toxic fate

19

"I read through your actions. It was too easy--just like a jigsaw puzzle. So, I acted along with your child's play, and you actually thought I was dumb. You fell into my trap instead." I smiled.

He gritted his teeth, and charged towards me.

I then did my famous style in martial arts; Aikido.

Aikido is considered a grappling art. Aikido is a Japanese martial art performed by flowing with the motion of the attacker rather than opposing it straight-on. This requires much less physical strength, as the practitioner directs the attacker's momentum with entering and turning motions, followed by various throws or joint locks.

I heard a bone crack. I think I broke Paul's spine or neck.

"You know, all this time, I could have easily defended myself by one strike. But, I used less power to observe your reaction. You must have thought I was weak. Look at me now, I broke one of your bones in a strike." I chuckled. "As much as I regretted killing you accidentally in the past years, it was actually your fault for spying on me in the first place."

He tried to get up from the bloody floor, but he couldn't. He instantly fell back.

I crotched down, and formed a black orb in my right palm of my hand.

"Any last words before I send you back to death?" I asked.
"Go to hell." He whispered.
"I'll see you there." I replied, placing the black orb on him. He then vanished bit by bit.

I stood up, and grabbed the zip bags. At least I don't have to put up with him anymore.
I would say my acting skills were on point, for it fooled Paul.

I got out of the room, for I couldn't stand the odour of it.

Where did the killer go anyways? But more importantly, which Atalanta were we facing?

There weren't any more rooms. So, I decided to head to the first floor. Maybe Flare was there already. I then took the lift to the first floor. As I reached, I searched for someone.

I found Electra leaning against the wall in the hallway, jotting down some things.

"Uh, I'm back." I spoke, as I stood near her. She then eyed me before eyeing the zip bags.
"Explain what you found." She replied.

I then explained everything; skipping the part that I sent Paul back to the dead.

She nodded, and jotted down what I said in her notebook.

"Did you find anything?" I asked.
"Surprisingly, no. Therefore, I'm waiting for the others. Flare hasn't come back. Atalanta is searching outside. Chiyoko is searching in the dorm rooms." She said. "But I suppose the Atalanta we are seeing is a fake? The truth will unravel later."

"Electra! Emiko!" A voice called. Speak if the devil. It was no one, but herself. Atalanta.
"Oh. Atalanta. Found anything?" Electra asked, as if nothing happened. Atalanta panted, then eyed the zip bags in my hand before turning to Electra.

"I was searching outside. As I came across the bushes, I found a headless corpse. Although, the head was placed next to it." She said, and was horrified.

"Guys? What happened?" Chiyoko arrived.
"Follow me." Atalanta motioned.

We followed her outside. She then pointed towards some bushes. There was some blood stains on the grass, leading to it. We took a look at the bushes, and there was a headless corpse, along with the sliced head near it. The corpse was stained with its own blood. The eyes of the head were gouged out, and its lips were ajar.

It was Flare.