That night fell heavily, as if the sky itself were pressing down on this already fractured island.
A curfew had been imposed. The piercing sound of MonoGaru still echoed faintly in our ears, like the laughter of a demon unwilling to leave. "All students are to return to their dorms immediately. Doors will be locked in ten minutes." The words felt like shackles slowly tightening around our wrists.
I walked along the cooling streets, my steps heavy and slow. The night air that whipped against me felt sharper than usual, carrying back the metallic scent of blood that still clung to my memory. In the common room of the dorm, the dim glow of the lamps illuminated faces that were weary, suspicious, and riddled with wounds. One by one they arrived—some still clutching small pieces of evidence in their hands, others carrying only a heavy silence.
No one spoke at first. There was only the sound of ragged breathing and the occasional creak of wooden chairs. Tonight, the hope that had already begun to crack from the start felt even thinner, like glass ready to shatter at the slightest wrong touch.
I sat with the others, gathering every scrap of information I had managed to dig up throughout that horrific night. My chest felt tight, but I knew we had no choice but to share everything. Because tomorrow, the Class Trial would force us to accuse one another… or die together.
Aulia was the first to break the silence, her voice soft yet firm as always.
"Before we go to sleep… we should compile everything we learned tonight. Reno, would you like to start?"
All eyes turned to me. I gave a slow nod and began speaking in a low but clear voice.
"The discovery… or rather, Anya's death, happened the exact moment the lights across the entire island went out," I said. "Selena and I were eyewitnesses. We were in the garden near the pond. Suddenly everything went pitch black. We started heading toward the Main Building, then heard a loud crash. When we got closer… Anya was already lying on the ground."
Selena nodded quietly, her hands gripping her small hand mirror tightly. "That's right… I still remember the sound. It was… terrible."
Aulia added, her eyes fixed on the floor with obvious guilt. "I saw it from a distance too. I was walking around the garden at the time. I saw someone… or something… leap from the third floor. I ran straight there, but I was too late."
Nova, standing in the corner, asked immediately, her voice quiet but sharp. "Wasn't Krisna on the third floor at that time?"
Krisna nodded calmly, his faint smile never fading. "Correct. I was indeed on the third floor. But I didn't hear anything. Lira's singing over the speakers was incredibly loud and echoing through the entire hallway. I was focused on studying the symbols on the walls. When the lights went out, I caught a glimpse of a shadow leaping from that window."
Lira, seated on the sofa, turned her head, her voice trembling. "But… why didn't you hear the sound of someone opening the window or even jumping? It must have been loud."
Krisna shrugged lightly. "Maybe the window was already open. I was too focused. Plus, your singing was really loud that night, Lira."
Bima, leaning against the wall, nodded.
"Lira and I were on the second floor when it happened. We were helping her broadcast through the speakers. After the lights went out, I immediately ran down to the first floor. I wanted to find out what caused the blackout, so I headed toward the basement. But on the stairs, I caught sight of something falling from above. And… you all saw the rest."
Lira confirmed in a small voice.
"Yeah… after that I went downstairs and found… what happened."
Adi, sitting with his notebook open, added:
"I was eating in the cafeteria at the time. The only thing I noticed was… two steak knives missing from there. Don't ask me why—I keep track of the utensils."
Zayn asked right away, his voice full of suspicion.
"Why would they be missing? What for?"
Adi shook his head.
"I have no idea. But that's what I found."
Zahra and Sinta, sitting side by side, shook their heads in unison.
"We didn't find any evidence around the scene," Zahra said wearily. "Just blood and… Anya's body."
Sinta added softly,
"I didn't notice anything suspicious nearby either."
Rian, who had just sat down, wiped his glasses.
"I went back to the Control Room after the incident. There was nothing wrong with the generator or the system at all. Everything was normal. Which means… someone deliberately tampered with the control system while I stepped away for a short break. Whoever it was knew exactly how it worked."
Dion stared sharply at Rian.
"Aren't you the only one who knows how it works best?"
