"Steven, it was... you...?" Seto asked, staring at the shamefaced man with wide, disbelieving eyes. "You're... the killer?"

Steven didn't reply. He simply closed his eyes. Dave slowly moved forward and bowed his head in resignation, burying his face in Steven's right shoulder and embracing Steven's arm. Bart gently placed a hand on Steven's left shoulder, staring down at him wordlessly.

"No- No that can't- That can't be right!" Tyler shouted. "It was Jordan, he attacked MonoWither and got killed, and Steven had nothing to do with it! Right, Steven?"

Steven remained silent.

"I swear if MonoWither made you say that as a sick joke or something..." Annie threatened in a trembling voice.

Silence.

"Steven, say something! Say something!!!" Bonks shrieked wildly. "Please!!!"

"...I'm sorry..." Steven whispered, staring at his hands.

His answer took everyone aback.

"S-Sorry? Why- Why are you apologizing?" Tyler asked, horrified. "What are you sorry for?"

Steven shut his eyes and took several deep breaths. "I... was actually the one who attacked MonoWither... But Jordan, he... ended up in the crossfire..." His face twisted in remorse. "I... I killed him... I'm sorry..."

"...Why... Why would you just admit it like that?" Bodil whispered in disbelief.

"...I didn't want things to end this way..." Steven murmured softly. "I... I didn't mean to let this happen... I didn't mean to become the killer, I was the one who was supposed to end up dead... I can't sacrifice the rest of you for something that was my fault..."

"O-Okay, maybe we're just overreacting!" Jason said, struggling not to panic. "Just because you, um, threw the spear, that doesn't mean you're guilty! I mean, you were aiming for MonoWither... In no way does that make you the murderer!"

"Exactly!" Annie cried out. "That's exactly it! I- I know you feel guilty, but the truth is that it wasn't your fault!"

Steven shook his head. "MonoWither said that I counted as the killer... even though it was an accident..."

"Well they're a bunch of liars!!!" Bonks howled, suddenly bursting into tears. "You're not the killer, Steven!!! YOU'RE NOT THE KILLER!!!"

"...I wish that was true, but... MonoWither is the one who makes the rules..." Steven said quietly.

"Who- Who cares about that?!" Bonks shrieked. "Who gives a damn about what that sadistic machine has to say?! It's not your fault!!!" Her eyes widened in realization. "I bet that MonoWither lied! They want us to believe you did it so that we'll all vote incorrectly!"

"N-No, Bonks, please don't make this harder than it needs to be- I was the one who threw the spear..."

>>>--IMPALEMENT--> ((I WAS THE ONE))

"Wait- Wait a minute!" Seto cried out. "You're not telling the truth, Steven."

"What do you mean?" Steven asked.

"You're telling us that you somehow threw the spear with enough force that it actually impaled Jordan to such a severe degree?! That's impossible! The spear almost went through his body completely! The blood on the spear's shaft indicates that!"

"You're right!" Tyler exclaimed, stunned. "It would have taken a superhuman to do that!"

"It's more likely that MonoWither was the one who shot the spear," Seto continued, nodding in agreement. "Don't you think so?"

Steven glanced away, unable to argue against that statement.

"Why would you lie at a time like this?" Seto asked in disbelief. "You know that if we vote incorrectly, we'll die..."

"...That's... That's exactly why I lied..." Steven murmured.

"You wanted us to die?!" Annie thundered.

"No! The complete opposite, I swear!" Steven insisted. "You- You wouldn't believe me otherwise!"

"What do you mean?" Jason asked. "Explain!"

Steven took a deep breath. "I can't."

"What do you mean you can't?!" Bodil cried out.

"I- I just can't! I can't explain! Just trust me and vote for me as the killer!"

"We can't do that, not without an explanation!" Tyler argued.

"I refuse to believe you killed Jordan!!!" Bonks shrieked hysterically.

"Please, I'm begging you to trust me! Don't you trust me? I- I know I might seem suspicious but-"

"It's not that I don't trust you, it's that I don't trust your judgment at the moment," Annie murmured softly.

"Exactly, there's no way we could just vote for you without any evidence..." Jason said quietly.

Steven stared down at the floor with defeat. "...Seto?" he asked softly.

Seto felt his whole body tense up as though it was bracing for an attack. "Yeah?"

