I stared at the ceiling from my bed, unable to sleep. Images of Maya’s destroyed and headless body were stuck in my head, I couldn’t forget them even for the moment that it would take for me to fall asleep. What time is it? The clock rang long ago, it’s probably already two in the morning. I need to sleep.
Suddenly, I heard a noise coming from the hallway outside my room. They’re footsteps. What is someone doing outside their room this late? It could be the traitor! I immediately stood up, waiting to see what would happen. If I hear a door open I’ll take action, I can’t stand here and do nothing like last time! No, I will not repeat that!
I stopped hearing footsteps for a moment and whoever was in the hallway slid a folded piece of paper under my door. After that the sound of footsteps came back, but slowly faded as the person got further away from my room. I cautiously walked towards the piece of paper and unfolded it, revealing some text.
Meet me at 1:30am in the library. I have a confession to make and you’re the only one here that I trust enough. Come alone or I won’t show myself. Don’t tell anyone about this either.
I didn’t know who’s handwriting it was and neither did they write their name. I was too focused on the letter to actually open the door and see the culprit before they could disappear.
This is such an obvious trap! It’s by either Leon or Alex, I’m sure. Even if Dante and Blake did nothing to prove their innocence, Leon’s story does have some truth to it, but at the same time, Leon could just be making shit up to keep himself safe from being found.
I reread the letter a couple of times and thought about if it was a good idea to actually come. My life would be at risk without a doubt. Yet, why me of all people, the strongest person in the mansion, so many things could go wrong in his plan with that accounted for. Maybe the plan won’t be impacted by that, like some sort of trap. Will anything happen if I don’t show up? Probably nothing, but that’s bad too, I don’t want to miss a chance to find the traitor. If I come to the library and walk out alive, it’ll all be over, won’t it? Yes, that’s true! I have to do it then! I’ll risk my life to save everyone, I’ll finally be able to help everyone!
I quietly walked out of my room to check the time, just to make sure that whoever sent me this message wasn’t talking about this night. Two in the morning sharp. Good, guess that means he didn’t know that I was awake. I walked back to my room and managed to fall asleep after a couple of minutes.
The following morning was normal, maybe a bit more quiet than usual, but that was to be expected after what had happened yesterday. I ate breakfast and loitered afterwards, nervously waiting for that meeting at the library. A bit later, I went to Evie’s room to cool off and I spent that time explaining what happened yesterday to her, skipping over the more disturbing details. I didn’t pay too much attention to her words, I just wanted the day to end as soon as possible.
“Petra, is there anything other than what occurred yesterday that you’re stressed about?” Evelyn asked me while lighting a beautiful candle on her nightstand.
“No, why do you ask?”
“Well, it is quite understandable that you would be devastated right now. Trust me, the second this nice atmosphere fades away, I will break down completely, but your nervousness does not appear to come from trauma. Rather, it appears to come from anxiety, more precisely anxiety from something that will come to you very soon. Is something happening behind the scenes, Petra?”
“Maybe the whole argument about Alex possibly being the traitor, that’s not settled yet. Leon didn’t lie about Maya committing suicide, but he could’ve just told the truth about that part to survive the discussion.”
“I believe that Leon is the traitor. You’ve witnessed what that maniac is capable of, there’s no way he has a trace of innocence within him. Also, I may add, I now see why he changed so much. That speech about freedom that you told me about, he completely let go of himself. That is quite a dangerous ideology to possess. Indulging in your desires might sound like a nice thing, but it can drastically change someone if they can’t resist them even for a moment. Even if the body is the same, the man I saw at the hospital had a clear soul. Such makes all the difference. Perhaps it is slightly evil to say, but the dirtiness of Leon’s soul makes me lose any empathy for him, I am not worried for his safety, unlike others’.”
We continued chatting for a little bit and then I left to get something to drink. The rest of the day was forgettable, time passed and the only thing on my mind was the library and what was waiting for me there. I might die, what am I doing? Why am I willingly going through with this plan?
After a long wait, the clock finally rang for midnight. Everyone who wasn’t already in their rooms soon went to sleep. I’ll go to my room and sneak out when the time comes, probably a bit early so that I don’t accidentally end up late.
I sat in my dark room in silence for what was definitely the longest hour in my whole life. I will make sure to end everything. I will make sure that the traitor doesn’t get out alive. Will I have to become a killer? I don’t want to think about it, but it could happen. I can’t give up now!
I cautiously walked out of my room when the time came. I wanted to run, but that would wake up everyone, so I didn’t. It’s time, come on.
