Our sweat was dripping from our forehead and I could already feel those on my neck and nape. Who would not get sweat if you were running for almost 2 minutes just to witness what was happening to a next building. My friends and I were having our lunch break in the cafeteria, we were peacefully eating our meals and I was about to scoop again on my plate when Apricit suddenly grabbed my hands that made me shocked. And because of that, I did not grasp the chance to cease her from pulling me towards nowhere.

"Apricit, could we stop for a seconds? I am already running out of oxygen. Where do you want us to go? Can we stop over for a meantime?" In the middle of running, with our friends at the back, I kept on begging Apricit to stop but it seems like she wasn't listening to me and continued to pull my hands to come with her. Hence, I did not complain anymore. They are useless though.

I furrowed my forehead because of the confusion devouring my entire system when I saw how the people encircled a specific spot. I think it was a room. A lot of students where there, gasping, covering their mouth—probably shocked— and some are covering their noses. I covered mine as well when I sniffed an unpleasant smell. I wanted to vomit at this point of time, my mouth was closed and at this moment it seems that I do not want to breathe.

"What smell was that? The heck. It kicked my stomach. So stinky! It smells like a dead person!" Meraki complained and covered her nose as well. I turned my body at her since she was behind me and Apricit. I even widened my eyes at him because that was an inappropriate to say in here. But really, the smell was like a dead something.

"You were right, Ms. It really came from a dead person. " It was a voice of a man. Not a boy, okay? It came from a man on his early 20's. I could not look at him, though. Since I felt that my entire body became paralyzed for some reason, such as what I have heard from him. His phrases threw something odd to us and that made us feel goosebumps throughout our whole physique.

When I had the chance to look at the man, he moved on the side to give us the full access to sight the dead body of a person. A guy. I widened my eyes immediately as soon as my eyes laid on him, my jaw dropped as well and I could not say something.

I was in the middle of being shocked.

What I was seeing not from afar is unbelievable. He was drowning in his own blood and of course, he is lifeless.

"What the.... who did that to him?" Jacin asked the man. And this man glanced at the dead body laying on the floor for a couple of seconds before he looked at us again. Those students were still busy staring at the dead guy, seems like scrutinizing every inch of his body. How they could sleep later if they had the chance to look at him?

The man shooked his head. I do not know him but he seems familiar to me.

"Still, the culprit is anonymous. Let's wait the police and the investigation team to check the whole crime scene.... " He responded to us. I licked my lower lip slightly. Poor guy.

"As of now. While we are still waiting for them, this crime scene and the entire hallway will be temporarily unavailable until further announcement. " The man said. I did not notice that some students were already left their spots. Probably because they could not stand the smell and the face of the guy.

"Can we check the guy? We are one of the student government. I think we have the rights to check our student as a leader?" Arawn apprised. He was right, we were a member of student government here and that was the bridge on how we developed our relationship to each other as buddies of best friends.

The man looked at Arawn's eyes directly. Arawn was somewhat taller than him, probably an inch or two, so he was looking up slightly to meet Arawn's eyes.  The man sighed deeply, seems hesitating.

"Sure. But don't touch the body or else your fingerprints will be transfered to his body and might accuse you for killing him which is you did not do, right?" He questioned and Arawn immediately nodded at him as a sign of agreement to what he have said. The man handed the footgloves for us, I do not know why does he have this immediately.

"Go, check it until the police and investigation team haven't arrived yet. Be careful not to leave any thing from your possesion, alright?" He reminded once again. We all nodded. The entire hallway now is clear and you could only see us, the students that was encircling the dead body are now gone. They left already.

The unpleasant was still there, surrounding as and enveloping the entire spot. However, as time passes by, it seems like our nose and our brain are already uses to that smell so we did not even bothered to cover our nose while we were walking towards the body of the guy on the ground.

"Thank you. But, how can we address you? I did not encounter you before. " Cirius said while facing the man. That is what I wanted to ask to him earlier, but unfortunately, I could not intrude and placed myself in the middle of their conversatiom because they were really serious. And by any chance, I do not want to ruin their serious discussion.

"Call me Alfonso. Regarding that.... " He chuckled and paused. "I actually rarely expose myself to other students unless important. Only the staffs and the schoop president know me. And you of course. Glad to meet you. " Alfonso added and smiled to us. I saw Cirius nodded at him and bowed a little as a sign of thank you.

