The treasure hunt was over.
Team Red and Team White hit the main hall right at 9 PM, both slamming down their flags at the same time. A draw.
Tension flared almost instantly.
Issac — the notorious bully and arrogant leader of Team White — was the first to bark.
Issac: "You think you're always gonna get your way and win, huh?!"
Sam snapped, stepping forward:
"What the fuck do you mean by that?!"
They were about to grab each other's collars when Miana stormed in, voice razor-sharp.
Miana: "You! First of all—cheated! You locked Juli in the storage room so he couldn't even show up at the main hall. And now you've got the audacity?!"
Juli had been rescued earlier by Jake and Ray, and now the whole crew stood together in the main hall.
Issac closed the space between him and Miana—then suddenly grabbed one of his own team members and slapped him hard, eyes still locked on her.
Issac: "Did the rules say we couldn't do that?"
He slapped the guy again. Gasps echoed around the room.
Sam, standing behind Miana, clenched his jaw as Issac arched his back and sneered.
Issac: "And it's your teammate's fault for being dumb! Who walks into a dark storage cabin alone? Obviously someone's gonna lock it. Right?"
Another slap. The member's cheek was bright red now, lips trembling.
And Issac smirked like he was proud of it.
Jean stepped forward, pried the team member out of Issac's grip, and placed himself firmly between him and Miana.
Jean: "What, are you the rule-setter now?"
Prez: "You didn't even apologize."
Issac: "Apologize? For what? Playing the president's game on a damn vacation?"
Jake came up fast behind Issac while Ray nearly lunged at him, but Juli held him back just in time.
Jake: "You should know when to shut your fucking mouth."
Issac let out a mocking laugh. "Wow. Ganging up on me now? Real fair."
Just as everyone was about to lose it, the door burst open.
VP Sir: "What's going on here?!"
Jake let go of Issac, his white shirt rumpled.
Jake (flatly): "Apparently I'm being accused."
VP Sir: "This trip was meant for bonding, not brawling. I've seen the footage. Issac—what you did was harmful. Your team is eliminated."
Issac rolled his eyes in frustration, but didn't argue.
VP Sir: "Team Red wins. Yellow is second, Blue third. Now get yourselves to dinner in peace."
He left, but Issac lingered—eyes burning holes through Miana.
That little brat... he thought. She had the nerve to expose me. She'll pay for that.
Issac and his team stormed out.
Ray: "What the hell is his problem? Slept through the whole damn trip and now wants to pick fights?"
Juli: "Let it go. He's just scum, man."
Sam: "Called my sister, by the way. All the heirs sent in their attendance reports to the chairman... except him. Figures."
Jean: "No wonder he's pissed."
Prez: "Miana, you good?"
Miana (grinning): "Of course. I put that freak in his place."
Everyone burst into laughter as they made their way toward the buffet lounge.
Sam and Jean both took out their phones, quietly messaging a certain someone of theirs.
They exchanged a soft smile, subtle but warm.
---
Meanwhile…
Still lounging by the pool in nothing but trunks and sunglasses, Rai and Sage heard the ping of their phones.
They both checked them at the same time. Then looked at each other.
Sage: "Guess that bloody game's finally over."
Rai: "Thank god."
They pulled on their shirts and headed straight to the lounge—like obedient, well-trained dogs.
---
To everyone's surprise, Felton and Rowon finally emerged from their room.
Prez's eyes went wide. Jake's jaw dropped.
Prez: "Mr. Rowon! You're alive?!"
Rowon shot her a glare while picking up a hash brown.
Rowon: "What do you mean, kid?"
Jake (whispering from behind): "Y'know... like, you can walk after all that?"
Before Rowon could decapitate them both with a flick, they'd already bolted.
Nearby, Sage and Rai were searching for Jean and Sam—until someone else caught their eye.
Felton.
Sage (smirking): "Well, well. You finally came out of your cave. I thought you were gonna spend the whole vacation indoors."
Felton: "Digging graves isn't easy. We slept."
Rai (eyeing him): "Just slept? What are you—sixteen?"
