The walls hissed as the sealed doors opened. Ethan stepped into the chamber with careful, measured steps, his eyes scanning everything—walls, corners, cameras. It was a room designed to look like comfort but built for pressure.
Warm yellow light glowed from faux lanterns hanging from a wooden ceiling. The round table at the center had ten chairs, each labeled with a codename. It looked like a dinner party scene straight out of a cabin murder mystery novel.
But this wasn't fiction.
This was death.
Ethan found his chair—Falcon. His pulse quickened as he sat. The cushioned seat didn't help. There were no windows. No visible exits. Just walls designed to watch and listen.
One by one, the others entered, pausing at the threshold before choosing their seats:
Violet: Jade. She offered Ethan a glance, nothing more. Their alliance had to remain secret for now.
Stone: Dorian. His broad shoulders looked stiff with unease.
Reaper: The fighter girl from before—Talia. She sat like she was already preparing to survive.
Owl: Glasses, reserved as ever.
Ash: A woman in her 30s with clipped speech and alert eyes.
Whisper: A nervous-looking teen, couldn't be older than nineteen.
Scorch: A brash man with a crooked nose and the restless energy of a bomb.
Bloom: A small woman with a motherly look—deceptively harmless.
Ghost: A silent, brooding man who hadn't said a word since entering.
Ten players. One killer.
Ethan's stomach knotted as a voice echoed from above.
"Welcome to Round Two: The Werewolf Game."
"In this room, one of you is the Werewolf. Each night, they may kill one player. One of you is the Detective—you may investigate one player per night. One of you is the Hunter—you have one bullet to use during the day. The rest are innocent Humans."
"Each day, you'll vote. The player with the most votes is eliminated. If the Werewolf dies, all eliminated Humans are revived and move to the next round. If the Werewolf wins, they survive—and everyone else is eliminated."
"Roles are secret. Lies are allowed. Trust no one."
The screen above the table flickered, showing a red moon over a dark forest.
"Night Phase Begins. Close your eyes."
The lights clicked off.
Night One
Darkness.
Not just dimness—pitch black. The kind that made your heartbeat sound louder in your ears. Ethan shut his eyes even tighter, trying not to breathe too loudly.
Somewhere across from him, the Werewolf was choosing their first victim.
"Werewolf, choose your target."
A few seconds passed. Someone moved—barely audible.
"Detective, choose one player to investigate."
Ethan felt the cool device in his ear buzz. He lifted his hand and pointed—Scorch. The loud one. Suspicious by default.
"Scorch is… Human."
He exhaled through his nose.
"Hunter, standby."
"Night ends."
Dawn
The lights came up slowly—soft and warm, almost too gentle after the tension.
All ten players were still sitting upright.
Then Scorch blinked. He was looking around.
Alive.
So was everyone else.
Whispers began instantly.
"No one's dead?"
"Did the Werewolf hesitate?"
"Maybe the kill failed?"
Ethan narrowed his eyes.
No announcement from the voice. No death message. Nothing.
That was worse.
The silence wasn't mercy.
It was strategy.
Day One — The First Conversation
The group was still quiet. Eyes shifted. Hands twitched. Finally, Reaper stood.
"We can't just sit here like sheep," she said, arms crossed. "Who's going to talk first?"
Ghost didn't respond.
"I'm calling it now," Scorch growled. "Ghost is shady as hell. Not one word."
"Or just quiet," Bloom said gently. "Some people are like that."
"Yeah? In a game like this? Silence is death," Scorch muttered.
Ash cut in. "It's too early to accuse anyone. There wasn't even a kill."
"That's what you'd say if you were the wolf," Scorch snapped.
Tension flared instantly.
Stone spoke for the first time. "We can't afford to panic. We're not even sure the kill went through. We should treat this like a warning shot."
Whisper's voice trembled. "Or maybe the Werewolf just… enjoyed making us wait."
The screen above the table activated.
"Day Phase — Voting Not Required on First Day."
"You may discuss freely. Use your time wisely."
A clock appeared—counting down from 15 minutes.
They had until it ran out.
Suspicion Begins
Ethan stayed quiet at first. Observing.
Reaper was decisive, sharp. Probably not the wolf—too forward. Or… that's what she wanted them to think.
Scorch was erratic. Quick to judge. Human? Possibly. Too obvious to be a killer?
Owl hadn't spoken yet. He was watching everyone. Ethan knew his brain was working overtime.
Ghost... unreadable. Dangerous for that reason alone.
He considered speaking up—declaring his Detective role. But no. Too early. If he exposed himself and got it wrong, he'd become a target for both the wolf and the group.
He needed another night. One more investigation.
"I vote we keep things calm," Violet (Jade) said. "No kills. No accusations. Let's play smart. Give the Detective time."
The others nodded—some reluctantly.
The timer ran out.
"Day Phase Over."
"Night Begins. Close your eyes."
The lights shut off again.
Night Two Begins
Ethan's heart pounded harder this time.
The wolf wouldn't hold back again.
Someone would die.
The room was thick with pressure, silence so dense it felt physical.
"Werewolf, choose your target."
"Detective, choose a player."
Ethan hesitated.
Then chose Owl.
"Owl is… Unknown. Blocked."
What?
His mind raced. Blocked?
Someone had tampered with the process?
Was that possible?
"Hunter, standby."
"Night ends."