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Has been edited.
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Ting!
Ting!!
The clock rang signifying it was ti to sleep.
Zosia glanced at the clock and sighed. She felt that today hadn't been fruitful and she has been left with more questions than answers.
"Sigh!" A sigh escaped her lips, a troubled look surfacing her face.
Biting her lips, she stood up from the chair, glancing at her food that she hadn't touched and Sister Marionette who kept staring at her with a worried smile, like a harmless old woman.
"What is on your mind dear?" Sister Marionette finally asked.
"Nothing. Thank you for the al." Zosia bowed as she said her thanks.
Zosia suddenly paused on her way out. It's strange how she hadn't seen the younger brother.
Her pause wasn't really noticeable and she continued walking towards the room.
She had gone back to check to the place she had seen the old man enter and only saw him standing like a statue in the shed. He wasn't covered properly, either.
Though she felt pity, she could only glance at him and not provide any warmth, since, she didn't have much in her inventory.
After searching around the place for the second ti, she still found nothing.
Whoosh!
As she approached the girls room, she heard a whooshing sound. Pausing in her steps, she stood still for a mont before searching for the source of the noise.
She frowned when she saw nothing, " This night would be a windy night, for sure." She comnted under her breath.
She pushed open the room door and found Mina and Tanya already in bed. Lying down on her own bed with her face to the ceiling of the room, she couldn't help but let her thoughts roam and a question arose in her mind.
Was her guess was right?
Since, she heard that pop sound that seed to be like a liberation of whatever locked down on her soul, she had beco more perspective.
To the extent that, she noticed that it's actually what she sees that influences what the chip records. So, if she didn't see it or even if she did but she didn't have the ability to keenly recognize the mystery, then she would also be lost.
No.. no.... It's more like the chip records everything but it depends on if she could see them.
So that pop sound she heard must have been an upgrade but as for what kind of upgrade, she didn't really know.
Tick!
Tock!
She heard the sa clock sound but this ti around it sounded different. It was more ominous and even the lullaby she heard wasn't a children's rhy, as she had thought.
Suddenly, she felt drowsy, just like the first day. She decided to allow herself be lured into sleep.
It wasn't long, when she heard light footsteps. She presud it to be the figurines. They walked close to her bed then Mina's bed.
Her calm breathing beca calr and she looked like she had been successfully lulled to sleep.
Since, nothing happened, she decided to go back to sleep. It took a while but when she finally felt sleepy again, she suddenly heard the wordings of the lullaby that had been like an indescribable chants in her ear.
"Rest not, for the night is long, Where shadows stretch and souls belong. Tick, tock, the hour's near, When the truth of all will soon appear..."
What followed the chants where heavy footsteps.
Zosia Inwardly communicated with her chip. Seeing that the recording was still on, she continued lying stil. Her breathing and body did not give anything away.
Zosia strained her ear to hear more but was t with sudden quietness. After a while, the oppressive feeling disappeared and the sound of the clock ticking reappeared followed by the lullaby but in a gentle tone.
"Should I check out what happened?" She asked herself Inwardly but then decided against.
It's best if she doesn't put herself into trouble.
******
While she had slept off, the door creaked open and Lucian entered.
Looking at the scene, he glanced at Tanya and shook his head.
He then glanced at Mina, his eyebrows raised imperceptibly.
"Tsk..." He clicked his tongue against his teeth. Glancing around the room one more ti, his gaze stopped on Zosia.
Waving his had, dust like particles fell on her further bringing her to the dream world.
"I can only help you rest well, tomorrow, you would have to handle the rest yourself." He muttered and turned to leave the room.
"It's seems like it's ti I actually handle him, else he'd think he has escaped my perception." He thought inwardly.
********
The next morning....
Zosia woke up to the sound of knocks on the door.
Opening her eyes, her eyes widened in shock at the sight that lay before her.
Seeing how grueso Mina and Tanya died, it made her question, what exactly had happened?
She hadn't heard any other sound apart from footsteps and also how had she slept so deeply?
