Suspects

Suspects
Killian POV

Morning came in like it owned the place.

Sunlight forced its way through the curtains and landed directly on my eyes like it had a personal vendetta against me.

I groaned, turning my head slightly before forcing my eyes open.

“…where the hell am I…”

The room looked… familiar, but not my room.

Then I felt it.

Weight.

Warmth.

I looked down.

Astrid.

Curled up on my chest like she had zero responsibilities in life.

And then—

Something moved behind her.

I turned my head slightly.

Jason.

Wrapped around her from behind like a human blanket.

…oh.

Oh.

Right.

Everything came rushing back at once and a slow grin spread across my face.

“Damn…” I muttered under my breath.

I shifted slightly, careful not to wake them—then my eyes caught the clock sitting on the table beside the bed.

I squinted.

Then squinted harder.

“…no way.”

I leaned closer.

“9??”

I shot up slightly.

“9??!”

Both of them jerked awake immediately.

Astrid flinched, squinting at me like I had personally offended her ancestors.

“What the fuck, Killian?” she groaned, rubbing her head.

Jason blinked slowly like his soul hadn’t fully returned to his body yet.

“Oh shit—sorry,” I said quickly, running a hand through my hair. “Didn’t mean to wake you like that.”

Jason dragged a hand down his face, looking around his room like he was trying to piece his life together.

“How long did we even sleep?” he muttered. “Damn…”

Then he casually slid off the bed.

And just… walked.

Completely naked.

Like this was normal.

Like we didn’t have eyes.

I stared.

“…Jason.”

Astrid yawned, sitting up slowly with her hair covering half her face.

“Oh my God… Jason, please wear something.”

He turned slightly, smirking.

“You’re naked too.”

I snorted, shaking my head as I reached down, grabbed my shorts from the floor, and threw them at him.

“Bro. Cover your ass before someone walks in here.”

He caught it lazily but didn’t even bother putting it on.

Instead—this idiot—turned to stare at a painting on the wall like it held the meaning of life.

I blinked.

“…are you serious right now?”

“I can’t believe I’m just waking up,” Astrid whined, stretching slightly.

I leaned forward, lifting her chin with my finger so she’d look at me.

Our eyes met.

“You would wake up late,” I said, smirking. “You had a very… eventful night.”

She rolled her eyes, but the corner of her lips twitched.

“Shut up.”

“Just stating facts.”

“Naughty child,” she muttered under her breath.

She started to get off the bed—

Knock knock.

We all froze.

I turned slowly to Jason.

He was still—

STILL—

naked.

Still staring at the painting.

“Jason—”

Before I could finish—

The door opened.

“Who’s—” he started, then panicked.

Man grabbed the shorts, dove behind the door like his life depended on it, and held the fabric behind him like it was a shield.

“I’M BEHIND THE DOOR, DON’T LOOK!”

I lost it.

Actually lost it.

Hera stood there, completely unimpressed.

“…naked?” she asked flatly.

“Yes,” Jason replied from behind the door like this was a normal conversation.

Hera rolled her eyes so hard I thought they might fall out.

“Wow. Looks like something definitely went down in here,” she said, crossing her arms.

Astrid smiled like nothing was wrong.

“Hera…”

“Oh—sorry, girl, didn’t realize you were here,” Hera said, turning slightly away.

“No, it’s fine,” Astrid waved it off.

“Anyway, I came to call Jason,” Hera continued.

“I AM STILL BEHIND THE DOOR!” Jason yelled.

“We can see that,” I muttered.

Hera ignored him completely.

“Seems like you all forgot we had plans this morning.”

“…plans?” I repeated, frowning.

Hera’s head snapped toward me.

“Yes, Killian. Plans.”

Her tone?

Dangerous.

I blinked.

Then it clicked.

“…wait.”

Astrid gasped.

“Gracie??”

She jumped off the bed—

And Hera immediately reacted.

“GIRL—PUT SOMETHING ON!”

She grabbed a blanket and launched it at Astrid like a projectile.

Astrid caught it mid-step.

