The room was silent. Shock was on the faces of all present.
"How…? How did this happen?”
Yelena’s eyes were filled with terror, her voice quivering in fear.
Eustis began to grit his teeth as he looked to the ground.
“He was…” Eustis started to choke over his words. After clearing his throat, he continued. “He was killed last night!”
The sound of surprised gasps filled the air. “How is this possible?” Janus asked. “How could someone break in unnoticed? How could somebody break in and kill a warrior as skilled as Olivier without anybody knowing?” Everyone looked to one another, as if one of them had the answer.
“I need to sound concerned,” Setsuna thought, “so I guess I’ll act curious.” She looked over at Eustis.
"Eustis, did you see anything?”
“No. I last saw my brother a bit after 2220 hours last night. Janus saw him heading towards the central steeple when he returned last night. It was around 2230 hours.”
“…Did he say why he was going there?”
"No. He left our room last night without saying where he was off to. When he wasn’t back this morning, I began asking around. That’s when Janus mentioned he saw my brother heading towards the spire. I found him in the watch room on the top floor, laying on the floor… stained red by his own blood...” Eustis was trembling as his voice trailed off.
Setsuna lowered her head. “I… I’m sorry to hear that…” As her heart pounded in her chest, Setsuna began to fidget in her chair. “Eustis… last question: was he armed? Did he seem to act as though he were headed somewhere dangerous?” Eustis shook his head.
Margaret was the next to speak. “If he was unarmed, then he was probably attacked by surprise.” Janus added to Margaret’s conclusion. “I saw him go into the Center Spire as I began to head back to my room, which I thought was odd. There isn’t anything worth while in the tower; that’s why we never use it. He wouldn’t have a reason to go there unless he was trying to go some place private.”
Yelena looked to her brother in confusion.
“I don’t understand. What reason could he have to go up there? What could he be doing in secret up there?”
Janus gave his sister an unsettling answer.
“I have no idea. All I can say is that somebody knew that Olivier would be there. Somebody with murderous intent.”
Yelena placed a hand over her mouth as she began to cry softly. However, her display of sadness was soon interrupted.
“Heh. It would be the perfect place to kill somebody.” Ancil stated with a smirk.
Eustis shot Ancil a vehement glare, but before he could speak, Margaret stood up.
“Ancil! Tu es si méchant! What about this is funny to you!?”
Ancil interlocked his fingers as he placed them on the table.
“Mademoiselle! Your words hurt! I was being serious! Think for a moment…”
Ancil began to lean in as he made his point.
“Obviously, the oaf didn’t expect this. He expected to meet somebody there in secret. Why? Who can say?”
Ancil continued to speak a sly grin as he exchanged glances with everybody around the table.
Ancil wore a sly grin upon his face as he exchanged glances with everybody around the table.
“The reason is irrelevant; the key is the location. Nobody but the residents here know that the tower goes unused.”
As his gaze met Setsuna’s, Ancil stated his theory.
“The killer must be someone at this table.”
YOU ARE READING
The Secrets of Ether
General Fiction"A desire great enough to kill for..." When a mysterious murder occurs in the isolated Sinclair Monastère, the limits of trust are breached by suspicion and paranoia. Setsuna Fuyutsuki, the assassin, must maintain a façade of innocence to get away w...
