Photo: "The name's Royce Hunter. Let the final trial begin!"

Royce smirked. "Come on. I don't have all day. Hurry up with this trial. Actually, you don't even really have to piece a whole bunch of clues. Dear Erik did that for you."

Cassie looked down. "You expect us to start another trial after the horrible thing you did?"

Royce rested his head on his hands. "Of course. Or, of course, I could always kill you all. This all has been a test. And right now you're failing. Despair. Such a beautiful feeling. Feel it creep into your hearts. Excluding the gay hologram."

Erik was quiet as he looked down at his shoes, lip quivering. "You're a monster."

"And if I am? What are you going to do about it? These guests are past despair. They can't win this match. If one itty bitty bit of information is wrong then I'm killing them all."

Chase burst into tears.

Erik gritted his teeth together, hands tightening on the stand. "You can't."

"Pfft! Ha! Assuming that they even live through this. Actually, I have an idea. Listen up! I don't really care if you get his life story right! You'll be stuck here. And the only way...is to kill everyone in this manse!"

Wyatt's eyes widened, his heart sinking. "What?"

Royce chuckled. "I have the key to outside of those manse doors. But you're not getting it."

Cassie fell to her knees. "What's the point of trying then? Of living?"

Thane looked down, closing his eyes. "There is none."

Royce laughed. "Despair! Such despair! It's so beautiful!"

Wyatt closed his and let out a breath, looking up at Royce in the eyes. "No, that's wrong."

Royce smirked. "Wyatt, Wyatt, Wyatt. The only reason why I stuck to you as R was because of your mindset. You amuse me greatly. Even right now."

Wyatt stood up straight. "You're testing us. Cassie, Thane, Chase, anyone in this room including the gay hologram. Don't listen to him. Cassie, Thane, Chase, what about your talents? We were all famous before this. Well known, well admired, well respected. Erik, you and your programming. After we execute this asshole you can take over. You don't have to. But you can change this place into hope, not despair. That's what Dagger was missing. He was missing hope after Royce Hunter. And that's what led to his downfall. We can't make that mistake! For his sake, for Riley's. We can't fall to despair. Have hope." He smiled, his voice rising. "We'll make it out alive!"

A slow smile spread across the room. Cassie got up shakily. "You're right. I have a life of throwing knives at people! I can't let that go to waste."

Erik grinned and pointed at Wyatt. "You. You were the Ultimate Luck. And you're now the Ultimate Hope. Let's send this doorframe to his execution."

Royce laughed. "Well done! Let's start. If you get it right, you get to leave this place."

Chase grinned. "Newspaper headline. Multibillionaire Greyson Belmont goes missing."

Wyatt pointed. "You kidnapped him and killed him afterwards, before taking his girlfriend so she wouldn't spill any secrets."

Royce smirked. "How? Before his death today? You saw. He was bleeding."

"No, that's wrong," Thane looked up. "Because of this fifth floor you designed with your own hands."

Wyatt nodded. "I saw bolts on his chest earlier today. He was just a robot. A well designed one. And there's more than one copy. That was my execution. My 'frame' getting turned into another Dagger Belmont. There's another thing that might explain a few things."

"Dagger smiled as he sat on a branch. 'You might not think of me as a peaceful guy. But this is my favorite part of the manse, besides breaking thousand dollar plates and buying new ones.'"

Wyatt pondered about it. "Dagger was dancing before you killed him. With Riley. He once said that the garden and the ballroom were his favorite parts to the manse. The same night we caught those two dancing. And that was the only time both eyes were silver. He was reliving the moment he never finished."

Chase nodded. "I can tell you how he got his personality still. Same way Erik was made. You made an AI of Dagger right after his death and just kept downloading it into Dagger's mainframe."

Royce smirked. "Clever. And correct. AI Dagger should actually be in this computer system. Now explain this manse."

Cassie nodded and picked up one of the newspapers. "Belmont CEO announces new construction plans. The blueprint fits this manse and contrasts to the picture of Dagger's old manse. You built this for your plans all along."

"Can't deny it. Now put these clues together."

Erik looked up at him. "One more thing, Royce Hunter. Why so lenient with this? Why aren't you arguing?"

Royce grinned. "Humans are disgusting creatures. They lie, deceive, and murder for their own good. You can replace someone you've lost easily nowadays. Now. Here's my last question to you, AlterAssassin. Come on, buddy. I know you're in here."

AlterAssassin giggled and appeared on the screen.

"So charismatic," Erik muttered.

AlterAssassin smiled. "What is it?"

Royce stood up. "After my verdict is delivered and I die...will you find someone to replace me?"

AlterAssassin smiled as the AI of Dagger came into view. Both of them spoke simultaneously.

"I would think not, Lord Royce."

Royce smirked and put his hand on the lever. "Wyatt, Ultimate...Hope. Would you deliver this verdict? Kill me. Kill the despair. But, you know. It'll never go away even after I'm gone. Perhaps I will get replaced."

Wyatt closed his eyes. "The mastermind of this case planned everything out over the years. He first killed Dagger Belmont, a very successful business tycoon. To avoid Dagger's girlfriend from telling, he kidnapped her. He built a copy of Dagger and downloaded Dagger's AI into the body. 'Dagger' then built a manse. This one. From then on, you used copies of Dagger to trap guests into this manse. And they all killed each other in the end, didn't they? The plan was so simple. Yet so calculated. There were more people before us, huh?"

Royce laughed insanely. "You know, I never thought I'd have four people alive!" He smirked and pulled the lever, the slots spinning until they landed on arrows that point to him. 

AI Dagger came on screen. "Correct! Royce Hunter is the mastermind of our party! Time for him to end this party! Ahahahahahahaha!"