Felton: "Why? You want details?"
Sage: "I'd love that."
Rai (cutting him off): "No. Please. Spare us."
Just then, their eyes caught sight of their personal rays of sunshine—Jean and Sam, heading toward the buffet.
Sage: "Later, Fox."
He made a beeline for Sam, smirking with that signature perverted grin.
Sam saw it from a mile away and immediately detoured, sitting down next to Miana instead.
No one dared stop Sage from following.
Jean caught Rai's eye and headed for a quiet corner, sliding a hand around Jean's waist.
Jean: "What's that?"
Rai (innocent): "What?"
---
The calm was short-lived.
From Miana's table, a loud clatter. She sighed.
Miana: "What now?"
Issac—in a light brown shirt, smug as ever—set his tray across from her and sat down.
Issac: "Why? You own this table or something?"
Miana stabbed her bread, eyes locked with his.
From another table, Sage leaned in toward Sam.
Sage: "What's his story?"
Sam: "Long story short..."
Sam filled him in on what happened during the game and in the hall.
Rai, listening too, narrowed his eyes at Issac. He made a mental note to rewatch the footage. Something about it felt off. He'd make sure nothing slipped through the cracks.
Jean, Sage, Rai, and Sam now shared one table.
Juli and Ray were at another.
Jake, Prez, and Miana were at theirs—though their table now had a very unwelcome guest.
Jake: "Why don't you just fuck off?"
Prez just rolled her eyes.
Issac ignored Jake completely, his eyes focused solely on Miana.
Prez shot a message in their group chat:
> "Keep watch on that fucker Issac. He's eyeing Miana.
____
ROOM – AT 11:00 PM
The group finally reunited — Jean, Sam, Jake, Juli, Ray — all gathered in Jake and Sam's shared room.
Juli collapsed face-first onto the mattress with a groan.
Juli: "Ugh! Why does this vacation feel like some hell-level quest?!"
Ray plopped down beside him, arms crossed.
Ray: "Because it is a devil's lair. Don't forget why we're really here."
Jake raised a brow and muttered without hesitation.
Jake: "Honestly… after all the drugging and shady deals, I almost forgot why we even came."
Jean stood near the window, arms folded. His voice came out quieter.
Jean: "You guys can rest. I know Sage doesn't really have anything to do with you."
Sam looked up immediately.
Sam: "No. I'm going with you. I already got the blueprint."
Jake stood up, frowning.
Jake: "What do you mean he's got nothing to do with us?!"
Juli: "Yeah! How many times has he messed with us already?! I still think he's messing with us."
Ray: "He drugged all of us, Jean. We're already on the same path. Don't act like this doesn't involve us."
Jean looked away, conflicted.
Jean: "I don't know what we'll find in that basement. The truth… or more of Sage's twisted mind games."
Sam bit his bottom lip, something simmering behind his eyes. Curiosity. Obsession. Maybe both. He had to know the truth — all of it — even if it destroyed him.
---
MOUNTAINSIDE BEHIND THE RESORT – NIGHT
Sage leaned against his sleek car parked at the edge of the cliffs, the cool wind sweeping through his dark coat. He lit a cigarette, watching the smoke curl upward like secrets slipping into the night.
Sage (murmuring): "Fox… ever heard the phrase, 'Curiosity kills the cat'?"
Felton silently sat beside him, saying nothing. Sage turned slightly, raising a brow.
Sage: "Dropping all formality now, hm?"
Felton lit his own cigarette, not bothering to look at him.
Felton: "Are you planning to kill them all?"
A pause. Something flickered in Sage's eyes — hesitation. Just a blink — but Felton saw it. And that terrified him more than anything else.
Felton (quietly): "You've changed, Sage."
Sage exhaled slowly, staring ahead.
Sage: "What do you mean?"
The silence lingered. The wind howled like it carried something buried long ago.
Felton: "You used to have rules. You never killed in public."
Sage flinched.
Felton: "But you did — twice. The alley. The warehouse. You're straying from the plan. Don't you covet BETA anymore?"
