a new world

Nata almost spoke up again in argument with what Trik had to say, she almost snapped and lashed out at Yasu, Karl, and Jet for their responses, she almost thanked Sora for reaching out to her and defending her, the same with Jack, but…

Instead she simply leaned a little into Sora’s comforting touch and kept her focus on the butterfly in its cage. So what if half the class was willing believe Trik? She had no way of knowing if he was being truthful or not, but any shard of trust she had in him had been irreparably shattered. It seemed that, at last, whatever rose-colored glasses she had been looking at Trik through had vanished. She related to him too much, she clouded her judgement, and it was too late to undo what’s been done. What did it matter if she was wrong or not? What’s done is done, as was said. She could not change the past; she could only control her present. No one else had died…at least there was that semblance of comfort.

“I am sorry.” Was all she uttered. To who it was intended, she never made clear, and she never would. Was she sorry to Kotone, for possibly failing to truly avenge her? Was she sorry to Trik, for doubting him? Was she sorry to her friends, for possibly falling short of her promise to solve everything? To Sora, for needing her comfort again?

As the submarine opened, Nata found herself overwhelmed by the sheer volume of people who were waiting for them. Well…waiting for her classmates. Aside from the uneventful check for injuries on Nata from the EMTs, there was no one out here waiting for her. Whether her father knew, whether he had been arrested or not…he wouldn’t have been here waiting for her anyway. She wouldn’t find out until later that his crimes had come to light, when she was asked to answer questions about him…at least there was some justice to be found. It didn’t change much, for her, though.

For the time being, she simply stood there, numbly taking in the sensation of sunlight on her skin as her classmates each had their own heartwarming reunion. One hand remained loosely gripped on the handle of her suitcase, while the other arm cradled her tree and butterfly. They were safe. Her friends were safe. A sigh of relief escaped her as she made a point to locate the families of each of her friends—those who had been waiting here. Her friends weren’t alone…they must have felt so relieved. She was happy for them.

When the Rolls Royce pulled up, Nata found herself watching from a distance as Trik’s twin stepped out. She didn’t move, she didn’t smile, and she didn’t step closer to meet this infamous twin; she only found herself tightening her lips and remaining a silent observer. She’d fulfilled her promise, as far as she knew, but instead of feeling any sense of pride, she only found herself pushing down the lump in her throat. She would never know, for sure, but that doubt would linger. The longer she watched the reunion, the worse she felt. Their laughs could be heard, even from her distant vantage point. They were so genuinely happy…and something about it only succeeded in making Nata feel deeper and deeper grief. They hadn’t been separated forever…Trik had survived, just as she promised. The twins would likely rarely be far apart, ever again. She should be happy for them…she should be celebrating the fact that her friends get to be with their families, that her friends get to go home. And yet…

Why couldn’t she have that…?  

She touched her cheek and realized she’d been crying again. She was so tired of crying. She was tired of hurting, of powerlessness, of loss, of doubt…she furiously rubbed at her eyes and turned her back on the reunion, feeling the first and only ever stings of bitterness hit her heart. Not because of the doubt, not because of the lies, not because of any hatred for Trik…it was an ugly, selfish, unnecessary bitterness that she could only try to bite back once she realized it was there. Even if she still had her notebook tucked away, full of every piece of evidence she’d found…it didn’t matter. Nothing would change, what’s done is done, and even if her gut was somehow right, and she had missed something…she could never bring herself to pull those twins apart. After the police questioning…she’d simply lock it all away and go back to being the strong survivor she’d always been known as. There was no need to dwell, or to speak of what could have been. It would only make the bitterness worse.

Before this game, she never cried about Dima or her mother. Before this game, she trusted her father. She was okay with moving more than once a year. She was fine to be the one to shoulder the Lukin legacy. She never found herself envying those who had what she did not…most of the time she never even knew what she was missing out on.

This changed everything for her. Whatever false sense of security and confidence she had was challenged. She knew what she was missing…she knew what she’d lost, why she’d lost so much, and she knew exactly what grief truly felt like once more. Was it really worth it?

Why her? Why any of them?

She found herself straying further from the crowd, toward any open spot with grass and shade, so she could sit and be alone for a time. Forcing her breaths to ease, forcing her eyes to dry, she pulled open the door to the butterfly’s cage and ever so gently reached inside to coax it onto her hand. As she removed it from its small prison, she took one last look at the patterns on its wings and felt its legs securely holding onto her. With a gentle puff of air, she blew on the butterfly and encouraged it to take its first flight to freedom.

At least she could say that, for all the lives lost here, something beautiful came from it.

At some point as she was sitting, TERU approached her with an excitable smile and the kind of optimism she had almost come to rely on by the end of the game. As insistent as ever, they invite Nata to meet their family. Only seeming a little surprised by the request, she agreed to follow.

This is Nata, she lives with us now. Er… can she live with us now?

Sure, she had been talking with them for some time about getting an apartment together. Some part of her imagined that it wouldn’t actually happen. Something would get in the way, someone would change their mind, something would happen. But to just hear that suggestion, that promise being kept and acted on, it was enough to slowly and carefully pull Nata back down to the ground for a while. There were still people she could trust…there was Sora, there was TERU…she wasn’t…entirely alone.

