Trigger Warning:
This chapter contains references to violence, Death, Blood, Psychological Distress, Survival Game, Execution, Trauma. Reader discretion is advised.
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Third Person's POV
"No, almost four years in total here in hell," said Hermione, almost silently.
Micquel clenched her fist.
"But didn't you say earlier when you woke up that you thought you died?" asked Mexile.
Micquel turned to Mexile. "'Cause in my dream, it felt real. I was in an open area, surrounded by enemies, and someone arrived—I didn't know who they were—but they were about to be hit by an attack. I... I took the hit for them." Everyone fell silent at what Micquel said. "But that's impossible, the attack was way too dangerous—"
Her words were cut off by Draven. "Everything you saw in that dream really happened, Micquel. All of it," he said, and they all heard Micquel let out a deep sigh.
"I hate this," said Micquel. "But... I want to know everything," she added.
No one spoke—they didn't want to overwhelm Micquel.
"I want to know everything. What were you saying earlier, Sathia and Hermione? How long have we been here?" asked Micquel.
"Today is November 11, 3028," said Hermione. "This game was built almost four years ago—January 1, 3025," she added.
"You're kidding... right?" Micquel said in disbelief. "That's impossible! You've been inside the game for that long?" she added.
Titus adjusted his watch, and before long, it projected a hologram that displayed today's date along with a map of the entire area they were in.
Micquel was even more shocked, though something else caught her attention—but she lost focus on the hologram when Titus spoke again.
"That night we were celebrating the end of our school camping trip in the forest... it's been almost four years. December 31, 3024, near midnight—the entire place suddenly went silent because of a spreading gas that knocked us all unconscious. By the next day, January 1, we woke up in a village. We were all inside a huge arena, with no idea where we were or what was happening around us," Titus began.
Micquel remained silent—she couldn't accuse Titus of lying. He was a serious person, not someone who jokes around.
"On that first day, we were all still extremely confused after waking up inside the arena. Then we heard a monotone male voice from somewhere," Titus continued.
"I am calling for your full attention. You are now participants in a game. And this is not an ordinary game—this is a Deadly Game.
There are five teams: White, Red, Blue, Yellow, Black."
"We thought it was all fake," said Sol, her face full of sorrow.
"After hearing that voice, a door opened in the arena, so we all ran out—only to find four other arenas surrounding ours. People came out from three of them... but no one came out from the one assigned to the Black Team," she added.
"Then the monotone voice spoke again," said Elizia, but Micquel noticed something about her. She frowned—Elizia was one of the three people being hunted by the Blue Team. Micquel felt something was off about her, but since everyone was so serious, she didn't give it much attention for now.
"You need to kill your opponent within a week. The team with the most kills will be spared punishment.
This game has no time limit.
This is a survival game.
The last team standing will win and receive a grand prize.
So this Deadly Game... starts now."
Micquel listened in stunned silence.
"We ignored everything we heard. All the teams stuck together and searched for a way out. Almost a week passed, and we found nothing—no exit. Then on the seventh day, we all woke up to a sound. No one knew what it meant or where it came from. But when you heard it, the only thing you'd feel was dread—so terrifying it gave you goosebumps. Still, we ignored it and tried to go on with a new day.
We stayed in a so-called safe zone behind the arena. There was food and basic supplies for everyone. But even that day, the sound wouldn't stop—until a scream got everyone's attention. We rushed to the source... and found something that changed everything. One of our team members was hanging from a flagpole, soaked in her own blood—dead. That person was Julie," Solstice recounted, making Micquel gasp—Julie had been one of her and Solstice's closest friends.
"Then the monotone voice returned," said Mexile.
"Red Team: zero kills.
That is one of the lowest kill counts.
You have received a punishment.
One member will be executed.
This is the rule of the weekly killings—called the 'Kronos Oath'."
"We realized every team had lost a member. From that day on, fear took root inside us. The Deathly Game was real. Each group received weapons—tools we could use to kill. We didn't want to play the game, but we were being eliminated, and that's what we wanted to stop. So if we're going to play... at least we're fight back," said Hermione.
"Wait... this is really happening?" Micquel murmured, barely believing what she was hearing.
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