Warnings: Attempted suicide (mentioned), codependency, infidelity.

MARINE CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIVE SERVICE

VALERIS ISLAND HQ - ARCHIVES

SUPPORTING EVIDENCE

CASE NO. 2306-4837

RECORDED JAILHOUSE MEETING BETWEEN STYNARD JASHA AND MURASAKI ARISA

TRANSCRIPT PROVIDED BY

[REDACTED] DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S OFFICE

(handwritten annotation via LISLE FLORENCE: ~1 MONTH BEFORE MURDER)

CASE NO. [REDACTED]

DATE: [REDACTED], 1523

TIME: 02:34 pm

DETAINEE NAME: Stynard Jasha

VISITOR NAME: Murasaki Arisa

PRESIDING DEPUTY: Mills J. Thomas

D.A. UNIT: Major Crimes Unit

- door opening; shuffling -

DEPUTY: This way.

- footsteps; metal clinking -

- chairs creaking -

DEPUTY: Hands out, facing me. (rustling; keys jangling) Now sit.

DETAINEE: (silence; chair creaking)

DEPUTY: Alright. (rustling) You guys have thirty minutes.

VISITOR: (murmuring) Thank you.

DETAINEE: (silence)

- distant voices; footsteps -

- silence -

- static; rustling -

VISITOR: So tell me. (hoarse voice) Should I be congratulating you for managing to live? ...or should I commiserate with you?

DETAINEE: (silence)

VISITOR: (silence)

VISITOR: (deep breath) You're not even going to try to explain yourself?

DETAINEE: (silence)

DETAINEE: (muffled) Does your family know?

VISITOR: I haven't told any of them. It'd be too much. (pause) I don't want them to hate you.

DETAINEE: (silence)

DETAINEE: Do you hate me right now, Risa?

VISITOR: (silence)

VISITOR: My opinion clearly doesn't matter to you.

DETAINEE: (silence)

VISITOR: (deep breath) So what happens now? Will you come home with me?

DETAINEE: They won't let me out. Not while they're still investigating at least.

DETAINEE: (silence)

DETAINEE: The woman woke up and is in stable condition, but they may still be pressing charges.

VISITOR: ...attempted murder?

DETAINEE: I don't know yet. That's what I've heard.

VISITOR: (silence)

DETAINEE: (silence)

VISITOR: (rustling) What's her name? This woman.

DETAINEE: (silence)

DETAINEE: (deep breath; hoarse voice) She's... no one you know.

VISITOR: (quiet) ...I see.

DETAINEE: (silence)

VISITOR: There... (wavering voice) There still seems to be so much that I don't know.

DETAINEE: (quiet) That isn't true.

DETAINEE: All the things you don't know about me are pathetic and insignificant. They are not worth knowing.

VISITOR: (vacant voice) I know you're lying.

DETAINEE: (silence)

VISITOR: (silence)

VISITOR: (hoarse voice) I think that... I was too proud of myself. (pause) All this time, I'd convinced myself that you could have still loved me...

DETAINEE: But I do. (rustling) I love you more than anything in this world.

VISITOR: But all of this...

VISITOR: (sobs)

DETAINEE: Risa...

VISITOR: (crying) What am I supposed to do with all of this?

VISITOR: (sobbing)

VISITOR: (muffled) Lying to my face, ignoring me, refusing to get help, running away, leaving all of your burdens behind for me to carry... and now a suicide pact?

VISITOR: (choked laugh) Tell me, Jasha. Is this what you call love?

DETAINEE: (silence)

DETAINEE: (sobs)

VISITOR: (shaking voice) You were always so terrified of ending up alone. And you kept accusing me of being unfaithful yourself. But what does this make me now, then? (pause) What do you call someone faced with a betrayal like this, w-whose lover who goes and... and tries to kill himself with another woman?

VISITOR: (ragged breathing) Is raving here incomprehensibly... like some sort of stricken lunatic... all that is left of me?

DETAINEE: (sobbing)

DETAINEE: I know that I should have died back there.

DETAINEE: It's what a monster like me deserves.

VISITOR: (sobs)

VISITOR: No. (deep breath) You aren't a monster, Jasha.

DETAINEE: (ragged breathing)

VISITOR: I've dealt with monsters. You aren't a monster.

VISITOR: You aren't anything as formidable as that. You're a coward.