Thank god, she wasn’t entirely alone anymore.

--

Post-Game Summary:

Following the events of this game, Nata feels…very lost. She stays with TERU’s family for a while as things are sorted out, and with her friend’s coaxing, she agrees to return to Hope’s Peak to finish her education. She does not take it upon herself to reach out to most of the other survivors, with only a few exceptions, and any events where she believes Trik will make an appearance are quickly avoided. She can’t bring herself to face him for quite some time, unable to reconcile her feelings of betrayal with how strongly she had projected herself onto him. She may eventually respond to the letters he sometimes sends, but she never truly opens up to him as she once did.

Nata eventually goes on to get an apartment with TERU, who introduces her to all sorts of anime and things she had never before considered engaging with. She keeps her promise to them by continuing her metalworking out of her small bedroom workshop (until they are able to find her the proper space to work more properly.) Some survivors find handmade metal trinkets in their mailboxes, if she is able to find a proper address to send to. A Jackalope mug, more flowery jewelry than one could possibly wear all at once, and each gift seems even more fine-tuned than the last. For the first time in a long time, she doesn’t need to move unless she wants to, and she even has friends to hang out with.

She earns money on the side by translating English, Japanese, Russian, and German documents through an online service—her countless hours of study in Verdant Gardens had not been for nothing, and with the first round of proper schooling she’d ever had in her life, the language barriers are a distant memory.

Despite everything, she’s happy. She isn’t alone, she is free to make her own choices, and for the first time in a very long time, she feels loved. As with many of the other survivors, Nata is plagued with nightmares at times…memories of her lost friends, memories of those awful days and those dim, dangerous hallways, visions of flowers and explosions, and dreams of what could have been if things had gone differently. She would, however, avoid talking about such things unless she absolutely needed to.

The elevators ding and finally, finally, they can all just leave. Teru isn’t jazzed about the count down, they aren't jazzed about the dissatisfaction Sen's lack of an explanation leaves, they aren't jazzed that they know they won't be able to pack all their clothes, they aren't jazzed about a lot more things even. Sen's whole entire little 'thing' well gratifying in the sense of being right, being the one to think of the right answer, is also hollow. Completely anticlimactic. Unsatisfied entirely. They don't have time to dwell on that. They have to run back to their room to pack, get everything important as quickly as possible.

It's upsetting to leave most of their clothes, because they had so carefully picked out lots of favourites to bring, but clothes can be replaced. They don't leave behind any gifts or anything they value. Of course the first thing they grab is their diary, and then Souko's vessel. Once packed they rush out into the hall over to the nurses office to grab an important token. Of course they also have to get Java from Jack, another important token and gift. They spend the last moments before boarding the sub yelling back into the shopping centre. Though not from fear, but rather they shouted for their friends, most but not all of the ghosts, to stick close. The explosions wouldn't hurt them, no, but if they stayed they would be lonely. They can only hope that they follow, because once they're all out they can work on getting them better vessels.

They hesitantly enter the submarine, waiting for everyone else to enter first. They aren't happy about being confined for awhile longer, especially not with Karl but they know there isn't another option. There is at least a feeling of safety given when they curl up in Jack's lap, too tired and frazzled by everything to stick to their anger guns even slightly. Besides, Trik will keep Karl away from them, and if he can't Jack will. Despite anything anyone might try to tell them they know he won't let them down, not like that. They had a promise, and he'd make sure it's one they can keep they're sure. It's safest in this spot.

They listen to Triks words and feel…. Confused. They don’t really get it, but they’re tired and they trust Trik so why would it be anything different? It felt…. Strange but it was just because Sen’s reveal was so dissatisfying, because they had to go on so much conjecture. That was it. Only Nata, she doesn’t react to well. No, Nata, smart and strong Nata, she’s upset. She makes some fair points, but they’re sure there is a reasonable explanation right? She’s so- she’s so upset though. She had so much information on Iron Grip. That was all framing though right? Right? They can’t really tell what she’s saying anymore but they can understand the tone. The hurt.

Sora chimes in and- oh. Well it’s just, everyone was upset, everyone had been through a lot. They were both so smart though- but you know, it was, just a really bad time. Nobody liked being trapped, nobody liked losing people, nobody probably enjoyed losing items as well. Even though they had said they wanted the place to burn they didn’t want to leave things there and surely that’s just putting a strain on everyone as well. Only they make good points. Trik had also been interested in science, had knowledge of it, he had been working on vessels for the ghosts with them after all. That’s just a fun hobby though, lots of people enjoy independent studies. They had been the one to suggest most of it, he had just started designing-

Engineering and designing… Animatronic frames… For Ghosts to Possess...

Movement catches their eyes and they stiffen slightly, having already been feeling anxious. It doesn’t help at all that it’s Karl, but at least he’s far far away from them. His use of We pisses them off, but they settle with just grumbling to vent that. Karl's mention of PM makes them click their tongue, muffled by the way they’ve pressed their face into Jack's chest. Of course he'd think that, but he was worse than scum and they shouldn't even listen to any words he has to say to anyone. They really can't take any relief from him backing up Trik, because of course he would. His words mean nothing and it has them on edge. Joben believed Trik though, Joben was a credible source of information. Sora and Nata however clearly did not and that leaves them the most troubled.

