Chapter 32- Traitor Revealed

The next day came by fast. Before I knew it, I found myself awake in my bed in the same place I've been stuck in for so long...

When were we going to get out of here? It seemed almost impossible to get out of a place like this with everything that has been going on...

I sighed deeply as I got out of my bed. I stretched my arms and legs and turned my gaze towards a clock hanging on the wall over my bed.

I saw the small, skinny, tiny hands on the clock and saw where they were pointing to. Nine o'clock in the morning.

Yet again, I found a way to sleep through Monokuma's morning announcement but I can't sleep through a knock on my door at one in the morning...

Whatever. Everyone was probably already awake by now and Aoi would probably try and force me out if my room again. But, I didn't need Aoi's motivation today as I got out of bed and stretched my aching muscles.

It felt really good when stretching my muscles as I took my hand and put it to the back of my head. I felt the bump and bruise still there on the back of my skull as I pushed my fingers gently against its surface.

And it still hurt like crazy too.

Well, I guess wounds when getting hit in the back of the head don't heal as quickly as I thought they did. It still felt like it was minutes after getting hit by that wooden hammer, but it ached a little less. I would still have to wait for it to heal though, sadly.

But now isn't the time to worry about scars like that. Today I should try and focus on finding a way out, along with seeing if Alter Ego has any news about our escape.

After some breakfast I would go check on her.

For now...

A shower.

I entered my bathroom and got into the steaming hot water of my shower. The water hit my naked skin as I thought to myself for a bit about my situation and other stuff such as that.

I was stuck inside a stupid killing game. There was no way out of here except for Alter Ego. He may be able to make a way out for us or maybe find the secret behind this school. I would want to know for certain if this is really Hope's Peak Academy and if it is, who was able to overrun it?

This is supposed to be an elite high school, how could they loose so easily against someone? Did something happen while we were stuck in here? What was happening outside these walls? Where were the people coming to save us?

And not to mention eight people were already dead. Sayaka, Junko, Leon, Chihiro, Mondo, Taka, Hifumi, and Celeste. All of them were dead because four different people were driven to get out of here.

What if someone else were driven to wanting to get out of this hell hole?! What if I was the next victim?! What if the person to kill someone else next was me?!

No... don't think that way... it'll only drag you down.

I fought so hard to get out of this school and out of this killing game with everyone else. I couldn't think about doing the one thing Monokuma wanted us to do. I just couldn't.

I grew amazing bonds with people here. Aoi, Makoto, Sakura, Kyoko... Byakuya... All of them were my closest friends who were still alive and well and I trusted them more than anything. I couldn't dare to do anything to harm one of them.

But... what if one of them did something to hurt me...?

I couldn't bear to think that way. I just... I just wanted to get out of here and I can't do it through the way Monokuma wants. No one else can either. I have to focus on getting out of here through a loop hole or something. Anything. Just not murder.

I sighed deeply. I've been in the shower for about ten minutes already and I haven't put any shampoo nor conditioner inside my hair. If I didn't hurry up with my worrying, I would be here all day.

So, I just hurried through getting my hair done and washing off my body and leaving the shower afterwards. I put on my uniform quickly and brushed through my hair, putting it up into its usual braid afterwards.

I hurried out of the dorm room. I was honestly worried that something may have happened while I was asleep or in the shower. All that kept me stable was the fact that I didn't hear any body discovery announcement or any looks of despair that happened usually when something bad happened.

It seemed almost peaceful in the hallways. And I was relieved it was that way as I entered into the cafeteria to see the usual scenery greeting me.

Everyone was already inside the cafeteria with bright smiles on their faces as I entered.

And when I said everyone. I meant everyone.

It surprised me quite a bit when I scanned the cafeteria and saw Byakuya and Toko there as well. Byakuya just sat in a chair at a table quite a bit away from everyone else with the same stern expression stuck on his face.

