I’m a villain within the hero’s party

Von, Helen, Robin, the Priest, and Maya spent the rest of the night in the cave.

They are the remaining survivors out of the original one hundred expeditionists.

The group was exhausted. Their bodies were sore from the long walk through the forest, and their minds were still shaken from the monster they had fought earlier. It had taken all of their strength to survive, and now, they were finally able to rest, at least for a while.

Von thought to himself, "I've lost everything—my comrades, my friends, and my future. The chance to compete for the Academy is gone. This was supposed to be my final year as a senior, but now representing Robert's Magic Academy feels impossible. It will badly affect my chances of becoming a Mage at Robert's Tower. I've failed as a squad leader."

He closed his eyes slowly, the weight of guilt pressing down on him. And so, Von fell asleep, still holding his staff, haunted by his mistakes and failures.

The cold wind blew softly into the cave as the sun began to rise. A pale light touched the stone walls, and the fire they had built the night before had long gone out.

Maya was the first to wake up.

She stretched her body slowly, feeling the stiffness in her back from sleeping on the hard ground. Her arms reached up, and she let out a quiet yawn. The cave was quiet, too quiet.

She looked around.

Von was still asleep, his staff clutched tightly in his hands. Robin lay near the wall, his cloak wrapped around him. The Priest was snoring softly, and Amber was curled up with her back to the entrance.

But Helen's spot was empty.

Maya blinked. Maybe Helen had gone outside to get some air. She stood up and walked toward the cave entrance, brushing dust off her clothes.

As she stepped outside, the cold morning air hit her face. The forest was quiet, with only the sound of leaves rustling in the wind.

Then she saw it.

A trail of blood.

Her eyes followed the trail, and her heart began to race. Just a few steps away, caught on a sharp rock, was a piece of cloth—Helen's mantle. It was torn and soaked in blood.

Maya froze.

Her mouth opened, but no words came out. Her hands trembled.

"Argghhhh", Maya screamed.

The others rushed out; weapons drawn as their eyes scanning the surroundings. Robin knelt beside the bloodstained cloth; his jaw clenched.

He said, "This was no accident. A monster must've taken her during the night."

But Amber, calm and focused, knelt beside the trail. She closed her eyes and placed her hand over the bloodstained ground. A faint shimmer of mana flickered in the air, barely noticeable, but undeniably done by a human.

She stood slowly. "No. This wasn't a monster."

Everyone turned to her.

He added, "There's a trace of mana here. Subtle. Controlled. This was done by someone who knows how to hide their presence."

Her eyes narrowed as they landed on Von.

"Did you assign someone to keep watch while we slept?" she asked.

Von's eyes widened and remarked, "What are you saying?"

Amber took a step closer and replied, "I'm saying someone killed Helen. And the killer must be one of us."

The cave fell silent.

Von shook his head slowly. "No. I didn't assign anyone. We were all too tired. After the monster fight, we could barely stand."

"Exactly," she said. "We were exhausted. So, was it just a coincidence? You, pretending to be an incompetent squad leader, forgetting something as basic as posting a lookout?"

Von's face turned pale. "What are you trying to say?"

Amber's voice was calm, but sharp like a blade. "I'm saying maybe you didn't forget. Maybe you wanted us all to sleep. Maybe you made sure no one would be awake to see what you were planning."

Von's face twisted in shock, he declared, "That's not true!"

Before he could say more, Maya stepped forward, her voice trembling but firm, "Stop blaming our squad leader, Amber. He could never kill one of us. We don't have any proof, either."

Amber turned to her slowly, her eyes cold, "You never changed, Maya. Still the same naïve girl, clinging to someone stronger than you."

She took a step closer and said, "What proof do you want? Your dead body next?"

Maya flinched, her eyes wide with hurt and fear.

Robin stepped between them quickly. "That's enough, Amber!"

But Amber didn't back down. "No, it's not enough. Someone here killed Helen. And if we keep pretending everything's fine, more of us could die."

Von's voice cracked. "I didn't do it. I swear to God."

Amber stared at him. "Then help us find out who did. Because if it wasn't you. It's someone else standing right here."

Amber thought to herself, "For now, I need to keep a close eye on Von. Ever since we started this survival exam, he's been acting like a completely different person. And knowing that he risked the squad's safety just to save Gabby makes him a prime suspect."

She glanced at Maya, who still stood beside Von, defending him.

"Maya trusts him too much," Amber thought. "She's blind to the truth. But I'm not. I'll find out what really happened to Helen. Even if no one else wants to see it."

Amber's grip tightened around her staff. She didn't know for sure if Von was guilty—but she was going to find out soon.

The Priest said, "Maya is right. We don't have any proof, Amber. I know you're worried about everything that's happened, but we need to keep moving. The waterfalls aren't far from here."

The group stood in silence; the tension still thick in the air. No one knew what to say. Helen was gone, and the truth was buried somewhere in the shadows.

But they couldn't stay in the cave forever.

One by one, they gathered their things and prepared to move. The trail of blood still haunted their thoughts, and suspicion lingered like a fog.