Rian nodded heavily.
"That's true. But I have no idea who did it."
Nova, who had been silent until now, finally spoke.
"I found books scattered in one of the rooms upstairs. One of them was the manual for this island's control system. I don't know who found it or read it… but it was there."
Rian looked shocked, his eyes widening behind his glasses.
"I… I didn't even know a book like that existed."
Sinta, who had been quiet in the corner, finally spoke up. Her voice was small and slightly shaky.
"I… I went to the Lab earlier. There was a bottle of poison on the shelf… some of the contents were missing. The cap wasn't sealed tightly, and clearly a small amount of liquid was gone. It's very likely… someone used it."
Aulia asked immediately, her voice worried.
"What are the effects of that poison, Sinta?"
Sinta lowered her head, clutching her woven bag tightly. Her face went pale. She stayed silent for a long moment until I finally helped her, speaking gently.
"Go ahead and tell them, Sinta. They need to know."
Sinta swallowed hard, then spoke in a trembling voice.
"The effects… are like a sudden heart attack. The victim feels heavy shortness of breath, loses strength in just a few seconds, and then… dies. There's almost no clear trace. It looks like a natural death."
Zayn immediately grumbled loudly, his voice full of frustration.
"Why wasn't something that dangerous told to all of us from the start?! I'm scared someone might misuse it. If that poison falls into the wrong hands…"
Sinta apologized at once, her voice almost disappearing.
"I'm sorry… I was scared to say anything. Because the poison…"
Zahra immediately defended her fiercely.
"It's not entirely Sinta's fault! She was just worried. Don't blame her."
Zayn let out a long sigh, then changed the subject in a firmer tone.
"The most important thing right now is what happened in the Archive Room. I found the place completely trashed. Shelves knocked over, documents scattered everywhere, and there were even splatters of blood on the floor and papers."
Selena, still clutching her small mirror, asked with a trembling voice.
"Why would the archive room look like that? Wasn't Anya the only one using it for the past few days?"
Zayn shook his head, his expression serious.
"I'm confused too. Even Reno found the missing steak knives from the cafeteria in there."
I corrected him gently.
"Yes. There were two steak knives. One was lying among the documents, the other had been flung near the metal shelf. There was also a pale greenish liquid that almost blended with the bloodstains."
Everyone began exchanging glances, their faces growing even more tense. The atmosphere in the dorm common room felt heavier than ever.
Bima stroked his chin.
"So… Anya went crazy? She hurt herself, then killed herself by jumping from the highest floor?"
Zayn nodded firmly.
"That's the most likely possibility, in my opinion."
Zahra immediately denied it passionately.
"I don't believe it! Anya would never do something like that!"
Aulia also shook her head slowly, her voice polite but full of conviction.
"I agree with Zahra. Anya wouldn't commit suicide over something so simple. She was too strong to give up like that."
Zayn stared at the two of us with a sharp gaze, his voice growing even firmer.
"You're underestimating it too much. Anyone would do anything when they can no longer face reality. From my experience as the Ultimate Organizer, I once organized a rebellion against an armed group that controlled a region. I've seen plenty of madness. People will do anything when they're cornered and have no other choice. Anya… might have been consumed by that madness. Because of the despair from the truth—that almost everyone she met in the archives had terrible crimes in their past."
The atmosphere in the dorm common room grew even heavier. No one answered right away. Only the sound of heavier breathing and suspicious glances filled the air.
I sat in silence, my fists clenched in my lap. Deep down, I still couldn't fully accept that speculation.
But the more pieces of information surfaced, the harder it became to tell what was fact and what was merely an illusion created to hide the real truth.
The speaker crackled loudly again, shattering the tense silence of the common room.
