Chapter 180: A New Pair

Elena and another girl, who I assumed was her roommate, lay motionless on their beds. Fresh flowers had been carefully placed around them, almost as if whoever killed them had wanted them to look peaceful... or just wanted to kill the stench with flowers so it wouldn’t draw attention.

Both of their throats had been cut clean across, blood soaking the pillows and sheets beneath them. There were no signs of a struggle, no overturned furniture, no broken drawers, and no forced entry on the door.

The killer had to be someone who could be trusted by these two. Fake Pix.

Of course.

Nobody would’ve questioned Pix entering the room. She’d learned about the locker switch, realized Elena had the key she wanted, and killed both girls after finding whatever she’d been searching for. They weren’t the targets. They were simply collateral.

One of the teachers covered her mouth while the other immediately stepped into the hallway.

"Gods protect us," she said. "Sound the alarm! Now!"

"Eselin," I said, keeping my eyes on the room, my voice calm. "Find the girl who told us about Elena, and ask her one thing."

She looked at me, panic flashing across her. "What?"

"Who else did she tell about the locker switch?" I continued. "Ask that."

Eselin’s expression hardened. "I understand."

She turned and hurried toward the staircase without another word.

I took a step toward the room, intending to have another look around, but both teachers moved in front of me before I could enter.

The older one raised a hand. "No."

I stopped.

"This is a crime scene now."

I let out a slow breath and nodded. "Yes, Ma’am."

There wasn’t much I could do anymore.

Whatever the fake Pix had been looking for...

She’d gotten to it first. And now two more innocent girls were dead because of it.

ꨄ︎ꨄ︎ꨄ︎

I kept thinking, turning everything over in my head again and again, but I still couldn’t find a motive. The fake Pix had probably found whatever she had been looking for yesterday, the same day I killed her. Lucky for me, maybe. But it also meant I was already too late. Elena and her roommate had already been murdered, and the flowers around their bodies suddenly made perfect sense. They weren’t there as some sick display of respect. They were there to hide the smell until someone eventually found them. Clever. Twisted.

I got up from the bench and walked back toward the boys’ dormitory. ℯ

The girls’ side of the circular street had been completely closed off. Guards stood shoulder to shoulder, forming a barrier so nobody could enter, while every girl had been ordered outside. They’d been standing there for nearly an hour now as teachers searched every room.

"There you are," Ken greeted me as soon as I stepped inside. "Is it true? I just got back from shopping and everyone’s talking about it."

"Yeah," I replied. "It’s a complete shitshow."

"It really is."

"Hmm."

Ken rubbed the back of his head and rested a hand on his waist while looking toward the guards. Most of the girls were gathered on our side of the street now, some talking quietly while others cried into their friends’ shoulders. A few boys stood beside their girlfriends, trying to comfort them, while the rest had wandered elsewhere to get away from the suffocating atmosphere.

"No school today either," Ken said with a sigh. "By Nythera’s Veil, this is becoming a nightmare. Two more students dead, and then there’s Pix. A fake Pix."

"According to Captain Sora, the suicide note was written by the fake Pix," I said. "The real one never wrote it."

"And that’s insane on its own." Ken shook his head. "A real Pix and a fake Pix. Ace, this whole thing sounds like something out of a bad play."

"Hey, did you know Jelda that well?" I asked. "Did she have money? Rich relatives? Anything valuable?"

"The only person with money anywhere near her was Jack, and he wasn’t even family. Hatche used to work for him years ago before she got too old." He shrugged. "That’s about all I know."

"Do you think Jelda owned something valuable? Something worth killing over?"

Ken frowned.

"I don’t think so. She was just... Jelda." He looked at me. "Besides, she wasn’t just murdered. She was raped first. If someone only wanted whatever she owned, they would’ve killed her and left. None of the rest would’ve happened."

"I know." I nodded. "I’m just brainstorming."

He studied me for a second before letting out a breath. "Anyway, I picked up a quest from the Guild. Need to hunt five rabbits for a tavern. You coming?"

"I was actually going shopping."

"Works for me. Let me grab my bow and dagger first."

"I’ll wait here."

