Ten's eyes darted from Yuta, still sniffling and wiping his tears away to Haechan who was twiddling his thumbs and blowing a strand of hair out of his eyes. Ten's gaze softened. He really didn't want to believe either of the boys were guilty of being so abominable, so ruthless, so despicable.

But obviously it had to be one of them.

Ten rubbed the pendant of his necklace, worry worming in his stomach. He bit his lip, debating whether or not they should just sit in utterly heavy silence. It was as if the musty oxygen of the room was catching all Ten's possible conversation starters in his throat and forcing them back down. He just didn't have a clue what to say!

"Well." The Thai boy turned his head up to face Haechan. The tawny haired boy had burning red ears signifying his embarrassment for the two elder's to see. When he realized they were staring, he shook his hair over them. 

"Well what?" Yuta asked.

Haechan shot daggers at the Japanese boy. "It's not me. I know you don't believe that but it's true so I don't know what to tell you."

"Hmmmm." Ten rubbed his chin thoughtfully, clues and questions jumbling inside his head, mixing together like clothes in a washing machine.

"Any one of us could claim that though." He pointed out. "I know it's not me."

"And I know it's not me either." Yuta piped up.

Ten nodded. "See, there is a liar but obviously they're not going to confess this late in the game!"

Haechan scowled at the two. "Go over the clues then. It's clear as day that I'm innocent. You're just too moronic to see it." 

"Don't raise insults." Yuta chided him with a stronger tone. 

"Don't raise your voice." Haechan shot back, malice lacing his sarcastic words. 

The middle boy groaned as the others squabbled. They would never rat out the murderer if all they did was argue. But then again, that's was the only way to divulge everyone's secrets. 

A lightbulb went off in Ten's head.

"Where is Jisung's notepad?" 

Icy tendrils of pain shot down their spines at the mention of NCT's maknae, burned to death in a coffin of flame. Haechan didn't respond as Yuta lowered his head in mourning. 

"Oh come on guys!" Ten threw his arms in the air. "I know you're grieving, I am too but Jisung wouldn't want us-none of them would want us to sit around here waiting for our deaths like lambs to slaughter. Let's find that notebook and review the clues." 

Yuta and Haechan nodded in agreement, unenthusiastically but that's besides the point. All three survivors got up and began searching for the book. Jisung had probably dropped it before he was dragged away meaning it was either in the room or (as Ten feared) in the hallway and therefore out of their reach.

Haechan searched the perimeter of the room, taking a quick glance at the cameras fixed in the corners of the room and sneering. The minute he dropped his eyes a streak of pain shot throw him. He was going to die. Just like the rest of NCT Dream. The memories he cherished with the Dreamies so were limited as he couldn't make any more. And that hurt more than any death the twisted game master could serve him.

Yuta checked (and double checked) the weapons pile. As he pulled out gun after dagger after strange bottle of poison, he began to feel sick. The red pills scattered beneath his knees reminded him of Sicheng. The blood stained blade reminded him of Jaehyun. This shouldn't have happened. 

Meanwhile, Ten scurried around to any random spot in the room he could, midnight black hair bouncing as he walked. He got down on his hands and knees, precious necklace dragging on the floor as he did so. He placed his cheek on the tiles and looked across the floor. That's when he noticed.

"A loose floorboard?" 

Both of the 127 members turned to attention as the other questioned aloud. 

"Where?" Haechan asked, curiosity pounding throw his veins. Yuta paced towards Ten and bent down as well, dark eyes catching sight of the loose board.

The Japanese boy hopped up and headed over to the board, pointing at it as if to ask 'this one?' Ten gave him a thumbs up and he grabbed it. Wrapping his fingers around the sides, Yuta dragged the slab of cold stone away from the rest. 

"Jisung's notebook!" Ten exclaimed, victorious. He hurriedly snatched up the book, brushing off the layer of gray dust that had already settled on the maroon cover. "How in the world did it manage to get under there?"

Haechan shrugged and Yuta responded. "Honestly, who knows?" 

Ten flipped open the thin cover to reveal pages upon pages of notes in Jisung's cute minuscule handwriting. "Woah." Ten breathed, amazed at all of the young boy's observations. "This is good! This could really help us sniff out the murderer."