"Fuhahaha~ Curfew is almost over, you know~"
MonoGaru's playful voice rang out once more, this time sounding even more cheerful, as if enjoying our suffering. "All students are expected to return to their rooms immediately. Doors will be locked in a few minutes. Tomorrow morning… the Class Trial will be held as usual on the third floor of the Main Building. I'm very curious and looking forward to it~ Will you manage to uncover the truth? Or will you sink even deeper into despair? Fufufu~ Sweet dreams~"
His soft laughter faded, replaced by the dying crackle of the speaker. The room fell completely silent. No one stood up right away. Every face looked heavy, as if the announcement had just slapped us back into cruel reality.
One by one, they began to rise and say quiet goodnights.
"Well… I'm heading to my room," Bima said with a yawn, though his eyes remained alert.
"Me too," Lira added softly, clutching her necklace.
"You should all get enough sleep," Aulia said politely, though her face clearly showed exhaustion. "We'll need clear minds tomorrow."
I only nodded without saying much. One by one they left the common room, their footsteps heavy in the dorm corridor. I walked last, following the dimly lit hallway toward the bedrooms.
As I passed the row of doors, I unconsciously slowed down.
Yusuf's room… had been empty since he was gone.
Vina's room… was also unoccupied.
Then I stopped right in front of Anya's door.
The wooden door looked ordinary, but to me it felt unbearably heavy. I stood there for a long time, staring at the pixelated picture still neatly attached. My thoughts spun wildly.
Anya… that cold, sharp person—had she really decided to end her own life?
All the information we had gathered tonight—the sudden blackout, the open window, the missing steak knives, the trashed archive room, the bloodstains, even Zayn's statement—everything seemed to point there. Suicide because she couldn't bear the weight of the truth.
But… why did my heart still refuse to believe it?
Could Anya have betrayed Aulia and me? Had she only used us as stepping stones, then chosen to take all the secrets with her to the grave? Had she never intended to reveal the truth to the world?
Doubt and loss of trust gnawed deeper into my chest. I felt… angry at myself for even thinking that way.
Finally I continued walking until I reached my own door. I pushed the wooden door open slowly.
Just as I was about to step inside, my eyes fell to the floor right at the threshold.
There, beneath the newly opened door, lay a simple white envelope. No name, no writing on the outside. Just an ordinary, slightly crumpled envelope.
I quickly closed the door behind me, locked it from the inside, and picked up the envelope. My hands trembled slightly as I carried it to the small desk in the corner of the room. I sat on the creaking wooden chair, then carefully opened the envelope.
Inside was a single folded sheet of paper—neat, small handwriting. Anya's distinctive script.
I began to read.
Reno, Aulia,
If you're reading this, it's likely that I am already gone.
I am entrusting everything to the two of you. You are the only hope I have left.
I have uncovered a truth too enormous and heavy to carry alone. All this time I felt someone was targeting me. Vina's words may have been right—there is someone who doesn't want hope to prevail—and indeed someone has been watching us from afar, from the shadows of this island.
If I die before I can hand the truth over to you directly, please… reveal everything. No matter the cost. Do not let that truth be buried with me.
Thank you… for still believing in a cynical bookworm like me.
— Anya
I froze. My hand gripped the envelope so tightly that the edges crumpled. My chest burned with a mixture of anger, sorrow, and a deep, overwhelming guilt.
With this… everything became clear.
Anya had not betrayed us.
She had sacrificed her life for the sake of hope, in the midst of the despair surrounding her.
And I… had almost betrayed her. I had doubted her. I had thought she was only using Aulia and me.
I stood up from the chair, still clutching the letter tightly. My jaw tightened.
"I'm sorry, Anya…" I whispered into the silent room. "I almost betrayed your hope."
I looked at the paper once more, then folded it carefully and slipped it into the pocket of my work jacket.
In a low but determined voice, I made a vow to myself.
"With this… everything is clear. I will shatter all these lies. I will expose the truth to everyone. Because reality… will never lose."
That night, behind the locked door of my room, I felt the small flame in my chest that had nearly gone out begin to burn once more.
Tomorrow… the Class Trial would begin.
And I would not let the truth be buried with her.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The next morning, no one greeted each other at all. We simply walked toward the third floor of the Main Building with faces full of thoughts, guesses, and mutual distrust. The morning air that should have been refreshing felt stifling, as if last night's events still clung to our skin.