And of course, wherever Byakuya was, Toko had to be there as well as she stood a bit away from Byakuya's side. When I looked over at her, she sent me an annoyed glare in return. Yep, me and her had quite a relationship going on between us.

But to see those two join the group actually surprised me quite a bit. Upon seeing them, I thought I was still asleep and hallucinating a bit. But, after a bit, I knew for certain that those two really decided to commit to the group.

When I entered, everyone immediately turned their attention towards me.

"Geez, you slept in again, Henka! If you haven't been here now, I've would've come and gotten you from your room myself!" Aoi said from the table.

"Sorry! I just slept in a little again..." I said with a nervous smile before sitting next to Aoi.

"All that matters is your safe," Sakura said with a small smile as well.

Thank god I wasn't gonna be scolded by them.

"Anyways, now that everyone has come to join the group, how about we start discussing what we've found on the new floor that opened up?" Kyoko suggested from the end of the wide table.

"Seriously?! That floor gave us a whole lot of nothing," Yasuhiro explained to everyone.

Well, he was kind of right about that. I couldn't get any clues about what could be the mystery behind this school. I also couldn't figure out what was behind that locked door. It just kept dragging my curiousness and the fact that it was kept locked scared me.

I had no idea what Monokuma could have stored inside that room.

"Patience. There may be some leads in the principle's office up there. Or perhaps lurking in the computer lab," Kyoko explained to us with the same calm expression on her face. She clearly wasn't phased by the mysteries of the new floor.

And I also heard about the principle's office as well. From Sakura and Aoi anyways. They explained it was locked and they couldn't get inside. That also made me quite curious of what could possibly be inside there as well. Perhaps some secret information about the school was in there. Maybe even the principle himself! But... that just brought up even more more questions than before.

"I suppose it's just a mystery for now. I suppose Monokuma locked those doors himself. And he may have done them for a certain reason we do not know," I explained to everyone.

"Yes. That seems to make the most sense. Seeing as Monokuma runs the entire area," Sakura agreed with my statement.

"Hey yo, Hercu-Lady!" Yasuhiro said suddenly as he moved his gaze over to Sakura's seat. "You wanna do ya a solid and break down those doors, maybe?"

I actually thought about it for a second. That could actually work quite well. With Sakura's strength, the doors could bust down easily and then we can all see what is hidden inside there.

But just as Sakura was about to answer, and my hopes were about to be lifted higher than before... HE had to show up and ruin it...

"Nice try, Brat Brigade!" Monokuma's voice could suddenly be heard on the screen hung on the wall.

I looked over at Monokuma and gritted my teeth inside my mouth. Of course the bear had to show up to ruin the mood entirely.

"So that's your plan?" Monokuma continued. "Bust into my sanctum sanctorum?! Kids these days are so gosh-darn violent! Not to harsh your mellow by moving the goalposts, but..."

Suddenly, a large beeping sound echoed throughout the cafeteria. I realized quickly what it was as I reached into my small bag and retrieved my digital notebook. I looked at it to see a new rule was added.

Attempting to break into locked rooms is strictly prohibited.

I moaned softly at this. Of course Monokuma had to come and make a new rule that now ruined our good moods.

The stupid bear wanted to make sure that we didn't enter those rooms. But why didn't he want us in there was the main question on my mind at the moment.

"I know I'll sleep easier! Ta-ta!" Monokuma said before the screen turned off completely.

I looked at all the others after this announcement. And they all too looked like they didn't like the fact that this new rule was added. Why add it in the first place? There had to be a specific reason behind it.

"He sure added that one in a hurry, didn't he? I mean, one of those rooms must be hiding something or why would he even bother?" Makoto asked us all.

"I agree. There can't be another reason behind why Monokuma made that rule. He is clearly trying to hide something," I explained to everyone. "And now, thanks to that damned bear, we can't get in to any of those rooms without breaking the rule and receiving punishment for it."

So that's how Monokuma was going to play. He was going to make sure that we were all helpless and that we wouldn't find out anything behind this school's mystery.