Junji believes him. It was all just coincidences, all those things. Nothing more. Junji's words made plenty of sense. They stiffen slightly at Jet’s words and purse their lips. Hm, they sure didn’t care for that, even in the slightest. Of course Sora was going to be upset, things… were tough so of course she was. They frown and pull their plush frog closer to their chest. Still Jet was also standing by Trik, although his words to Sora make it harder to consider that fact. Jack however speaks up and they really don’t know what to think. Jack didn’t trust Trik, didn’t like him not after that trial. It could still just be that and not...

They try to ignore it, that bitter resentful part of them that whispers of how typical it is that this is the outcome. Quiet and cruel it creeps in with it's soft words. 'You're deluding yourself if you think it's not suspicious. Jack had already been right about Karl. Doesn’t it feel weird? Nata and Sora don’t believe it either. Don’t you want to make sure at least?' They bite their lip. Despite those words, despite the feelings of some of the most important people to them here, the things they remembered from their shared time together, the sinking feeling in their gut, despite it all.

>BELIEVE HIM?

>DON'T BELIEVE HIM?

“You wouldn’t do that to us right? You wouldn’t trap us like that right? Take away all our control like that. You wouldn’t, right? You just- you just need to explain it in a way that’s… You just aren’t explaining it in a way they can understand so- everyone is already, upset, but they just- you need to be more gentle you know.” It’s hopeful, but also desperate. They want to hear him say it again to them. They want to hear him say it to them, swear it wasn’t him. They need him to affirm that.

“You… you wouldn’t trap me like that right? You wouldn’t do that to me, like everyone always did, right?” They grip the fabric of Jack’s vest tightly in one hand, trying to ignore the terrible feeling in their gut. “We’re the same, you wouldn’t… You wouldn’t do that.”

It just wasn’t right, it just didn’t make any sense.

>BELIEVE HIM

It's a conscious choice they make, to be willfully ignorant to the possibility. They don’t want to take that kind of chance, they don’t want to entertain the thought at all. Even a slight chance that he did is too much for them to want to think about. What would they even take away from that? That people just wanted to control them everywhere they went? That everyone would always trap them? That promises of the things they wanted would always be extended before being ripped away? That they shouldn't get what that want? That they just never would? How could they possibly be happy that way, living a life thinking that? No, they wouldn’t even consider it, no matter what the truth was. Above all, they would choose happiness, their happiness. It was selfish of them, because it ignored other people's own happinesses, they knew this. They deserved to get to be selfish about this though.

If they would never have anyone that could understand them they at least deserved peace of mind.

As fuming as he is, there really isn't much that Jack can do anymore. He can't just keep arguing for eternity, not when the place is about to blow up. There's a stirring in his chest, an I don't feel so good about this all, but what was there to do? It was confirmed, they got it right.... Apparently. The idea that this was a ghost of all things still felt absolutely bewildering but whatever.

He goes along his way, collecting what he needed, taking some of the time to play a quick round of 'slots' (really just spending the coins he had on him that he didn't need), and finally hopping aboard the submarine with Teru in his lap despite really, really not feeling great about doing such. Not when it had anything to do with the things holding him and his classmates hostage for the past... however long its been.

As the submarine begins to move away from the city, the Gambler can't help but watch the place crumble. Good Riddance, you waste of money, you. Perhaps the satisfaction of watching that made up for such an unsatisfying last trial.

And as the debris floats down to the bottom of the ocean, so does Jack's energy. He leans back against the submarine, his eyelids as heavy as the underwater pressure. Home... hah. Nothing about the word feels real anymore. The idea of seeing Kenichi, seeing Bianca again, especially so soon, feels chimeric. As does everything as of recent, he supposes, but at least this was blissful.

Or, was. The peace is quick to disappear when Trik, fucking vinny Trik, stands up and begins spouting. He narrows his eyes as he listens, the stirring in his chest growing faster and faster with each word. He remains quiet, his mind whirling in thought, as his other classmates speak. And then, after a few moments, he lets out a small, tired chuckle. 

>DONT BELIEVE HIM

"... I hope yer proud of yourself." Jack mutters, nothing but apathy in his tired voice. There really wasn't any point in trying to scream about it here.

"Nata's right, yer claims don't make any sense. Why wouldn't you say you were being framed if you were really being framed? Why not step back and think about it? Guess I was right about not wantin' tah trust yah. But hey, yer lil harem's blind 'nough tah just go with it." He rolls the tensity out of his shoulders and into his hands, his grip slightly tighter on the Author in his lap.

When the countdown begins, Jet’s focus immediately turns to Trik. He follows Karl and Trik as they head down the hallways, and when they split up, there is a brief moment where Jet considers following Karl in order to pack his own things up. It isn’t long before he realizes, however, that there’s nothing he really needs from there. He never had brought anything of much value. He probably should tell Karl that, so Karl doesn’t try to fuss over his stuff… But he’s not thinking clearly. He just wants Trik and Karl to be safe.

Instead, Jet follows Trik, and remains close by the boy.