"I'm... I'm sorry it has to be this way, but... could you help me?"

"H-Help you?"

"I'm sorry, but I can't explain to you guys how I killed Jordan. You might see why later, but... Right now I need your help."

"...Why me?"

"Because I know you can do it, Seto. You're the one who's helped us get this far..."

Seto bit his lip and looked away. "What are you trying to say?"

"I know you must be sick of these trials, so I'm sorry for asking you this, but there's no other option. Please... Can you figure out how I killed Jordan?"

Seto felt his stomach twist. "You- You can't just ask me to do something like that-! That could get you killed-!"

"Please," Steven whispered. "It's for your sake and everyone else's. I'll try to help in any way I can, but I just can't be the one to explain it. I'd ask Bart and Dave to explain, but... I think everyone would believe it if it came from you rather than us. Just please, can you do this one last thing for me?"

Seto shut his eyes tightly and bowed his head over the podium.

"Let's just vote for Jordan!" Bonks pleaded. "Seto, you know Jordan's the real answer! It's not Steven! He's just in denial!"

"S-Survivor's guilt is a thing..." Annie said quietly.

"Steven, I understand how you feel, but it wasn't your fault," Jason murmured.

"Y-Yeah! It's not, we promise you!" Bodil reassured.

"MonoWither was the killer since they were the ones who threw the spear," Tyler reasoned.

"So we should just end this right now!" Bonks said desperately. "Seto, say we should vote for Jordan!"

Seto couldn't speak. He almost couldn't breathe. This couldn't be happening... Why was he the one who had to make this decision?

"Seto, please," Steven repeated, forcing a bittersweet smile.

Seto slowly raised his head and exhaled, carefully making a decision.

"...Okay," he whispered finally. "I'll help you."

"What?!" Jason exclaimed.

"S-Seto!" Annie cried out indignantly.

"What are you doing?!" Bodil shrieked.

"Why would you believe he's the murderer?!" Bonks demanded. "I thought he was your friend!"

"I'm doing this because he's my friend!" Seto shouted back. "Steven asked me to do this for him. It's the very least I could do!"

"If- If it turns out that Steven is innocent, then we'll just vote for Jordan, right?" Tyler hesitantly reasoned with the group.

"...I guess you're right. We can either lose our time or our lives..." Annie muttered. Jason and Bodil nodded reluctantly as well.

"...Bonks?" Steven asked tentatively.

Bonks pursed her lips and refused to meet his eyes.

"I... I'm sorry, I know you didn't want any more murder trials. I know you didn't want to question any of us anymore. I'm sorry... I'm sorry I couldn't... make such a simple thing happen for you..."

"...It's not your fault," Bonks whispered, finally relenting.

"Can you give me a clue to start us off?" Seto asked.

Steven swallowed. "Um... I'm not sure what's safe for me to say... Maybe you should start with figuring out what led up to Jordan's death..."

"I'm going to need everyone else's help for that," Seto replied.

"While you were... unconscious..." Jason began hesitantly. "We all started panicking..."

"So what were you all doing?"

Tyler shuddered at the memory. "I was looking after you..."

"I was with Bonks, trying to figure out what to do," Annie said.

"I took a walk around the lobby with Bodil," Jason said.

"And what about Steven and Jordan?" Seto asked.

"I think I can answer that partially," Steven said. "I went to the VIP Floor to confront MonoWither. The fight is what led to Jordan being killed."

"And why did Jordan go up there if he supposedly wasn't the one fighting MonoWither?" Jason asked suspiciously.

"...I don't know myself..." Steven replied. "I'm just as confused as you are..."

Annie's eyes widened. "Hold on. In the chaos of what was happening with Seto, I didn't think much of it, but I overheard you two having a discussion..."

Steven's eyes lit up in a strange mixture of triumph and sadness.

"What did you hear?" Bodil asked curiously.

"It was hard to hear, even for me, but it was while Bonks and I were still talking. We were right outside the door leading to the parkour course, so that's where Jordan and Steven were. This was how it went..."

~~~

"Hey Steven, where are you going?"

"..."

"I- I know you don't want to talk to anyone, but you shouldn't isolate yourself, especially at a time like this. We all need to stick together."

"...Jordan...?"

"Oh! Y-You said something for once!"

"...Do you trust me...?"

"Why are you asking me that?"

"Do you trust me?"

"Well... Of course..."

"...Whatever you do, don't go to the VIP Floor..."

"I wouldn't even think of getting those weapons, don't worry about that."

"...So you won't go?"

"Of course not."

"...Promise?"

"Um, yeah, I promise... You're kind of confusing me right now, but I promise I won't go there. H-Hey, where are you going?"

"I'm just going to the greenhouse, I need to be by myself..."