I could only imagine what was inside the principle's office. Perhaps that was where Monokuma's puppeteer was hiding. Perhaps it was even the principle himself! The thought crossed my mind and now it invaded my thoughts more than ever.

I couldn't really understand it myself, but it seemed like there was something mysterious going on...

"Wait! Of course! We're not dead in the water yet, you guys!" Aoi said with a cheerful smile.

"What'd you mean?" I asked with a furrowed brow.

"We've still got a friend in cyberspace!" Aoi whispered shouted at all of us, with a look in her eyes to try and have our gears turning and I got it almost immediately.

I stood up in my seat almost immediately and turned to everyone else in the room.

"How about we go take a bath?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"You came to see me! Great!" Alter Ego's smiling face said in the laptop.

My and everyone else were now inside the bathhouse with the laptop sitting on my lap. I sat on the nearest wooden bench with everyone else surrounding the back of the bench itself. Kyoko sat next to me as well like always whenever Alter Ego was brought out of the locker.

We all came here straight after I suggested going to the bathhouse. They all got the message and came in.

My hopes were always brought up whenever seeing Alter Ego's smiling face. Seeing it gave me a hope that we may actually be able to get out of here alive and that Alter Ego would find a way for us to escape.

I clutched the necklace around my neck tightly as I looked down at the laptop's screen with all of my attention driven to it.

"I just bypassed the File Security Protocol!" Alter Ego continued to speak and my heart almost leaped upon hearing those words.

What did you find?

"Well... it seems as though the school was in the process of enacting a certain plan when it shut down," Alter Ego explained to us as we sat in dead silence. "It involves the isolation of students within Hope's Peak High School campus who are then never allowed off school grounds. That's not even the most shocking aspect of the plan. In some cases, they'd be forced to live out their entire lives here."

I was in silence upon hearing that. What Alter Ego was saying... it sounded almost exactly like something so similar to what was happening right now...

"It's the very thing we've been subjected to," Sakura said with a shocked look upon her face.

"And this wasn't some idea dictated to them from outside... The school itself camp up with it," Alter Ego continued to explain to us.

"Wait what?! The school put us inside here...?" I asked with a confused look upon my face.

The thought crossed my mind but I never thought it was true. I never actually believed the fact that the school was actually behind all this. It shocked me quite a bit when hearing it and I couldn't believe what I was hearing was actually the truth.

"The plan was created because of something that happened one year ago: The most despair-inducing incident in the history of mankind," Alter Ego continued explaining yet again.

The most despair-inducing incident in the history of mankind... The name itself brought shivers down my spine. Along with a small feeling of deja vu as well...

Where have I heard that name before?

"Because of what happened... Hope's Peak was forced to shut down its doors forever. The isolation plan was put into effect. The architect of the plan was none other than... the principal."

I gasped softly at this along with a few others. So... the principal was really behind this all... He trapped us inside this school and forced us to kill one another for his pleasure.

What kind of man was this principal and how sick was he to be doing this to us?!

"So, he's the brains behind the bear! We gotta track this guy down!" Yasuhiro said with a shocked expression on his face like the rest of us.

"Yeah. We have to find where he may be hiding," I said, still in shock from the news.

"I'll find the principal..." Kyoko said with a serious look across her face. But, it wasn't like her normal serious expressions, this one looked more grave... More serious than usual.

"Kiri..." I said softly, but I knew she could hear me.

"I have to be the one," Kyoko said as she turned to me. With that look on her face, I felt a little intimidated. "And then... I'll make him answer for this... I swear it!"

I've never seen Kyoko act this way before. She was acting completely different than usual. She seemed so determined to find the principal and I was close to shock to see this attitude from her.

I mean, we all wanted to find the principal more than anything else and end this torture we've been put through. But Kyoko seemed more determined than the rest of us. She really wanted to find this guy then.

