"Jio and Satya."
Jio and Satya exchanged confused looks, not understanding why Joan would say that.
"What proof do you have to say we're like that?" Jio said, staring at Joan lazily.
"We don't know anything about what that paper means," Satya defended.
"I-I have proof that you guys are the Detective and the Main Character. I know you often go somewhere together without the others knowing, like there's something you don't want to tell us," Joan said.
"You still can't prove it clearly, can you?" Jio scoffed cynically.
"Jo, please. We all want to get out of here alive, but don't accuse us just to save yourself. We either survive together or not at all," Satya said gently.
Joan lowered his head, feeling guilty. In trying to save Hesa and Arkha, he had almost sacrificed his other friends.
Heeseung just watched the scene with a flat expression before approaching them.
"This isn't necessary anymore." He took the paper from Niki's hand.
"I'm sorry for the terror that I and the others have caused."
He pointed to the hallway beside them, where a portal stood at the far end.
As the others walked toward the portal, Hesa remained still, staring at his copy who was also looking back at him.
"You still don't trust me?" Heeseung asked.
"Yeah. You haven't given me a reason why you did all this," Hesa replied.
The copy shook his head. "The explanation is too long. You need to hurry before the portal disappears."
Hesa stayed silent until Arkha came back and pulled his hand, urging him to leave. Not long after they passed through, the portal closed.
The Copies who witnessed it immediately approached their eldest with annoyance.
"What are you doing?" Jungwon said.
"I just told them to rest for a bit," Heeseung replied.
"Hah? You're not seriously ending this?" Sunghoon said. It turned out they had been pranked by their own eldest.
"Of course not. Why would I go through all the trouble of making a plan just to end it like that?" Heeseung said.
"The Setta who went with them still isn't the real one, right?" Jay asked.
"Obviously. As if I'd just return him that easily," Heeseung replied.
"But you gave the watch back?" Jake's copy asked.
"I've sealed the power of that watch, so it's useless. Hesa still won't be able to use it," Heeseung said.
The Copies nodded in understanding.
"When will the game continue?" Riki asked.
"I'm sure they'll realize soon that this terror isn't over yet. And when they do, their time will run out," Heeseung said, then turned to Jay. "Follow them and find our old friend."
~~~~~~
The portal brought them back to the campsite where they had set up their tents.
"We're back here?" Niki said.
"Of course, Nik. Where else would we go?" Satya replied.
"Are we staying or going home?" Setta asked.
"It's already late, so it's better to stay, but I feel bad for Hesa and Arkha," Joan said, glancing at the two seniors.
"Let's just go home. We need to calm ourselves down for a while," Jio said.
"Pack up first," Niki said.
"Yeah," Joan replied.
They started taking down the tents and collecting their belongings, making sure nothing was left behind.
"Hesa."
Arkha held Hesa's hand before he could get into the car with the others. Hesa looked at him in confusion.
"Ji, I'll leave my stuff with Hesa," Arkha said to Jio, who was putting things into the car.
"Why?" Jio asked.
"I think we're going to the hospital first, to clean the wounds." Arkha showed the wound on his arm.
"Can't you just go home? Don't forget I got shot too," Jio said.
"They treated your wound earlier, that's why you're not dying right now," Arkha replied.
"Sounds like you're asking to get smacked," Jio said with a forced smile, which Arkha answered with a grin.
"My brother said he'll pick me up, so sorry I won't go with you guys. Maybe we'll meet at the hospital later," Arkha said.
"Alright," Jio replied.
The car drove off, leaving the camping area.
"Is your brother really picking you up?" Hesa asked.
Arkha nodded. "We need to talk first, right?"
~~~~~
Hesa and Arkha sat on the hospital rooftop after their wounds had been treated.
"Won't your brother get suspicious?" Hesa asked.
"No. I told him I just wanted to get some air," Arkha replied.
Arkha handed one of the drink bottles he was holding to Hesa. "How did you get kidnapped first?"
"Setta's copy and Heeseung came to my boarding house," Hesa said.
"After that, did you wake up in an abandoned building or the circular one?" Arkha asked.
"Abandoned building? I woke up in the circular building. I walked around for a bit before meeting Heeseung. Then he hit my head with a rock. After a while, I woke up again in the same place.
When I woke up, I saw Kyungmin putting a bandage on my forehead. He said he was also a victim of their game, that's why he wanted to help me. He also said I had to go through a portal if I wanted to escape," Hesa explained.
Arkha nodded in understanding.
"What about you? Were you all captured together?" Hesa asked.
"Yeah. We got captured during the camp. Heeseung suggested making it a camp," Arkha said.
That made Hesa understand. "So I was kidnapped for this."
"I think the camp really was that important," Arkha said.
"Hm." Hesa took a sip of his bottled drink.
"So what happened after that?" Hesa asked.
