Pov: ???

Everything's going according to plan. The despair they'll end up feeling is going to be so despairingly-

Wait. Why am I thinking about this? Don't tell me my memories we wiped again... What happened last time? Think think think... No, I can't remember.

Before anyone is murdered I need to put an end to this, before my memories are taken another time, I'll just go back to being a slave for-

...

...

Chapter 1, Daily Life

Hollow words, bountiful despair

Chloe: Hey, you okay? You wanna sit down for a bit?

Ashlyn: Huh?

Chloe: You we kinda out of it for a second there.

Ashlyn: I guess I was just... Thinking about how we're going to be stuck here, for the rest of our lives.

Chloe: Don't say that! We'll escape this place together! All 16 of us! We're not playing this stupid game, Monokuma can suck my toes.

Ashlyn: That's reassuring to a level...

Chloe: Anyway, we're supposed to be exploring, aren't we?

Ashlyn: Yea...

Floor plans for level 5, chapter 1:

(Red dotted lines are places off limits)

Chloe: Hey look there's a shop over there! Let's go check it out!

We walked over to the shop.

Crysty: Oh hey guys! I was just looking around this shop here, it sells home decor and it smells just like roses.

Chloe: Omg it does! Did you find anything?

Crysty: Nothing important, but I found this music box that plays twinkle twinkle Little Star, and I think I'll take it.

Ashlyn: I was just wondering, when I came to the mall this morning, there were actual people selling the drinks here, but now there's no one else except us. What did they do to all the cashiers and stuff?

Chloe: You know how the security guard was a robot? Maybe they were robots too, and Monokuma just took them away.

Crysty: But until today, this mall was a normal functioning mall for the public. There's no way.

Ashlyn: I guess that's another mystery we'll have to solve...

Crysty: Do I still need to pay for the music box though?

Chloe: Well there's no one here so I don't think so.

Crysty: sweet!

Crysty shoved the music box into her backpack.

Ashlyn: Anyway, I realised that Monokuma set up security cameras around the mall, probably to monitor our actions 24/7. Just in case-

Chloe: A murder happens...

Crysty: That's kind of dumb, because a murder won't happen.

???: How can you say for certain?

We turned around, only to see...

Sophie: Even if you're not planning a murder, any one of us could be at this very moment. That's why we need to be careful. I advise you all be extra cautious...

Crysty: If course we will! Thanks for caring about us Sophie.

Sophie: Me? Care for you all? Don't be stupid, It's just that if a murder happened right now, everything I've planned to this point would be down the drain, if you know what I mean...

Ashlyn: Sophie, you're not planning a murder, are you?

Sophie: But of course not! Me? MURDER? Are you hearing yourself right now? You sound like one of those ladies in the grocery store, no quality this, bad quality that... Like a lunatic, crazies!

And with that, Sophie left the store.

Chloe: I did not understand a word she just said. Did any of you?

Crysty: Nope, but that's not our problem right now. We still have a lot to explore. Oh yes one more thing!

Ashlyn: Hm?

Crysty: I realised that only the shops on the fifth floor are currently open, including the food court, and our so called "dorms". The escalators down are blocked off too, so there's no way to get to the main entrance, let alone escape.

Ashlyn: That's quite important, thanks Crysty!

Chloe: Thanks!

Crysty: No problem, I'll be heading to the other shops now and then I'm going to go check out my dorm. You guys can continue looking around. Bye!

Crysty left the home decor shop.

Chloe: Let's look around here a little bit more, maybe we can find something that Crysty missed.

- - - SEARCH - - -

There's a shelf stacked with stuff like musical boxes and coin Banks. They're pretty heavy, each of them are about 2kg each. Is it normal for musical boxes to be this heavy?

That's a counter, I assume it's where a living cashier used to stand, but now there's no one here except us.

There's a bunch of flowers on the shelf to the left. I guess that's where the scent of roses is coming from.

Ashlyn: Hey! I think I've finished searching everything in this sho-

I heard the sound of something falling.

Chloe: HOLY SHIT ASH COME TO THE BACK

I rushed over to see what was going on and found...

Ashlyn: OH MY GOD IT'S A BODY

Chloe: EEEEEEEEE

Ashlyn: DID A MURDER HAPPEN ALREADY?

We heard footsteps running into the shop.

Sumana: What's going- AAAAHHHHHH

Ashton: I- is that a body????

Miyoshi: But we're all here! Who's body is it?!

Alyssa: So there was one more student this whole time???

Hanako: Guys please don't panic! Look what she's wearing!

Annan: It's a uniform and written on it is-

Hannan: The name of the shop...

Randi: So that means she was the cashier?? Then why is she dead? Detective boy, tell us what's happening!

Everyone looked at Ashton.

Ashton: I really don't kn-

Sophie: Oh move aside, this lady was probably killed by Monokuma, we had no motive to kill her since she's not in this killing game.

Monokuma: Puhuhuhuhu you're absolutely WRONG Sophie.

Randi: GAH it's Monokuma!

Sophie: What?

Monokuma: You're right about this lady not being in the killing game, therefore there will not be a class trial or investigation. However, she was 100% killed by one of you...

Sumana: Huhhhh???

Monokuma: You see, I am a robot, and this means that there must be someone controlling me. Someone being one of you, or as I like to call it, the Mastermind!

Chloe: Mastermind? You mean the one behind this killing game?

Monokuma: Puhuhuhuhu, yes indeed! The one behind all this, the one forcing you to kill each other, is one of you! So figure out who it is, or you'll all start dropping like mosquitoes after repellent is sprayed!

And with that, Monokuma disappeared along with the lady's body, leaving us to our own thoughts.

Hannan: One of us-

Annan: Is a traitor?

Ashlyn: It seems so... What're we going to do?

There was a feeling of suspicion and distrust among everyone as I said this.

Crysty: Don't worry guys...

Everyone looked over at Crysty.

Crysty: There might be a traitor among us, but rest assured, I will find them and kill them.

Everyone looked shocked at these words, and I felt uneasy, but slightly encouraged.

Crysty: For everyone, I will end this killing game with my own two hands.