“What? It’s nothing you haven’t seen before—and the brothers too.”

“NOT THE POINT!” Hera snapped.

Astrid just laughed and disappeared into the bathroom.

I stayed exactly where I was—under the duvet, minding my business.

Hera sighed dramatically.

“Gracie is on her way here. You people need to get ready.”

She turned to leave, then paused at the door.

“And Jason?”

“Yes?” his voice came from behind the door.

“Either wear something… or stay hidden like your brother.”

“…yes ma’am.”

The door closed.

Silence.

Then I looked over at Jason.

Still standing there.

Still half-covered.

Still ridiculous.

“You didn’t even try to wear the shorts,” I said, laughing as I got off the bed.

He shrugged.

“I panicked.”

“Clearly.”

I stretched slightly, grabbing my clothes.

“Come on. Let’s get dressed.”

I glanced toward the bathroom where Astrid had gone.

“Gracie’s coming.”

Jason finally stepped out from behind the door.

“…this day is already stressful.”

I smirked.

“Yeah?”

I grabbed my shirt.

“It’s about to get worse.”

Astrid POV

The bathroom was still fogged up from the shower we definitely spent too long in.

I wiped the mirror with my palm, catching a glimpse of myself—hair damp, lips slightly swollen, eyes… softer than usual. There was something about mornings like this that made everything feel… calmer. Safer.

Until—

“I’m starving.” Jason groaned from behind me for what felt like the tenth time.

I rolled my eyes, grabbing a towel to pat my face dry. “You’ve been starving since you woke up.”

“Because I woke up late,” he argued immediately. “There’s a difference. My stomach has been disrespected for hours.”

Killian snorted beside him, buttoning up his shirt lazily. “Your stomach is always disrespected, Jason. You eat like a beast.”

“And yet I look this good.” Jason shot back, gesturing to himself proudly.

I scoffed. “Confidence is scary.”

“Confidence is attractive,” he corrected, winking at me.

“Confidence is annoying,” Killian added dryly.

Jason gasped. “Betrayal. From my own blood.”

I laughed softly, stepping past them and heading out of the room. “If you two are done flirting with each other, can we go downstairs? We have a guest coming.”

“That’s exactly why I need food,” Jason muttered, following closely behind me. “I can’t interrogate people on an empty stomach.”

Killian walked beside me, his hand brushing lightly against mine as we stepped into the hallway. “You’re not interrogating anyone.”

Jason scoffed behind us. “Speak for yourself.”

We made our way down the stairs together, Jason still mumbling about food like his life depended on it.

And just as we reached the bottom—

The living room came into view.

Everyone was already there.

Of course.

I paused for half a second, then sighed lightly before stepping forward. “Good morning… and yes, I know—we’re late.”

Dove immediately smirked. “Late? That’s a gentle way to put it.”

Zora grinned. “We were about to send a search party.”

Hera, from across the room, folded her arms. “Or break the door down.”

Jason raised a brow. “You guys are dramatic.”

“You guys are irresponsible,” Elsie shot back.

“Valid,” Killian admitted casually.

I rubbed the back of my neck. “Sorry… we overslept.”

Jason raised a finger. “In our defense—”

“No defense,” Damon cut in smoothly, leaning back on the couch with a knowing smirk. “Question is… was it worth it?”

Silence.

Then—

“Oh my God.” I muttered under my breath.

Killian chuckled.

Jason grinned shamelessly. “Absolutely.”

“Jason!” I snapped, but I was already laughing.

Damon nodded like a satisfied judge. “Good answer.”

“You’re all ridiculous,” I said, shaking my head, though I couldn’t stop the smile tugging at my lips.

And just then,

Movement at the entrance caught my attention.

I turned.

Hera walked in first.

And behind her—

Gracie.

Jason exhaled softly. “Oh… they’re here.”

The room shifted almost instantly. The lightness faded, replaced by something quieter… heavier.

Gracie stepped in slowly, her posture slightly stiff, her eyes scanning the room like she wasn’t sure where to land. When her gaze met mine, she offered a small, polite smile—nothing too wide, just enough.