Arkha sighed and looked at him. "I don't know how the others were captured. But I was with Joan, and I did something stupid that made me understand how you felt."
"How I felt?" Hesa asked.
"I gave up. I thought it'd be better to sacrifice myself to save you, but it didn't work like that," Arkha said.
Hesa lowered his head and let out a rough sigh. "So you felt what despair is like too."
Arkha let out a weak chuckle. "I woke up alone in that room. Before that, Jake said the medicine he gave me was a hallucination drug, so when I saw your reflection in the mirror, I thought I was sick. But it turned out Heeseung was just messing with me. Not long after, Jio got angry at me because he was influenced by Setta. Luckily the others came and snapped him out of it.
After that, we searched for a way out together. Unfortunately, they showed up and seemed like they were going to do something with a finger snap. In Agantha's vision, that moment was their last. But it wasn't the same as what I experienced. The snap didn't affect me or the others at all. So I told everyone to run. Unfortunately, they immediately made us play hide and seek.
I don't know what happened after that because I ran into you. But earlier, Satya said they were locked in electric chairs," Arkha said.
"There shouldn't have been any electric chair torture if they had succeeded in influencing us with the snap. That's what Agantha saw?" Hesa asked.
Arkha nodded. "Something made it not work."
"Reincarnation. Heeseung mentioned that. He said he's starting to accept this reincarnation," Hesa said.
"That shaman kid said we're special and was very sure our fate wouldn't be like Jihan's. Because of reincarnation?" Arkha said.
"What shaman kid?" Hesa asked.
"Your neighbor, Sakala. He said he's an esper, and because of that he could monitor you in their dimension, but he couldn't take you away directly because you were constantly guarded," Arkha said.
That kid again, Hesa thought.
"What was your first impression of him?" Hesa suddenly asked.
"A weird person. Mysterious but annoying. You know, like a kid who likes to tease people," Arkha said.
Hesa chuckled at Arkha's opinion.
"Kala's actually an introvert," Hesa said.
"Are you serious?!" Arkha said in disbelief.
"I suspected he was influenced by Jaehyuk since their units are next to each other, but after I looked at it again, it seemed more like an alter ego, because his calm personality can come back," Hesa said.
"Hmm, suspicious," Arkha replied.
"I told you before," Hesa said.
He stood up to throw away his bottle, but something fell from his jacket pocket. Arkha picked it up.
"This is that weird compass watch, right?" Arkha said.
"Yeah," Hesa replied.
"It looks normal," Arkha said.
"Heeseung must've sealed its power before giving it back to me. And I also feel like the Setta who came back with us isn't the real one," Hesa said.
"I still feel something bad too," Arkha said.
"Yeah, I figured," Hesa replied.
The sound of a door creaking open made them both turn.
"Sorry, am I interrupting?"
"Why are you here, Jo?" Arkha asked.
"I was taking Jio. This hospital is the closest to our campsite," Joan said.
"Ah, that makes sense. But how did you know we were on the rooftop?" Arkha asked.
"From your brother. He thought I had plans with you guys, so he told me you were on the rooftop," Joan said. "The others are waiting here too. They're worried about Kak Jio."
"How's Jio now?" Hesa asked.
"Luckily he's fine. After he got shot, they treated him first, but the wound reopened when he fought them in the electric room," Joan explained.
"Oh," Arkha replied shortly.
Hesa thought for a moment before speaking. "By the way, why did you accuse Satya and Jio earlier?"
"I just wanted to protect you guys because I knew the people mentioned in that note were you," Joan said.
"Thanks, but your way was wrong. You almost sacrificed your own friends. I hope you won't do that again," Hesa said.
"Yeah. I'm sorry," Joan said, lowering his head. He still felt guilty even though his friends had already moved on.
~~~~~
Kala watched the moon showing its presence for a moment before drawing the curtain in front of him.
His steps carried him to his room. He opened a notebook lying on his desk.
Unconsciously, he smiled at the photo frame nearby, then began writing on the last page of the notebook.
Dion Biantara.
Melvin Anggara.
Hasta Alkana.
Agantha Gheovano.
Difta Prayoga.
Yoanero Dewangga.
A sigh escaped him. He was only writing names, yet it felt so heavy.
Ringgg.
Kala's attention was immediately diverted. He picked up the incoming call.
"Hello, Wish."
"Are you joining us tonight?"
"I'm on the way. Why?"
"Just asking. You've seemed busy lately."
"Oh, that… I just have a part-time job."
"Are we bothering you?"
"Not at all. I'm going to hang up now, I don't want to crash."
"O-okay."
Kala ended the call and hurried out of his boarding unit.
Walking down the hallway, he deliberately stopped by another block first, glancing at one unit whose lights were still on.
"Oh, you're back already."
After making sure, he continued on his way.