~~~

"Did you really say that?!" Bonks demanded, turning to Steven.

He stared sadly at the floor. "...Yes..."

"But why?" Tyler asked. "You apparently went to the VIP Floor, not the greenhouse. Why would you lie like that?"

"...Because I didn't want this to happen..."

"Well despite what Steven told him, it seems like Jordan went to the VIP Floor anyway. I wonder why?" Jason asked.

"Something compelled him to break the promise..." Annie murmured thoughtfully.

"I thought that after last time, Jordan would be more careful!" Bodil lamented. "If Steven warned him, why would he go anyway?!"

Seto mentally agreed. Jordan was usually level-headed and unwilling to rush into danger, unless...

...

...unless someone else was in danger...

"Steven, do you think Jordan would have thought you were in danger somehow?" Seto asked.

Steven frowned. "N-No, I don't think so. Besides, I didn't tell him I going to the VIP Floor-" He gasped suddenly, his eyes widening as his face paled. "Oh no..." he whispered, covering his mouth with his hands.

"What happened?" Bonks asked.

Steven glanced at Bart and Dave. "I... I... I wrote a suicide note beforehand with the paper I had left because I didn't want you guys thinking I was murdered or something... I left it in my room, but it's not like our rooms have locks..."

"Are you saying that Jordan went in and found it somehow?" Annie asked.

"That must be it, but I don't know why he'd go in my room!" Steven said.

"Then maybe he didn't see it, maybe it's another reason?" Bodil suggested tentatively.

"M-Maybe, but... if I remember correctly, I put the note on the bed, but when I went back, it was on the floor... I thought it must have just fallen when I left or something, but now I'm not so sure..."

Seto frowned as he looked up at MonoWither suspiciously. MonoWither was grinning devilishly as usual, but he had a feeling there was a reason why...

"MonoWither, you showed Jordan the note, didn't you?" Seto asked.

MonoWither put on shocked faces. "Our word! How could you ever accuse us of such a heinous act! Showing Jordan Steven's suicide note before he'd even committed the deed? That's- That's-!"

"-exactly what you did," Seto interrupted. "You must have shown Jordan the note somehow. You knew he'd want to stop Steven from sacrificing himself, you knew Jordan would put himself in harm's way by going into the VIP Floor."

"That's horrible!" Bonks cried out.

"But nothing special for MonoWither..." Jason muttered.

"Hey hey, shouldn't we be innocent before proven guilty? How can you prove that's what we did?! You can't prove that Jordan even saw that note!"

>>>--NOTE'S-CONTENTS--> ((CAN'T PROVE))

"Steven, do you still have the note?" Seto asked.

"Y-Yeah, I do..." Steven said, reaching into his pocket. He paused for a moment before pulling out a piece of paper. Steven walked over to Seto and placed the note in his hands, but Seto almost flinched when he felt a cold piece of metal touch his palm. Steven stared into his eyes as he calmly closed Seto's hands around the object, which felt like one of the room keys. Seto stared at him with bewilderment, countless questions threatening to overwhelm him, but he kept silent. Steven nodded, his eyes filled with some sort of resolve and determination, before letting go and returning to Bart and Dave. "Go ahead, read it."

Seto blinked for a moment before realizing that whatever Steven had given him, it wasn't meant to be seen. He cleared his throat for a moment before reading the note, making sure the key wasn't visible to the others (especially MonoWither).

Dear everyone,

If you're reading this, that means that I've lost my fight against MonoWither. I'm sorry it had to be this way. I knew that the chances of me winning were close to none, but when I saw the weapons in the VIP Floor, I knew I had to at least try to save everyone. I don't know what MonoWither's done after my death, but I hope that this note is proof that this was a punishment.

To Bart and Dave, I hope you can forgive me for breaking the promise we made. But I had to do it to free you, my friends who've always been there for me.

Please don't give up, I know you can all survive somehow.

