Chapter 19: Hearts of Ash
Break Day – Night
The light in the Blue Team's room flickered with tired energy, casting long shadows against the walls. Mei lay curled up on the couch, her breathing soft and even. Across from her, Daichi leaned against the wall, his hand rubbing his stomach with exaggerated drama.
"Think you overdid it with the food, Daichi?" Tatsuya asked, his tone dry and edged with amused irritation.
Daichi smirked. "Thanks for your concern, doctor. But I'm good. Just... processing."
He paused. His gaze drifted to the floor.
"You ever gonna forgive me for that accident in the first game?"
Tatsuya folded his arms, expression unreadable.
"You did what you had to. You saved your life. That's what matters. Help me in the next rounds, and I'll owe you some hearts. Deal."
Daichi's grin returned. "So you're forgiving me?"
Tatsuya gave a faint nod. "Deal accepted."
The room settled into quiet once more. Mei shifted in her sleep but didn't stir.
"Mei's sleeping," Tatsuya added, voice low. "Let's not waste what calm we have. Tomorrow's waiting."
---
Red Team Room
The air hung heavier in the Red Team's quarters. Ren, Aoi, and Shun sat in a triangle of tension, each weighing the future like glass in their hands.
"We have to decide who goes next," Shun said quietly.
Ren nodded. "Aoi should go. She's steady. We need someone who won't crack."
Aoi didn't argue. "If it's for the team... then I'll do it."
Shun nodded once. "Then it's settled. You go."
---
Day 5 Morning – Blue Team Room
The players returned with blindfolds strapped across their eyes. The air was dense with unspoken threats and weary expectations.
The Accountant's voice crackled overhead, cold and without inflection.
"Red Team player will now join Blue Team. All wear blindfolds. Begin."
Aoi, blindfold in place, stepped slowly into the Blue Room. Around her, indistinct voices murmured, testing the space.
"You've entered a room of strangers," Tatsuya said evenly. "Tell us something that makes us trust you."
"Trust doesn't come in words," Aoi replied. "It's earned in silence and survival."
Daichi chuckled softly. "Poetic. Doesn't feed us anything real."
"What were you told before entering?" Mei asked.
"Follow orders. Watch. Learn. Keep the heart safe."
Tatsuya pressed further. "Whose heart?"
"Yours. Mine. Whichever one needs saving."
"Convenient answer," Daichi said, tone sharpening. "You're either careful... or trained."
"You're not nervous," Mei noted.
"I've been through worse than a few questions in the dark."
Tatsuya leaned in with one more test. "You're not afraid we'll vote you out? Or worse—figure out what role you're hiding?"
"If I were afraid," Aoi said coolly, "I wouldn't be here."
Daichi pressed again. "Which teammate do you trust the least?"
"The one asking that kind of question."
Even Tatsuya hesitated at that. Silence fell.
"You speak like someone used to being hunted," Mei said thoughtfully.
"Maybe I am. Or maybe I'm the one hunting."
The room felt suddenly smaller. The air, heavier.
"If you had to kill one of us to survive," Tatsuya asked, quieter now, "would you hesitate?"
Aoi didn't blink. "No. But I'd make sure you never saw it coming."
The intercom buzzed.
"Time's up. Return to your original teams."
Aoi rose, steps deliberate. She turned to leave, but then—
"Nice try hiding, Aoi," Tatsuya said flatly.
She froze for the barest second. Her breath caught, just a little.
How? she thought. How did he know? My voice was steady. My posture neutral. No names. No slips...
Her heartbeat rose, but she let the exhale come slow and smooth. Reset. No reaction.
She walked on, but the weight of his knowing pressed down like a shadow on her back.
The door hissed open.
She stepped through.
And behind her, in the still room, silence settled once again.
---
Hearts don't break. They burn.
And when the ash clears, only the truth remains.
End of Chapter 19
Next In Chapter 20:The Final Turn