I stopped in the main hall to check the time. Only five minutes left. I could feel fear crawling along my back as I walked up to the third floor and slowly went into the library.
On the other side of the room was Alex, leaning on a wall with hands in his pockets. So, he’s the traitor! What is he planning to do? I need to keep my guard up.
“Alex?”
“Yeah, I came. I hesitated, but I came. Are you happy?”
“Alright, let’s get this over with, I’m nervous. Just confess like you wanted to.”
“Oh, of fucking course! You turned your back on me too!”
“What are you talking about? I didn’t accuse you of anything.”
“You literally just told me to confess!”
“But you-”
“I can’t believe it! How many people did you bring here to gang up on me? Is everyone here? Does everyone hate me now because of that liar?”
“No, I’m alone. I don’t want to do anything to you.”
“I need to see if you’re alone.” Alex walked to the door and peeked outside. “Why didn’t you bring anyone?”
“You told me not to and I listened.”
“When could I have told you that? Wait…” He stopped talking for a second and started thinking, something obviously wasn’t happening the way that he had planned.
“You did tell me that, in that letter!”
Alex was confused, but he quickly came to a sudden realization. I wasn’t sure what he figured out.
“Oh yeah, I remember. My bad, I was really nervous while writing it, so I forgot that detail.”
“Really? I mean, if this is what I think it is, then checking if I was alone would be your number one priority.”
“And what were you expecting?”
“A trap.”
“But you’re the one that called me here! How can you accuse me just because I came?”
“I never told you to come here though.”
“You did, you sent me a letter telling me to come to the library at one thirty.”
“You sent me that letter, I didn’t send anything!” I was becoming more and more annoyed.
“No, I didn’t!”
The conversation ended abruptly. I didn't know what else to say and Alex stayed mysteriously silent. We stared at each other and I knew that something bad was going to happen. I was on edge, a single sudden move from Alex could turn me into an uncontrollable beast.
This situation is hopeless. Is there a chance that the letter was not from him? He mentioned for a moment how he was nervous while writing it. He seems confused by the situation too, maybe this is just Leon meddling in things again. If I was in Alex’s position, I’d be on edge too.
I made the stupid decision of turning around to leave. However, I heard Alex’s footsteps behind me as I was about to exit the library. The footsteps suddenly sped up. I quickly moved to the side, barely dodging a knife that Alex had kept hidden. He did not just try to do that! There’s no way!
I used his missed attack as a chance to grab his wrist. My grab was strong enough to make him drop the knife, so after the knife fell to the floor, I pushed Alex away and grabbed it.
“You, you’re the traitor!”
“You pushed me into a corner, what did you expect me to do? You thought that this was a good idea, you doubted me even though I did nothing to you!” He was engulfed in anger, ready to take me down by any means necessary. This is it Petra, you found the traitor, just end it now! You have to!
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Alex ran towards me with one fist in the air. Out of fear, I threw the knife to the side instead of attempting to stab him.
He tried to punch me, but I quickly grabbed his wrist again and put my other hand under his neck, using it to push him to the ground, although he moved away before I could do much else. He backed away and grabbed a random book from one of the shelves, throwing it at me the next moment. I managed to grab the book while it was flying at me and throw it away, but that distracted me well enough for Alex to come close to me and kick me hard in the leg, enough for me to fall.
Shit, that hurt! Alex used the opportunity he got to grab his knife.
“Why can’t you just stay still?” He asked. “You’re making it harder for yourself as well. Please, don’t do this!”
“Do you hear yourself, you piece of shit?”
“I do, but you obviously don’t!”
He sprinted towards me with his knife, but I managed to dodge his attack again before standing up and pushing him towards the nearest wall. I started punching him as hard and as fast as I could while he was completely cornered until he eventually managed to push me back and escape.
“God fucking damnit, it hurts! How are you that strong?”
I rushed towards him to attack again without a thought in my head. I punched him in the head which made him fall to the ground where I continued hitting him.
“You will pay! For Eden, for Amy, for Maya, for everyone! You murderous prick, I’ll put an end to you!”
He surprised me by kicking me away while I didn’t expect it and then he stood up.
“I’m sorry, I had no other choice!”
He swung the knife without any thinking or strategy, barely scraping me once on the hand, causing a little bit of blood to spill. I got close to him so I could disarm him and I managed to grab the hand that was holding the knife, but he wouldn’t let go. He then used his other hand to push my body downwards and then he kneed me in the stomach.