She bowed her head slightly. “Hi…”

“Hey,” I replied gently.

The rest greeted her too, some with nods, others with soft words.

She glanced around the mansion, her eyes lingering on the high ceilings, the glass walls, the polished floors.

“This place is…” she paused, searching for the right word, “…really beautiful.”

Zora smiled. “You get used to it.”

Jason leaned closer to me and whispered, “No you don’t.”

I elbowed him lightly.

Damon stood up then, gesturing toward the dining area. “Come on, let’s sit. It’ll be more comfortable.”

Gracie nodded quickly. “Okay… thank you.”

We all moved toward the dining area, settling into our seats one after the other.

Chairs scraped softly against the floor.

Glasses clinked faintly.

Zora grabbed a jug of cold juice, pouring into glasses and passing them around.

“Here,” she said, handing one to Gracie.

“Thank you,” Gracie murmured.

I took a seat between Jason and Killian, though Killian didn’t sit—he stayed leaning against the wall, arms crossed, watching quietly.

Observing.

Always observing.

Odin leaned forward slightly, resting his arms on the table. “You know why you’re here, right?”

Gracie nodded slowly, her fingers tightening slightly around the glass in her hand. “Yeah… I do.”

Hera didn’t waste time.

She leaned back in her chair, eyes fixed on Gracie, her tone calm but direct. “Let’s not drag this out.”

The room stilled.

“What exactly happened that night?” Hera asked. “Start from the beginning.”

A pause.

Gracie swallowed.

Her fingers trembled slightly against the glass.

“I…” she started, then stopped, shaking her head like she was trying to steady herself.

I leaned forward just a little. “Take your time,” I said softly.

She nodded again, exhaling slowly.

“It started before we even slept,” she said finally. “Ellie and I… we had a small argument.”

Jason shifted beside me.

“What kind of argument?” he asked.

“Nothing serious,” she replied quickly. “At least… that’s what I thought. Just family, not bout any relationship”

Her gaze dropped to the table.

“She was acting… strange.”

That made Killian straighten slightly against the wall.

“Strange how?” he asked.

Gracie hesitated.

“Like she was distracted,” she said. “Not fully there. I thought maybe it was stress or something… you know how she is. Always trying to be perfect at everything.”

Elsie nodded slowly. “Yeah… she did give that vibe. I mean, we had bumped into each other on camp”

Gracie continued, her voice quieter now. “Later that night… she woke me up.”

The room leaned into her words without even realizing it.

“She said she needed to pee,” Gracie added. “And at first… she sounded completely normal.”

“And then?” Hera pressed.

Gracie’s fingers tightened around the glass.

“And then she started talking.”

A pause.

“To who?” Dove asked.

“That’s the thing…” Gracie whispered. “There was no one there.”

Silence.

A chill crept up my spine.

“She walked out of the tent,” Gracie continued, her voice shaking slightly now. “Still talking… like someone was right in front of her.”

Jason frowned. “You thought she was sleepwalking?”

“I did,” Gracie admitted. “At first.”

“And now?” Odin asked.

Gracie slowly lifted her head.

Her eyes met ours.

“I really don’t know. I only heard her mumbling words.”

That landed heavily.

“Nothing serious?” I asked quietly and she shrugged.

“I mean, you wouldn’t know. We had settled the argument and slept yeah, she was completely fine when she woke up. I just can’t put it together. I was really tired that night.” She explained and I nod slowly at her.

“It doesn’t matter if she is sleepwalking, I mean…she wasn’t. you said she sounded so fine, so awake. What matters is how the night ended, you said she didn’t drown, why do you think so?”

Gracie inhaled slowly, then said—

“Because Ellie can swim.”

No one spoke.

“She’s not just good,” Gracie added. “She’s really good. Competitions, training, everything. She told me herself—she can stay underwater longer than most people.”

My chest tightened.

“So you’re saying…” Damon began.

“She didn’t just drown,” Gracie finished for him.

A long, heavy silence filled the room.

“And whoever did it…” she added softly, “…made it look like an accident.”

