GRACE'S POV

Part of me was afraid to even admit what I had just said. I had little to no clue what Sam would do if she figured out I knew a lot more than she thought.

"What do you mean you're starting to remember?" Loki raised a brow like I was going crazy.

"I know it's weird but...it's like if I tried really hard I can remember a lot about myself. I don't know what caused it." I tried to explain.

I wasn't lying either, suddenly I could remember parts of me I never knew. A while ago I learned some crucial parts about myself in the library. Now I can feel like those things are real, but they're missing important context.

In the writing, I mentioned a lot about wanting to hurt myself, and it seemed to bring back that trauma. Even though I can't entirely remember the reason why I was depressed, the books had the power to restore my depression.

But now...it feels a lot more familiar than normal.

"Interesting..." The Zoroark shuffled around so she was fully facing me. "Are you sure you can remember? This is really important, maybe you can figure out how you got here?"

"Maybe, but I know it works better if something familiar happens, like a close feeling of deja vu." I shrugged lightly and turned away to gaze at the fake sky. "Everything's kinda fake now."

Loki hummed and thought long about what I said. It felt like this was important to her, so I decided to humor her.

"We can try to figure it out before the trial perhaps?" I turned to offer.

She seemed to be satisfied with this response and offered me a smiling nod. "Right."

LOKI'S POV

There was absolutely something up with Grace, I just couldn't understand how. I must have missed something earlier.

After rejoining with the investigation group I was quickly filled in on what they had discovered.

"The vent was closed." Luster walked over to inform me with a small frown. "Whoever did this must have been fast."

"Are we still under the assumption that this was a murder?" Sammy chimed in monotone. "This is our lives on the line."

"Vanta could have also been sick." Zantai crossed his arms in thought. "I don't think he'd tell anyone about that though."

"He's not above being honest, though." I quickly added. "I'm sure he would have admitted it if he trusted the person enough."

"This is getting quite difficult." Galant groaned in frustration. "Is this really a murder?"

"How do you explain the memory gem situation then?" Luster turned to reiterate. "I believe there's something else going on here."

"Unless we're talking about two separate things." Rayne mentioned. "For all we know these things could be unrelated."

"And yet the timing is somehow perfect?" Luster sighed in frustration.

Before the conversation could continue we quickly realized this was going nowhere. Sammy was the first person to walk over to the center of the room and put down a stern paw.

"The first thing is figuring out how Vanta died. I know it might be difficult but if we don't diagnose anything then we will all die for it." The Braixen practically ordered.

She was right, though. We've gotten a bit rusty at this...

"Only after that is when we can figure out if he was killed or not." I nodded in agreement before watching as the group gathered to walk back.

When we did return to the scene of the crime, everyone seemed calmer. All of the confusion turned into sadness upon seeing the corpse once again.

Someone had shut Vanta's eyes for him out of respect whenever we left, which was most likely for the better. Beside him lies a towel drenched in dried blood, most likely used before he died.

His muzzle was drenched in a lot of fresh blood...I wonder what kind of illness causes this much internal bleeding? I'm also wondering why he's not on the bed—almost like he knew he was about to die and tried to warn someone.

"He's still glowing somehow..." Galant noted with a small frown.

"That shouldn't happen, from what I know." Sammy hummed lightly and scribbled something on her clipboard.

"Many Pokemon's bodies take longer to process death whenever they feel their lives are incomplete." Leon crossed his arms and leaned closer to the body on the floor. "While he is in fact dead, there's clearly something he's holding out for."

"I never knew that..." Rayne exhaled lightly.

"There's no signs of physical damage." Zantai—who was also analyzing the corpse—continued after the jackal. "Everything that happened to him probably was internal...shit's not easy to find either."

"Sammy, is there anything Hydra left behind that could help diagnose a death?" Luster turned to the young Braixen.

"Not really...he made those analyses himself through aura." She frowned in response.

"He must have been trained for that purpose, then." Leon noted with a tilt of his head. "Interesting way to use that energy."

"Makes it hard for us to figure this shit out." Zantai scoffed in frustration before leaning against the wall. "If we really want to pretend we can s—"

The Blaziken was mid-sentence whenever the wall vent he was leaning on suddenly detached, causing the bird to tumble into the opening.