-Steven

The solemn tone was ruined by MonoWither sniffling loudly. "Oooh, oooh!!! So sad!!! What a tragedy!!!" they wailed in a falsetto voice.

"Shut up!" Jason shouted.

"Well MonoWither? What more proof do you need?" Seto asked, glaring at them. "Steven mentioned going to the VIP Floor to sacrifice himself, and it's no coincidence that Jordan went there as well. He read the note somehow, and the most likely cause of that is because you showed it to him; he would have no other reason to randomly go into Steven's room and see the note."

"Fine, fine! We'll confess!" MonoWither snapped. "But this is how all reality TV shows get their juicy bits! So much content is set up so that the ignorant masses can eat up all the drama! Think of it from the hosts' perspective! This is all show business!"

"Yeah, uh, 'show business' is not justification for manipulation and murder at all..." Tyler muttered.

"Whatever, anyway so what if we showed it to him? You should be grateful; we tried to stop Steven from getting killed!"

"No, you did it on purpose so that Jordan would get killed," Seto murmured darkly. "I see it now, that's how it happened..."

"Wh-What? MonoWither killed Jordan on purpose?!" Bodil stammered. "I thought it was just an accident-! Like Jordan got in the way or-"

"When Steven and I reached the weapons room, the door was locked. MonoWither had to unlock the door for us using their special authorization. So MonoWither must have opened the door for Jordan after waiting for a certain moment..."

"What moment would that be?" Bonks asked.

"The moment MonoWither was able to aim the spear at the door, of course," Seto answered. "Most of you didn't go to the VIP Floor, but when you get to the weapons room, its entrance is right across from a huge window that overlooks the greenhouse. When Jordan reached the weapons room, MonoWither positioned the spear and fired it towards the door right as it opened."

"But how do you know that's what happened?" Annie asked.

"When Tyler and I investigated the VIP Floor, we saw the place where Jordan was hit by the spear," Seto replied.

"Yeah, he must have crashed through the window and fallen into the greenhouse..." Tyler murmured.

"That explains the hole in the ceiling," Jason admitted.

"And all the broken stuff around the body..." Bodil said hesitantly.

"But doesn't that prove that MonoWither was the one who killed Jordan, not Steven?" Bodil asked.

"No no, I did it!" Steven stammered.

"No, you didn't!" Bonks cried out. "Jordan fought MonoWither, he must have!"

>>>--BLOODSTAINS--> ((JORDAN FOUGHT))

"But Bonks... there's evidence that Jordan didn't enter the weapons room," Seto said hesitantly. "There were bloodstains on the floor in front of the window, but none of the blood was inside the weapons room. If Jordan really was the one who fought MonoWither, then he would have been struck with the spear inside of the weapons room, right?"

"Maybe the fight ended up outside of the room," Annie murmured. "Not very likely, but still a possibility."

"But why is Steven the one covered in bruises and not Jordan?" Jason asked.

"That's another reason why the one who fought MonoWither must have been Steven, not Jordan," Seto replied. "Do you all agree?"

"Yeah, it makes the most sense," Bodil said quietly.

"But even still, that doesn't make Steven the killer!" Bonks shouted. "After all, we proved that MonoWither shot Jordan with the spear! So how is Steven the killer?!"

"...I can't answer that either..." Seto admitted, turning to Steven. "I'm sorry Steven, I don't have a clue how you're the murderer and not MonoWither."

"Maybe it's like what Annie said. Survivor's guilt!" Tyler said, giggling nervously. "There's no way Steven did it..."

"Steven? What's the truth?" Annie asked.

Steven's eyes were shut tightly, a dark shadow crossing his face. "I have to tell them..." he murmured to Bart and Dave. Dave shook his head and tapped against Steven's arm in protest, but Bart stopped him. "No Dave, I have to... it's the only way they'll vote for me and live... If Seto couldn't find anything to prove I did it otherwise, then this is the only way."

"What's the only way?" Bodil shrieked.

"I can't tell you outright, but..." Steven hesitated for a moment before continuing. "...but I can lead you to it."

"How?" Jason asked.

"Seto, what do you think killed Jordan?" Steven asked.

"Th-The spear, right?" Seto stammered, taken aback. "I mean, that's the obvious answer, what else would kill him?"

"...Well... What if his Forbidden Action was activated somehow?" Steven murmured.