When the three of them are united again, Jet wraps his arms around the both of them. A heavy sigh escapes him, a breath he had been holding for too long. Even if it’s for a short time, he’s safe here. That’s a new feeling.

Of course, that doesn’t last. Nothing ever does. Trik pulls away to speak to the class, and Jet settles with pressing close to Karl as he listens to the boy speak.

In all honesty, Jet’s barely been able to keep up with the whirlwind of information surrounding the mystery of the recent events. Whereas before he was satisfied living in ignorance due to simply not caring about the situation, now it was more just confusion. It was too much to take in.

Already, there were voices rising to challenge Trik, and Jet feels that familiar anxiety pooling in his stomach. He feels his throat tightening a bit, his face heating up.

There’s a lot of things that Jet doesn’t know and doesn’t understand here, but he does understand Trik. He knows and loves Trik Sparks more than anyone else he’s ever known.

> BELIEVE HIM

> DON’T BELIEVE HIM

This was hardly a choice. Jet knew in his heart that no matter what Trik said or did, he’d follow. He had to. He couldn’t walk away from the light he had discovered.

He had remained close to Karl, trembling just slightly, but then Sora spoke and he felt anger fill him. He stands up straight again, pushing all of his anxiety and turmoil away to stare right at the girl.

“Fuck you, Sora.” Jet growls, his hands balling into fists at his sides. “Shut your fucking mouth, and don’t make threats that you couldn’t even follow through on. If you so much as attempt to lay one of your little troll hands on Trik, I swear I’ll cut your whole fucking arm off.”

Jet then moves to Trik’s side, taking the boy’s hand tightly into his own and squeezing it gently.

It was such a relief to hear Sen himself show up and say that they were right, and even more when the watch clicks and falls off. Junji feels warmth swell in their chest again as they rub their wrist -- this was really happening, they were free.

But there's a timer. They stand there for just a moment, watching a few people bolt for their rooms, and then they do, too. Their other leg, all the plugs, their clothes, sheets of tattoos, they all get thrown into their suitcase as fast as they can. It's a haphazard mess, but it's there and soon the bag is zipped, their crutches are slung over their shoulder, and their arms are filled with an enormous... something that they're trying to squish down into not taking up as much space as a person. It's definitely some sort of stuffed shark thing (which Trik will recognize) and is definitely not necessary. But they want it. But it gives them something to hold onto.

They pick a spot on the submarine that they can see out of, and plop the shark (yes, it was definitely a shark) in the empty space next to them. They peer out into the water, quiet as they all leave the city...

A gasp escapes them as the first explosions start, and they clamp an hand over their mouth. Fire, bubbles, vibrations, and they can't tear their eyes away. They're not sorry to see it gone, really, that magnificent underwater city that had become a prison, but a cold horror starts to dawn on them as they really think about what it means. About all of the life that had affixed itself to the structures, the eels and fish that had called the outer crevices home. They feel sick. The rubble left behind, what would that do? Eventually the ocean would reclaim it, but at what cost? Their eyes scan the water, trying to tell if they see anything lifeless that Sen had so callously snuffed out at the conclusion of his game. 

Only when Trik stands and starts talking do they finally pry themself away from the porthole, and only then do they really realize that there's dampness around their eyes. Hurriedly, they wipe them dry as they look at Trik, listening to what he has to say. 

And what a few others have to say immediately after.

>BELIEVE HIM

"... 'Course we believe ya." Their voice came out weaker and shakier than they expected, so they hesitate and clear their throat. Their brow knits as they look around the sub, particularly at Sora, before starting again. "Are ya really gonna treat 'im like that? See, this is exactly why he ain't wanna tell us before, he was scared you were gonna act like that, and if it was back before we caught everyone who did it..." Junji trails off, then shakes their head.  "I don't blame him. I wouldn't've told anyone at all. Like... even now. It ain't right t'be mad at him for not wantin' us to get it wrong and bein' scared about what we'd think." There wasn't really anything more to say, was there?

Junji fidgets with their bracelet, looking down at it. It was so weird to see the watch gone from their wrist, but it was such a relief and such proof that it was finally over. Karl was right. They didn't want to think about anything more, or the what if's, or anything like that.

The moment the countdown begins ticking down, Karl is out of the wheelchair he doesn't even really need, and halfway across the room to grab Trik by the wrist and pull him towards the elevator.

There's a bit of a lack of satisfaction to not getting to fulfill his many, many promises to be the one to beat every bit of life out of their captor. But he supposes since Sen was dead all along, that would never have been a thing- and he is more than a little happy to hear talk of explosives, of this whole place going down like it deserves, a mistake to be eradicated from the face of the earth.

That doesn't mean he would want to be here for it.

No, he knows well enough that he has no time to waste gloating or glaring. He hurries Trik to the submarine instead, places a small, hurried kiss on his forehead and turns to Yasu, with absolutely no doubt in his mind that he would be around.

'I'm gonna get the stuff from my and Jet's rooms, you get it from yours!'

Only the most important stuff of course. They'd be packing for two. Three..... four, if Jet didn't bother to grab his own things. All haphazardly stuffed into bags, only the most important stuff, and those bags thrown into the submarine without much care.

