The locker room went completely still.

  Daniel Reyes stood in the center of the floor, phone raised, recording every face in the room. Detective Harris's hand hovered near his holster while Officer Park's flashlight beam trembled slightly as it moved between Daniel and me.

  Madison Blake stared at me like she had just realized something terrible.

  Only Daniel looked happy.

  Very happy.

  "See?" he said softly. "Now it's finally interesting."

  Harris's voice dropped low.

  "Daniel."

  "Yes?"

  "You're done talking."

  "Am I?"

  "Yes."

  Harris stepped forward and grabbed Daniel's wrist, pulling the phone away from his face.

  "You're under arrest."

  Daniel didn't resist. Instead he laughed.

  "Too late."

  Park asked sharply, "Too late for what?"

  Daniel nodded toward me.

  "For the final move."

  All eyes turned again.

  Toward me.

  I leaned against the lockers, arms folded. Calm.

  Because the moment Daniel said my name, I understood something. He wasn't trying to expose me.

  He was trying to finish the story.

  Harris spoke carefully.

  "Daniel says you started the game."

  I shrugged slightly.

  "He's wrong."

  Daniel tilted his head.

  "Am I?"

  "Yes."

  "Then explain."

  Harris nodded.

  "Good idea."

  I looked around the locker room—at the benches, at the place where Lily had died, at Madison shaking on the floor.

  Then I spoke.

  "I didn't start the game."

  Daniel smiled.

  "But you kept it going."

  I didn't deny that.

  Harris noticed.

  The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

  "You're not arguing."

  "Because that part's true."

  Park's voice softened.

  "Ethan..."

  "What?"

  "What exactly did you do after Lily died?"

  The memory came back clearly.

  January ninth.

  Cold air. Lily's screams echoing through the locker room door. Then silence.

  And Olivia Carter stepping into the hallway.

  Smiling.

  I said quietly,

  "She told me it was my fault."

  Madison whispered, "No..."

  "Yes."

  Harris asked, "What do you mean?"

  "Olivia said if I hadn't tried to help Lily... no one would know she died."

  Park frowned.

  "So she blamed you."

  "Yes."

  "And?"

  "She said we were all players now."

  Daniel nodded eagerly.

  "That's the rule."

  Park asked, "What rule?"

  I looked directly at her.

  "The last player tells the story."

  Harris exhaled slowly.

  "And Olivia expected to be the last player."

  "Yes."

  "Why?"

  "Because she thought she controlled everyone."

  Daniel laughed softly.

  "That sounds like Olivia."

  Park said, "But she died."

  "Yes."

  "Which means someone broke the rules."

  The room fell quiet again.

  Harris looked between all of us.

  "Let's go through this carefully."

  He pointed at Daniel.

  "You filmed Lily's death."

  Daniel nodded.

  "Yes."

  "Why didn't you go to the police?"

  Daniel smiled.

  "Because the game wasn't finished."

  Harris turned toward Madison.

  "You chained the door."

  Madison nodded weakly.

  "Yes."

  "Then unlocked it."

  "Yes."

  "And Emma?"

  Madison whispered, "She died on the roof."

  Park looked at me again.

  "And Ethan was in the hallway."

  "Yes."

  Harris folded his arms.

  "Which leaves one question."

  Everyone waited.

  "Who killed Olivia Carter?"

  No one spoke.

  Daniel's smile returned slowly.

  "Oh, that part is beautiful."

  Harris snapped,

  "Answer the question."

  Daniel looked at me.

  "Go ahead."

  I sighed quietly.

  Then said,

  "I did."

  Madison screamed.

  Park stepped forward.

  "You're confessing?"

  "Yes."

  Harris's voice stayed steady.

  "How?"

  "I locked her in here."

  The same way Lily had died.

  Harris asked, "Why?"

  I looked at the floor for a moment.

  Then answered honestly.

  "Because she thought the game was funny."

  Daniel clapped slowly.

  "Perfect."

  Park said softly, "Ethan..."

  "She laughed," I continued.

  "After Lily died."

  Madison started crying again.

  "She said we were all players."

  "So you decided to change the rules."

  "Yes."

  Harris asked, "What new rules?"

  I looked at him.

  "The last player doesn't tell the story."

  "Then who does?"

  I nodded toward Daniel's phone.

  "The evidence."

  Daniel's smile widened.

  "That's why I kept filming."

  Park frowned.

  "You two planned this."

  Daniel laughed.

  "No. We just understood the same thing."

  "What?"

  Daniel answered for both of us.

  "That monsters only stop when someone forces them to."

  Harris shook his head.

  "This isn't justice."

  "No," I said quietly.

  "It's consequences."

  Park looked at the diary in her hands, then back at me.

  "You killed Olivia Carter."

  "Yes."

  "Premeditated."

  "Yes."

  Harris pulled out handcuffs.

  "Then the game ends now."

  He stepped forward.

  Just as Madison suddenly screamed.

  "Wait!"

  Everyone turned.

  Her face had gone white.

  "You don't understand!"

  Harris frowned.

  "What?"

  Madison pointed toward Daniel.

  "He's lying!"

  Daniel blinked.

  "That's rude."

  Park asked, "About what?"

  Madison whispered,

  "Daniel wasn't just filming."

  Silence.

  Harris asked slowly,

  "What do you mean?"

  Madison's voice shook.

  "He was inside the locker room."

  Daniel's smile disappeared.

  Park's flashlight snapped toward him.

  "Daniel."

  He didn't answer.

  Harris's voice hardened.

  "Were you inside the room?"

  Daniel looked around the locker room slowly.

  Then sighed.

  "Fine."

  Madison started shaking again.

  "You helped them!"

  Daniel shrugged.

  "I held the door."

  The room went silent again.

  Harris's voice dropped dangerously low.

  "You helped trap Lily inside."

  Daniel nodded.

  "Yes."

  Park whispered,

  "Why?"

  Daniel's expression changed.

  The excitement faded.

  Leaving something colder.

  "Because Lily asked me to."

  No one spoke.

  Park said slowly,

  "What?"

  Daniel looked down at the floor.

  Then said quietly,

  "She begged me to stop Olivia."

  Harris frowned.

  "And you locked the door?"

  Daniel nodded.

  "Because I knew Olivia would never stop."

  Madison stared at him.

  "You're insane."

  Daniel smiled again.

  "Maybe."

  Then he looked at me.

  "But Ethan understood."

  Harris tightened the handcuffs around my wrists.

  "You're both under arrest."

  Daniel laughed softly.

  "Sure."

  Park said quietly,

  "The game is over."

  Daniel tilted his head.

  "No."

  Everyone looked at him.

  "Why not?"

  Daniel lifted his phone again.

  Still recording.

  "Because the last player... still hasn't spoken."

  He turned slowly toward Madison.