"Eek! His Forbidden Action?!" Bodil squeaked.

"But how do we find out what it is?!" Jason asked.

"Damn it," Seto cursed, "I didn't think it would be important. How could I have been so stupid?"

Tyler spoke up. "Well Jordan's body is still there, probably, maybe we could go back and check-"

"UH UH, NOPE!" MonoWither yelled from their throne. "Too late, investigation time is already over!"

"We don't need that, I already checked what it was myself," Annie said softly.

"Great! What is it then?!" Jason asked.

Annie gazed at Steven with wide eyes. "Steven... If what you say is true, then..."

Steven looked away.

"What is it?" Bonks asked nervously.

"It's 'Witnessing violence instigated by a spy,'" Steven said suddenly.

Everyone stared at him, stunned.

"How in the world did you know that?!" Tyler exclaimed.

"I can't say," Steven murmured.

"Annie, was he right?" Seto asked.

Annie hesitated as she continued to stare at Steven in disbelief. "...Yes. Word for word, that was it..." she said softly.

"I guess you all can figure out what this means..." Steven said, trailing off.

A sickening realization sank into Seto's gut. No... This couldn't be...

"Hey Steven, I don't know what kind of stupid joke you're playing, but it's really not funny!" Jason cried out.

"Clearly MonoWither's spear killed Jordan!" Bonks shrieked. "Seto, say I'm right!"

"The MonoWither File never gave a cause or location of death..." Seto whispered.

"Because it's too obvious!" Bodil shouted. "No- No need to say what the obvious answer is, right?!"

"The body was also discovered at the same time Jordan died... discovered by Steven..." Seto continued slowly, all the pieces coming together in all the wrong ways.

"Shut up!" Bonks cried out. "You're lying!"

"Bonks, please," Steven said. "I'm telling you that the Forbidden Action killed Jordan!"

"Wouldn't the spear have killed him before the Forbidden Action?!" Jason asked.

"Or the fall!" Bodil pointed out.

Seto shook his head. "The spear impaled his abdomen. It would have been fatal, but not immediate. Certainly not faster than the poison in the bangles, which take effect in seconds. Jordan also did not fall immediately, judging by the amount of blood near the broken window and the blood on his hand from gripping the spear. He must have fallen only when he lost consciousness. Plus, the MonoWither File said that all other visible injuries besides the spear were obtained after death. Those are the injuries from the fall. The mention of visible injuries means there could have been internal injuries from the poison..."

"But that means Steven's a spy!!!" Bonks shrieked.

Silence filled the courtroom.

"If Steven is a spy, then he's the one who instigated the violence," Tyler said slowly, still in disbelief.

Seto nodded. "And that's why MonoWither lured Jordan to the weapons room and waited for the proper moment to open the doors so that Jordan could witness the fight... The spear was probably to confuse us and lead us to where we are now..."

"No no no, does this mean... Steven, did you plan this murder with MonoWither?" Annie asked in a hushed voice.

The dark look had returned to Steven's face, but this time it looked more sinister.   

"That can't be right!" Bodil wailed.

"So what if I did?" Steven asked, his voice devoid of emotion.

Bart and Dave gave him horrified looks.

"No! I don't believe you!" Bonks shouted. "Why would you warn Jordan not to go to the VIP Floor if you wanted him to all along?"

"Reverse psychology, perhaps... Wouldn't that have further raised his suspicions when he saw the suicide note?" Steven asked. "Jordan didn't want another death. He would have done anything to stop one from happening, especially a suicide..."

"But you can't be a spy!" Bonks insisted.

"This isn't a confession, but why would I carry out this plan if I didn't know his Forbidden Action? Unrelated, but the spies know everyone's Forbidden Actions..."

More horrified silence.

"So you really are a spy..." Annie said, glaring at him. "All this time, you lied to us?! You worked for MonoWither against us?!"

"I cannot admit," Steven murmured again.

"But you basically led us to that conclusion," Seto said faintly. He couldn't believe this was happening. "Why, Steven...?"

Suddenly, Steven's smile widened as he grinned crookedly. His eyes widened until they were like saucers.

"S-Steven?" Bonks cried out in shock.

He laughed a little, ignoring Bonks. "Why? Because I've been waiting for so long to see your reactions... I just couldn't hold back any longer..."

