who's that dead body?

Valery's POV “Keep quiet,” Kairos commanded, his gaze scanning the forest. We remained silent for several minutes, listening intently for any signs of the victims nearby. I hoped they weren't close because I feared what Kairos might do to them. I knew Kairos was kind, but as he had said earlier, he could kill for our safety, and I knew that could easily apply to our friendship. Daisy and I turned our heads toward a dark corner of the forest where the leaves rustled slightly. It couldn’t be the wind; there was hardly any breeze, and the movement wasn’t strong enough to be natural. We focused on that corner, unsure whether to tell Kairos about it. I was scared. When another noise came from that direction, it finally caught Kairos’s attention. “Stay here and don’t make a sound,” he instructed, his voice cold and authoritative. As Kairos approached the area, something emerged from the shadows. “Meow.” It turned out to be just a cat—a brown cat with gray eyes. It was so adorable. “Should we kill it?” Kairos asked. “Come on, it’s just a cute kitten,” Daisy said, petting the cat’s head. It would be nice to take it home, but I felt guilty if it had an owner who didn’t know we had taken their pet! “Think wisely, Daisy. It might be a victim's pet,” Kairos said strictly. “I know that! What I mean is we could use it as bait to lure the victims out if one of them owns it,” she replied casually. I looked at her in disbelief. “Did I hear that right? Are you really suggesting we use that cute and adorable cat to kill one of the victims?” “Yes, Val. That’s how it should be, right? In this game, using anything to kill a victim counts, so why not use someone?” she said innocently. What the actual fudge! I barely recognized them anymore! “P-please don’t hurt him,” we froze when someone stepped out from where the cat had just been. The nerdy girl. “Miss Buena,” I gasped, recognizing her. So, it was Sapphire Buena. “Kairos,” she called, her voice trembling with fear. “P-please don’t hurt our cat child.” “Your cat child?” Kairos stood still, staring at the cat as if it were pleading for its life. “P-please, just kill me instead—” “Leave, Sapp. Run with our cat. Please keep it safe.” She ordered Sapphire calmly, but there was a sense of urgency in her voice. Just moments ago, Kairos had been intent on forcing out the cat’s owner to kill her. What happened? I watched them both, confused. Why did it feel like there was something more? “Th-thank you, Kai. I owe you a lot,” Sapphire said, quickly grabbing the cat and running off. “Please, God. Take her away from here and keep her safe,” Kairos whispered weakly. Daisy and I heard him, but we remained silent. Come on, we don’t have time for chit-chat! We walked quietly to avoid being detected, and then we heard a loud gunshot. “What the hell? I thought only knives and swords were allowed!” I exclaimed. “I think that was King KD. He’s the only one permitted to use that in this situation,” he replied calmly, as if it were normal. Tss, it really was normal for this school. I thought it was unfair. We hadn’t gotten far when we heard a woman’s piercing voice. “Ah, please stop! It hurts!” she cried, her voice filled with pain. “You deserve that, bitch!” a man shouted. “P-please, babe, don’t do this!” Babe? What an adorable love story. “Sorry, but not sorry,” was the last thing we heard before silence fell again. I looked at Daisy, who was staring intently at the direction of the sound as she slowly approached. Even with her back turned, I could tell she was smirking. “Come out, little bitch.” It wasn’t a whisper, but it was loud enough for the person behind the tall tree to hear. A cute girl emerged from the shadows. “Hmmm, let me guess. You’re Blaire Hilgado, right?” Daisy asked, smirking at the girl. The girl simply nodded. “A half-sister of King KD.” I gasped at Daisy's words. What the actual fudge!? Half-sister!? “A rapist’s daughter. Sounds disgusting, right, Val?” Daisy looked at me, as if expecting me to agree. I nodded my head. I didn’t want to show weakness! What would they think of me if I became one of the victims? An easy target!! Easy to kill!! The girl lowered her head as she saw me agree with Daisy. “Should I kill this trash kiddo?” Daisy asked, but I knew it wasn’t really a question. I knew she was ready to kill the girl in front of her. And I wasn’t wrong. Without hesitation, she drew the knife from her thigh and used it expertly. In the blink of an eye, the girl was bleeding and lifeless. I was on high alert when Daisy approached the girl’s head, and I knew what she would do—she would sever it! I tried to stop her, but Kairos held me back. He looked at me seriously. “Let her be, Val.” I nodded, knowing I couldn’t do anything anyway. Daisy successfully severed the girl’s head, holding it like a trophy as we walked, as if it were just a ball. I couldn’t take my eyes off it; my knees trembled each time I glanced at the gruesome sight. We soon reached the area where the victims were held. Now, only the heads remained. Daisy tossed the head into the cell. I noticed there were only four heads there. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Kairos scan the bloody heads. “She’s safe. Thank God,” he whispered as if talking to the air. My attention shifted when I spotted a body not far away. It still had its head, so I knew it wasn’t one of the victims. I rushed over, feeling the eyes of others on my back. When I approached the corpse, I felt like I was about to be sick. They killed him like a freaking animal! I heard footsteps behind me and gasped, but my attention was focused on the man’s forehead. It had two numbers etched into it. And it was 38. “Daniel Zantino.”