Karl didn't like to see how close he cut it with the time. But mostly because the lower the number on the countdown got, the more likely it'd be that Trik would run off to find him.

But in the end, they're all here. They're all safe, and immediately he puts his arm around Trik, looks around for Jet and waves him over to them. You have to make sure to protect the people you still have. Even if Heiwa wasn't here anymore. Or PM. And even if Sora now hated him, and Teru had turned out to be a horrible person. Gotta hold on to what you have. 

What a ride.

Karl can't say he's sad it's over. Something hard gleams in his eyes, staring at the explosion in the distance, vindicated in knowing they'd made it, and that some of them were safe. They had won in that regard.

His eyes only wander, surprised, when he feels Trik leave his side, and he listens to what he has to say without a hint of any other emotion on his face but that same surprise, eyebrows raised.

Once he's done, he looks around to the rest of the class. Looks to see which ones would be doing something first.

Nata, of course. She seems upset. Jobin, Yasu (he is grateful for Yasu, silently making the calculation that two of them could probably win even if Nata lashed out, just in case, just in case....), Sora is less than a fan, and it's her words, though Karl knows they're not all serious, that make him frown, and move to Trik's side again, standing slightly in front of him even, only slightly,to remind people that he was still there.

>BELIEVE HIM

>DON’T BELIEVE HIM

What's it really matter? His fingers curl into the fabric of Trik's sweater, just on his right shoulder, but he doesn't take his eyes off the rest of the class. This boy had lost an eye because of him, and still loved him. He isn't sure anyone understands how much they've been through. Or maybe they do. Everyone has been through a whole fucking lot. But he doesn't see anyone around the rest of them who could say the same.

>BELIEVE HIM

>DON’T BELIEVE HIM

Karl chooses to believe him. He chooses to not think about guilt or implications or whatever. As if there had ever been any other choice for him. When he'd sworn loyalty to Trik, he'd meant it.

And besides....

'What's done is done.'

He says, slowly and calmly, much more so than usual, and there's a tension to his voice that betrays he's nowhere near as relaxed as he might have pretended to be in the past.

'I'm not surprised that Trik wouldn't reveal this to people, not at all. With how much we were struggling it wouldn't have been a surprise if people dogpiled on him the moment he said something. But in the end? Things happened the way they did. I'm not happy about it. Heiwa should be here. PM, Kotone, everyone should be here- but saying that we would have caught on before it all happened? We can't know that. We can't know any of that for sure. Without any other clues, I don't think we could have. Without Ayame giving us the go sign on finding our captors, even less so. But we can't say all that with certainty. And you know what, I don't want to guess. I don't want to guess at a way we could have saved more people. I'm tired of thinking about death and violence and all that other bullshit, I think everyone is.'

He pointedly looks at Sora at those last few words, but only for a moment before he shrugs, and returns, at least a little bit, to the obvious mask of relaxation. Though the smile doesn't come yet.

'So. I don't really get all the yelling and stuff, you know? Trik got framed. That's all there is to it.'

The only thing that kept Sora from trying to destroy the screen Sen was on was the countdown. She had so much here; her spell book, materials, her cherished robes, her new found, 2 kitchen knife collection. There was no way she was letting all that go; everything that represented her life before she came here. Even if it put her at risk for dying in the worst way possible, she had to go to her room and pack every thing

As she ran out of her own dorm, her hands full, she couldn't help but stop in front of one room in particular; Kotone's. She stopped focusing on the timer and remembered that there was at least one thing in here that didn't deserve to go down with this place. Without thinking, Sora bolted into the room and grabbed a familiar stuffed owl off the bed, only pausing to hug it. She wasn't gonna get to leave with anyone who had to die in this hellhole, but this token would have to be good enough for now or else she'd find herself quickly joining them

Needless to say, she was one of the last ones to meet up with the group as they all boarded the submarine. Sora pilled all her items on other side of her, not particularly in the mood to sit with anyone given all the chaos. As soon as she was situated, Sora curled up in a ball and squeezed the owl tightly, her eyes shut. She knew exactly what was gonna happen to that prison of a city, and as much as she hated being there, she didn't want to see it's firey demise. She didn't think to cover her ears though, causing her to flinch with every crash and roar. She did try her best to suppress any possible fear, despite this. She was panicked, but she still refused to let other's know

A few moments later, she considered herself lucky that she left her ears exposed, for Trik's explanation was enough to make her ignore the destruction and focus on that. She told herself multiple times that she was done investigating, but that? It was strange to her. Granted, it had been a long time since she trusted anything that came from him, but this had her even more suspicious than usual

Her guard only went up more when Nata, someone she was much more willing to trust, began to cry over it. She knew very well when someone like her was upset, something was very wrong. It took Sora a minute, but she eventually found herself walking over to Nata, Sophie in hand

"Come on...snap out of it."