"Zantai!" I quickly called and leaped forward to check on him.

"I'm fine." The fire bird muttered in anger as he slammed a balled fist into the vent wall. "What the fuck is this doing open!?"

"That's a very good question." Rayne added.

"I hardly noticed that vent...it's painted the same color as the wall." Sammy drew a thin outline around the hatch with a pen.

"What is it even for?" I questioned.

"Originally it was meant to transport Hydra's medical supplies from the attic, but it was never used." Sammy heaved a long sigh and offered a paw to the Blaziken. "C'mon, let's get you out of there."

Obviously trying to swallow his pride, Zantai took the paw with his attempt of a smile and lifted himself out of the vent—Sammy visually struggling a bit with his weight.

"Okay, so this changes things." Luster cleared his throat in preparation. "That's normally closed, right?"

"I couldn't tell you, I've never seen it used." The young Braixen shrugged lightly. "But it's good to keep in mind."

"Is it possible to show us where that connects?" Galant seemed to volunteer to try the idea of searching.

"Yeah uh..." Sammy turned to gaze at the crowd in the room. "Only a few of you can come, though. We need as many numbers doing multiple things right now."

"That's fine." The Gallade reassured.

"How about just me, you, and Loki?" She pointed at each of the aforementioned 'mons before we nodded in agreement. "Then let's go, we'll need to head back to the gymnasium."

"Right." I nodded in affirmation.

The walk was very easy as the gym doors were practically next to Hydra's office. Upon entering, it didn't take long for Sammy to point us upwards.

"I hope both of you are good at climbing." The Braixen mentioned as we locked eyes on the attic hatch about 30 feet in the air. "Normally we have a ladder for this situation, but I bet you can wonder where we left it."

"Up there, huh..." Galant sighed in preparation. "We should do this one at a time, it can be dangerous."

"Do you mind going first?" I turned to the Gallade, who was already psyching himself up.

"I was planning to do that anyway..!" Galant swiped a bladed arm before his body emanated a gentle pink aura. It only took him leaping into the air that I realized he altered his gravity with some sort of psychic energy.

Before we even knew it, the Gallade was floating his way up to the hatch and pulling it down to enter.

"Don't get hurt up there!" Sammy cupped her paws to emanate her voice towards Galant.

"I wonder what he'll find." I thought aloud.

"Too much, probably. Not even Sam looks up there anymore." The Braixen muttered under her breath.

Hopefully it's enough to help us in the trial. It felt like we've had it good this whole time with everyone helping...but the more of us fall the harder it can get to trust one another.

This case is the first of its kind that caused us pure confusion.

Suddenly, the dreaded chime rang around the building.

"TIME'S UP!" Sam's voice would chirp through the intercom. "Everybody meet in the living room for the trial!!"

"Damnit..." I hissed through my teeth. "That's still not enough evidence, is it?"

"Let's pray everyone else has something." Sammy could only frown at me.

GRACE'S POV

"I have to know more."

I don't know why but it felt like I would get most of my answers in the library. Sam already called for everyone to gather in the living room, but I knew I at least had a little bit of time left before she forced me there.

Everything was the same as I had last seen it. The numerous books color color-coded and lined up against the shelves for others to see. I came to wonder who hadn't been in here yet...lucky them, I suppose.

If I'm able to remember things without a memory gem, I'm starting to think it could be caused by familiar events.

I remembered exactly where the book meant for me was placed, and upon opening it I read the same script:

"...small little diary! I only really started writing a few months ago, but it's really fun! I'm glad I found something I could do...life was getting really rough without an escape. Mom and Dad don't seem interested in what I do, but that doesn't matter. Soon there will be nothing to care about anyway! But...that happens a little later."

Something did feel different about it this time, however. It almost felt like I could place myself inside the time I wrote it.

Like...I could just...

...

Then I remembered.

...

Suddenly, it was like I was no longer in the mansion.

...

"Grace..!" I heard a voice calling for me in the dark wilderness.

I shuffled my paws for warmth as the small tent I had built was nothing compared to a den. But it was sure as hell better than going back there.

"Grace! Where are you?" The voice exclaimed, too far away for me to tell who it was.