My fingers curled slightly against the table.

Killian’s jaw tightened.

Jason exhaled slowly beside me.

And for a moment

No one breathed.

Because now…

It wasn’t just a bad trip anymore.

It was something else.

Something darker.

Something that followed us back.

“Does anyone else know she can swim?” Dove asked, her tone calm, but her eyes? Sharp. Watching. Measuring.

Gracie shook her head almost immediately. “No… just the two of us. Ellie used to come over to my house. We practiced in my pool a lot.”

There was something about how fast she answered.

Too fast.

Killian caught it too—I could tell from the way his gaze narrowed slightly.

“So no one else knew,” he repeated slowly. “Just you.”

Gracie nodded again, this time a little slower. “Yeah… just me.”

A beat of silence.

Then Elsie leaned forward, resting her elbows on the table. “Was she on bad terms with anyone? Even slightly? Anyone at all who might’ve… had a reason?”

Gracie exhaled, running her fingers through her hair like she was trying to think, or stall.

“No,” she said eventually. “No one. Ellie was… she was easy. Quiet. Focused. She didn’t care about drama or people like that. Just her grades, her goals…”

Her voice cracked slightly.

“…I just don’t understand why anyone would want to hurt her.”

Damon softened immediately. “Hey… hey, don’t cry, okay?”

She nodded, blinking rapidly like she was forcing it back.

But something about it…

Didn’t sit right.

Too controlled.

Too… timed.

I tilted my head slightly, studying her.

“And Shawn?” I asked.

Her reaction was instant—a small sigh, a shift in posture.

“Shawn can’t do that,” she said, almost too quickly. “They weren’t exactly close, but… he wouldn’t kill her.”

Hera let out a quiet, humorless huff. “You’d be surprised what people are capable of.”

Gracie pressed her lips together. “Right…”

Jason leaned back slightly, arms crossed. “You sound pretty sure.”

“I just am,” she replied, but this time there was a flicker—something uncertain, something defensive.

Killian didn’t miss it.

Neither did I.

“What hurts the most,” Gracie continued, her voice dropping, “is that she’s never going to get justice.”

She let out a small, broken laugh.

“They already closed the case. Called it an accident. That’s it.”

The room grew quieter.

“No one’s going to believe me,” she added. “Even if I tell them she could swim… no one has ever seen her swim.”

Dove tilted her head slightly. “Except you.”

Gracie hesitated.

“…Yeah.”

“And yet,” Jason cut in smoothly, “you didn’t mention that at camp. Not when they found her. Not when everyone was asking questions.”

That landed.

Gracie blinked. “I… I was in shock.”

“Understandable,” Killian said calmly, but his tone had changed. “But you seem pretty clear about it now.”

A pause.

Gracie swallowed. “Because I’ve had time to think.”

“Or rehearse?” Hera muttered under her breath.

Gracie’s eyes flicked to her.

“What is that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing,” Hera replied casually, taking a sip of her drink. “Just thinking out loud.”

Tension.

Thick.

Uncomfortable.

I stepped in before it snapped.

“Why us?” Jason asked again, quieter this time. “Why did you come to us with this?”

Gracie hesitated.

Her fingers tapped lightly against her glass.

“I don’t know…” she admitted. “I just… felt like I could trust you guys.”

Riven raised a brow. “Trust? Based on what?”

“I’ve seen you around,” she said quickly. “At school… at the camp… you’re always together, you handle things differently…”

She paused.

“…like you’re not scared of anything.”

That made a few of us exchange glances.

Interesting.

“Or maybe,” Dove said softly, “you think we’re the kind of people who would actually do something about it.”

Gracie looked at her.

“…maybe.”

Killian pushed off the wall slightly, stepping closer to the table. “Let’s go back a bit.”

His voice was calm, but there was weight behind it now.

“You said Ellie argued with Shawn.”

Gracie nodded. “Yeah.”

“And before that,” he continued, “you said she was in the cabin. With the officials.”

Another nod. “I think so.”

“You think?” he repeated.

Gracie frowned slightly. “I mean… yeah. I saw her go in.”

