The night air was still, the only sound the faint ripple of water as Ritsuko Chikanari’s unconscious body sank beneath the pool’s surface. I had seen everything—Ryoba’s cold, calculated movements, the way she had nudged Ritsuko’s motionless form into the deep end before vanishing into the darkness.

And now, the girl everyone envied, the one who basked in luxury and confidence, was drowning right in front of me.

For a second, I couldn’t move.

The water swallowed her whole, her dark blue hair spreading out like ink, her pale skin nearly blending with the pool tiles below. Tiny bubbles slipped from her parted lips, rising toward the surface in a slow, cruel rhythm. Her body didn’t fight. She was too deep under the drug’s influence to realize she was dying.

A sharp breath rattled through me.

No one else was here. No one else had seen.

If I walked away now, if I let the water do what it was already doing, no one would ever know.

I could go. Forget this moment. Let fate take its course.

Or…

I could dive in.

I could fight the cold, the weight of her body, the risk of her waking up and asking questions. I could pull her back, bring her to the surface, undo everything Ryoba had just done.

My fists clenched. The decision burned in my chest.

I had to choose.

Now.