Heroes of Veridia: Evelyn's Journey

Evelyn emerged from the portal into Phantom Edge, immediately greeted by the sight of students and guards crowding the hallway. The buzz of voices filled the air, but it was clear that everyone's attention was focused on a single dorm room. She pushed her way toward the scene, her heart pounding with an ominous sense of urgency.

"What's going on?" she asked one of the students standing nearby.

"She's dead," the student replied without turning, eyes fixed on the dorm ahead.

Evelyn's stomach churned. "Who?"

The student ignored her, too caught up in the morbid spectacle to respond. Refusing to be brushed off, Evelyn elbowed her way through the throng of onlookers. When she finally reached the front, she caught a glimpse of the Manager and several guards inspecting a body sprawled on the floor. Her breath hitched as she recognized the face.

"She's one of Vanessa's friends," Evelyn thought, her mind racing.

A guard stood tall, his voice rising above the crowd. "Everyone, clear out and wait in the gym. This is a murder investigation."

The murmurings of the students grew louder as the crowd slowly began to disperse.

"Do you think it was one of us?"

"There's no way... right?"

"I heard she had enemies."

Vivian's voice suddenly cut through the chatter. "Evelyn!"

Evelyn scanned the sea of students, searching for her sister's face. "Where is she?" she thought, the tension in the air making it hard to focus.

Vivian finally appeared, squeezing through the cluster of bodies and grabbing Evelyn's hand. "Stay with us," she urged, pulling her away from the chaotic scene. Logan and Selene followed close behind, their faces set with grim determination.

As they made their way to the gym, the hallway became even more packed with students, all heading in the same direction. The air was thick with unease, the whispers of fear and confusion surrounding them.

Once inside the gym, the four of them found a spot near the dumbbells. The atmosphere was suffocating, not just from the crowded room, but from the weight of the news they had just heard.

Logan, who had been unusually silent, suddenly spoke, his voice laced with venom. "The fool that committed the murder should hope I don't find them."

The trio's attention snapped toward him, his words charged with a seething anger.

Selene, ever composed, raised an eyebrow, her voice cold and measured. "What has this got to do with you?"

Vivian, sensing the growing tension, tried to intervene. "The instructors will handle it."

But Logan wasn't listening. His fists clenched, and a dangerous edge entered his voice. "They better hope the instructors find them before I do."

Vivian, still confused by his intensity, asked, "Do you know her?"

Logan's eyes seemed to darken as he stared into the distance. "She was my classmate," he muttered, his voice hollow. The pressure around him started to shift. It was like the air had become heavier, pressing down on everyone near him.

Evelyn felt it—an invisible force, like gravity, pulling harder with every second. She had learned to control her emotions from a young age, never allowing them to surface, so she wasn't affected. But she watched as the pressure around Logan grew stronger. Vivian seemed unaffected too, her expression cold as usual, while Selene was trying to keep her calm exterior.

"Calm down, tough guy," Selene said, stepping forward. Her tone was authoritative, a sharp reminder that emotions wouldn't help solve anything.

Logan glared at her, but Selene didn't flinch, her boldness cutting through the heavy atmosphere. Despite his anger, Logan seemed to recognize her intent. Slowly, the weight around them began to lift as he fought to regain control of his emotions.

Evelyn sat quietly beside her group, watching the ongoing conversation. Her eyes landed on Selene, who had slipped into her usual composed, confident demeanor as she bantered with Vivian and Logan.

Selene noticed Evelyn staring and, with a smirk, leaned slightly toward her. "Like what you see, princess?"

Evelyn narrowed her eyes but smiled sarcastically. "I'm thinking of ways to deal with you."

Selene chuckled, her voice teasing. "Well, I'm available if you need help thinking about it."

Evelyn's annoyance simmered beneath her calm exterior. "Really?"

"Really," Selene replied, a playful glint in her eyes.

Vivian leaned toward Selene, her tone sharp. "If you make her mad, I won't forgive you. I haven't forgotten what you did to her."

Selene raised her hands defensively, still smiling. "Okay, okay!" She brought a finger to her lips, playfully miming silence. "I'll keep my mouth shut before the ferocious sisters bite my head off."

Logan, who had been stewing in silence, spoke up again, his voice tense. "I want you guys to help me find the murderer."

Vivian frowned, clearly frustrated. "I already told you, Logan, it'll be taken care of."

Logan's gaze darkened. "She was my only friend in that school."

Selene raised an eyebrow, her cool voice cutting through his distress. "If this is how you're going to react every time something happens, maybe you're in the wrong place. Phantom Edge isn't for crybabies."