"Oh, and one more thing!" Alter Ego said, dragging my attention away from Kyoko and back to the laptop. "While looking through the new data, I discovered an image file..."

Then... another thing that seemed to make me shocked more than before... came right in front of my face.

I looked down at the screen in shock as I saw a picture of three students... three certain students that died in this very killing school life.

Sayaka. Celeste. Hifumi.

All three of them were shown on a picture inside the laptop. I looked at the picture and saw the three. They looked like they were having fun and having a good time.

Seemed like Celeste was mad at Hifumi though and was trying to grab at him with a pissed off look across her face. Hifumi running away with a scared expression. And Sayaka was just laughing playfully in the background.

And the most confusing thing was... they looked like they were inside some sort of classroom.

It was just like the one from before with Leon, Mondo, and Chihiro...

All three of them seemed so happy and none of them looked like they had any knowledge about a killing school trip.

But they were all dead now...

"More impossible photos?" Byakuya asked with a furrowed brow.

"Th-They have to be impossible..." I said softly upon seeing the photo.

This had to be fake... This had to fake because these three were dead and they didn't know each other before. Well, none of us knew that they knew each other. And they looked just like the three students we used to know.

How was this possible?!

"It's gotta mean something, but what?" Aoi asked.

But just as my shocked expression stayed plastered on my face... Something else decided to come that would give me the shock of my life...

"Testing, testing... one, two three... Hey, kiddos!" Monokuma's voice rang out through the speakers hung on the wall above us. "How 'bout you hoss your freight over to the gym!"

"What's he want this time?" Makoto asked with a worried expression on his face.

"I don't know. But I don't think it's a good thing. I don't think it's a good thing at all," I said as I gazed back at the laptop's screen.

I typed good-bye to Chihiro's smiling face before giving the laptop back to Kyoko for her to put back inside the locker and locking the laptop tightly inside there.

As soon as we knew that we were safe. We exited into the hallway and walked straight to the gym. I walked by Byakuya's side nervously as we all then entered into the enormous gym to see Monokuma atop the stage.

"What'd you want?" I asked harshly as I walked over to the foot of the stage with everyone else.

"I have something to tell you!" Monokuma announced to everyone and I braced myself. I was scared of what Monokuma had up his sleeve this time. "One of you's working for me!"

I tried to keep my composure from this announcement. I got the hints beforehand but I didn't think it was actually true. But how could I deny the fact now?! The fact Monokuma said it to everyone and now that I knew it was true scared the crap out of me.

"Wait... r-really. It's actually true...?!" I said with worry filling my voice. Someone around me inside this room was working for Monokuma right now... I couldn't believe that one of these people could be working for him.

"No one listens to me... Keeping tabs on us all would require a henchman," Byakuya explained to everyone... Byakuya was actually right then...

"Who?! Who's the traitor?! Please, you've gotta tell us!" Toko pleaded with Monokuma with a nervous look upon her face.

Monokuma then laughed at Toko's behavior. "How can I resist when she asks so nicely? My lackey is..." His nub then pointed straight at Sakura. "Sakura Ogami!"

I felt myself freeze in place. I couldn't move a limb. I couldn't speak. I couldn't do anything at all. My brain completely shut down at this news.

I didn't know what to say nor do. This was the most shocking news I've ever heard. More than anything else that happened while here. To hear Monokuma say that Sakura... my friend... was a traitor... betrayed me and everyone here... I couldn't do anything to this news.

I just stood in my place and looked over at Sakura in pure shock.

Sakura... she was really a traitor then...?

"I-Is that r-really true...?" I was able to spit out the words from my mouth, but it didn't stop me from being shocked.

"Hey! Don't say that! You know it can't be true! Tell 'em Sakura!" Aoi said as she turned towards Sakura with a hopeful look filling her eyes.

Sakura stayed silent though. She didn't say a word to this as she gazed down at the ground.

From an actress who knew how to read expressions easier rather than words, I knew this was a sign... that it was actually the truth...

