I inch along the body, my pulse drumming furiously in my temples. From what I can tell from the clothes, it looks like a guy, lying on his back. And there’s something…Oh god, I think. It’s a knife. A knife is sticking out of his chest. As I continue to stare, I notice that the entire front of him is dark, but the student uniform shirts are white….“Blood,” I breathe almost inaudibly. My throat is bone-dry.

I kneel down next to him, my knees nearly giving out, and I force myself to stretch a hand toward his neck. My fingers are shaking when they find it—cold skin, no pulse. His long hair sticks to his cheeks. Long hair…Oh god, it’s Matteo’s friend from the dining hall. I look around me for an answer, for help. There’s nothing and no one. Dead. He’s dead. My mind loops the realization and my vision blurs. For a moment I think I’m going to pass out.

I open my mouth to call for help but freeze before a sound escapes my lips. There is no one to call. If I run to get a guard there’s every possibility they’ll think I did it. Not to mention the eye-for-an-eye punishment system here. I take one more desperate look around, like an answer might somehow pop out of the shadows.

I shake my head, trying to get my bearings. I can’t stay here. Being caught with the body would be a thousand times worse than calling a guard. Not to mention being caught by the killer. There’s no guarantee that whoever did this isn’t lurking nearby.

Instantly, I have that unnerving sensation of something dangerous looming behind me, the kind that used to send me running out of our basement when I was a little kid. I stand up, feeling sick at the thought of leaving him in the dark, drenched in his own blood, but equally terrified to stay. Who can I—

Layla. Layla will know what to do.

I run along the wall, fear pushing me forward faster than is cautious, and I duck into the stairwell. Every detail of my surroundings comes sharply into focus, the worn third step, the oddly shaped stone by the ceiling, the silence. I methodically make my way up the stairs, listening for all I’m worth and examining every shadow.

I peek around the corner at the entrance to the third floor and find the hallway empty. Unfortunately, I’m also about as far from my room as I can be. And now that I’m this close, I just have to go. Run. I have to run. I close my eyes for a second, take a breath, and bolt out of the stairwell. I slide in front of my door and fumble it open. I duck inside, my heart raging in my chest, and just as I’m closing the door, I spot the guard with the X coming up the other staircase. He makes eye contact with me as I click the door shut. Shit!!!