Logan bristled. "I'm not a crybaby! I just want to know why she killed her."

Selene's expression softened, just barely, but her words remained blunt. "Then stop talking about her and let the people who are good at this job handle it."

As their conversation continued, Evelyn kept her distance, her thoughts scattered. That was until Vanessa stormed toward them, her face a mix of fury and grief. Without warning, she swung her hand across Evelyn's face, the sound of the slap echoing through the gym.

Evelyn felt the sting instantly, her cheek reddening as she rubbed it. She looked at Vanessa, her brow furrowed in confusion. "What the hell?"

Vanessa's voice cracked with emotion. "Why? Why did you have to kill her?"

Vivian's eyes darkened, stepping forward. "You—"

Evelyn quickly held up a hand to stop her sister. "Don't."

Vanessa's tear-streaked face was twisted with anger and pain as she shouted again. "Why did you kill her?"

From the side, Selene let out a soft laugh, clearly entertained. "This is getting interesting."

Logan cleared his throat loudly, and Selene, realizing the tension, shrugged and muttered, "Sorry."

Vivian was shaking with anger, her voice tight. "Evelyn would never do that."

"Exactly," Evelyn said with a click of her tongue. "At least, not without a good reason."

Vivian blinked, her expression quickly shifting from protective to bewildered. "What?"

Evelyn shrugged, her voice steady and cool. "I wouldn't kill anyone for no reason."

Vanessa's sobs grew louder, her fists clenched as she continued, "Is it because of me? Did you do it because you wanted to get back at me?"

Evelyn raised an eyebrow, genuinely perplexed. "Get back at you? For what? Why would I risk my freedom over something stupid you said to me?" She glanced around at the students nearby. "Everyone here is a suspect." She then turned her gaze back to Selene, her expression sharp. "And I don't trust you."

Selene's eyes gleamed with amusement as she smiled. "I'm honored."

Evelyn rolled her eyes, thinking bitterly, I hate this girl. But she turned her attention back to Vanessa, her tone becoming more serious. "The Manager knows exactly where I was during the incident, and I can guarantee someone here is responsible." She gestured broadly to the crowd of students, her voice cutting through Vanessa's sobs. "And you, Vanessa, should stop messing around with people. Keep this up, and you're going to get yourself killed."

Vanessa's crying quieted as she stood there, trembling, but Evelyn's words hung in the air like a chilling warning. The gym remained tense, every student suddenly feeling the weight of Evelyn's cold truth.

Vivian placed her hand on Evelyn's shoulder, her voice soft but insistent. "Evelyn. Evelyn."

Evelyn blinked and looked at her sister, her tone guarded. "What?"

"Where were you?" Vivian asked, a hint of suspicion in her voice.

"I was with Donovan," Evelyn answered plainly.

Vivian raised an eyebrow, her tone more probing. "Doing what?"

Evelyn looked annoyed. "What do you mean 'doing what'?"

Vivian folded her arms. "You were out of the school."

Selene, ever playful, chimed in with a mischievous grin. "Yeah, and you were with the guy that tried to kill me."

Vivian shot her a warning glare. "Back off."

Evelyn sighed, tired of the questioning. "I'll talk about it later. The Manager has something to say to the suspects," she added, raising her voice on the last word to emphasize her point.

As if on cue, the Manager entered the gym with several instructors following behind him. The air grew tense, some students glaring at Evelyn, while others, more understanding, silently acknowledged she was just speaking the truth.

Selene, undeterred by the tension, stepped closer to Evelyn with her usual smirk. "You just said you wouldn't kill without a reason. Why do you want to kill me, then?" She gestured to herself, her smile growing wider.

Evelyn narrowed her eyes, leaning in to whisper, her voice dripping with quiet anger. "You kissed me on the train with blood on your lips."

Selene's smile only deepened, her tone teasing. "You liked it, didn't you? Because I remember you didn't push me away. Not even an attempt."

Evelyn huffed, clearly frustrated, and leaned closer again, her voice low but fierce. "You're a vampire."

Selene's eyes sparkled with mischief as she whispered back, "Who stole the heart of the princess."

Evelyn blushed slightly, her irritation now mixed with embarrassment. With a weary smile, she placed her hand on Selene's chest and gently pushed her back, trying to regain control of the situation.

Selene glanced down at Evelyn's hand and smiled, clearly enjoying the moment.

Vivian and Logan, having noticed the exchange, approached them.

"What's going on?" Vivian asked, her eyes darting between the two.

Selene, still smiling, and Evelyn, trying to hide her flushed face, both answered in unison, "Nothing!"

But the subtle tension between them was hard to ignore, leaving both Vivian and Logan unconvinced.