VISITOR: You can't stop obsessing over dying because the thought of living paralyzes you and makes you scared and miserable. There isn't anything remotely noble or sensational about it.

VISITOR: (pause) ...I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I know I shouldn't have....!

VISITOR: (sobs)

VISITOR: But I can't stand to see you this way anymore. You assumed the worst in me and in doing so embraced the worst part of yourself.

VISITOR: That's how we ended up here. In this awful, awful place, with homicide charges hanging over your head. What am I supposed to do with this, Jasha? How do I get you out of here? I don't have the money to get you a lawyer and my family would sooner kill you than help if they were to find out about this...!

VISITOR: It's making me sick. Not just this situation, but everything you've put me through these last few months. Shutting me out, treating me like a stranger... I thought we were doing so much better! Why did you push me away? Did I do something wrong?

DETAINEE: (silence)

VISITOR: You... (voice shaking) You're still hurting, right? I can see it in your face. (deep breath) Why won't you tell me the cause of your torment? Even after all these years...do you still not trust me?

VISITOR: (sobbing)

VISITOR: (muffled) Truly, I don't know what to do anymore. All I want is for you to stop hurting, but this is killing me. (raising voice) It's sick. You're sick. Seeing you like this is making me sick -!

DETAINEE: (quiet) ...I know.

DETAINEE: I know how fucked up this is, and I'm sorry, Risa.

DETAINEE: (silence)

DETAINEE: (metal clinking) But I can't lose you over this. I just can't.

VISITOR: (broken voice; muffled) ...how can you even say such a thing?

VISITOR: I'm the one who lost you to someone else.

DETAINEE: No... you didn't! (raises voice) You still have me - I'm right here, aren't I? (metal rattling) I'm yours, Risa. All yours. I'll only ever be yours. I would cling to you for the rest of my life if that's what it takes. So please... (voice shaking) Please, please don't give up on me...!

VISITOR: (silence)

DETAINEE: Say something...

VISITOR: (silence)

DETAINEE: Why won't you say something, damn it...?

DETAINEE: (sobs)

DETAINEE: I'm s-sorry... (metal rattling; voice muffled) I'm sorry – so, so sorry. I know I fucked up.

VISITOR: (silence)

DETAINEE: You don't have to say anything anymore, just look at me, please... (chair creaking) Look at me, Risa – I'm yours. I'll always be yours.

DETAINEE: I'll do anything, anything to make it up to you. Whatever you want. Whatever you say.

DETAINEE: I... (chokes) I've s-shown you before, haven't I? Just like you showed me – how much we need each other. How much we adore each other. I can do it again – I'd show you again and again to the end of time, if only you'd let me...! (sobs) I don't care about the emptiness or the nightmares anymore, I'd endure all of that and more if it means I can prove how much you mean to me.

DETAINEE: I love you. I love you so fucking much. I can't stand the thought of you leaving.

VISITOR: (silence)

DETAINEE: You're right - I'm not a monster, I'm just an ordinary coward and a wretch. (rustling) Living has always terrified me. And so has dying.

DETAINEE: But you should know that you're the one I'm afraid of the most. I can't live without you. (metal clanging) When I'd returned to my senses and realized what I had done... That was the only thing I could think about. You turning your back on me. I saw it as a foregone conclusion, and that's what made me panic. That's what made me take those pills.

DETAINEE: That's... (sobbing) That's what made me think of dying, Risa. I'm sorry – I'm r-really sorry. It was stupid and fucked up of me to ever consider leaving you. I'll be good from now on. I won't ever do it again, I promise. I only j-just... I wasn't in my right mind...!

VISITOR: (muffled whimper)

DETAINEE: You're right. I k-know that I haven't been good to you lately. I don't have an excuse – I've been selfish for so long. And I know – I know that if there was such a thing as a God in this world -

VISITOR: (sobbing quietly)

DETAINEE: - he would have struck me dead long ago for how wretchedly I've treated you.

DETAINEE: But I can't stand losing you. You're the one good thing that's ever happened in my life. If this makes me a devil, then so be it - but I need you to be with me. Just for a little while longer, I'm begging you.

VISITOR: (silence; ragged breathing)

DETAINEE: So please... (sobs) ...please, please don't leave me. I love you, Risa. You're the only one I have left.

DETAINEE: Don't kill me. I'm begging you. Please don't kill me like this...!