> BELIEVE HIM

> DON'T BELIEVE HIM

She had no idea what Nata was saying, but it couldn't have been good. Not completely sure of what to do, she simply put a hand on the tinsmith's shoulder and turned to everyone else. Surely they'd see how fishy this was, especially after Nata's sudden outburst

...of course they didn't though. It was stupid of Sora to expect anything more. Why side with the girl that's never lied to them when there was a perfectly good deceptive rat man telling them that the entire company revolving around this mystery had nothing to do with what happened her. She turned to Yasu and Joben first, a smug grin forming

"Oh, so you two do understand? Well, care to explain it to the rest of us then, cause I think he's full of shit!?"

Not a second later, Sora's head turned sharply towards Trik, her smug expression now replaced with a cold glare. He really left them all there like sitting ducks, having to go based off small details when he had the key to solving this? Sora wasn't totally shocked after seeing how UL's trial went, but that didn't stop her from being from being enraged with him

"Nata's making good points here, plus couldn't Karl confirm your innocence any way, just like you did for him? No need to hide things and make us all look like idiots during the trial"

She knew he couldn't have been the one in charge after Sen's confirmation. However, she also knew that he withheld useful information not once, but twice, and he made her friend cry. She didn't let him fool her the first time, and she certainly wasn't gonna do it this time either

"I can't trust that easily, especially after seeing what you did to Nata. Do us all a favor and shut your damn mouth until I'm too far away from you to make you need a second eyepatch. Got it?"

> Don't Believe Him

Yasu Tsukasa had spent most of his life surrounded by bad people. His father was a good man to his family but a monster to the world. His mentor was cruel and cold to the world, but sweet to those she grew close to. And Riku, Riku would tear anyone apart that hurt him.

He stood close to Trik, looking up to the larger boy was a certain sadness in his eyes. Knowledge was not kindness. He knew it would hurt to discover the truth about Trik Sparks. But still... Still, he was used to this.

"I'm glad that we were able to figure out the truth."

He tone was soft and his smile helped hide the sadness in his expression. He clicked his tongue, stepping forward and moving to Trik's side. Without hesitation, he placed a kiss on the taller boy's cheek. As he did, he whispered...

"I'll kill anyone who tries to hurt you."

He wasn't a good person either.

Joben raised an eyebrow as Sen 

"Huh? HUH? WHAT!?" 

The three words that come out of Joben's mouth before sprinting out to gather what little belongings he thought he'd need.  After all, clothes and toiletries wouldn't b much use if he was dead in the water.  And no way was he going to try to swim up to the surface from down here!  The water pressure alone would probably kill him.

He didn't even notice that his watch had fallen off his arm as he blitzed off.

Once in the safety of the submarine he holds a small set of his belongings in his hands, clutching mask to his chest as he mutters something under his breath.  He waits and watches anxiously as they depart.  He even winces and flinches upon hearing the first explosions.  Unsure if they're far enough away as his eyes are shut.

But after a few seconds it's clear that he's safe and he lets out a heavy sigh as his arms relax and he leans back into his seat.

As Trik spoke Joben for a moment visibly tensed up.  As if Trik were about to drop some knowledge bomb on them, but once he finished he relaxed again.  Waving off Trik's concern. 

"I believe you Trik so you don't have to explain everything.  Even if you weren't... hmm... the best person to be around.  I don't think anyone would blame you for being scared... I'm still kind of shivering here so don't worry about it to much."

Despite his words he still seemed shaken as his legs bounced on the ground.

None of this felt real. Ghosts had caused this? Something about it still felt so impossible, but…the AI at least said they were right. And if that meant they could go home, then…what good did it do to be too doubtful?

But, as she returned to her room and gathered the few things she truly cared about—her photo of Dima, the few possessions she owned, her bag of tools, the butterfly she’d been raising, and the bonsai tree she had been caring for. Two lives that, despite everything, managed to grow and thrive. She truly didn’t own many things, so packing most everything into her suitcase took no more than a few minutes.

Rolling the compact container felt so familiar, even after all this time. Once again, she was moving her entire life, almost all her belongings, toward some new unknown destination. With every step, Ayame’s words rang through her head.

Good luck.

Good luck for what?

Why could they not take the land entrance? Where would the sub take them? What would happen to them once they were out?

She sat in the submarine without uttering a word. Her gaze focused out the window as the dome of Verdant Gardens grew smaller and smaller, but she visibly flinched and shuddered as the blast went off. A small gasp escaped and her eyes focused intently on the distant inferno. It was over…right?

No, it would never truly be over. This game took far too much to simply move on. It did far too much to ever really go away. Nata forced her eyes away from the smoke and instead found solace in watching the butterfly she’d raised gently move its wings, almost as if it, too, was anticipating its freedom.

When Trik spoke up, Nata could do nothing but listen. Her grip on the butterfly cage and the bonsai’s pot tightened. The more he spoke, the more she could feel her stomach churning and twisting. She was just…so tired of being lied to. She was tired of being out of the loop. She was so tired of the people she trusted turning that against her.

>BELIEVE HIM

>DON’T BELIEVE HIM

“You…”

There was a pause, as the disbelief in her voice dripped away and transformed into a stern, unbending anger.

“No...I do not understand why you kept it hidden.” She frowned, “You understood what I was willing to do to reunite you with your twin, and yet…you choose to keep important things hidden that might have ended this. If you thought you were being framed, it would have brought us to an answer of Sen much sooner…perhaps even before Ryuu had to die. Perhaps even before Kotone had to die. The first mentions of Iron Grip were very long ago…it is not possible that you did not hear it sooner, when Undead Lullaby said it before he died, too. If you told me, or anyone, then, that you thought you were being framed, I would believe you and I would have searched for the truth.”

