There was a quiet, yet harsh sound coming from my window, like tree branches scratching at it. For a moment, I thought someone might have been breaking in to kill me, and I found myself missing Tora and her traps. 

Almost everyone had lost their roommates by now. I lost Tora, Nori and Seiko were both gone, Ahmya lost Bashira, now Brittany and Keiko were both dead, Ruji lost Maikeru, Yuuki lost Sora, and Rantaro just lost Saikoro. 

The only cabin with two people still residing inside was Daiki and Kichiro's. 

I hoped it stayed that way. I couldn't imagine losing anyone else. Not now. Ruji was my best friend, I would fall apart if he were to go. Not that I was too worried about him. He didn't seem like the kind of person people would target, despite being incredibly helpful during investigations and class trials. If anything, I was most worried for Yuuki's sake. He was the one holding us all together. 

Then there was Daiki. The fact that he was the ultimate spy could also put a target on his back. But, he was smart. I was sure he'd be fine. 

It took me a while to get to know Rantaro, but after the last round, I don't think I'd handle letting him go very well. Especially after learning that he was the one placing candles down beside each body. Did he have candles back home for his sisters, or did he still believe that they were alive, waiting for him to find them?

Ahmya and Kichiro seemed like wild cards. I hated thinking this way, but both had the potential to kill. I mean, yes, Ahmya was depressed and lonely now, but that didn't change the fact that she was the ultimate arsonist. And Kichiro was, well, himself. 

Still, neither of them were murderers. None of us were. 

None of us ever were. Saikoro, Bashira, Maikeru, Nori, none of them were murderers, even if the games forced their hand. They were good people once. All of us were. 

The tapping at my window persisted. If someone were to break in and kill me, would it even matter? Maybe being killed was the easiest way out of this game. It was better than being threatened with an execution every other day. The stress alone was enough to drive people crazy. The people murdering others had it all wrong. The easiest way out was to be killed, not to kill. 

"Suki, get up," a hushed voice commanded from outside. I couldn't tell who it belonged to until I sat up and saw Ahmya, staring at me through the window with her large red eyes. She might have looked scary, standing there in the dark with her long her blowing fiercly in the wind. 

She wasn't scary, though. She was like me, just a kid stuck. 

"Yes?" I asked, walking to the window and pulling it open. "Aren't we supposed to be asleep?"

"It's morning. Did you miss the announcement saying it was eight AM?" 

Morning?! But it was so dark!

"Um, what?" I asked, rubbing my eyes. 

She seemed to roll her eyes, then used her good arm to wave me forward. "We're all at the lodge, waiting for you. Yuuki thought it would be smartest if we came up with a plan. That way no one else would die."

"Oh, okay," I said. "Give me a second."

I rushed to get ready, then joined her outside. It felt strange to walk with Ahmya since we never spent time together one-on-one. She was quiet. It reminded me of how Ruji was when I first met him, only she had a more intense aura. The air between us felt thick with tension. 

I wonder if she blamed me for Bashira's execution.

I wonder if others blamed me too. In some ways, it was partially my fault the games were still continuing. If I kept my mouth shut, maybe everything would be over long ago. 

Would Monokuma have allowed that, though? 

No, it was too sudden. I bet he wanted this to last. He wanted to see us plucked from the game, one by one. 

Did that make me just as bad as him? I was playing by his rules. I was giving him exactly what he wanted. 

I hated it. I hated being his puppet. But what else could I do? It was either that, or dying--and I was not ready to die. 

We walked into the dining hall. Once upon a time, the dining hall was filled with different students spread out, talking in their own groups of friends. Now, there was only one group, sitting in the center. Just seven people left...

"You're here!" Yuuki smiled, standing up and waving. "Quick, we're coming up with a game plan for exploring the catacombs!"

"Catacombs?" I asked, shaking my head. 

"New area," Rantaro said as I sat down next to him. I could see Ruji nervously fidgeting across from me. I tried to give him a comforting smile, knowing it probably wouldn't help. 

There was an open seat next to Yuuki, but Ahmya chose to sit beside me instead, messing with her hair slightly. It was weird, we were the only two girls left. Maybe that fact alone would bring us closer. It would be nice to trust her. 

I bet that would be nice for her, too. Without Bashira around, did she even have the ability to trust anyone besides herself? Could she even trust herself? Could any of us?

"Anyway, there's seven of us left," Yuuki breathed. "So, while it's good to fan out and explore, I think we need to be in groups. Groups bigger than two, just for safety. And, so we all can learn to trust one another, I think the groups should rotate, that way we all can get close! If we're all friends, we won't have to worry!"

He seemed to be looking at Ahmya as he spoke, but she didn't return his gaze. I didn't blame either of them. Ahmya was probably the most suspicious person out of all of us. She never really made an effort to be friends with anyone other than Bashira, even after the execution. But, that didn't mean she would kill us. 

"I can be in her group during the first round of searching," I said, raising my hand. I hoped that this would comfort her slightly, but she didn't give any reaction. 

"Me too," Ruji said almost immediately.

"You seem quick to volunteer to be with the two girls," Kichiro teased, which in turn made Ruji's face flush a red color. 

"That's not why I volunteered," the ghostbuster quickly said, grasping his flashlight with one of his hands. "I just... Suki's my best friend and I... I don't even..."

"We get it, he's just messing with you," Yuuki smiled. "Um... anyone else wants to go with them?"

"I will," Rantaro said from beside me. I let out a silent sigh of relief. He could probably lead the group far better than I could. 

"Oh, perfect!" Yuuki chimed. "You four can explore the eastern ends. We three will search the west. Then, around three o'clock we'll meet here, switch the groups up, then search the north and south! Don't split from your groups, okay? Safety in numbers."