DETAINEE: (sobbing)

DETAINEE: You're the only one I don't want to forget.

- silence -

- distant voices; clock ticking-

VISITOR: (deep breath)

VISITOR: (rustling; chair creaking)

VISITOR: I... (quiet) ...I need to go.

DETAINEE: (silence)

VISITOR: Goodbye, Jasha.

- footsteps -

- door opening; door closing -

- static -

DETAINEE: (sobbing)

DETAINEE: (metal clanging repeatedly)

- distant voices; door opening -

- footsteps; murmuring -

- static-

END OF TRANSCRIPT

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She didn't know where she was going. Nor did she know what she was going to do next. Her mind was a jumbled mess; everything had fallen apart so fast, so drastically that she could barely even comprehend her own emotional state. Her brain ultimately seemed to split between derision and utter despondency.

She found herself laughing aloud in disbelief at certain points, all the while simultaneously wanting to just shrivel into herself and disappear.

By the time she was wandering the streets of Hidamari, she felt aimless and miserable. The rage bubbling in her chest had been disappointingly short lived, giving way to a dull ache which had persisted for much of the remaining half of the ferry ride home.

Ikkaku's parting words kept bouncing around in her skull, the accusation in her voice lingering like a festering plague. She kept trying to convince herself that she didn't care.

This was normal. This was nothing. Arisa had spent her whole life enduring this sort of treatment from strangers. And that was exactly what the Heart Pirates were, right? Strangers. She and Riyu had only known them for a little over a week. Sure, there was the alliance to consider, but even that was still in such an early stage that it could barely be considered a significant development.

They didn't owe each other anything.

Stupid, Arisa kept scolding herself as she pictured all of their faces. Law, Shachi, Penguin, Bepo. Rakko and Jean Bart. The med team trio. Azarashi, Kurage...

None of these people were her friends. None of these people owed her anything. She wasn't about to give them the satisfaction of showing them how much Ikkaku's words had hurt.

Don't bother rising to the bait – it isn't worth it. Your reaction will only make things worse.

Just walk away. Remove yourself from the situation.

She repeated the words in her head like a mantra. It was a depressingly familiar routine. She and Jasha had quarreled so much in the final months of their relationship. Especially towards the end, most of their arguments ended up devolving into a rapid downward spiral of grievances and accusations. Some baseless, others not, but all mean-spirited and sharp-edged and hurtful all the same. She'd accuse him of not trying hard enough. He would answer that she had become too controlling. And on and on it would go, until one of them inevitably crossed the line and blurted something egregious enough to drive the other away in a silent rage.

Though they had been similar in this aspect - avoidant to a fault when it came to face-to-face confrontation - Arisa had usually been the one to split off first. She was proud like her mother – fiercely intent in maintaining an unaffected front. But unlike Towa, she was never quite able to bottle up her emotions for long. When pushed to her limit, she would always prefer to break away and cry alone where no one could see.

Jasha had been the opposite way. He too had been proud and sensitive, but wore his heart on his sleeve. But whenever something deeply upset him, he'd direct his anger inward, letting it fester for days on end until he was incapable of holding it in for much longer. Then, his pain would manifest not in words but his behavior - usually in copious amounts of drinking.

In many cases, they would avoid each other for days on end.

It was pathetic.

They both had been so cruel and pathetic to each other.

Arisa slowed her steps, muffling a tremulous breath against the back of her palm. She hadn't expected Ikkaku's outburst to evoke such bitter memories – especially when she really should have been expecting it. Maybe she'd taken too much stock in the perceived callousness of pirates. But the Hearts were human after all. And the Nightingale's crimes were horrific – so horrific that none of her surviving associates could ever dream to hope of escaping its taint.

This is all on you, Arisa kept telling herself, for being too weak to shed all of your naive childhood proclivities.

She got attached too easily; that was the main issue. This was the sort of mentality that had caused her so much trauma and grief when Shina-san - an enemy! - had been put to death all those years ago. The same mentality that somehow had remained intact even after the horrors she'd experienced in Sabaody.

You're no better than a child – so sentimental and feebleminded. Suzume must be turning over in her grave, knowing she sacrificed herself for someone who grew up to be this pathetic.

No wonder Jasha never opened up to you. No wonder he tried to leave you for someone else.

He knew you were far too weak to handle his burdens.

