|Eight|

•Week Three• (6)

(Ignore spelling mistakes.)

I ran to the entrance, slipping past all the yellow tape. I was almost inside the building when I was stopped by a police officer.

"Hey, I'm sorry but you can't go in there," she said, holding me back.

"Why not?!" I winced at my own words, I needed to calm down, but I couldn't.
Not when they were in danger.

She gave me an uneasy look and loosened her grip. "I can tell you're worried, sir. But there's been a...... Well..... There's been a murder...."

My breath caught in my throat. This was my worst nightmare.
They couldn't have died......

No, no..... They couldn't be dead.

"What?!" I could barely breathe. Everything was wrong, I needed to protect them but all I could do was cry. No matter how many tears I wiped away, there seemed to be a billion more.

She tried pulling me away from the hospital, but I pushed her away. She stumbled back, surprised.

I felt bad, but Jack and Ryan were more important.

I had to see them..... Even if they were.....

Gone.

The officer pulled out her walkie-talkie, but I couldn't hear what she said. I ran as quickly as I could, pushing past doctors and other policemen.
I ran through the front doors, my vision blurry from crying.

The desk where Ryan and I first met Nova was completely empty, except for a few officers lazing about.
They perked up when I entered the room, and one of them tried to say something but I didn't listen. I ran down the hall to the room I remember Jack was put in, and paused at the door.

I was walking right into my biggest fear. I felt like my heart would explode and my head began to throb. What was I doing?

I couldn't do this. I couldn't see their dead bodies...

I made the mistake of imagining their cold, lifeless bodies on the floor and I could feel my face pale. I backed away from the door, squeezing my eyes shut.

I choked on my tears, strained cries echoing off the white walls. I couldn't do this.

What was I without them? Nothing. They were the part of me I always needed and now... Now they were gone.

Because of Nova.

Almost in an instant, my agony turned to anger. My tears were hot and violent, burning my cheeks before splattering on my sleeve.

I slid to the ground, I couldn't hold in my screams anymore. It hurt. It hurt so fucking much and I hadn't even opened the door yet.

I could feel my heart shredding to pieces, and I couldn't find any comfort in my mind.

My breaths turned ragged and forced, it felt like I was dying. What was the point of living now, anyway?

I flinched when someone put a hand on my shoulder, I looked up but couldn't see anyone because of my water-filled eyes.

"Adam? What's wrong? Please tell me..."

The voice was achingly familiar, and it made my whole body hurt. I wiped away my tears, and my eyes met Ryan who was kneeling down next to me in the middle of the hallway. He looked genuinely concerned, but was otherwise fine.

"Ry-ryan?" I cursed my voice for cracking again.

He pulled me into a warm hug. "What's wrong?"

I didn't respond to his question, because I couldn't. I was so relieved that he was okay, but I was also so scared that maybe Jack wasn't safe...

"Where's Jack?" I asked instead, trembling.

Ryan let go of me, and I felt cold again. "He's okay."

I sighed in relief, but paused for a moment because I could have sworn I heard Ryan add "I saved him"

So did they get attacked? Did Nova try to murder them in cold blood and fail?

"What happened?" Questions swarmed in my head and I could feel a headache coming on.

"I'm not exactly sure," Ryan said, but I could tell he was lying. He was my brother, of course I'd know if he was telling the truth or not. But why was he lying?

"I've been with Jack the whole time. I heard some commotion, but I didn't bother to check it out...." Ryan said, and suddenly his expression turned indifferent. He was hiding something.

Why? Was he scared it would get me hurt? Did he see something he wasn't suppose to again?

There was a pause, before he smiled at me. "Jack would probably want to see you. He's doing pretty alright now, at least that's what he said."

"He's conscious?"

"Yeah, has been for a few hours now."

Maybe then I could get some answers from Jack....

We got up from the floor, and I was about to open the door to Jack's hospital room when a police officer stopped me.

Ryan's smile fell, and I could see him hide something behind his back.

"Sorry, who are you?" The man said, pulling out a notepad.

"Um-"

"Brett and Joshua," Ryan interrupted me.

"Are you aware of the murder of Nova Lilen that has taken place only a few rooms down from this one?" He asked next, and I paused, confused.

"The murder of Nova....?"

"Yes, she was found in a closet by one of the janitor's. But we've managed to figure out that she died in room 330, and the killer moved her body."

My heart beat slowed. I was wrong? If the killer wasn't Nova..... Then who was it?

Maybe the people on the list were all targeting each other, and the last Seven Crows member alive got to murder Ryan as a prize.

"How'd she die?" I couldn't stop the words from falling out of my mouth.

The officer scratched his neck. "Cause of death isn't very clear. I'm not really authorized to know that kinda stuff, I'm new on the job. But I did hear it could have been poison..." He shrugged. "Don't really know. What I do know, though, was that it was a robbery."

"What?" Ryan asked, looking as confused as I was.

"Yeah, the killer stole her silver necklace. I talked with her coworkers and they all said she would never take it off."

One for silver.....

I could see Ryan fidget with his hands behind his back. I needed to talk to him about all my theories, but something told me I couldn't.

Something was wrong and I was beginning to think Ryan knew more than he was telling.....

(Oh no who's the killer? Lmao.