This was our second Class Trial.
The first had been for Yusuf and Vina.
And now… for Anya.
I walked at the very back. My resolve was firm. Today, I would show everyone that Anya had not committed suicide. No matter what, I would not let the truth she had entrusted to Aulia and me be buried.
We climbed the creaking stone stairs. Each step felt like counting down the seconds to a cruel trial. No one spoke much. Only the occasional low mutter from Zayn, or Adi opening and closing his notebook. Krisna walked with his faint, empty smile, while Selena occasionally glanced behind her with the small mirror in her hand, as if afraid someone would attack from the rear.
Finally we reached the large door on the third floor. Just before it opened, Nova suddenly tugged the sleeve of my jacket from behind. The movement was quick and silent.
She pressed something into my palm—a small silver zipper pull with intact metal teeth.
I frowned, confused. "What… is this?"
Nova whispered softly, her voice calm and ordinary.
"The answer I'm giving you. I'm certain that darkness can be destroyed by something as small and seemingly trivial as this."
I didn't have time to ask further. Nova had already released my arm and stepped forward. I quickly slipped the zipper pull into my jacket pocket just as the large door in front of us began to creak open with a heavy mechanical groan.
We entered one by one.
The interior of the room had changed completely.
The ancient stone walls once covered in carvings of gods had been transformed to resemble an ancient Greek senate—elegant circular rows of marble seats, a mosaic floor, and a high ceiling painted with a cracked sky. Dim red light from hidden eternal torches on the walls made the entire room feel like an arena for a trial of long-dead gods. In the center stood tall podiums arranged in a circle, each engraved with our names.
Only thirteen podiums remained.
Three of them were already covered with black-and-white images and simple mourning symbols—Yusuf, Vina, and now Anya.
MonoGaru was already waiting for us in the center, standing on a small podium shaped like a Garuda's head. His torn wings fluttered slightly, his red eyes glowing with a crooked, wide smile.
"Welcome back to the second Class Trial, my sweet Ultimates~" he said playfully, his voice echoing throughout the room. "I did a little redecorating and matched it to the theme. Nice, right? Just like an ancient court where the gods punish humans~"
He hopped lightly, his wings creaking.
"As usual, stand at your respective podiums. There are only thirteen of you left now. Let's begin. Your task is to uncover who murdered Anya Kurnia Putri. If you vote correctly, only the culprit will be executed. If you're wrong… the killer goes free, and all of you die."
MonoGaru tilted his head, his smile widening.
"For this case, the most likely scenario is suicide. Anya's death was caused by severe shock from falling from a great height. Her body was found shattered on the stone ground. But… you still have to prove it. Was this truly suicide, or was there another culprit?"
He chuckled softly, his voice playful yet piercing.
"The trial begins now. Go ahead—accuse one another, suspect one another, and search for the truth… if you can still trust each other."
Adi stood at his podium with his notebook open, his face serious as always. He glanced at everyone before asking in a firm voice.
"I want to know one thing first. Is there really no information about any weapon or tool that might have been used in this 'murder'?"
Selena shook her head slowly, her voice still slightly shaky.
"When I saw Anya fall… there was no weapon or tool around her. Just her body… falling like that."
Zahra added,
"Sinta and I examined the area where she landed. We didn't find any weapons, knives, or anything strange. Just blood and… impact marks."
Adi nodded slowly, jotting something in his notebook.
"So… it really does seem that Anya fell from above and wasn't killed by anyone using a tool at the scene."
Aulia looked at Reno with her large, hopeful eyes, her voice remaining polite even though it was heavy.
"But there's other information that's far more important. Reno… you witnessed something at the time, didn't you?"
I, who had been thinking hard, startled. All eyes turned back to me. I felt a little nervous but tried to keep my voice steady.
"Y-yes… I saw a fleeting shadow in a black fluttering garment from the third floor. Just for a moment, right before the lights went out completely."
