The Ultimate Hunt

11.

Victim: Lydia
Ultimate Talent: Violinist
Cause of Death: Basilar Skull Fracture
Time of Death: 4:06 pm
Place of Death: Kitchen

That was the death log for Lydia. 

After about two tense hours, a voice crackled over the loudspeakers, calling all of us to the main hall. It was time for our first class trial. 

Once we'd all gathered, the floor beneath us rumbled, and a large circular podium rose slowly from the ground, positions arranged so each of us had an assigned spot. There was no mistaking where we were supposed to stand.

I took my place, glancing at the others. Some looked down, avoiding everyone's gaze, while others stared forward with determined expressions, as if they'd made up their minds to see this through no matter the cost. The silence stretched as we took our spots, everyone's eyes drawn to the empty place that should've been Lydia's.

Suddenly, Vincent's face appeared on the massive screen in front of us, breaking the silence. His usual cheerful, almost unsettling smile was plastered across his face as he gave us an energetic wave.

"Welcome, everyone, to our very first trial of The Ultimate Hunt: 50th Edition!" His tone was far too upbeat for the situation, making my skin crawl.

He carried on, his excitement not dimming for even a second. "Let's go over how this will work, just to make sure you all understand," he said, clasping his hands together like a teacher starting a lesson. "During this trial, each of you will get a chance to present your thoughts and arguments on who the culprit is. At the end, you'll vote on who you believe the 'blackened' is—the person responsible for Lydia's death!"

Everyone stood rigid as he went on, his words hammering in the seriousness of our situation.

"Now, if you all vote correctly, only the blackened will face punishment. But if you guess wrong," he paused for effect, letting the weight of his words sink in, "then everyone except the blackened will be punished, and the true culprit will walk away scot-free!"

"And one more thing!" Vincent's voice rose to a gleeful pitch. "If anyone decides not to vote, well.. that will count as a vote for your own death. So make sure you cast a vote, someone has to be chosen!" He clapped his hands with excitement. "Now, let's get started!"

For a long moment, no one moved. The room was as still as stone, everyone's minds racing with thoughts, suspicions, and fears. Finally, Adam took a shaky breath, his voice low but steady.

"We need to start by talking about what we know. We've got a lot to figure out, but maybe if we go over what happened, we can piece this together." He glanced at each of us. "The first thing should be everyone's alibis for around 4:06 pm, the time when Lydia died."

"Adam asked me to go around and collect alibis of people who stayed around. I noted it down and this is what I have." Samuel started and pulled out a small notepad. 

He looked down at it, flipping back a page before clearing his throat and reading off the list carefully.

"Alright, so here's what I've got." He scanned his notes, each word slow and deliberate. "Delilah, Milo, and Alice were all together in the nurse's office at the time. They were there for a while, and from what I gathered, none of them left during that time." He paused, glancing at the three of them for any sign of confirmation. They each gave a quick nod.

"Jacob and Elizabeth," Samuel continued, "were in Jacob's cabin. Again, both say they stayed there without leaving."

"Then there's me, Vane, and Simon. We were together in the library, going through some books, looking for clues." Lane's eyes moved to the duo, and they exchanged looks before nodding as well.