The back of her throat began to burn. Arisa swallowed hard and quickened her pace down an alleyway.

No, stop thinking about that. Stop thinking about the Hearts, too. If they insist on turning down our help like the fools they are, then so be it.

They're the ones who refused to trust us. So forget them. Forget this alliance...!

Of course, that meant she could do nothing but think over the time she'd spent with the Heart Pirates. She remembered Rakko's high-flown cooking antics and the way he came to rely on her as a confidante. Penguin's insistence on teasingly calling her 'part-timer' – not to mention everyone doggedly mirroring their captain in calling Riyu 'Weasel.' The countless number of times Bepo had come meandering into the kitchen to guilt-trip her into palming off a spare fish sandwich or onigiri on the sly. Riyu getting drunk and trash-talking her way into an arm wrestling match with Jean Bart which she lost in a spectacularly hilarious fashion. Clione, Rakko, and Penguin falling for the radio exercise bluff. Shachi and the med team trio poking fun at her budgeting-related mishaps during the shopping trip yesterday.

All the random times she'd caught Law smiling faintly at his crew's antics and wondering, fleetingly, just how accurate the newspapers had been in depicting him as someone so cruel and heartless.

Thinking of these things only served to make her feel more miserable. How unsurprising and idiotic of her.

It was just one week of your life that you and Riyu wasted.

You've suffered far worse. They mean nothing to you -

Of course, this was a childishly simple view of the matter. Even she knew that, deep down. No matter how many temper tantrums she threw, the news Uzuki Misokatsu had broken regarding the true nature of Trafalgar Law's Devil Fruit remained steadfast. Himuro - who'd attempted to rush after her when she'd stormed off from the Tang - no doubt would have told her this had he not been stopped by Riyu with the apt order to "just give her space!" In the end, both of them had opted to stay behind at Takanotsume - likely to try to smooth things over with the Hearts the best they could. Now that Law was confirmed to be a vessel to one of Yatagarasu's relics, it was in Amenoka-ji's best interests to maintain an open channel of communication with him after all.

Arisa shivered against the wind, feeling a sharp pang of remorse. Those two were both currently behaving worlds' more responsibly than she was.

There were only a few places she could call a safe haven in Hidamari Village. In the end, she found herself at Shiori's place. For part of the week, the heiress stayed in a smaller house separate from the Isseki family compound - mostly for convenience, as it was only about a five minute walk from Tsukinoya. It was also located far from Isseki Yanjirō's guest houses where Hachinobe Mototatsu's visiting party was lodged. This was another secret relief, as she was hardly in the state of mind to see Dr. Yotsuji again - not to mention those insufferable students of his.

Knowing her schedule, Arisa figured that Shiori would probably still be out on errands at this time. But that was fine – she and Riyu had both been entrusted with the location of the key to the side entrance. Shiori had made it clear that the two were welcome to frequent the place anytime.

Mounting the worn stone step, Arisa idly noted that the door appeared to be unlocked. Strange – so Shiori must be home then. Well, it didn't matter either way. It had been a long day, and all she wanted was a cup of tea and a moment of quiet to calm her simmering emotions.

She pushed the sliding door open.

"...hah?"

"Eh?"

Two faces stared blankly up at her from behind the kotatsu table. Shiori was in a partially reclined position with Tatsuhito leaning over her, her hand clutching the fabric of his collar and her hair knocked slightly askew. They both went slightly pale as they took Arisa in, before blushing fiercely.

Ah... I see how this is.

Arisa stared vacantly for a moment. Then she mechanically retracted one step and started to turn away. But it was too late – Shiori caught the expression on her face and instantly reverted to Mother Hen mode.

"No, wait – Wait a second!" Swiftly shoving the tomato-red Tatsuhito aside as if he were nothing more than an oversized rag doll, she scrambled to her feet and went barreling after her friend. "Stop! A-ri-sa! You get back here, right this minute!"

"Nope, don't want to see any more of that –" Arisa grouched, only to cut off with a childish yelp as Shiori latched onto her arm with a ferocious grip and dragged her back into the house kicking and screaming. "Gah, Shiori -!"

"I'm not letting you leave! Tatsuhito-kun, get a cushion!"