She turned to look at Trik with a menacing, but exhausted frown. Behind it all, though, her eyes could not conceal how very hurt she was.

“If you had come to one of us when Iron Grip was first mentioned, it could have helped us to solve this sooner. It could have saved at least 5 lives. Kotone, Heiwa, Proto Magica, Ryuu, Undead Lullaby.”

Nata’s voice suddenly wavered at that last realization, and her next words sounded strained as she tried harder to hide her hurt.

“…you told me you did not care for the family business. That you did not wish to carry it on. So, then, what would it matter to you if it was suspected? If, perhaps, your father was suspected? It would be better for you, if your father was guilty. It would only be a problem if you were guilty. You told me you would rather die than to be returning to this business. What you are saying now does not match that. Just like how you trying to sacrifice one of us to save Undead Lullaby did not match you hating to be controlled. I asked you not to lie to me again…and now I cannot help but think that perhaps everything you have told me might not be true—you have been willing to throw away all of our lives from the start. You--”

Her voice caught in her throat, causing her to quickly slam her mouth shut and scowl in an attempt to save face. She just wanted to go home. But…she didn’t have a home to turn to. She had nothing but the suitcase by her feet and the trusted friends she’d made here. But, by the sounds of it, fewer and fewer of them seemed to be telling her the truth to begin with. It was hard to know what she truly had, anymore. This game took too much from her. It gave her so much, but at the cost of everything she ever thought she knew. Some part of her wondered if it would have been better to keep living with her murderous father, blissfully unaware of his actions, than to have ever been a part of this.

Finally, the tears she had been fighting back take their moment to roll down her cheeks. When she spoke again, the tightness in her throat was unmistakable.

“Мне все равно. Иди домой. Вижу твою сестру. Будь счастлив быть живым. Иди трахни себя, грязный лжец. Я надеюсь, что жизни, которые ты украл, навредили тебе навсегда.”

She took her eyes off of Trik, the betrayal evident on her tear-stained face. After another beat of silence, she muttered something else, more to herself than to anyone else. She appeared to have resigned herself, at last.

“Я прошу прощения за вашего близнеца. Я не знаю, лучше ли быть одному или быть связанным с монстром.”

As you all absorb everything that has just happened, a somewhat rushed and surreal end to an experience that felt like a lifetime, a silence settles briefly over the ferry. After any echoes from the destruction of Verdant Gardens have faded, someone finally speaks up.

“So, hey I… I didn’t want to say anythin’ during the trial, in case it derailed shit or made ya all suspect…” It’s Trik Sparks, standing up somewhat unsteadily from his seat near the front of the submarine. He clears his throat, looking around at you with an expression of open relief, and a touch of sheepishness.

“Look, I just want to explain that Iron Grip Industries couldn’t actually have had anythin’ to do with this. Like, ya all know Sen an’ Komugi are the ones who did this now, so… it should be safe to tell ya that I think Sen was tryin’ to frame me. See, Iron Grip Industries is actually my father’s company. Though it’s more of a conglomerate. It’s kind of a mega-corp, encompasses a lot o’ other companies an’ manufacturin’ and… ugh I won’t get into it, but bottom line is that among other shit it’s one o’ the biggest weapons manufacturin’ companies in the Western hemisphere, with some holdings in Japan. So it makes sense that Sen would want to take us out, especially if he was plannin’ on restartin’ with his own company, or buyin’ into Komugi’s. They could make a goddamn sickening fortune in the stock market if nothin’ else, with that kind o’ move. Destabilize a lot o’ shit.”

He’s talking a bit faster and his gaze moves between all of you and there’s something almost… pleading in it, as he meets each of your eyes.

“You guys understand why I didn’t bring it up earlier, right? I know I’ve told some lies an’ done some shit before, I wouldn’t blame any of ya for not trustin’ me, so I had to keep quiet. I had to make sure we stayed on the right track. And we did! We got it right! We’re all free now! So… that’s all. And I’m sorry I didn’t explain sooner, I was just… really scared. Okay? I admit it. I was scared. I didn’t want to lose anyone else.” Trik lets out a heavy breath, then runs a hand through his hair and grins hopefully around the room.

“Alright, glad that’s off my chest. Jesus. Uh, so, how’s everyone feelin’…?”

It’s a perfectly reasonable explanation, if somewhat startling, and something about Trik’s demeanor and attitude really does seem in earnest. Convincing, even. And yet many of you feel as if there’s some sort of choice being posed here. It’s a simple question though, really, requiring only a simple answer to move on. Do you believe him, or not?

> BELIEVE HIM

“Feel free to ask questions if you don’t mind wasting your time, but I probably won’t answer, you’re all obviously smart enough to have figured this shit out anyway. Bye.”