"Then aren't you just letting yourself get killed?!" Seto asked in bewilderment. "This doesn't make sense! If you're really a spy, why would you do this?!"

"It's all part of MonoWither's plan. I just went along with it like the loyal servant I am!"

"Then why won't you just straight-up confess you're a spy?!" Annie spat out.

"Isn't it more despairing this way? How even though all your suspicions lead to my betrayal, the suspect who led you there won't confess?"

Bart and Dave grabbed his arms and shook him desperately, seemingly trying to get him to stop, but Steven only giggled. "Such despair..."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Jason demanded. "This joke isn't funny!"

"It's obviously the low oxygen in this room!" Bodil claimed wildly. "You know, being underground for this long must have made him dizzy! That's why he thinks he's a spy!"

"Oh Bodil... I know your Forbidden Action!" Steven taunted. "Poor Bodil was so nervous around everyone because his was 'Being in physical contact with a spy'!"

Bodil looked like he'd been slapped in the face. "H-How did you-?"

"And Jason, you kept wanting to push Bodil's wheelchair because yours was 'Running away from a spy'! Clever way to hide it! At least I gave you and Annie Ender Pearls so you could reach Bodil and Seto faster!"

Jason's face paled as his whole body flinched. "Oh my god..."

Steven laughed again, his whole face covered in sweat. "Oh, the despair on your faces! I... I love it! It's so... beautiful!!! It's so much better than I imagined!"

"Shut up!" Annie screamed, raising her fists at him. "Shut up right now or I'll make you, traitor!!!"

"I killed Jordan out of my own free will, I will... proudly confess that!!!" Steven shrieked hysterically. "I- I enjoyed seeing the despair on his face as he- he realized he'd been betrayed!!!"

"I fucking warned you," Annie hissed as she started to storm over to him.

"STOP IT!!!" Bonks cried out, bursting into heartbroken sobs.

Steven's eyes widened and his grin disappeared.

Bonks gasped shakily as her anguished cries shook her whole body. "S-Steven... Why...? Why would you lie like this... Why would you pretend to be this evil...? Why do you want us to vote for you so badly...?!"

Steven's unsettling expression returned, but it looked less convincing. "Bonks..." he said slowly. "I'm not lying... It... really does makes me happy... to see you..." He swallowed. "To... see you in... despair..."

"Steven, you are a terrible actor," Tyler said suddenly.

"Wh-What?!"

"I'm not saying this because I'm in denial. You really just aren't fooling me with your performance. I used to act in B-list horror movies before, I've seen terrible auditions for deranged serial killers too many times to not recognize one."

Bonks continued to cry loudly, unable to stop. Steven stared at her for a moment before looking away regretfully.

"That was an act, right?" Jason asked, still horrified.

"Y-Yeah-! You don't really like all that despair stuff!" Bodil exclaimed.

"Steven, please just be honest..." Seto begged. "Telling all these lies won't help anyone..."

"I'm sorry, everyone," Steven whispered, lowering his head in shame. "I didn't mean any of that, I just wanted to make sure you all voted correctly..."

"So are you a spy or not?!" Annie demanded.

"...I still can't say," Steven replied. "But don't worry, Annie. Vote for me, and your Forbidden Action most likely won't activate."

Annie's eyes widened in shock.

"He must be one," Seto concluded. "He knows too many of our Forbidden Actions and instigated the violence that killed Jordan. But I don't think he really meant to hurt us. Perhaps MonoWither tricked him into killing Jordan, and now Steven's doing everything he can to get us to vote for him because it's the right choice..."

Steven looked up at him, relieved.