Dion adjusted his captain's hat and pointed.
"Then the key really is on the third floor."
Lira chimed in, her voice gentle but clear.
"If I remember correctly, Krisna was on the third floor at that time, right?"
Krisna confirmed, replying in a flat voice.
"Correct. I was there. But as I already said last night, I wasn't involved in anything. Everything was dark, and before that the noise from Lira's singing over the speakers was deafening. I couldn't hear anything except that song."
Rian wiped his glasses, his voice full of confusion.
"I still don't know what caused the blackout. There was nothing wrong with the generator or the system."
Everyone thought for a moment. The ancient senate room felt even colder.
Zayn finally spoke up in a firm voice, as if he could no longer wait.
"The initial guess was correct. Anya really did commit suicide. She was too stressed from reading those insane files in the archives. Proof is the trashed archive room—shelves knocked over, documents scattered, even bloodstains there."
Aulia interjected politely but with deep regret.
"Maybe Anya ended her life because of me… because I pushed her to investigate my brother…"
Zayn nodded and added,
"Not to mention she might have seen names of people she knew, or even our own names. It's proven that Vina and Bima's names were in there. The burden was too heavy for her. She hurt herself, then chose to jump."
Bima gave his opinion in a relaxed but cold voice.
"I agree. The data there might have been fake records deliberately made to trap us. This island was built to drive us insane and make us end our own lives. The more we read, the more we destroy ourselves."
Everyone began looking at one another. Slowly, their faces started showing a little conviction in the suicide theory. The atmosphere grew heavier, as if the air in the ancient senate room was pressing down on us from all sides.
But inside my mind, I still couldn't believe it.
Anya… someone so cold, meticulous, and determined to uncover the truth—there was no way she would end her own life in such a manner. Something was off. Someone was deliberately hiding something.
Adi raised his hand with a firm motion, his notebook still open in the other.
"May I ask something, MonoGaru?"
MonoGaru, who had been happily watching us from his small podium, tilted his head, his crooked smile widening.
"Of course~ Go ahead, go ahead."
Adi asked without hesitation.
"Are we allowed to vote for the culprit as the victim herself? Meaning… if this really was suicide, we can vote for Anya herself as the 'culprit' who is already dead, right?"
MonoGaru chuckled softly, his voice echoing through the ancient senate room.
"Fufufu~ You can do that. If you truly believe Anya killed herself. That way, no one needs to be punished because the culprit is already dead. Pretty easy, right?"
Bima immediately chimed in, his voice relaxed but quick, as if impatient.
"Then what are we waiting for? The answer's obvious. Anya killed herself. We just vote for her and we're done."
Before anyone could answer or raise their hand, something flashed through my mind. I spoke up, my voice louder than I intended.
"Wait! Everyone, don't make a decision yet."
All eyes turned back to me. I took a deep breath before continuing.
"If this really was suicide… why did it happen exactly when every light on the island went out? Out of all the times, Anya could have chosen to end her life anywhere and anytime. But why would she choose to do it in total darkness, especially by jumping from the Main Building where it would obviously be seen?"
Zayn answered firmly.
"Maybe she wanted to traumatize and scare everyone. Wanted to send a message—that this island is full of madness."
Dion nodded slowly.
"It could all just be coincidence. The lights happened to go out right when Anya was about to jump."
I immediately countered.
"Everything is too perfectly timed for coincidence. Plus, I'm certain that on every floor the windows were boarded up with wood to prevent them from being opened. But on the third floor, during the investigation, Aulia and I discovered that the wood had been smashed to open that window."
Krisna added calmly.
"That's true. I didn't notice because I was too focused on the symbols on the third floor, and the loud speaker noise covered the sound of the wood being broken."
Zayn offered again.
"Maybe Anya herself smashed it and then jumped."
But Nova immediately denied it with sharp insight.
"If it was suicide, from the cases I know, victims usually dive headfirst to ensure death. But Anya's body was found lying face-up. That doesn't look like someone who wanted to die. It looks more like she was pushed or thrown."