“Alone?” Odin asked.

“…I didn’t really pay attention,” she admitted.

Jason let out a quiet breath. “Convenient.”

She looked at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“It means,” he said plainly, “a lot of your answers have ‘I think’ and ‘I didn’t see’ in them.”

Silence.

Gracie’s grip on her glass tightened.

“I told you what I know,” she said, a bit sharper now.

“And we’re listening,” I said quickly, keeping my tone gentle. “Just trying to understand everything clearly.”

She exhaled, calming slightly.

“Fine.”

Zora leaned forward. “You mentioned Shawn’s girlfriend?”

“Yeah,” Gracie replied. “Fiona.”

“Fiona…?” Sable echoed.

“FionaNotes,” Gracie added. “She’s… popular. Influencer type. Huge following.”

Sable nodded. “Yeah, I’ve seen her page. Million followers, at least.”

“And she had a fight with Ellie?” Odin asked.

Gracie nodded again. “Not a big one… but it was heated.”

“What about?” Hera asked.

Gracie hesitated.

That hesitation again.

“…I don’t know exactly,” she said.

Hera raised a brow. “But you were there?”

“I just… caught part of it,” Gracie replied quickly.

Killian’s eyes stayed on her. “You catch a lot of ‘parts’ of things.”

That one hit.

Gracie stiffened slightly.

“I’m trying to help,” she said, quieter now.

“And we appreciate that,” I said, meeting her gaze. “We really do.”

A pause.

Then—

Killian spoke again.

“When Ellie left the tent… you said she was talking to someone.”

“Yes.”

“And you didn’t follow her.”

“I thought she was sleepwalking,” Gracie said again.

Jason tilted his head. “So you let someone you know can swim… walk out alone… in the dark… near a forest… near a river… and you didn’t think to check?”

Gracie’s lips parted—but no words came out immediately.

“…I was tired,” she said finally.

Hera let out a quiet scoff.

“That’s it?”

Gracie’s eyes flashed. “What do you want me to say?! That I knew she was going to die??”

The room went still.

“No one is saying that,” Damon said calmly.

“But you’re all looking at me like I did something!” she snapped.

Another silence.

Heavy.

Uncomfortable.

Riven leaned back slightly. “We’re looking at everyone, Gracie.”

That seemed to settle her—just barely.

She exhaled, shoulders dropping.

“…that’s all I know,” she said again, quieter now.

No one spoke for a few seconds.

Then Hera nodded once. “Alright.”

Killian stepped back, folding his arms again. “We’ll look into it.”

Gracie gave a small nod, standing up slowly. “Thank you… really.”

I stood too. “We’ll walk you out.”

She offered a faint smile. “You don’t have to—”

“We will,” Jason said.

And just like that, the conversation ended.

But the tension?

We were just about to walk her out.

Chairs shifted, footsteps echoed softly against the polished floor, and Gracie had already taken a few steps toward the door when—

“A minute,” I called.

My voice wasn’t loud, but it was enough.

She stopped.

Slowly, she turned back to me, a little confused. “Yeah?”

I walked up to her, closing the small distance between us. My expression softened, something reassuring, something calm—nothing that would alarm her.

“It’s okay,” I said gently. “I just want to ask you one more thing.”

She nodded, though I could see the hesitation flicker in her eyes.

I stepped closer.

Then,

I placed my hand lightly on her shoulder.

And locked eyes with her.

The shift was instant.

Subtle to anyone watching… but I felt it.

The way her pupils stilled.

The way her breathing evened out.

The way her entire body seemed to go… quiet.

Empty.

Under.

My voice dropped, smooth and controlled.

“What did you and Ellie argue about that night… before you went to bed?”

For a second, nothing.

Then—

Gracie spoke.

Flat. Honest. Unfiltered.

“She found out.”

The words sent a chill down my spine.

My grip tightened slightly on her shoulder.

“Found out what?” I asked, my voice still steady.

Gracie blinked slowly, her gaze unfocused.

“She saw my messages.”

A pause.

My heart gave a slow, heavy beat.