"To make sure I'm correct, I'll try to sum up everything about this case..."

~~~

"Last night, Steven decided to enter the VIP Floor for the second time. However, before he got there, Jordan saw him and asked where he was going. Steven warned him not to go to the VIP Floor before leaving. With what Steven had planned, he wanted Jordan to be as far away from the VIP Floor as possible.

"Unfortunately, MonoWither saw this and decided to trick Jordan into going there. Steven had written a suicide note beforehand and left it in his room, but MonoWither showed it to Jordan somehow. Jordan, believing that he could stop Steven, headed to the VIP Floor. Since Steven and I had already overcome the obstacles necessary to unlock its contents, Jordan quickly made his way through.

"Meanwhile, Steven entered the room containing the VIP Floor's secret weapons and challenged MonoWither to a fight to the death, probably betting that MonoWither had a limited number of spares. The fight resulted in five spares breaking and also left Steven bruised. However, when Jordan got there, MonoWither carried out their plan and kept the door closed until they were able to aim one of their spears at the doors. They opened them so that the spear would impale Jordan directly through the abdomen.

"The force of the spear sent Jordan reeling backward and shattered the glass barrier behind him. As he fell down the long distance, he collided with the digital screens that made up the ceiling of the greenhouse. Thus, there were broken remains of these digital screens and glass all around his body.

"However, in the end, this was only a way to conceal the true cause of death: Jordan's bangle, which activated because his Forbidden Action was "Witnessing violence instigated by a spy." Since Steven was one of the spies and instigated the violence, Jordan's Forbidden Action was triggered and killed him in a matter of seconds. Being impaled by a spear would have taken him a longer period of time to die. The blood on his left hand and the bloodied footprints on the platform also indicate that it took some time for Jordan to grip the spear that impaled him and stagger backward before he broke the glass barrier and stepped off the platform; thus, the poison must have taken effect before he hit the ground.

"Even though it was unintentional and extremely hard to accept, there is no denying that Steven is one of the spies MonoWither referred to. Not only did Steven confess to starting the fight that triggered Jordan's Forbidden Action, but he also gave other indications that he was a spy previously. For instance, the most telling piece of evidence is that Steven warned Jordan not to enter the VIP Floor because he knew his Forbidden Action. One could argue that he simply did not want Jordan to follow him, but he would have told the others if this were merely the case. Similarly, when Bodil and I were in the water, Steven gave Jason an Ender Pearl from the Enderman he killed previously because he knew Jason's Forbidden Action: Running away from a spy.

"This is the true explanation of Jordan's death. Despite how unbelievable it sounds, Steven is one of the spies MonoWither mentioned. Because of this fact, he accidentally activated Jordan's Forbidden Action, poisoning him to death. Therefore, the murderer... no, the one who caused Jordan's death... is none other than Steven...

~~~

As usual, silence hung in the air after Seto's concluding statement.

"...Do you believe me now...?" Steven asked hesitantly. "I think Seto got most of it right..."

"No!" Bonks shouted, slamming her hands down on the podium railing and digging her claws into the wood. "No, I don't believe it! I never will! There's no way you can be a spy!"

Steven gazed at her sadly. "I'm sorry, Bonks..."

"You're not the one who should be sorry!" Bonks turned to face Seto, angry and bitter tears streaming down her face as she glared at him. Seto had never seen such a tragic mixture of fury and heartbreak in one expression before. It hurt him to see Bonks of all people like this...

"How could you?! How could you ever believe Steven is a spy! Steven would never hurt us! You saw how he helped us all! He helped you get through the VIP Floor, he wanted to save Jordan, he's cared so much about everyone this whole time!!! Steven's always been kind and caring and sensitive and- and- and there's no way he would ever willingly spy for someone as terrible as whoever controls MonoWither!!!" 

Seto watched as she breathed heavily through clenched teeth, continuing to glare at him. She was in such strong, desperate denial... Seto cringed and looked away. He didn't want to, but he had to. He had to make her listen to reason. He had to make her understand the truth, no matter how much it would hurt her. All of their lives were at stake...

"So? Can't argue now, huh?" Bonks asked spitefully. "I knew it, you're wrong! You're just making stuff up!"

"No, I'm not," Seto replied. "There's too much evidence. Jordan must have died from the bangle, and because of his Forbidden Action, the killer must be a spy. Steven has displayed knowledge of Jordan's, Bodil's, Jason's, and Annie's Forbidden Actions: a characteristic of the spies according to MonoWither."

"Are you using MonoWither's word to- to get Steven killed?! How can you be so cruel, Seto?! Isn't Steven your friend?!"

"As I said before, I'm doing this because he's my friend! Steven asked me to do this for him!!!"

"If he's really your friend, then why would you accuse him of being a spy?! Explain to me how someone like Steven could ever help MonoWither over us willingly!!! Explain how he could be something as- as evil as MonoWither's spy!!! Explain!!!" Bonks' voice was so loud and shrill, it practically deafened everyone's ears. 

Seto went silent.

"Explain... because I refuse to believe it..."