Everyone gasped. The trial room felt even colder.
Adi nodded slowly, his voice serious.
"That point might be valid. Anya's corpse was indeed found in a supine position."
Then he pointed directly at Rian.
"Rian, may I ask you something? You're the one who understands the system in the control room best. Weren't you the one who spent the most time and knew exactly how to control the lights? You were also the one who turned the lights back on after the blackout."
He stared straight at Rian, then continued in a sharper tone.
"With the information Reno and Nova just gave, it's very likely there really was a murderer who ended Anya's life."
Rian flinched, his face flushing with anger. He clenched his fists on the podium.
"What?! You're accusing me of doing it?!"
Rian's voice rose, his usually meticulous face no longer able to contain his emotions as he shouted at Adi.
"It's true I made the circuit map with Reno before and I know exactly how the generator and electricity work. But I wasn't in the generator room at the time! I was resting in the classroom and suddenly the lights went out. I ran downstairs right away to fix it!"
Selena suddenly interjected, her voice soft but full of suspicion.
"Maybe what Rian said is a lie. Maybe he turned off the lights himself, committed the murder, then dragged Anya's body upstairs and threw it down, then made up an excuse that it looked like suicide."
In an instant, the atmosphere in the ancient senate room shifted. All eyes now fixed on Rian as the prime suspect. Some people stepped back on their podiums, gazes full of distrust.
Rian grew even angrier. His face reddened, his voice turning harsh.
"You idiots or what?! I've been helping all of you from the start! Now suddenly I'm considered the killer just because I can turn the lights on and off?! Are you stupid?! Crazy!"
Bima immediately attacked in a relaxed but cutting voice.
"Wow, getting this angry only makes you more suspicious. The fact that you're mad just proves maybe you really did kill Anya."
I, who had been listening carefully, finally spoke up. I was so sure something was wrong that I quickly pieced the information together in my head.
"Wait," I said firmly. "Rian might not be the culprit."
Bima turned immediately.
"You sure? Why?"
I looked at everyone one by one.
"Zayn said earlier that he heard Rian shouting, right?"
Zayn nodded.
"Yeah, I heard Rian's shout because he was trapped in the basement. The room was sealed; he was locked inside."
Dion immediately cut in.
"Maybe Rian did it himself. He deliberately got trapped to create an alibi."
Rian shouted back, full of rage.
"You think I'm an idiot?! Why would I trap myself?!"
Krisna added calmly.
"That would be impossible. The way to open and close the basement is by sliding the large statue above it. Rian, being down there, couldn't have done it alone. Maybe someone slid it and tried to shift the blame onto Rian."
I continued more confidently.
"Plus, Nova found a manual for the generator and controls in that new room. That means someone studied it beforehand. There's another culprit who knows how to use it besides Rian."
The room fell silent again for a moment. Some people began looking at Rian with slightly softer gazes, but suspicion still hung thick in the air.
I gripped my podium tightly.
"So… this isn't as simple as suicide. Someone deliberately turned off the lights, someone studied the system, someone moved the statue, and someone pushed Anya from the third floor. We can't jump to conclusions yet."
MonoGaru, watching from the center, only chuckled softly, his torn wings creaking lightly.
"Fufufu~ So it's not a suicide case after all~"
Aulia stood straight at her podium, her voice soft yet filled with profound sorrow.
"I never imagined there would be a culprit who would do something so cruel… killing someone and then framing the victim as someone who killed herself. Truly… this is too cruel."
She took a slow breath, then continued in a firmer tone.
"Now that Rian's name can be considered cleared, the next piece of evidence is at the crime scene. With Reno's statement about seeing a fleeting shadow in black clothing… I also saw the shadow of someone on the third floor, right by the window, moments before Anya's body fell."
Aulia then pointed directly at Krisna, her voice polite but sharp.
"And that person… was Krisna. Because Krisna was the one there at the time, and he was wearing his black school jacket, which matches Reno's description perfectly."