But Haechan and Yuta didn't look quite so convinced. "Look," Haechan began, blowing that annoying strand of tawny hair out of his eyes for what felt like the hundredth time. "I love Jisung and I know he was pretty intelligent for his age but I don't think he could have got to the bottom of this mystery." 

Yuta nodded in agreement, a plan forming in his mind. "But maybe the clues will help us solve it. It's like algebra. We use the provided clues to solve for the solution. I don't mean to brag but I was always an excellent math student."

Haechan cocked an eyebrow in disbelief earning a shove in the arm from the elder. "Hey I was!"

"Okay okay." Ten called them back to attention, scrutinizing every one of Jisung's comments, reaching deep within his own mind to find if he had witnessed the same event the maknae had. "If my calculations are correct, this was the last entry before Jisung....." Ten trailed off as he cleared his throat.

"What calculations?" Haechan snorted. 

Ten shot a glare at him and tapped a black painted fingernail on the page. "It's the last entry." Continuing, he read aloud;

• Jisung's Notes/Observations •

1. Ten Hyung was watching Haechan Hyung.

2. Yuta Hyung was playing with his watch.

3. Taeyong Hyung held Jaehyun Hyung's hand.

4. Mark Hyung was with Haechan Hyung whispering to each other.

"Hmmmm.....interesting..." Yuta mused. "It mentions us quite a bit." 

Ten felt his heart crack, memories with the other two boys flooding his mind. Laughing, smiling-"which means it's most likely the murderer is among us." 

That damn deadly silence fell over them, threatening to suffocate the boys if someone didn't speak up soon.

"Fine." Yuta muttered. "I can prove it's not me." 

Intrigued, Ten and Haechan turned their heads up to stare at the eldest. Cockily Haechan added, "Okay then, go ahead."

Licking his lips, Yuta began. "This whole game was been such a fucking nightmare. Yes, I've wrongly accused people. But Haechan has too. But I would never, never allow any of you do be killed at my command. But I understand how it could have seemed I was guilty. I'm suspicious, I'll admit it. But if I was the murderer, why would I have allowed Sicheng to go through with his suicide without alerting the game master?" 

Ten blinked, confusion clouding his brain. That was a good point. If Yuta was the murderer and he truly cared about Sicheng, wouldn't it have been smart to call off the game and save his love?

"But that would ruin the plan." Haechan cut in. "It would be a waste of the game and Sicheng wouldn't love you again because he would know what you did."

Ten bit his lip, threatening to draw blood. Haechan also made a valid statement. Sicheng was too wonderful a person to love a man who murdered all his best friends in a sick and twisted game of pain.

"No." Yuta simply stated, crossing his arms. "You, Haechan are clearly guilty. If Mark had chosen death, you would have prevented him from leaving. But he did not choose it. He was poisoned against his own will."

"You aren't making sense." Haechan spat, panic beginning to warp his sense of reality. What if Ten assumed he was the murderer too? Would they all die?

"So, who's it gonna be?" Yuta directed the question at Ten who was still lost in thought. It could be Yuta. It could be Haechan. Hell, Ten didn't know! It could be him for all he knew! But one thing was certain, someone would be dying that hour. At his hands.

"Do anything." 

Yuta cocked his head to the side perplexed, Haechan opened his mouth to question but closed it. 

Ten's voice quivered. Suddenly, he pulled the gun he had stealthily claimed from the weapons pile while searching for Jisung's notebook from behind his back. Yuta threw his hands in the air and Haechan jumped back, startled.

"Do anything to convince me you're innocent or I will shoot you." 

"TEN IT'S NOT ME!" Haechan screamed at the top of his lungs, voice thick with terror. 

Yuta crossed his arms over his chest. "Ten please, I promise you-"

Tears stung in Ten's eyes. His finger was on the trigger as he held the loaded gun in between the chests of his two companions. Who did he trust? He wasn't certain he was going to make the right choice. But someone had to. And it was going to be him.

It's okay, he's lying and he deserves death. Ten reminded himself. 

"Hurry up." Haechan growled, not-do confidently.

"I'm sorry." Ten apologized, pulling the trigger. 

Bang!