The victim was Kosma. Cause of death: High-altitude fall resulting in damage to the spine, back of the head, ribs, etc., causing immediate death.
The third person.
"Three, the wrathful shall fall from the high building."
Lin stood before Kosma's distorted body, slowly covering his face with his hands. He couldn't bear to look at the unblinking corpse of the young man, who was a few years younger than him.
Wrathful…
Kosma did show a moment of fury after Kevin's death. It was a rare instance of him exhibiting excessive emotion, and Lin could understand that the impact of Kevin's death—who was like an older brother and idol to Kosma—was enough to make him break down. But was this single point enough to categorize Kosma as the "wrathful"?
Following this line of reasoning, did Kevin perhaps discover something before he died, which made him the "frenzied"?
No… now was not the time to think about that.
He asked the question that everyone else wanted to know: "Where is Aponia?"
"I'm here."
Aponia's voice came from behind. Lin turned around just in time to see her step out from inside the doorway.
When she saw Kosma's body, her pupils constricted, and she looked at Lin with hurried breathing.
And Lin could only nod silently.
…
"Aponia, where were you just now?"
After they had settled Kosma's body, they returned to the main hall. This time, Lin questioned Aponia with a direct, accusatory tone.
Kosma and Aponia disappeared at the same time, and then Kosma fell from upstairs. Even if it were a coincidence, it was too much of one.
Furthermore, from what Kalpas had told him, Kosma knew the information that Aponia had come to the living room from the first-floor guest area. This meant… Aponia could have easily targeted Kosma.
"I… went to the restroom…" Aponia clearly knew that her and Kosma's simultaneous disappearance was highly unusual, so she pointed to the restroom by the corridor, which wasn't far from the main hall.
"…"
But this didn't make sense. Kosma fell from a high place, which could only be the third floor, and the restroom was on the first floor.
"May I check?" Lin asked Aponia tentatively.
Aponia's face flushed slightly, but she nodded softly.
Lin took a deep breath and walked into the restroom. He first lifted the toilet lid and then carefully picked up the top piece of paper from the wastebasket to observe it.
After a moment, he walked out of the restroom and nodded to everyone.
At this, everyone felt a wave of relief.
But it was followed by an even heavier feeling of oppression.
Since it wasn't Aponia, the subsequent events would likely become even more confusing.
"You all stay here. I'm going up to investigate." Lin decided to look for clues from where Kosma fell, but as soon as he said this, he was immediately opposed by Mobius and Aponia.
"No!"
"I don't think that's a good idea."
"…"
Mobius and Aponia exchanged glances, then, with a clear understanding, Mobius spoke first: "If there really is another person in the villa who killed Kosma and Kevin, you going up alone is too dangerous. My suggestion is that we all go together."
"No, going together… also carries risks."
During a joint investigation, it was inevitable that someone might quietly leave and quietly return. The possibility of this happening was much lower if they all stayed in the main hall, staring at each other and mutually supervising.
"Then I… I'll go with you…"
Aponia stepped forward at this point.
She gave Lin a look that made him unconsciously frown.
Aponia also had something to say to him.
"No, just the two of you…"
"Wait, this might be good," Kalpas stopped the agitated Mobius.
If Lin and Aponia were alone, they might uncover more issues. More importantly, if something happened to Lin, Aponia would definitely be the first suspect, so she would be less likely to act now.
Lin walked up to Griseo, who was stunned and had dropped her paintbrush. Kevin had unparalleled importance to Kosma, and in turn, Kosma was just as important to Griseo…
He gently stroked the head of Griseo, who was wearing a small beret, then turned and walked up the stairs with Aponia.
"…"
"…"
"Tap."
Their footsteps made dull sounds on the wooden floor.
Lin and Aponia walked in silence until they reached the second-floor landing. Only then did Aponia begin to speak in her distinctive, halting manner: "Lin… I know… you suspect me…"
"…"
Lin didn't hide his gaze or expression. He virtually had his suspicion written all over his face.
And this was what Lin wanted Aponia to see.
He still didn't want to believe that one of them would kill their comrades, but the consecutive deaths of three people had awakened him.
He wanted to stop his friend who was walking down a treacherous path before the situation became truly irreversible.
"Perhaps… no matter what… I say now… you won't believe me…" Aponia continued to speak slowly beside Lin. "But… I must tell you… I heard someone… walking past outside… when I was in the restroom…"
Cold sweat immediately broke out on Lin back.
"What did you say…"
"After you and Kalpas… left the main hall… someone else besides Kosma and I… must have left the hall… and left with Kosma."
"That person… before Kosma fell… walked around outside… and returned to the main hall."
Lin mind buzzed. He rushed to the window on the stairwell without much thought, opened it, and leaned out, peering over the snow-covered ground below, bracing himself against the rush of cold air.
He saw it.
There was a line of footprints!
Footprints that were already being quickly covered by the wind and snow!
What should he do?
Should he go back down now to investigate the footprints, or go up to investigate where Kosma fell? If he went down to investigate, the evidence upstairs might be destroyed if someone besides them was lurking here. But if he went up to investigate, the footprints below would soon be completely buried.
"…Let them investigate it."
The only method Lin could think of at this moment was to have the others investigate the footprints downstairs.
So, he stretched his head into the stairwell and shouted down to the main hall, "Mobius! There are footprints outside! Go investigate them! We'll be down Soon after we finish investigating upstairs!"
Then, he quickly ran up to a higher floor with Aponia, rushing toward the third floor, which was most likely where Kosma fell.
Based on the location, it should be… the storage room!
Lin took out the spare key Eden had given him and unlocked the storage room door. His eyes scanned everything around him like a radar.
Traces… traces…
He roared inside, urging himself to find the truth.