No Way Out

Having fun tonight

An Hour Earlier

Tori's POV:

He dragged me by the foot, indifferent to whether I hit my head on the steps. Pain radiated through my body, but all I could think was how I hadn't died yet. He rolled me to a corner and left me lying there, bleeding and alone in the dark.

I debated whether to try to save myself or just give in and allow myself to die. If I'm honest, I was leaning toward the latter, but fear gripped me. Even after everything I'd been through, I was still terrified of dying. After a minute of wrestling with my thoughts, I finally decided to try.

I pushed against the concrete floor, attempting to raise my upper body but only managing to flip myself over. I scanned my surroundings, realizing I had no idea if I was still at Hollywood Arts. Everything was covered in sheets, and dust coated everything. I stared at the ceiling, allowing my eyes to shut. I truly thought I could put an end to this! For a moment, I had believed Jade was behind all the terror. I wiped my eyes, recalling what had happened earlier. For the first time, I had seen her fear of me, and honestly, I liked it.

I was so furious at her, blaming her for hurting Sikowitz and killing Sinjin. I thought if one of us was the killer, it would be her. I never expected I'd almost become one myself. No wonder she left me to die; if our roles were reversed, I would've done the same.

Suddenly, I heard the door creak open, and within moments, he descended the stairs slowly, his footsteps echoing in the silence. Adrenaline surged through me, and somehow, I managed to sit up and shuffle back against the wall. I whimpered loudly. He crouched down to my level, placing his hand on my face to wipe away my tears.

I turned my head away and stammered, "P-please, don't kill me." I could hear him scoff under the mask.

Taking advantage of this moment, I tried to discern who was behind all of this, but before I could get a good look through the eye holes of his mask, he suddenly yanked my arms up, making me scream in panic. He pulled down a chain hanging above me, chaining me to it.

"No! Please, let me go! My—my dad is a cop!" I pleaded, hoping to appeal to any humanity he might possess.

"Then he'll have some fun investigating your murder," he replied, using a voice changer. This was the first time I had heard him speak. "Tell me, Tori, are you having fun tonight?" he taunted, followed by a maniacal laugh. "Isn't this what you wanted?"

"What do you want from me?!" I snapped through gritted teeth.

"From you? Hmm, let's see..." He stood up, pacing back and forth in front of me. "Ah yes, that's right. I want you to die."

He delivered the words so casually that they sent a chill down my spine. "But don't worry, you're not the only one I want to kill. I already took care of your precious teacher and that weirdo little friend of yours. All that's left is your friends"

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Present

Andre's POV:

I froze, unable to respond to Beck's words. I just stared at him, and Trina stopped bandaging Sikowitz's chest, her eyes darting toward us, while Cat mirrored her concern. "Beck, stop fooling around! Just tell us where Jade is!" I yelled, my hands clenching into fists. I was torn between anger at myself and anger at him for losing her.