Sinta immediately added in a fussy but suspicious voice.
"Krisna's alibi about not hearing anyone break the window wood and not seeing anyone in the dark is way too strange. How could he not know anything at all when he was right there on the third floor?"
Krisna only smiled faintly.
"I'm only telling the truth."
Zayn immediately followed up firmly.
"That's incredibly suspicious. Krisna could have arranged everything—from opening the window to throwing Anya down from there."
Krisna didn't answer right away. He took out his brush and began drawing something on the surface of his podium—an abstract dark image, like a pattern whose meaning was unclear. Everyone watched in confusion.
Until Krisna finally spoke in a flat voice.
"If you really believe that, then just vote for me. Because I won't say anything more. That's all I can tell you."
He then drew a line sealing his own mouth tightly, like a locked zipper.
Dion shook his head slowly.
"What a weirdo."
I thought hard at my podium. If Krisna really did it, I was still confused why Anya would have bothered going up to the third floor. And if Krisna was telling the truth, he should never have left the third floor from the start.
In the end I voiced what was on my mind.
"His statements don't connect. Why would Krisna bother going downstairs to lure Anya up to the third floor and then push her? Plus, Krisna never left the third floor at all from the beginning, right?"
Everyone looked at Krisna. But he remained silent, only smiling faintly without answering.
Bima grew frustrated and snapped.
"Answer! Don't just stay quiet!"
Krisna still said nothing.
Nova, who had been silent until now, finally spoke in her usual voice.
"I can correct that. Krisna never left the third floor at all."
Adi asked immediately.
"Why are you so sure?"
Nova adjusted her hat for a moment before answering.
"I was always on the second floor. When the lights went out, I saw someone climb from the first floor to the second, then to the third. Then I heard the loud sound of someone running from the top floor down."
Everyone exchanged confused glances about what Nova had just said.
I was about to say something, but Aulia glanced at me briefly, as if signaling me to let her speak.
Aulia spoke politely but clearly.
"From that statement, Krisna is innocent. Because he was on the third floor from the beginning. And there was someone else who came from the first floor to the third when the lights went out, then ran downstairs before the lights came back on. But Krisna never came down until the announcement, right?"
Aulia then looked straight at Krisna.
Krisna remained silent. His eyes blinked once, but he said nothing.
Nova stood straight at her podium, her long black coat looking even darker under the red light of the senate room. Her voice stayed calm and ordinary, yet every word felt sharp.
"I wasn't alone on the second floor at the time. To be honest, there were others there—Bima, Lira, and Adi. Bima and I were trying to help Lira smash the speaker in the broadcast room so Lira could sing again before bed."
MonoGaru, who had been sitting on his small podium, immediately looked annoyed. His torn wings creaked loudly as he hopped.
"Huh~ Why do you guys keep doing that every day?! If you do it one more time, I'll punish you for real!"
Nova ignored MonoGaru and continued.
"I'm certain Anya was on the first floor and in the basement before the incident. Then I remembered the fact Reno mentioned—that there were steak knives in the archive room."
She then pointed directly at Adi.
"I want to ask why steak knives ended up there, when those knives can only be found in the cafeteria. The only person who was in the cafeteria at that time… was Adi."
Adi looked shocked, his eyes widening.
"You're accusing me?! Why would I use those steak knives?!"
Nova continued without changing expression.
"It's possible Adi used a knife to kill Anya in the dark, then dragged the body upstairs. Because I myself saw someone climbing from the first floor."
I immediately realized the fact.
"There were also several cuts on Anya's body and clothes, like knife slashes. Plus the trashed archive room with blood splatters."
Zahra immediately interjected passionately, disbelieving.
"I don't believe Adi would lie to all of us!"
Adi closed his notebook with slightly trembling hands. His face looked quite nervous.
"Why would I do all that? Why would I kill Anya?"
Zayn answered firmly.
"As I said, the motive for this culprit is related to what was in the archive room. Meaning, the crime dossiers. I'm certain Adi has a major crime in his political plans."