"Spoiler bomb: I'm telling the truth for once!" Monokuma said in his cheery voice. "And delicate orchid that she is, I don't think Ogami's goin' down without a fight!"

Monokuma then disappeared before us. But I wasn't paying attention to that. I was entirely focused on what was before me.

Sakura was staring down at the ground with a look of shame upon her face. Almost everyone in this room seemed nervous or scared as they gazed over at Sakura as well.

Hearing Monokuma say that Sakura was the traitor, was the most shocking news of the day. Hearing that my friend betrayed me and everyone else here was hard to hear. I didn't want to think that Sakura of all people would betray us like that.

But... with the look on Sakura's face. I knew it was true... And I had to face the fact that Sakura actually betrayed us and worked with Monokuma behind our backs.

"Sakura... why...?" Aoi asked with tears filling up her eyes.

"Keeping it from you... was the hardest part," Sakura said, not moving her gaze up from off the floor.

"I-It's true then... It's really true..." I said.

"You've been lying to us from the start!" Toko yelled harshly at Sakura.

"Hey! Give it a rest! I mean... I'm sure she only did it because he forced her to!" Aoi argued with all of us about it.

Yeah... I knew Sakura and she wouldn't betray her friends so easily. Especially Aoi seeing as those two were so close. Monokuma probably blackmailed her into doing it for him and she had to be his little lapdog because he forced her to.

"She's right! I saw the two of them earlier..." Makoto explained to us all.

I furrowed a brow and looked over at Makoto in confusion. "You... saw the two...?"

"Ogami was attacking Monokuma, and not pulling any punches. But then he mentioned something about hostages, and she stood down."

"You witnessed that?" Sakura asked Makoto in shock.

"Ogami didn't actually want to work with Monokuma then..." I said as my fear and shock started to fade away a bit. Hearing that Sakura didn't want to actually work with Monokuma out of free-will was quite settling to me.

And I'm guessing that small encounter was what Makoto kept secret from both me and Kyoko. He didn't want to say anything about Sakura being a traitor because he probably didn't want to rat her out. I would probably do the same thing if it was myself.

"Ogami only obeyed because hostages were being threatened," Makoto explained to everyone.

"So... she's actually on our side then, and—" I started to say.

"Oh, give it a rest. Do you two really believe this nonsense that tumbles out of your mouth?" Byakuya interrupted my words with a harsh tone as he turned towards Sakura. "If you've really switched allegiances, then tell me something: The name of our jailor."

I turned towards Sakura with a desperate look in my eyes. Just tell Byakuya so he would believe your words... Just tell him who is keeping us captive so we can believe you...

"Alas, I was never entrusted with that detail," Sakura said with a saddened look on her face.

"Well isn't that convenient? All right... To what end did your master plan your little charade?" Byakuya asked another question this time.

Seeing as Byakuya was very serious about this, I could only guess how important these answers may have been. And how much they be affecting Sakura personally.

"If we ever reached the point where no murders were occurring, either at first or later on... I was to kill someone," Sakura said as she moved her gaze to the floor.

"Wait... R-Really...? You agreed to kill someone if things didn't go Monokuma's way?!" I said with a shocked look on my face as I turned towards Sakura.

"There you have it. She's been waiting this whole time for an opportune moment in which to pounce," Byakuya said to us all and I clenched my fist at my side.

Byakuya... you are really testing my nerves and patience... and quite frankly, you are making me rethink my decisions in having a crush on you.

"Dammit, she isn't like that!" Aoi argued, with tears in her eyes that were threatening to leave her body.

"She isn't like that at all, okay?!" I suddenly shouted these words out. Having a close friend like Sakura... And someone talking bad about her... How could I not say something...?

"Enough of this. There is no need for you to be at odds over me," Sakura said calmly. "The time has come... to reap what I've down. Asahina, dear... I am so very sorry."

"Why didn't you...?" Aoi said softly.

