"I didn't do anything! Why are you all blaming me?!" the female teacher yelled, her voice cracking as she shot up from the chair so fast it nearly toppled over behind her. Her hands trembled at her sides, fingers curled into tight fists as she stared at the circle of accusing faces around her.

  "How can you hurt a child?" A caretaker responded quickly, stepping forward with her arms tightly crossed over her chest. Her lips formed a thin, disapproving line as she stared at the teacher down.

  Another caretaker spoke up, her voice full of contempt, "You were hired to teach him slowly. No one gave you permission to do anything as you wished." She emphasized each word by pointing a finger at the teacher.

  The teacher raised her hands in the air, her face flushed red from frustration. "How many times do I tell you that it's not me! Everything was probably his doing!"

  A different caretaker scoffed and rolled her eyes. "How can a child do something like that?" He can't even write yet."

  "You underestimate them too much," the teacher said, her nails digging into her palms. "Do you all think he doesn't have a brain?" She pointed angrily at the hallway. "He probably put that cockroach there!"

  The manager, who had been quietly observing the argument from behind her large wooden desk, finally sighed deeply and raised her hand. "Calm down and take a seat," she said in a firm but measured tone.

  The manager's appearance was as formal as her voice; she wore an old-fashioned white British blouse buttoned all the way up to her throat, paired with a long black skirt that brushed the floor. Her jet-black hair was pulled back into a neat bun, with no strand out of place. Her elbows rested precisely on the polished surface of the desk, her fingers steepled in front of her thin lips, as she looked around with cold eyes.

  "The rest of you leave," she ordered, watching as the teacher sank back into her chair.

  No one dared to speak as they walked out of the office one by one, the heavy door closing behind the last caretaker. When only the manager and the shaken teacher remained in the suddenly too-quiet room, the manager eventually lowered her hands and said, "You can speak now."

  "You heard me what I said all this time. I wasn't the one who did this! It's a misunderstanding!"

  "So you are saying the child was to blame for everything?"

  "Yes, he planned, and I'm sure of it. I saw him smiling at me before I was taken away."

  "I saw the footage, and I can say that he didn't put any cockroaches anywhere. He was sitting on your lap when the commotion began, and your hand was also near the area where he was pinched."

  "But you have to–"

  "It's alright; you don't have to worry about anything regarding this matter," the manager said smoothly. She carefully slid a delicate teacup across the polished surface of the desk toward the distraught woman. "Why don't you have some tea while we discuss this situation properly?"

  The teacher's gaze focused on the cup in front of her, a simple round porcelain vessel nearly full of steaming black tea. The dark liquid swirled slightly as it came to rest in front of her, sending heat tendrils into the cool office air. After a long pause, the teacher reached out and lifted the cup to her lips, taking a cautious sip. Despite her confusion, she could not deny the exquisite flavor, which combined the rich, earthy notes of expensive tea leaves with just the right amount of sweetness. Though she had no intention of drinking at first, the first taste compelled her to take a second, slightly larger sip.

  Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

  "That child despises you," the manager said matter-of-factly, watching the teacher over her own untouched cup. "You should just quit."

  The teacup froze halfway between the teacher's lips. "Excuse me?"

  "You shouldn't have messed with my darling,"

  The teacher's hands began to tremble as she looked at the manager's composed expression. Several seconds passed in silence before her eyes twitched uncontrollably. A strange, uncomfortable sensation emerged in her stomach and spread rapidly through her limbs. When she touched her lips with trembling fingers, they became stained with bright red blood.

  Her widening eyes met the manager's gaze for the last time, and the older woman smiled softly, almost kindly, as if she were watching a child sleep. The teacher's vision blurred, and she collapsed forward onto the surface of the desk with a dull thud.

  The manager waited patiently, counting the seconds in her head until all movement had stopped. Only then did she raise her voice to call, "Where is everyone?!"

  The door burst open immediately, several caretakers rushing in with concerned expressions. Their gaze was drawn to the scene, which showed the teacher's lifeless body slumped awkwardly across the desk, her face turned to the side. The overturned teacup was nearby, with its remaining contents dripping steadily onto the floor in dark splashes.

  "Who made this tea?" The manager's voice echoed throughout the room as she quickly stood up from her seat.

  The caregivers were unsure of what to say or do, so they froze, their eyes darting between each other's faces. After standing there for too long like a statue, one finally opened her mouth. "We have to see the kitchen," she said slowly, as if she was unsure.

  "Then why are you standing here like idiots?" The manager's shout caused them all to flinch. "Go search the kitchen now!" Her finger pointed directly at the door. The caretaker who spoke turned quickly, almost tripping over herself in her haste to get out. The others followed closely, the door swinging shut behind them.

  The room went silent. The manager walked around the table, her shoes clicking against the hardwood floor. She stepped past the teacher's body, which was still on the table.

  The manager's body began to tremble, her limbs twitching and twisting in strange directions. Her skin rippled like disturbed water as her shoulders slumped, and her entire body shrank like air leaking from a balloon. Her nice clothes, the white blouse with all its buttons and the long black skirt melted away to reveal a plain black dress that hung loosely on a smaller figure.

  Senua stood there now, like a kid again. She looked over her shoulder at the deceased teacher one last time with a blank expression. Then she went to the door, turned the knob, and walked out into the hall as if it were any other day. The door clicked shut softly behind her.

  As she walked down the long, empty corridor, her small body began to shift and grow. Her limbs stretched out, her shoulders widened, and in just a few steps she had transformed back into the tall, familiar form of one of the caretakers. Her plain black dress melted away, giving way to the standard blue uniform worn by the entire staff.

  She moved with purpose, turning at specific corners and passing through identical doors until she arrived at the correct one. She quietly pushed open the door to the bright playroom, where Solus sat alone on the carpeted floor. His small hands were carefully stacking colored blocks into a simple tower, not even looking up as she approached.

  "Report," he said flatly, placing another block precisely.

  Senua smiled down at him, hands neatly placed in front of her. "Everything is done,"

  Solus continued to stack blocks without pausing. "What about the manager?"

  "She's gone forever. No one will find her."

  The plan had worked perfectly, exactly as they had discussed. There were no cameras in the manager's office, which worked to their advantage. If the manager mysteriously vanished following the teacher's death, all suspicion would be directed toward her. The disappearance along with the poisoning would create such a mess that the staff would be too busy investigating to pay attention to anything else for quite some time.

  "No one would disturb me now for a while," Solus muttered, carefully balancing a small red block atop his growing structure. His voice remained completely calm. "You can leave now."

  "See you later, darling," Senua said playfully, blowing him a kiss before turning on her heel and leaving the room, gently closing the door behind her.