#inspeech

After having returned to her room from the trial, Zinaida collapsed on her bed and a shudder coursed through her body. She'd never been good with gore or blood, especially since she nearly lost her eye. But... she never thought... it would be that cruel.

It almost felt as though her words were falling on deaf ears. Did anyone even listen? Did anyone even care? Or were they too caught up in this game of life and death to notice what this snake was doing? What he was invoking in them?

Tears trickled down her face, even though she didn't realize it. She let them fall, hugging a pillow close to her chest and finally letting the anxiety that was pent-up inside her for the remainder of the school trial to finally take its course down the curve of her sharp cheekbones and onto the bedsheets. She wasn't sure if the rooms were soundproof, but even if they were, she didn't care if someone heard her. Everyone else was probably upset too, right...?

She tugged on her coat, pulling it close as though there were an invisible chill running over her body. As the tears continued to flow, she wondered if anyone would do this again... if they would kill their classmates.

Truly, she wanted to believe no. But she knew the truth, and the truth was ugly.

Finally, after a bit of crying and the sound of objects being knocked around in her room, she opened the door. There was no point in holding herself up for the rest of the night. As much as she didn't feel like eating, she realized that she needed food. Entering the cafeteria, Zinaida quickly walked into the kitchen, pulled out an apple from the fridge, and took a seat at the large, empty table. She ate, silently, pondering everything, though reality seemed to slip between her fingertips and into a dark abyss.

When Zinaida first heard the announcement, she was in disbelief. A murder? Had some truly died? Was someone here weak enough to bend to that serpent's will and... kill one of their classmates? The idea was inane--but very real, she realized, and she had to deal with it quickly.

She opened up her electroID, reading over the file, and her lips quivered as she read the location of the murder. Making way posthaste towards the crime scene, she knew there would be others there as well; but just as the snake had previously said..

...if they couldn't find the killer, then they'd all die. A shudder coursed through her, not only as she entered the room, but as the thought descended upon her with the despair it carried.

Poor Hamasaki-san... Zinaida hadn't had a chance to properly meet them yet. Though they were together for most of the breakfast meeting (Zinaida would never shirk out on a rule she together imposed with Rei and the rest), she never got to know them. A pang of guilt settled in her heart, which sparked the determination.

The day's antics were finally settling in on her shoulders now, as she slumped away from the cafeteria. Their meeting with the snake, the reality of their situation, everything was beginning to dawn on her. And then... Kanagaki-san was... dead. There was no doubt about that. Their talk of magic and tricks held no ground here--she was surely, absolutely, dead. Did he... really just kill one of them? Was he this serious?

Suddenly, Zinaida stopped in front of the dorm area, noticing the plaques that she and Rei-san had investigated previously. Kanagaki-san's door stood, as though nothing had changed when, in fact, everything was different. There would be no Modder to come and sleep in that room, no one to ever use it again. As much as Zinzaida felt like breaking down, she realized that she needed to stay strong--maybe not for herself, but for everyone else here; Rei-san herself seemed shaky and frightened.

She heard footsteps behind her, and quickly turned around and raised her guard. Instincts kicked in and she nearly delivered a cross chop to their shoulder, before quickly stopping when she realized who it was.

"Oh! Прости меня! Forgive me, you frightened me." Despite her words, she did no relax--who knew if this person was ready to kill someone, as the snake had said was the only way out of this school? What if she was their target?

Though her chocolate eyes blinked sleepy tears from her sockets, an uneasy exhaustion remained shackled to her ankles. Thankfully, she hadn't been drooling on the desk she woke up from; however, there was a red mark imprinted on her cheek from laying so long on such a hard surface. Bringing her soft, manicured hands to touch the spot on her cheek that stung, her voice echoed in the empty classroom: "привет? Hello? Is anyvon 'ere?"

No reply came back, as expected. It seemed as though her personal belongings, including her cell phone and purse, were missing. She struggled to understand what had happened--all she could faintly recall was passing out upon entering the school. Then she saw the crude note.

Her skills in linguistics were required if she ever hoped to attend such a prestigious school--after all, it was hosted in Japan, thousands of miles from her home in Russia. It was awfully written and a bit difficult to make out, but she was sure that it mentioned something about meeting in the gym. The snake depicted on the message was more than confusing... and that 'hiss'. What kind of prank was this? Or perhaps it was some sort of initiation--a hazing? Zinaida had read about how many schools and other such sororities required an initiation process... perhaps Hopes Peak itself had some kind of trial she must conquer?