Tatsuhito was rubbing the bump on the back of his head rather self-consciously, but he let out an irritated huff and complied. Arisa let out another whine of protest as Shiori cheerfully marched her over to the table and deposited her in the aforementioned cushion next to the harried-looking instructor.

"Now we can talk about it!" she declared, folding her arms and leveling a knowing look down at her audience.

"...talk about what?" Tatsuhito answered, sounding exasperated. He was actively avoiding Arisa's gaze, his cheeks still bright red from embarrassment.

Shiori scowled.

"Isn't it obvious? Just look at her face – she looks like she's about to cry!"

"Am not!" Arisa curled her shoulders inwards and averted her face.

Shiori sat and scrambled closer to her friend's side.

"Tell us what's the matter! Were you harassed? Bullied? Do I need to go beat someone up for you?"

"What are we... still in elementary school?" Tatsuhito mumbled, sweat dropping as he reached up to scratch his cheek self-consciously. .

"Knock it off!" Arisa snapped, recoiling. Very vaguely, it occurred to her just how ridiculous she sounded when she was the one who'd wandered over here like a lost puppy, but she wasn't about to admit that aloud. Her pride was bruised enough as it was. Shiori was well-meaning, but she could get overbearing in situations like this. "Just.. leave me alone!"

"Not until you tell us what's going on! Was it Riyu? What, did she do something stupid enough to make you cry? Or Dr. Yotsuji? Himuro? Or..." Shiori narrowed her eyes, freezing part-way in tugging on Arisa's arm. "It was Father, wasn't it? Did he convince the lord to kick you off the case? Don't worry! Tatsuhito-kun and I can petition him on your behalf-"

"It isn't anything like that!" Arisa repeated. She hid a wince and doubled over the table, masking the motion to make it seem like she was trying to avert her face from both of them. Despite her best efforts, her voice began to wobble a little. "I'm just... really tired, alright?"

Tatsuhito straightened slightly and narrowed his eyes at her across the low table.

"Did those pirates do something to you?"

A distinct chill pervaded the room, mirroring the sudden gravity in his voice. Shiori too had stilled, a visible shadow passing over her face. Though she said nothing, her fingers staked painfully against her friend's arm.

Arisa lowered her chin with a visible flinch. She knew exactly what they were thinking about. Along with Riyu, the two had become so fiercely protective of her in that respect after the Sabaody incident ... and even more so after Jasha's death. But genuine intentions could often come across as overly coddling and even condescending when the recipient's patience was running precariously thin. This was clearly one of those times.

"What's wrong with you?" she muttered with a huff. "That's not even...!"

Shiori and Tatsuhito continued to watch on anxiously, and another rise of that petty irritation threatened to choke Arisa. A part of her was even appalled on behalf of Hearts, for them to have been implied to have done something so awful as what had occurred at Sabaody. So she let out a short, dismissive laugh and attempted to downplay it - albeit in the most thoughtless, clunkiest way possible.

"Do you really think I'm that weak?"

Shiori slowly released her arm, her concern giving way to slight exasperation.

"Then what is it? Clearly you came here for a reason!"

"Well what if I just wanted some tea and that was all there is to it?"

Another beat passed as the two shared another skeptical look. Tatsuhito finally cleared his throat and slid the tea tray across the table, with Shiori immediately rising to the occasion to pour the pot.

"This should still be warm..."

"...thank you." Arisa took the proffered cup in both hands, already hating herself for how snappish she'd come across. Shiori's coercion aside, it wasn't completely lost to her how she was still the one intruding on them. She took a tentative sip and went silent for a moment, feeling the heat from the ceramic leach into her palms. "Hey... Shiori?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think Suzume would forgive me for the way that I am?"

Tatsuhito's face darkened at the name, his posture going rigid. Shiori deliberately paused.

"...what makes you think like that?"

"I don't know.  But sometimes I can't help but think that she'd be ashamed." Arisa hesitated, her voice growing tremulous. "I mean, think about it. Imagine having someone like me to carry on your legacy – it'd be disappointing, wouldn't it? I'm older now than she ever was, but still so much weaker in every way that matters."

"That isn't true," Tatsuhito spoke up unexpectedly, voice quiet but firm. "She'd be proud of you. You've done more than enough to prove yourself -"

"And yet," Arisa broke in, her fingers curling into fists, "I keep clinging to the past, deluding myself into thinking that that could ever change. Look at me now. I can't get over Taishi, I can't get over Jasha..."

