It would be fine, but only he has no alibi. We've already proven that. He's the only one who left his room. Did you forget that?"
"Accept it, Aragi. You want to help your comrade — that's commendable, but you have no real proof. This is for the best, for you and for us. The sooner we remove him, the fewer losses," Kamiki said, as if closing a book on the final note.
As expected, no one's listening to me. Especially Kamiki, he's ready to refute every word I say.
"Why are you so sure it's not the witch?! She said herself, the goal of the game: defeat her by any means!"
"That's what the killer is using. Victory 'by any means' doesn't equal teamwork. It means every man for himself. Survival of the fittest, meaning eliminating competitors. You get what I'm driving at?"
Kamiki came closer, leaned to my ear. The smile, unchanged. A smile that even shadows hide from.
"The goal isn't to kill the witch, but to survive until the seventh twilight, and get... a wish. One single one. And it'll go only to one. Understand now? You pathetic piece of shit. Agh-hah-ghah-hah-agh-hah!"
Laughter. Arms flailing. Mad gaze at the ceiling.
"By the end of the sixth day, one will remain. One! Whether you want it or not! It doesn't matter what you've imagined about 'teamwork'! So we need to get rid of the killer faster, before he strikes again!"
And then they were interrupted.
"Excuse us for interrupting," Morgana, with Cheryl next to her. "We found the key to the library."