5: 'You're alive!'

Exequies noticed that Eph is trembling and mumbling something in her seat.

He was about to approach her when another video was flashed in the big screen.

It was Andrew. In a rooftop. He was talking to someone not visible in the camera.

"It is a footage of Marc Andrew Perez day before he killed himself. "

Those words struck Eph and Exe to pay attention to the video.

The video took almost 5 minutes just showing Andrew talking. Until a girl came out from the corner of the rooftop and is now visible to the camera. She walked towards Andrew and choke him while pushing him to the edge of the rooftop.

Eph couldn't breathe properly as she recognize the girl holding Andrew's neck. It was Karina!

She's one of the squad. The fragile girl of the group. She's been missing for almost a week now. She hasn't been seen since Andrew's death.

"S-stop.. Stop!"

Ephemeron pleaded. Her mind can't process what she's seeing.

No. It's not that she can't. She just don't want to understand.

No one even give a glance at her.

The video continue for a minute or two. Ephemeron don't know. That span of time seems like forever for her.

A forever nightmare.

Until Karina loosen her grip to Andrew's neck and they both laugh.

Ephemeron exhaled. Realizing she was supressing her breathing.

'Thank God. It's just a joke.'

She thought. But her gaze landed on Smaze when she noticed him staring.

"You must be relieved. Thinking it was just some sort of joke."

Eph mentally frowned.

Is he reading her mind?

"But what if it's not a simple 'goodtime'? What if after a day Karina go back to Andrew and continue killing him? For real?"

"What if she was the culprit we've been seeking?"

"What if this wasn't a mass suicide but a serial killings?"

Eph feels like she was stabbed by a knife in each question Smaze throws at her.

She shook her head as tears fall from her eyes.

She was tired. And frustrated. She just want all of this to..

"Stop. Please. Stop. Karina.. She won't do that. No. She won't."

Eph uttered but came out as a whisper. She has no energy to talk anymore.

It was as if she say every word not to defend Karina but to make herself believe in those words.

She trusted her friends. But now, she don't know. A doubt sprang in her heart. And she's feeling guilty about it.

Smaze laughed. Not a laugh of happiness but a mocking one.

"You still believe you know them, huh? I just want to remind you, Miss Kerubin. They betrayed you. They conspire to make a massive plan to escape the harsh truth of life. I bet they all know about it. But did they informed you? I guess not. You were ignored. You were trashed. You still think you know them? I guess not."

Eph tightened her grip. Her eyes are filled with tears yet she glared at Smaze.

"Yeah. Are you happy now to slap me the freaking truth? Maybe I really don't know them that much. Maybe they betrayed me. Trashed my feelings. But one thing is I know for sure, Karina didn't kill Andrew."

She uttered it with so much confidence. Believing her own words.

Smaze then smiled with amazement.

"You didn't use your brain there but your conclusion is right. Karina didn't kill Andrew Perez."

Eph wants to punch Smaze so hard in the face. He knows the truth yet he still make Eph doubt her own trust. Is he playing with her.

But his next words made her heart skipped a beat.

"And for a bonus, she wasn't missing."

Eph look up at him with curiosity in her eyes.

What is he talking about?

Eph's eyes widened as she saw the person who came out from the curtains.

It was as if she flew to that position to hug that person.

"Karina. You're alive!"

She exclaimed with joy and relief.

She tightened her hug.

Afraid that she'll lose her, too.