I shut the diary below me with one paw and slid it to the corner. Was it too big of an ask to just rot away by myself? I just keep making mistakes over and over again. I'm already accepting the end of this life—Arceus, I want to leave this place forever.

"Grace..! Please, it's me!"

There's nothing for me to come back to. I'm quite literally the only failure in my line. I don't have a good skill or profession, and I haven't evolved.

The wind had picked up, if it weren't for me being in this tent it would have been blown away.

"...fuck!"

The voice was getting closer, and I was able to tell it sounded somewhat familiar.

I tried to stay as silent as possible. I've done this stunt before but I'm absolutely serious about leaving this time.

Nobody can make me think otherwise, the person who used to be able to already lef—

"Grace, it's me..." The voice was somehow directly in front of the tent opening.

"V-Vanta..?" I timidly peeked my head up to gaze at his silhouette through the cloth.

"Mom and Dad sent me to get you." He uttered before taking a seat close to the tent. "You know you can't be doing this whenever I'm working, they'll always make me get you."

"Cuz they don't care!" I spat out and planted my head back in the covers. "It wouldn't make a difference to them if I was dead!"

"Grace." Vanta sternly called. "As your brother, you know I hate hearing you say that."

"You'd be the only one." I groaned.

He didn't say much after that. Through the now peaceful silence were winds filling the empty air. I could still see the Umbreon's rings very faintly through the tent fabrics.

"You wouldn't be as forgotten as you think, you know." The Umbreon's voice grew more solemn.

"What makes you say that?" My muffled voice questioned him.

"Just look up." He exhaled.

Not knowing what he meant, I quite literally did look up to find nothing but fabric. In an attempt to humor him, I unzipped the opening of my tent to face him.

The Umbreon didn't look back, instead, he just faced the sky. I leaped out and craned my head to mimic where he was looking.

It's strange that the whole time I was running away I never decided to look up. The sky here is filled with stars to the brim—nothing like the village back at home.

"It may look like there's no more space for a star, but there always will be. If you do good with this life you have, you'll be one of those stars up there, shining brighter than the rest." Vanta turned to face me with a reassuring smile. "That way, nobody will ever forget you—since you'll always be there."

"...I-I..." My voice croaked as the only thing I could do was sniffle.

"Remember, Grace, I will always protect you." The Umbreon pulled himself up to begin walking away. "But you have to protect yourself too."

His words rang around my head like I'd heard them somewhere before.

"I will always protect you."

"I will always protect you."

"I will always protect you."

"V-Vanta..!" I yelped as I watched him trudge away. Having enough of my own head, I leaped forward to try and grab onto his leg.

...

Instantly, I was nowhere near the wilderness...and in front of me was my brother's lifeless corpse.

I let out a horrific scream.

Not knowing how, I somehow managed to have a memory and walk all the way back to where Vanta had died.

But even worse...

"V-Van...ta..." My hoarse voice couldn't even speak anymore as I tried to shake him awake. "I'm...r-right here..!"

This was the absolute worst time to remember he was my brother. Everything came crashing down. Accepting his death was hard, but I had to do it all over again. I mourned a friend, but now I have to mourn my own brother.

His words would start to come back to my head:

"Yup...I can't remember her name because of the amnesia, but all I know is that she's...dead."

I shook my head in denial and tapped my paw against his cold cheek. "I-I'm alive, Vanta..! I'm right here! Listen to me, please!"

"Part of that reason is why I swore to protect you. Something tells me I failed back then, and I refused to fail again."

"You didn't fail! You didn't fucking fail!" I cried out, my paw roughly smacking against his chest. "Please..!"

"Grace...promise me something."

"If I die, and there's the smallest chance that my sister is alive...will you tell her I loved her very much?"

"No!! I told you, you can tell her yourself! I'm right here Vanta, please!" I sobbed against his fur, not caring about the blood coating my own.

"Please..."

"Grace?" I perked up at the voice before turning to watch Loki's horrified face. "What are you doing here?"

The Zoroark worriedly knelt before me and tried to pull me off the Umbreon. I only shook her off and stared straight into her eyes.

"L-Loki...I remembered now." I spoke through the hiccups of crying. "Vanta is my brother."

But...she didn't look incredibly surprised.

"I-I...didn't know when you'd find out." Loki frowned in worry.

"...w-what?" My body froze.