Felton's voice was sharp, too sharp — and even he didn't know why he sounded so angry.
Sage (flatly): "That's nonsense. I've never strayed."
Felton: "Really? Then why didn't you kill Sam when he opened his eyes in the lab?"
The word kill next to Sam hit Sage like a trigger. He turned sharply, eyes gleaming with fury.
Sage (growling): "Don't cross the line, Fox."
And suddenly, Felton understood that flicker of hesitation. It was real.
He sighed, voice softer now.
Felton: "You know where they're heading, don't you?"
Sage turned away again.
Sage: "I warned Sam not to get tangled with Jean. He didn't listen. Now? He'll see it all firsthand. It's better that way. Better to know who you're getting tied to for a lifetime."
Felton blinked. That possessive edge in Sage's voice… it startled him. So Sage had already decided — what Sam was to him.
Sage (coolly): "Let them see the truth. Jean will break — Rai can handle him. The little tigress will keep Jake in line. The rest will figure it out."
Felton turned his head slowly.
Felton: "And Sam?"
Sage didn't answer.
Because truthfully — he didn't know.
Because deep down — he wanted to see what Sam would do.
______
At the mountain.
They moved like shadows.
Jean, Sam, Jake, Prez, Miana, Ray, and Juli crept toward the foot of the mountain, every step hushed with thrill and nerves. The stars above twinkled like silent witnesses. Sam led the group confidently, holding up his phone with the blueprint displayed.
Jean walked up beside him, squinting at the glowing map.
Jean: "How the hell do you always have these blueprints?"
Sam didn't respond. He just smirked and winked.
They soon reached an old, moss-covered cave, partially hidden behind tangled roots and rocks.
Juli: "This doesn't feel like a secret basement…"
Ray: "Right? You think Sage of all people would come to this worn-out dump? Yeah, no."
Jake: "You sure that's the right print?"
Prez raised a brow, eyeing Sam suspiciously.
Jean: "Let's stop doubting. We're already here."
He patted Sam on the back and turned to step away when Sam abruptly caught his wrist.
Sam: "You really think that devil without horn would leave his basement entrance open in some cute little cave?"
Without another word, he ducked into the darkness. His torch flickered to life.
They followed.
Sam tracked something on his phone, fingers gliding across the screen. The cave was narrow and suffocating, the walls lined with damp stone. Loose bones scattered the floor. Cracked skulls. Old chains. Forgotten things.
Miana instinctively tucked herself between Ray and Juli. The others didn't flinch—at least not outwardly.
The deeper they went, the colder it got.
Jake: "Buddy, I'm not saying I don't trust you, but… Sage didn't mess with your head, right?"
Sam: "What?"
Jake: "You're not, like, leading us into a cult sacrifice, right?"
Sam, with a grin: "Oh~ now that's an idea. Should I?"
Miana: "Sammm!! Please don't! I'm already scared!"
They all burst out laughing, even if it was partly to suppress the tension crawling up their spines.
Suddenly, Sam halted.
He raised his hand and pressed it against the cave wall. A faint rumble echoed. The stone before them trembled and then slid open—revealing a hidden doorway.
Prez: "Damn. Is that the gate to hell?"
Jean: "Guess we'll find out soon."
They stepped through the ancient door, and it slammed shut behind them.
Miana: "Sam! How the hell did you even find
this place?"
Sam: "Secret."
Jean was about to shoot a sarcastic reply, but froze.
They had descended into a new chamber. The air changed. At first, he thought it was just the dampness messing with his nose—but no. That metallic tang? Unmistakable.
Blood.
And medicine.
Farther ahead, something clanged. Steel against steel.
Then... light.
Moss-lit torches flickered to life one by one, illuminating the room.
Jean's breath caught.
Cages. Dozens of them.
And inside—people. Shackled by the wrists, slumped against the walls. Some bleeding. Some are unconscious. Some… missing parts of their bodies entirely.
Limbs. Eyes. Flesh.
Metal restraints glinted red with blood.
No one said a word. All seven of them stood frozen.
Jean finally found his voice.
Jean: "What the hell is this place…"