She was even feeling refreshed and lighter.
Knock! Knock!!
The knocking continued, bringing her back to reality. She didn't even know how to explain herself to her teammates.
She didn't know what happened and being the only one that survived. She beca a pri suspect.
Biting her lips, she couldn't co up with anything.
"Aish! Now that I need ideas, my brains aren't giving one." She lanted.
Standing up from her bed, she looked at the scene and decided to just show it to the guys like that, hoping that they would believe her, though she wasn't sure, they would.
"Anyways, after this, I just hope I don't et them again." She muttered. At the sa ti, she knew that it is good to have connections, so there is no way, she would not et them again.
She walked towards the door and opened it, revealing the scene inside the room to them.
There was a mont of silence.
Zosia noticed that it was only Percival and Asgar and Lucian was not in sight. She sighed and glanced at Asgar, unsure of if he would believe her or not.
"What happened here, Zosia?" Percival's cold voice pierced the tension that enveloped the room.
"I don't know. I woke up this morning to your knocking on the door and I saw this. I didn't hear anything last night, so—"
"Oh! Just shut it!" He cut Zosia's words short.
"You three had never had a good relationship, just because of your jealousy and sense of self entitlent.
Now, you are telling you didn't plan this. Do I look like a three year old child?" His eyes narrowing on Zosia and his voice becoming colder and threatening.
The air, thick with tension and filled with the tallic taste of blood.
Zosia was quite surprised at how she had been quickly accused by Percival, wondering where the rational Percival she knew had gone to?
"I didn't do anything." Zosia's voice, firm. "Whether you believe or not."
"If it wasn't you then who?" Percival retorted, feeling incensed that Zosia dared to reply back.
"It might be those things that we have been trying to figure out. I don't even know if to call them.... Spirits."
"Ha! Who are you trying to fool. If they had been killed by them, then their bodies should have already disappeared. What other excuse do you have?"
Zosia frowned, "True their bodies where ant to disappear, so why where they still here?" She questioned inwardly.
"I don't know." She answered again, this ti with contemplation in her voice.
"Percival, let's think this through," Asgar interjected, his voice calm but firm. "Zosia might be telling the truth. Look at the bodies—this wasn't a typical attack. There's sothing unnatural about this."
Percival frowned. He turned to look at what was being pointed at. He didn't notice anything, may be because his emotions were clouding his mind.
Zosia glanced at Asgar, grateful for his intervention. But the relief was short-lived as Percival's eyes darted back and forth between her and the bodies. He was clearly trying to decide whether to trust his own instincts or give Zosia the benefit of the doubt.
"Unnatural? What are you suggesting, Asgar?" Percival asked, though his tone held a begrudging respect for Asgar's insight.
Asgar stepped closer to the bodies, kneeling beside Mina's lifeless form. He didn't touch her, but his eyes traced over the odd wounds—deep gashes that seed to be caused by a blunt weapon.
Percival eyes still held a steely glint. "If you didn't do this, Zosia, then what did? And why are you the only one left alive?"
"I don't know," Zosia whispered, shaking her head. "I rember hearing footsteps, and then… nothing. I didn't even hear them scream."
The tension in the room thickened, wrapping around the three of them like a suffocating blanket. Percival's piercing gaze seed to burn through her, searching for any flicker of guilt. Yet, all he found was confusion and determination in her purple eyes.
He noticed that she wasn't looking remorseful or anything.
He couldn't help but wonder, what exactly did his captain see and decided that she would be joining their group after this mission.
He just didn't like the idea of her being on board, he felt that she would be more of a nuisance than a helper.
"Let's search the room." Percival suggested, "But, you... Zosia, would not be joining us."
Zosia nodded and stood by the door, waiting for them.
It wasn't long and Asgar dug out sothing from beneath her bed. It was the murder weapon, sothing she didn't expect to be there.
"So.... What do you also have to say for this?" Percival asked in a taunting tone.
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Thank you all and I hope you keep enjoying the chapter.
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