I wasn't worried about our group splitting up. If anything, it was Yuuki's team that would prove difficult. Kichiro seemed like the kind of person who would run off just because he was told not to, and knowing Daiki, he'd probably chase after him. 

"Alright, are we ready to break?" Yuuki asked. He stood up, then held his hand out over the table, like he was part of a sports team. 

Each of us simply stared at him, unsure what he was doing. 

"Um, guys, this is when you put your hands in," he chuckled. "We're a group now. We work together!"

"Oh dear god, it's youth soccer all over again," Ruji whispered, bringing his hands to the sides of his pale face. He seemed to shiver as if traumatic memories had just been triggered. I couldn't help but giggle at the thought of Ruji playing soccer as a child. I could practically see the way he'd cower at soccer balls flying around his head.

I smiled to myself, then reached my hand out, placing it over Yuuki's. His expression seemed to soften as he gave me a grateful glance. 

One by one, the others joined in. Rantaro placed his hand over mine, then Ruji and Ahmya joined. Daiki grabbed Kichiro's hand and forced it into the circle as well, knowing that he wouldn't join in willingly. 

"Alright. We can do this," Yuuki smiled. "No more dying, okay? We're the survivors. We're the ones who are going to get out of here. I know it!"

The hopeful tone in his voice told me he believed what he was saying. 

I wasn't sure if I did, though. There were still seven of us, and Monokuma had said only two could win. 

Who would I even want those two to be?! Me and Ruji? 

No, if I was one of them, I would never be able to live with the guilt. Besides, no one needed me. 

Yuuki should be one of them. He's the ultimate hero, after all. The world needs people like him. 

Rantaro should, too. His sisters could still be out there. They could still need him.

But Daiki...

Agh, they all deserved to live. Every single one of them. No one should have to die. 

No one else was going to die. Yuuki was right. We were going to make it out of here together, hand in hand. We were the team to beat. For real, this time. 

"BUT FIRST, THE NEXT MOTIVE!" Monokuma chimed from behind us, making everyone pull back and turn to look at him. I practically felt my heart stop. 

It was too soon. He usually gave us more time, right?! We just lost Saikoro and Keiko yesterday! He barely even gave us enough time to process!

"Awwwww, did I ruin your cute little moment?" the demonic bear teased. "My bad, but you're going to want to hear this! I've been waiting for this motive!"

"Leave us be," Ahmya hissed with venom dripping from her voice. 

"Yeah," Yuuki said. "No matter what you do, it won't break this bond we've formed-"

"Shut up," Monokuma laughed. "Now everybody, look down at your left wrists! Or, if you're Ahmya, your only wrist! Puhuhuhu~!"

I carefully held the same hand I placed in the circle up in front of my face. On my wrist was a dark grey, metallic bracelet with glowing red letters on it.

Sleeping

What was that supposed to mean? 

Yuuki had fallen silent as everyone around me seemed to look around, confused. 

"What's the meaning of this?" Rantaro questioned, looking up and raising an eyebrow at the bear. 

"Oh, you want to know what the words are?" Monokuma asked. "They're your forbidden actions! Do that thing, and a lethal poison will be injected into you, killing you in less than thirty seconds! Oh, and the best part is you each get your own forbidden action! Share them, or don't, it doesn't matter to me! Happy killing!"

With that, he disappeared yet again, seeming to vanish into the ground. 

So... I couldn't sleep?! Ever?!

"How do we get these off?!" I cried, scratching at the band. 

"Calm down. This doesn't seem so terrible," Ahmya breathed, wearing a bored expression. 

Easy for her to say. I had no idea what her forbidden action was, but how was I supposed to spend the rest of my life not sleeping?! I can barely even pull one all-nighter!

"Welp, it looks like I can't touch other people," Kichiro laughed. "So if anyone wants to kill me, I'm an easy target!"

"Sharing your forbidden actions might not be wise," Rantaro said, covering his with his hand. 

"Oh? Why not?" Kichiro teased. "You don't think we'd use them against each other, do you? I thought Yuuki said we were all besties from now on! Riiiiiiiight hero boy?"

We all turned our eyes to Yuuki, who was looking at his bracelet silently. 

Eventually, he nodded, then gestured to me, Ahmya, Ruji, and Rantaro. He nodded his head toward the door. 

I felt my eyebrows knit together. 

"Um, what?" I asked.

His eyes softened slightly as if disappointed in himself. He nodded at the door again.

"Looks like our beloved hero can't speak," Kichiro chimed. The ultimate unlucky student reached up to pat Yuuki's back teasingly, only to stop, remembering his forbidden action. 

One slip-up and he could be dead. 

One slip-up from any of us, and we could be dead.

"We need to take the west side," Rantaro said, keeping his hand over his band. "The west entrance is in here. Can we switch?"

Why did we need to go west? What was with the sudden change? Did it have to do with Rantaro's band?

I wanted to know what everyone's band said! Even if it was dangerous. Who knows, maybe knowing could save a life. If we didn't know Kichiro's, someone could accidentally touch him and unknowingly kill him.

Mine was sleeping, Yuuki's was talking, and Kichiro's was being touched. 

What about Ruji? Was his dangerous? And what about Daiki? He could probably handle himself, but what if it was something unfair, like breathing? 

Was he breathing?!

I watched as his chest slowly rose and fell, allowing myself to relax slightly.

Yuuki nodded, then turned and gestured for Daiki and Kichiro to follow him. Even with the motive, he was determined to stick to his plan. He was determined to escape with all of us. 

I sure hoped we could escape soon. I don't know how many nights I can survive without sleeping.