Ken disappeared inside the dormitory.

Since every bench around was occupied, I leaned against a tree and crossed my arms. I had just glanced toward Jelda’s window when I noticed Eselin walking toward me with hurried steps. Professor Kroua was with her, along with another teacher whose face I recognized but whose name escaped me.

"Ace," Professor Kroua said as the three of them stopped in front of me. "Can you tell me exactly what happened?"

I scratched the back of my head. "Where should I even start?"

"Jelda’s killers," she replied. "I believed they were all dead. Now, all of a sudden, two more students have been murdered."

"It’s complicated, Professor." I shook my head. "Honestly, I don’t think I understand it anymore either."

"Eselin told me someone searched Pix’s room."

"Yes."

"You believe they were looking for something?"

"I do."

"What makes you think that?"

"Because they stayed." I crossed my arms. "The fake Pix had already completed the job. Jelda was dead. If that was all they wanted, she could’ve disappeared immediately. Instead, she remained here pretending to be Pix. That only makes sense if she was searching for something she hadn’t found yet."

Professor Kroua slowly nodded, though she didn’t look convinced. "And you still don’t know what that something was?"

"No."

She let out a quiet sigh. "Three students dead." She looked toward the girls’ dormitory. "Gods..."

Before anyone spoke again, movement near the entrance caught all of our attention.

Mr. Marble had just entered the circular street.

The guards recognized him immediately and stepped aside without saying a word. Captain Sora walked out of the girls’ dormitory and met him halfway, immediately beginning a quiet conversation. I couldn’t hear a single word they were saying from where I stood, but judging by the expressions on both their faces, it definitely wasn’t anything ordinary.

A few minutes later, Ken came out of the boys’ dormitory wearing a worn leather breastplate. Thick, weathered boots covered his feet, their soles scuffed from years of use. A bow rested across his back, and a dagger rested in the sheath on his belt.

"Ready?" I asked.

He nodded. "Yep. What’re you shopping for?"

"Just some more clothes," I said. "And maybe a better pair of boots."

"Alright. I know a few places where we can buy that."

"Great."

We left the circular street together, passing through its only entrance.

"So," Ken said as we walked side by side, "been an interesting few days, huh?"

"Yeah." I let out a quiet breath. "Just... bad."

Since I had no idea where the city’s better shops were, I simply followed him.

As we stepped onto the main road, I glanced back over my shoulder for a moment. The entrance to the circular street sat quietly behind us, the stone walls hiding the boys’ and girls’ dormitories from view. It was strange how such a peaceful little street had become the center of so much chaos.

Turning forward again, I looked to the right.

The academy grounds stretched beyond an iron fence, with the large academy building standing proudly in the distance. Students crossed the courtyard here and there while a few teachers walked between the paths, completely unaware of the thoughts running through my head.

The main road itself was much livelier. A large fountain occupied the center of the wide avenue, its water splashing steadily into the basin below. Market stalls lined both sides of the street, merchants shouted over one another to attract customers, and people wandered between the stands carrying baskets full of vegetables, bread, cloth, and tools.

"What’re you looking at?" Ken asked after noticing me looking around.

"I don’t know." I shrugged. "Thinking about Jelda."

He nodded slowly.

"She thought Pix betrayed her," I continued. "Well... the fake Pix. She probably believed her best friend had lured her into a trap."

"Yeah." Ken lowered his eyes. "Imagine dying believing your closest friend caused it." He sighed quietly. "Gods... I hope Orenthis showed mercy to her soul."

"Yeah."

We continued through the marketplace, weaving between shoppers and merchants.

"So," Ken asked, "what’re you looking for first?"

"Boots."

"A new pair?"

"Yeah."

He nodded toward the road ahead. "Then let’s stop by Jengo’s. He sells boots too."

"Oh? Really?"

"Yep. Come on."

We passed the last few market stalls and left the open square behind.

After turning a corner, the road became much narrower. Stone buildings stood closer together here, and the sound of commerce gave way to the steady rhythm of craftsmen at work. A cart creaked toward us from the opposite direction, forcing both of us to step aside while the horse slowly pulled it through the cramped street.

Once it passed, we continued on.