Death's Deception

Chapter 13 — Web of Lies

The red chamber was steeped in a thick, oppressive silence. Its dim lighting barely illuminated the strained expressions of the three players seated within. Aoi Himura paced across the floor with slow, measured steps, her arms wrapped tightly around herself. The tension in her shoulders made her look like she might snap at any moment.

Without warning, she stopped and turned, her voice cutting through the air like a blade.

"I don't think the person who came last night was Mei."

Shun Hayashi looked up from his position, brows raised with a mix of disbelief and fatigue. "And you know this how? Got psychic powers now?"

Aoi didn't flinch. "No. But think about it. If it had been Mei... we would've heard it."

Ren Sakamoto leaned forward slightly, his eyes narrowing with interest. "Heard what, exactly?"

"Fear. Hesitation. Her voice shaking. She's not like Tatsuya or Daichi—she wears her heart on her sleeve. If it was her behind the mask, we would've known."

Shun considered that for a moment. "So if it was Mei, and she was the President, we'd have seen a consequence. A heart would be gone."

Ren nodded, finishing the thought. "But we didn't lose one. And the visitor didn't act like Mei."

"Exactly," Aoi said, pointing a finger. "So either she's not the President, or she wasn't the one sent."

Shun exhaled slowly. "Which means Mei probably isn't the President."

Aoi offered a half-shrug. "It's not foolproof, but it's the best lead we've got."

"Better than anything else," Ren agreed.

Shun nodded reluctantly. "Alright. That narrows it to Tatsuya or Daichi. And Daichi already came."

"So," Ren concluded, "either Daichi's just a player, or he's bluffing harder than anyone we've seen yet."

"We watch today," Aoi said firmly. "Closely. One mistake, and we lose someone."

---

Day Two — Blue Room

The room was colder today. Not from temperature, but from the pressure thickening between the players. The table with the role cards lay untouched, a grim reminder of the roles they'd chosen.

Mei Tsukino's voice broke the silence, soft and trembling. "I... I think I should go tonight."

A long pause followed. Daichi looked up, one brow raised in surprise. Tatsuya slowly turned his head to face her, his expression unreadable.

"As you wish," Tatsuya said at last, calm and precise. "But there's a problem."

"Yeah," Daichi added, leaning forward. "Your voice, Mei. You're not exactly known for hiding your fear."

"If they hear it," Tatsuya continued, "they'll assume you're the President. Even if you're not. And they'll make their next move based on that."

Daichi frowned. "So what, we teach her how to fake it?"

Tatsuya ignored the sarcasm. "Exactly. But first, I need to understand what causes it."

He turned fully to Mei, his voice softening just slightly. "Mei... what triggers your fear? What makes you lose control of your voice?"

She hesitated. Her eyes dropped to the floor.

"Betrayal. Death. Blood. The feeling that... everything's out of my control. Like I'm drowning in someone else's nightmare."

The atmosphere shifted. Even Daichi went quiet.

Tatsuya nodded once, slowly. "Then we teach you to separate that feeling from this room. You're not the girl who drowned. You're the girl who's swimming now."

Daichi added, more sincerely this time, "We help you fake calm. If they hear confidence, they'll doubt their own guesses."

"Tonight," Tatsuya said, "you wear the mask. But more importantly, you wear a voice that doesn't belong to fear."

Mei looked up, her expression a little stronger. "I'll try. For all of us."

Daichi gave a small, supportive grin. "That's all we can ask for."

Another pause.

Then Tatsuya spoke again, gentler now. "If you're going to survive in their room, I need to know more. Not for sympathy. For strategy. Tell me about your past."

Mei hesitated. Her fingers clutched the hem of her skirt tightly.

"There was a boy. Middle school. He used to walk me home. We weren't close at first, but he... stayed. When no one else did."

Her voice cracked, but she didn't stop.

To be continued in Chapter 14 — Shadows of the Past