"There were so many times when I nearly broke down and told you the truth. But I couldn't... I was afraid... Afraid that you, my only friend here, along with Henka, would despise me," Sakura explained to her.

"W-We wouldn't have! We wouldn't have at all! Because you're our friend! We would never act that way towards you if you told us!" I blurted out as I moved towards Aoi's side and looked up at Sakura, tears threatening to leave my eyes as well.

Sakura then turned away from the two of us and started walking towards the doorway. "I don't deserve forgiveness. But I will make this up to you both— even if it kills me." She then left the area.

"Wait... what...?" I said in shock softly, wondering if I heard her words right.

"Even if it kills you...?" Aoi asked in confusion and worry as well.

What was Sakura planning to do?! Me and Aoi tried apologizing to her and yet she didn't seem to accept it. It was as if she didn't want to take our apology at all. Like she didn't deserve an apology like that.

Sakura was acting as if she needed to prove like she was worthy of being forgiven.

Why would my friend do this?! I believed that she did for a reason and Aoi knew too, but Sakura seemed like she didn't believe this statement one bit...

What was Sakura going to do next...?

"Empty words from a treacherous brute better off avoided. We don't know what she might do," Byakuya said from behind us and I turned around to face him, trying to keep my composure while doing so.

"Shut up, Togami. Just please shut up..." I said quietly to try and hold back the tears threatening to come out. But I hoped Byakuya at least heard my words.

"Hold up! I think blondie's got a good point!" Yasuhiro said and I looked over at him in shock. Not him too!

"She... She admitted she was his lackey!" Toko said with the shared shock expression I had before.

"What the hell? Do you really not know Sakura any better than that?!" Aoi argued with everyone.

"She's our friend and she wouldn't do anything to harm us at all!" I stood my ground next to Aoi's side. Sakura wouldn't hurt us... She may look all big and strong, but she was really a softie and I loved her for that.

"We don't know the first thing about her and neither do you. You were as shocked by this as the rest of us," Byakuya argued with the two of us.

"It was just hard news to take," I argued back.

"What if something horrible happened to her?!" Aoi asked in shock to everyone.

Byakuya then scoffed at this, "If it did... so what? It's one less person in the enemy's ranks. Let her die."

These words snapped something inside of me and Aoi very quickly. Upon hearing them, I wanted to make sure Byakuya paid for saying something like that right here and right now. But even though Byakuya was making me angry and pushing me past my limits, I couldn't hurt him... Because I still loved him... And I couldn't understand why I did...

But, Aoi clearly could do something as she made the next move for the two of us. She groaned softly like a wild animal ready to pounce on their prey as she moved towards Byakuya quickly.

She made her next move as I then heard a large pow go off around the room. As if a gun went off or a punch was made. And in fact, something like that did happen.

I looked at what happened in shock as the next moment, Byakuya glasses fell to the floor with a crash and I looked up at Byakuya's face in shock as well. His cheek had a red mark burned into it as he clenched it with his hand and Aoi's hand was clenched into a fist at her side while glaring at Byakuya.

Aoi just slapped Byakuya...

"Bastard... How dare you... Shut you're mouth... or I'll kill you myself," Aoi said through gritted teeth.

"Hina, calm down!" I said as I rushed over to the girl and grabbed her by the shoulder, holding her back from doing something else. "I'm pissed off too but we can't go around hitting our classmates!"

"Whatever. I'm outta here," Aoi said through gritted teeth.

She then shoved my hand off her shoulder and walked out of the room with the same angered look across her face.

I watched her exit and I didn't move from where I stood. I just watch the door close and I felt myself trying to keep my composure from breaking down into tears in front of everyone else.

But who could blame me if I were to start crying?

I just found out one of my closest friends betrayed us and went behind our backs to work for Monokuma.

Of course, I believed Sakura did it for a good reason and I would continue to believe that she did it for a good reason. But no one else believed that though besides Aoi...

Who could I even trust now...?