I fell into a fetal position for a moment. He tried to use that as an opportunity to stab me, but I pulled his leg as hard as I could from my position. The knife landed on my back, thankfully not cutting me. I took it, this time not making the mistake of throwing it away.
Alex rushed toward me and I felt prepared to attack him with the knife. I was holding it with both hands, so as he approached I quickly switched to just my right hand. But, my right hand was the one that Alex had injured and the pressure of holding the knife gave me a surge of pain that I wasn’t expecting.
Even though it didn’t hurt too badly, it caught me off guard, so when Alex swung at me, I flailed for a moment like an idiot and completely missed him. He managed to cleanly punch me in the face. I felt like I was flying for a moment before I hit the ground. I couldn’t stand up immediately.
"Just stay still, you stupid bitch! If you can’t understand my situation, at least lie down there and die!" Alex shouted out as he lifted his leg up above me.
Out of nowhere, I heard a loud bang and Alex, whose leg was less than half a meter away from my face, fell down while shouting in agony. That sound, was that a gun? No, what the fuck, how would that be possible? I looked around and noticed that Leon was standing near the door.
“Ladies and gentlemen, your boy is here!” he laughed hysterically. “I fucking told you, that idiot is the traitor! Now Petra, I know you’re shocked because of my surprising shot and you know, that’s valid and all, but get up and finish this since it’s kinda late and I’m sleepy.”
I slowly stood up and looked at Alex. The bullet hit his knee, so he couldn’t stand up, but he was very much alive. Do I tell Leon to shoot him again? I feel bad, but this has to end, I finally have the chance to end it.
“Come on Leon, shoot him again!”
“Nope, I want you to kill him. Come on, end it with a metaphorical bang, ending it with a literal one would be a lame end to all of this!”
“You sick bastard, just fucking shoot him, have your fun later!”
“I would, but I don’t have any more bullets.” He proceeded to empty his pistol and kick away the remaining ammo. “What a shame, guess it’s up to you to save the day.”
Why did I think I could rely on him? Well, I guess I have to do it. I promised myself that I would save everyone who I can still save and leave this mansion!
“Wait!” Alex shouted.
“Ooh, someone wants a pity party! Well, should’ve confessed when I gave you the chance.”
“I-I’m not talking to you, you maniac!”
“Oh, alright, nobody ever wants to talk to me anyway! Petra, hear this dying man out, he probably never got any female attention before, at least from a girl that’s still alive.”
“You’re the necrophile here!” I yelled at Leon.
“P-Petra, please, please don’t kill me!” Alex shouted in panic. “I had to attack you and I had to kill everyone who I’ve killed. You would’ve done the same in my position.”
“And what exactly is your position? You came here with the intention of killing us all, one by one until we all fell.”
“That’s what you might think, but it’s not my fault! Lucia trapped me here like she trapped all of you, except she came to my room before waking any of you up to tell me that I’m the traitor and that if I attempted to go through this without killing people, that I would be killed by her. You have to understand me, I didn’t have a choice! I know you would do the same, everyone here would!”
“So you gave your life more value than the lives of eleven other people? You are pathetic.”
"Lucia would’ve killed me if I didn’t listen! Would that really save anyone who has died so far? No, no it fucking wouldn’t! Think rationally, do you think everyone here, even if they worked together, could fight against Lucia? I did what I had to! Who knows if it’s even possible for you guys to leave the mansion, maybe Lucia rigged the game from the start. I’m the only one who was given a clear goal, I have the highest chance of making it out alive!"
I was too angry to listen to him, my emotions took over, I valued the lives of innocent people way more than any form of logic. I kicked Alex in the face out of sheer anger and Leon began cheering me on. Can I continue doing this? I stood in front of him and hesitated. In a couple of moments, everyone who was asleep until recently was now in front of the library door, watching everything unfold.
“What’s going on?” Naomi asked.
“Calm down boss bitch, we just found the traitor.”
“What did you do?” Naomi pushed Leon against a wall.
“Oh, for fuck’s sake, if you don’t trust me that much, ask the buff bitch.”
“Petra, what happened?”
“I-I’m in shock. Alex attacked me!”
“How did it come to this?”
“Alex sent a letter last night telling me to come here alone.”
“You listened?”
“I knew it was a trap, but I wanted to take advantage of it!”
“Oh, he didn’t send you that,” Leon smirked, “I sent you the letter that you read and I sent Alex a letter that was supposedly from you, but hey, it all worked out!”