"The f—he has been killed brutally. No jokes. This is really brutal. " Meraki claimed as she squatted at the side of the body of a dead guy. She was looking at him intently and checking his face closely.

I bit my lower lip and sighed deeply. "May I know what is his name, Alfonso?" I questioned and turned my head at Alfonso who was standing at the entrance of the room and crossing his arms.

"I do not know his full name. But, I heard the student says that his name is Lenard. " Alfonso responded to me.

"I have been wondering since earlier the reason why he has been killed. Like, the valid and rational reason to hear from that person. But, after all, murdering someone is very inappropriate. Do you agree with me, guys?" Apricit said. She was just standing and letting us to what we wanted to do with Lenard.

"I am wondering the same too. If it is because of a small thing and could be resolve in a peaceful way, without shedding a blood, then this is not an option. Right? Every things will be fixed and will have a closure by a serious discussion. Or if otherwise, they should distance their selfs to each other. " I said and squatted as well beside Lenard's body. The blood was slowly getting dry.

And if you will look closely to his bruised and to his bloods, you will claim that he has been murdered an hour ago.

"Guys, look... What is this?" Jacim questioned and was pointing at something. All of us went closer to him and glance at the area of Lenard's body where he is pointing his pointing finger.

I furrowed my forehead and squinted my eyes a little bit.

"The hell was that... a scratch?" Apricit said as he leaned closer while holding on Arawn's shoulder.

"Yes. Obviously. This looks like a scratch of an animal who has a long nails. Like cats? Dogs? Tigers? Lions? Wild animals to be precise. " Cirius said. I furrowed my forehead even more. I do not get it. Why does he has a scratch.

"Maybe it came from a past. Perhaps, a cat or a dog.. or something with long nails scratch him before. Does what I am saying makes sense?" I said and leave a question for them. I saw Cirius licked his lips and looked at me and then stared at the scratch once again.

We became silent. I do not know why. Maybe, all of us were busy figuring this thing out.

"Wait, wait, wait. Let me check again. " Cirius said and grabbed his phone. He tapped something on it and eventually a light appeared from his back camera.

Oh. It was a flashlight. He turned on the flashligtt of his phone. Cirius pointed the light at the scratch and looked at it closely and yet carefully not to have a skin-to-skin touch with Lenard's body.

"I doubt that this is from his past. The scratchs and the bloods are fresh. If this was from before, this should be in wounds already or a bruises. But, look, they are still fresh. "

"The hell tinkerbell. Really?" Apricit said and looked at Lenard's skin closely. At the scratches to be precise.

"Oh my gosh.... " She suddenly said when she pulled herself up. Apricit licked her upper lip and looked at us one by one. "Cirius is right. The scratches are fresh... " she whispered. Seems like she was afraid that someone might hear here.

"Do not tell me that an animal really had the strength and power to kill him?" Meraki questioned.

Arawn and Janci shrugged their shoulder. They do not know what to answer to Meraki since they have no clues either.

"Uh... sorry to interrupt you, guys. But the police and investigation team along with the school president have arrived already. " Alfonso said to us. I even flinched because I did not even notice that he was standing close to me. When Alfonso saw my reaction he looked at me and chuckled before he turned his back to walk towards the exit door.

We followed Alfonso and a lot of people. Girl and boy. Wearing a police and investigator uniform. Some are detectives, mayhaps.

"Good day. We are very sorry if we entered the crime scene. As a member of student government, we just wanted to know what happened to him. We deeply apologize. " Arawn apolgized in front of the authorities, our school president, and to Alfonso as well. I furrowed my forehead as I look at Arawn.

"It is fine. We are glad that you are reallt doing well and you all have this guge concerns towards our students. Well done, leaders. However, may we know what you have found on him?" Our school president, Liandree Neville, said and threw a question to us in the end. Arawn looked at us, since he was in front and we were in his back, beside him.

"Uh... We just checked the bloods and.. we saw a scratch on his body. " I said. I had the courage to speak since no one dared to open their mouth except Arawn. The school president and the authorities in front of us looked at each other and furrowed their forehead.

"A scratch? Of what?"