"I don't know," Seto mumbled finally. "I don't have a single clue myself. Steven... as MonoWither's spy... It's impossible for me to understand. But I have to believe it."

"Why?! Because all of the 'evidence' points to it?! Because you 'think' so?! I can't believe you! Do you hate Steven that much?!"

"No, it's because I have to trust Steven!!!"

Everyone stared at him in shock, even Steven himself.

"I don't know if I'll ever be able to think of Steven as MonoWither's spy. The idea will always be unbelievable to me. He's saved my life so many times, he's been so kind this whole time... But I do know that Steven is my friend, and he wants us to live. He wants us to believe in him. That's why we have to trust in what he's said! We have to believe he's a spy! He's all but confessed to everything for a reason!"

Something flashed in Bonks' eyes. "Keyword, Seto: 'But'. He never once directly confessed to being a spy. Therefore, your argument doesn't work!!! Steven isn't a spy!!!"

>>>--KNOWLEDGE-OF-FORBIDDEN-ACTIONS--> ((ISN'T A SPY))

"Bonks... I'm sure you tried to hide your Forbidden Action well."

Bonks flinched and instinctively covered her bangle with her hand. "Wh-What does that have to do with anything?!"

"It's the most telling piece of evidence, in my opinion. Unfortunately, I think because of your Forbidden Action's cruel nature, it's made you act strangely around me and made this trial all the more complicated."

"Shut up!!!" Bonks shrieked. "My Forbidden Action is completely unrelated!!! Stop bringing up outside information!!!"

"Seto, why do you know her Forbidden Action?" Annie asked suspiciously.

"I don't, specifically," Seto murmured. "But I can guess what it is based on her actions."

"No- No you can't!!!" Bonks wailed. "Stop it!!!"

"All right, just listen to me. So that this trial can end, I'll just come out and say it right now. I know you've had a lot of suspicions about me... So I might as well just confess."

Tyler's face went a little green. "Erm- Seto?"

"Oh my god-" Jason whispered, his face paling.

"This isn't happening!!!" Bodil squealed.

"Seto- Seto stop it right now-!!!" Bonks pleaded desperately.

"Seto... Do you know what you're doing?" Steven asked nervously.

Seto nodded and took a deep breath. "It pains me to confess, but I... I really am a-"

"STOP!!!" Bonks shrieked, clamping her hands over her ears and crouching on the floor like she was about to be shot.

"Bonks, what's wrong?" Annie asked, bewildered.

Bonks whimpered as she trembled in absolute fear and apprehension.

"I knew it," Seto murmured, closing his eyes. "I first suspected it when Annie started accusing me in the beginning..."

~~~

Annie glared at Seto, who felt his stomach twist nauseously.

"So? There's no use trying to deny it. I'm sick of doubting the people around me, I need a clear answer! Just confess already!"

"No!" Bonks cried out suddenly, her voice filled with such panic that it startled everyone.

"Bonks?" Jason asked in confusion. "What's wrong?"

"I- I mean- what if Seto can't confess!" Bonks stammered wildly. "If MonoWither's forcing him to do this, then he might get in huge trouble if he gets found out!"

~~~

"And that's not the last time. No, when I talked to you yesterday morning, you were also very nervous when I said that I had something to tell you. You looked like you wanted to run away at some point."

Bonks didn't say a word.

"It's okay, I'm not going to confess. I could, but..." Seto frowned as he stared at his bangle. If he 'confessed' and Bonks didn't die, would that be an explicit denial? He wasn't going to risk it.

"Don't tell me that confessing is your Forbidden Action, Seto," Annie said skeptically.

"No, it's not. I believe it's the complete opposite, in fact."

Tyler's eyes widened. "Wait, wh-"

"Anyway... the final piece of evidence is the fact that Steven couldn't outright explain why he was the killer. With that, I think it's clear. Bonks, your Forbidden Action is 'Hearing a spy confess to being one.' Isn't it?"

Bonks stood up slowly, her hands shaking as she clutched them tightly, her dilated pupils staring blankly ahead.

"Bonks, is this really true?" Jason asked in disbelief.

She didn't answer, but everyone knew. This was the ultimate proof, proof that not only had Steven killed Jordan, but he was also a spy of all things...

How did they get here?

Despite everything, Steven smiled wistfully.

"Thank you, Seto. I knew you could do it."