“What messages?”

Another blink.

“I’ve been talking to Shawn.”

Behind me, I felt the shift.

Someone inhaled sharply.

But I didn’t break eye contact.

“In what way?” I asked.

Gracie’s lips parted.

“…Not just talking.”

The air thickened.

“She knew,” Gracie continued. “About me and him. About how it wasn’t just flirting anymore.”

A sharp silence fell over the room.

“She said she was going to tell Fiona,” Gracie added, her voice still eerily calm. “Said I was being selfish… that I was going to ruin everything.”

My fingers went cold.

“And what did you say?” I asked.

Gracie’s expression didn’t change.

“I told her to mind her business.”

A beat.

“She said she wouldn’t.”

Another beat.

“She said she was going to tell her in the morning.”

My chest tightened.

“And then?” I whispered.

Gracie swallowed.

“I got angry.”

There it was.

The truth.

Raw.

Ugly.

Unhidden.

“I told her if she did, she’d regret it,” she said.

Silence.

Heavy.

Suffocating.

Behind me, I could feel the others now. The tension. The realization. The shift.

“And after that?” I pressed.

Gracie’s brows twitched faintly, like her mind was brushing against something.

“We went to bed.”

A pause.

Then—

“She woke me up later.”

My breath hitched—just slightly.

“And you let her go,” I said softly.

“…Yes.”

No hesitation.

No emotion.

Just truth.

That was enough.

Slowly—

I removed my hand from her shoulder.

The connection snapped.

Gracie blinked rapidly, her focus returning, confusion flickering across her face like she’d just lost a second of time.

“…Sorry, what were we saying?” she asked faintly.

I smiled.

Warm. Easy. Like nothing had just happened.

“Nothing important,” I said lightly. “Just wanted to say… take care of yourself, okay?”

She nodded slowly. “Yeah… you too.”

Hera stepped forward then. “I’ll walk you out.”

“Okay,” Gracie replied, offering a small smile again before turning toward the door.

I watched her leave.

Every step.

Every movement.

Every breath.

Until the we all heard the main entrance door finally close.

Silence filled the room.

No one spoke for a second.

Then—

“…Well,” Jason muttered.

I exhaled slowly, my gaze still fixed on the door.

My voice came out quieter than I expected.

“She lied.”

Killian stepped closer. “Not completely.”

I nodded once.

“No,” I said. “But she didn’t tell us everything either.”

Hera walked back in, biting her lower lips.

“So,” she said, folding her arms. “What did our little friend not mention?”

I turned to them.

To all of them.

And for the first time since this started—

I felt it clearly.

The shift.

The danger.

“She was involved with Shawn,” I said.

Zora’s eyes widened. “Wait—what?”

“Ellie found out,” I continued. “They argued about it. Ellie was going to tell Fiona.”

Jason let out a low whistle. “That’s messy.”

“Messy enough for motive,” Riven added.

Killian’s jaw tightened. “And she threatened Ellie.”

Dove leaned forward slowly. “Which means… she had a reason to want her quiet.”

Silence.

Then Elsie spoke, softer this time.

“But did she kill her?”

No one answered immediately.

Because now,

It wasn’t just one suspect.

It was layers.

Gracie.

Shawn.

Fiona.

The officials.

The lecturers.

And somewhere in between all that—

The truth.

I folded my arms, my thoughts racing.

“…She’s not just a witness anymore,” I said quietly.

Hera smirked slightly.

“No,” she agreed.

“She’s on the list.”

Jason nodded. “Gracie.”

“Shawn,” Hera added immediately.

“And his girlfriend… Fiona,” Sable said.

“Don’t forget the officials,” Dove added.

“Or the lecturers,” Damon finished.

Silence again.

Then I spoke, quietly—

“…Anyone at that camp could’ve done it.”

Killian looked at me.

“And whoever it is,” I added, my chest tightening slightly, “they walked away like nothing happened.”

Hera let out a slow breath.

“Good,” she said.

We all looked at her.

A small, dangerous smile curved her lips.

“Because now… we’re going to find them.”