Everyone remembered again. Among the many attempts to re-establish a government, only Adi's group had been so successful and nearly wiped out many other candidates.
Bima joined the attack in a relaxed but cold voice.
"I'm sure Adi pulled off a lot of fraud before and planned all this. Politicians are really good at lying."
Adi defended himself immediately.
"If I did it, how and why?"
Nova explained, still calm.
"You stole the steak knives from the cafeteria. Then when the lights went out, you went downstairs, stabbed Anya from behind. After she was dead, you dragged the body upstairs and threw it down."
Adi grew more nervous.
"How could I do all that in such a short time?!"
Dion chimed in.
"You were close to the third floor. You went up and smashed the wood on the third floor."
Adi asked again, his voice rising.
"I should have been noticed at the time!"
Aulia then spoke, polite but firm.
"From Krisna's statement, the speaker was too loud. You could have done it while Krisna wasn't paying attention."
Adi immediately countered.
"Maybe Krisna is lying about that!"
I immediately denied it confidently.
"I went to the broadcast room myself and the speaker settings there were indeed at maximum—much louder than before."
The ancient senate room fell silent again. All eyes were now on Adi. The suspicion that had been scattered began to focus on one point.
Adi stood at his podium, still gripping his notebook tightly. His face was pale, but he tried to maintain his composure.
I gripped my podium, my mind racing.
The pieces were starting to come together.
The tension in the ancient senate room burned hotter than ever. The air felt heavy, as if every breath we took added more weight to our shoulders. All eyes were now fixed on Adi, who stood at his podium clutching his notebook tightly, his face pale but still trying to look composed.
Zayn attacked loudly.
"All the evidence points to you, Adi! You were the one in the cafeteria when the steak knives disappeared. You could have gone up to the third floor during the blackout. You're the most likely one who stabbed Anya in that trashed archive room!"
Bima joined in, anger rising.
"Yeah! A politician like you is good at acting. Maybe you deliberately trashed the archive room to make it look like Anya went crazy and killed herself. So your secrets in the archives wouldn't leak to everyone!"
Adi shook his head hard, his voice rising.
"Why would I do that?! I have no motive! I just want to build a new government—I don't care if my crimes are exposed to the public!"
Selena interjected shakily.
"But you yourself said you were in the cafeteria when the lights went out. Who else could have taken the steak knives if not you?"
Zahra, usually cheerful, now sounded suspicious too.
"The archive room trashed, bloodstains, steak knives… everything fits perfectly with you being in the cafeteria. I'm starting to lose trust in you, Adi."
Sinta added,
"If you really are innocent… why do you look so nervous right now?"
Adi was cornered. His hands trembled as he held the notebook, his voice beginning to crack.
"I… I didn't do any of that! You're all wrong!"
I stood silently at my podium, listening to the increasingly heated debate. The evidence really did point to Adi—the missing steak knives, his position in the cafeteria, his ability to move quickly in the dark. Even though he had once defended me, saying that truth would always prevail. But now… disappointment began to creep into my chest.
Had I been wrong again? Was Adi, who had seemed to support me all this time, actually the mastermind behind Anya's death?
But just as the debate grew fiercer and almost everyone started leaning toward "Adi is the culprit," something flashed through my mind.
I remembered what Nova had said earlier:
"No matter how small or trivial the evidence, it can reveal the truth."
There was still something that didn't connect. There was one small piece that still bothered me.
I felt there was something hidden, something that had to be uncovered right now… or we would all choose wrong and be killed. Leaving the real culprit free, and Anya's hope buried with her.
I gripped my podium tightly, my breathing growing ragged.
No.
I couldn't lose faith so easily. I couldn't repeat the same mistake.
In my mind, the small pieces began spinning faster—the black shadow on the third floor, the deliberately loud speaker, the missing steak knives, the trashed archive room, the manual Nova found, Anya's secret letter, and the small zipper pull now in my pocket.
There was something missing.
And I had to find it before it was too late.