And just like that, Sen’s image on the screen glitches and clicks off, replaced by a digital counter starting at 30:00 and going down… 29:59… 29:58…

All at once there’s a faint click! and the watches that have been on your wrists for the entirety of the game suddenly spring open, most falling off and dropping to the floor. Immediately after this there’s a hum and the sound of the elevator doors opening. The elevators have resumed operation, though the robots don’t make any effort to force the students into them. In fact, all around the city the bots have either disappeared or are in the process of zooming around, some clearly malfunctioning, running into walls or each other. None of them appear to have any interest in any of the class.

While there’s a clear and pressing time limit - the countdown is flashing on every screen you pass by - it’s possible to hurry and grab a few things or perhaps hastily pack together your more important luggage if you choose. Hanesuke is ready to go by the ocean entrance. In fact it seems he spent the trial gathering what he considered the important stuff. He’s furiously typing away on a computer in the lobby. Who knows what he’s doing but it doesn’t seem to be stopping the countdown. He’s not interested in saving the city it seems. Whatever the rest of you are doing with your less-than-thirty-minutes it’s a good idea not to linger too long.

Sooner or later you’ll all need to gather at the Ocean Entrance on the Shopping Center Level. True to what Ayame - or AIyame - said, there’s an undersea ferry, a submarine, waiting for you there that’s big enough to accommodate the whole class… so plenty of room for those of it who have survived. Filing on board, even with any luggage or belongings everyone has brought with them, there’s a strange sense of emptiness. The driver’s seat of the ferry is blocked off by a door, a separate part of the ship, but whether there’s anyone there or whether it’s being auto-piloted is uncertain. All you know is that this is it, this is your escape. The doors close once everyone is inside, and quickly and smoothly the sub slides into the water and out of the city… it doesn’t seem to be moving very fast, but there’s nevertheless plenty of distance between your vessel and the city when you see the first of the explosions go off.

After the long pause wherein you all have a chance to talk and regain some bearings, the screens flicker on again, this time with a different but still familiar face. Sen Tamatsuki, the apparent Mastermind himself.

“I really didn’t expect you all to figure it out, especially with the steps I took to frame… well, it doesn’t matter now. Cat’s out of the bag. I was planning on wrapping things up after this but Ayame somehow locked in some of the programming, and now there’s a countdown that looks like it’s connected to the explosives rigged around the city. You all have about half an hour to get out, guess you’d better hope that sub is waiting for you at the Dock. You can sure try swimming if you don’t mind the fact that we’re at the bottom of the ocean and you’d drown in seconds, or you can stay here and blow up if you’d prefer, have fun with that.”

Sora looked at the group in absolute disbelief. Everything was going shockingly well right now, and they still felt the need to act feral? She crossed her arms and looked down at the ground

"For fucks sake....that's the last time I'm gonna try being positive, you shit sacks"

Even Nata, someone she actually liked was acting weird. Granted, Sora had her own suspicions, and simply didn't state them because she was sick of having to investigate every thing here, but she was still looking at things optimistically. They were all about to leave, every thing was fine. Right?

"You know you could, I don't know, act normal and bottle up your damn feelings til we're out of here. Fight all you want, think whatever you want about eachother, just don't drag everyone into it." She barked at Jack and Trik. Those probably weren't the best words, and there were a lot more words she had in mind for both of them personally, but she found it more useful to make a more general statement. Despite everything she just said, even Sora couldn't stop herself from squinting at Jack a few times. She never did trust him, but she had her own seperate reasons for that.

"Yeah, he's an asshole, and even I know stuff about him that only makes him more suspicious, but standing here and calling eachother out does absolutely nothing. Wait, I was wrong. It makes you look like tools, and it hurts people that might be close to you, so good job on that" she added with a sarcastic thumbs up. This was really gonna be the note she had to leave here with

However, after hearing Junji's whole spiel, she couldn't help but let a relieved grin stretch across her face

"God, I fucking love you...in the most platonic way possible, naturally"

The votes were in, and Junji was still deliberating over which was guilty and which was accomplice. A disgruntled sound escaped their throat as the voting was called, and their heart started to pound in their chest. Ayame seemed for a second to be sad, but--

"Yes!" Junji fist pumps, a grin of relief and delight spreading across their face. "We did it!" So it had been a fake out, a fake out at the end of a series of fake outs. 

It felt like a load was lifted off of their shoulders.

"Don't worry, Sora-chan, I ain't gonna forgetcha. I don't think anyone's gonna forget anyone here." Their gaze settles on TERU, and this time they don't feel that twist of jealousy so much as relief. "I'll swim back with ya, it'll be great. The ocean's so much nicer than th'pool, trust me." It does wear you out, and they weren't entirely sure how much stamina someone who had been recently stabbed would have, but hey. It was something.

But then Trik fires off, and Jack shoots back, and Trik, Jack, Trik, and all Junji can do is stand there dumbfounded. Was this real? Mafia and murder and their head is spinning trying to process all of it. It feels like peeking into a room that you weren't supposed to see, sneaking past a "no trespassing" sign, eavesdropping on a conversation that was private and you were only tangentially tied into. Something twists in their stomach.

"... Hey, we... we ain't s'posed t'be worrying about all that right?" Junji laughs nervously. "We won, we're done with all this, ya can't really think that... now is the best time...?" They press their lips together, looking at the faces of everyone around them.