Ikkaku's words resurfaced, intermingling with Misato's accusations from so long ago and evoking the same bitter ache.

Has it ever occurred to you how...how embarrassing this is for all of us?

(You're in a unique position, being her daughter. But even then, you had to have feared her after that, right?)

You know the reason why Mom went to bed crying every night ever since you were sent here? Why she ended up leaving me and Teru?

(...you don't hate her for everything she did...?)

How is any of this supposed to be fair?

Why do you get to whine on and on about having an overbearing mother, when we don't get to have one at all anymore? Why do we have to deal with everyone at school calling us that family?

(...for slaughtering all those innocent people?)

Arisa's voice trembled a little as she blurted out the following words.

"I... I can't even force myself to hate Mother knowing what she did!! Can you think of anything more pathetic than that?"

Shiori's eyes softened in understanding.

"...that's what this is about?"

And then suddenly it was as if all of Arisa's reservations had never existed in the first place. For a moment, they may as well have reverted back to their childhood selves, still wholly ignorant of the concepts of shame and societal expectations, still clueless enough to blurt out all of their fears and hopes and anxieties to each other with no inhibitions.

And so Arisa told them everything. She started from the very beginning at Yamizo Island, not caring that they already knew much of the details from previous conversations. She told them about Reis Gavros and his ties to Joker and her anxieties over making the deadline for Hachinobe Tatsusada's arrival. About the alliance, her prevailing fears of a yōkai possession. She told them about the voyage here and Law's confrontation with Dr. Yotsuji. Himuro's assessment and Misokatsu's cryptic response. The crew's mistrust and Ikkaku's suspicions. She told them how impossibly angry and helpless she'd felt, all the while knowing full well how selfish and unreasonable she was behaving in leaving Riyu and Himuro behind to collect the ruins of the alliance she herself had severed –

"No," Shiori broke in thoughtfully, "don't say that, acting like this isn't a team effort. You aren't in this alone. Those two will understand and can handle themselves – Riyu especially."

"Their understanding isn't an excuse." Arisa rubbed her eyes and cleared her throat.

"Well maybe not an excuse, sure, but –"

"So what I should be doing now is going back and... and helping them out." Arisa eased in a heavy breath to recollect herself and straightened slightly. "I need to go back and apologize. Uncle is counting on me. And I'm the one who made this mess in the first place –"

"Now wait a moment!" Shiori admonished. "Think about it. Maybe taking a step back is exactly what you need at the moment. Right, Tatsuhito-kun?"

He nodded.

"You need to be kinder to yourself, Chidori. You've had your fair share of revelations sprung on you today, and it isn't like you didn't have your hands full before that."

"I could say the same for you..." Arisa mumbled, lowering her chin in attrition.

Shiori snorted and folded her arms.

"Uh-huh. And what exactly did you think you were about to walk into several minutes ago?" She gave Tatsuhito a playful shove on the shoulder. "Everyone needs a stress reliever from time to time! Tatsuhito-kun and I are no different!"

"Oi, Shiori!" Tatsuhito protested, flushing beet-red again as Arisa sweat dropped.

"What? She knows already –"

Sometimes I wish I didn't, Arisa cringed.

" – so there's no need to be so shy about it!"

"Still...! It isn't proper! W-what if this gets back to your father?"

"Then we'll work something out – get married or something! That's what you said he wants anyhow!"

"D-don't say that so easily!"

Shiori turned to Arisa with a smile as Tatsuhito continued to sputter in embarrassment.

"My point is, Arisa, you shouldn't worry so much!" she said firmly. "Sure, I end up telling you this constantly – but that's only because it's true! Have some faith in Riyu and Himuro-kun and take a breather here for a while. If that captain of theirs has any sense, he won't even think of leaving this place without asking any questions first. So you don't need to rush anything!

"Mark my words, they'll be the ones who come looking for you, and you'll have your chance to say your piece then."

Notes:

Shorter update this time around, hopefully I can keep this up because I know that word count inflation is Very Real in longfics haha

Regarding the "evidence"... I think this chapter marks the point where readers should have enough information to start forming theories as to what happened. I'm planning on revealing a lot more in the next couple chapters as well, which is exciting (or depressing, depends on how you look at it).

Thanks for reading & see you next chapter.   Votes & feedback are always appreciated <3

-shiba