With all of his remaining strength, Alex grabbed my leg.
“I’m going to make it out of this, I will not surrender to some random bitch!”
I stepped on his hand with my other leg. Then, since the knife was still with me, I sat on his torso, hesitated for a moment and then started repeatedly stabbing him in the chest. I have to end it now! No, I can’t hold back, I’m a monster! I’m going to kill someone!
I kept stabbing as Alex tried to save himself to no avail. I have to make sure he’s dead, if I let him live in such pain then it’ll be even worse, I’ll be an even bigger piece of shit than him.
I felt someone pull me back from Alex’s body.
“It is over, calm yourself down. It’s not very ladylike of you.” Lucia!
I quickly stood up and backed away from both Lucia and the body.
“You dare show your face here, you’re the one to blame for everything!” I pointed at Lucia
“Now, now, I suggest that you relax, Petra. You’re not acting like your usual self, although I do not blame you. Still, being an asshole to me isn’t going to pay off, especially because I’m here with good news for once.”
“He really was the traitor?” I asked in between deep breaths.
“Correct. You are done with that, which means if you play your cards right, nobody else will die.” I did it, I killed the traitor. I really did it! I can finally see hope, hope that this horror will have a happy end. I can't believe it, until now I thought that it was impossible, I thought that we were set to die, I just tried to push those thoughts to the side. Wait, what am I doing? Am I happy about someone's death? What the hell is wrong with me? He was a murderer, but this is simply wrong. I have blood on my clothes, I gave him a painful death, I'm a psycho!
“So, can we go home?” Blake asked, seemingly ignoring Alex’s bloody body.
“Haha, of course not. Do you not remember what the main goal here is? Find the secret of the mansion. From what I’ve seen, you kids barely have any answers. The only thing you figured out is that some of your great grandparents went through something of this sort and you know that there is something important called mendivi. Not an awful lot of information if you ask me.”
I wanted to think about what we could learn next, but I was still in shock from what just transpired, so my head was empty.
“Everyone take tomorrow off, we need to rest and prepare,” Naomi started ordering everyone around the way she usually did.
“You know what, I’m not even going to say anything rude, boss bitch. I completely agree. What an exhausting night, I swear, and I didn’t even get any credit for luring Alex into a trap.”
“Miss, do you wish for assistance?” Dante came up to me.
“Yeah, I guess.”
“Very well, I shall take you to your room,” He placed one of his hands on my back and the other behind my knees and proceeded to lift me up without a warning.
“I didn’t mean it like this!”
“It is not a complication for me, worry not. You brought justice upon this foul demon, I must treat you like the heroine that you are.”
“Well, thank you then.”
Naomi and Evie followed behind us until Dante entered my room and placed me on my bed.
“Do you wish to rest at this time, Miss?”
“I am tired, but I don’t know if I will be able to sleep. I’ll probably write the journal entry for today and then head to bed.”
“Alright. Good night, may the Gods allow you to have a restful night.” Dante walked out of my room.
Well then, I really need to write this. It’ll probably be the most important entry, although I’m not sure if this journal is needed anymore. Is it obsolete now that we’ll all live? Actually, no, what am I saying? There is no way that Lucia will stop here, she’s probably making up something new to trick us at this very moment. I’ll talk to the others about it tomorrow or in two days, I don’t know.
I shouldn’t ignore what Alex said either, even if it was only out of desperation. Maybe Lucia never had the intention of letting us go. Maybe we’ll all die no matter what decisions we make.
Day 14
We did it! We found out who the traitor is! His name was Alex, but he never told me his last name. Now that I think about it, I barely know the last names of anyone here, but that doesn’t matter. What matters is that the traitor is gone. I don’t want to go into too many details, as I don’t want to recall them and they’re pretty brutal, but what’s important is that there’s no longer a threat among us. Of course, Lucia is bound to try something, but I’m confident that we can make it out alive.
I am currently writing this in the middle of the night, my hands are shaking since everything happened so quickly and so soon. So many thoughts clashing with an unending amount of stress, I would usually say that I can’t take it anymore, but I know that I can. The end is in sight and I have to reach out for it before Lucia closes it.
I also began thinking about something, something that has to do with Lucia personally. Does she have a weakness? I’ve seen what she can do, appearing out of nowhere, brutally murdering someone, splitting her damn face open! She can seemingly do anything, but how? There has to be some trick to it, and if I can figure out what that trick is, I’ll be a huge step closer to figuring out the mansion’s secret or maybe even have a chance at defeating her.