The last echo of the closing doors faded into silence.
The arena, so recently filled with commands and mechanical voices, now felt unbearably empty.
The younger children looked from face to face, waiting for someone —anyone— to smile.
To tell them they had survived.
Instead...They saw the older children.
A boy who looked no older than fourteen let out a quiet laugh, "...Heh..."
It sounded like laughter that had forgotten how to be happy.
He slowly rubbed a hand across his face before whispering, ".....We're done for. "
The smile never left his face yet tears gathered silently in his eyes.
A girl sitting nearby lowered her head,
"...Don't say that."
"...Why not?"
He looked at the Green band around his neck, " It's true....We're just waiting for our turn."
Silence.
Another boy leaned back against the cold concrete wall.
He stared at the ceiling for several seconds before speaking in an oddly cheerful voice,
"...Would someone do me a favor?"
No one answered.
"If anyone ever gets out...Dig a grave for me."
A tiny smile appeared on his face,
"...I don't want to disappear without leaving anything behind."
The words were spoken so calmly that they were somehow worse than if he had screamed them.
A younger child frowned, "You're joking... right?"
The older boy looked at him. For a long moment...He simply smiled.
The kind an older brother might give to comfort someone, "...I wish I was."
The little boy's face slowly paled.
Nearby, another older girl let out a quiet laugh.
She covered her mouth as if embarrassed.
"Listen to us.....We're talking about graves...
Hup ... dude, we're children."
No one laughed with her.
Another boy sat cross-legged on the steel floor, staring blankly at his own hands.
"...Do you know what the funny part is?
I used to pray every night..."
A hollow smile crossed his face,
"Now I don't pray to survive anymore....I just pray it ends quickly."
A little girl wrapped both arms around herself,
"...Why are you saying these things?
What happens to Orange Code?"
The older children froze.
One slowly lowered his eyes...Another clenched his jaw until the muscles trembled.
The silence itself became the answer.
The little girl's lower lip began to quiver,
"Please...Tell me."
Finally, the first boy forced another faint smile onto his face.
It looked painfully unnatural, as though his face remembered how to smile but his heart had forgotten.
"Kid...So long as you're still Yellow...Don't ask....Enjoy not knowing."
A tall boy with a Green band let out a dry, exhausted laugh,
"...Congratulations.Funny, isn't it?
I've heard that word every time someone disappeared."
No one answered.
A girl sitting nearby whispered,"...Stop."
"I'm only telling the truth."
Another boy leaned against the wall,
"So...Who's next?"
A younger child blinked, "...Next for what?"
"...You'll find out, dude."
A little girl hugged her knees,
"I don't want another color...Can I stay Yellow?"
The older children exchanged brief glances,
"I asked the same thing. They laughed."
Another boy absentmindedly traced a finger over the metal band around his neck.
Across the room, another older child let out a soft chuckle,
"You know what I miss? I miss being scared."
Several children looked at him in confusion.
"Fear means you still think there's a way out.
After a while...You stop looking for one."
The arena fell quiet.
A younger boy looked around nervously,
"...Are all Orange Codes unhappy?"
A girl answered, "No."
Hope flickered across the younger children's faces.
"...The lucky ones aren't around long enough to become unhappy."
The hope disappeared as quickly as it had come.
"What the — "
Around him, several older children gave tiny, broken laughs.
Their smiles looked worse than crying.
...
The voices from the arena slowly faded behind Maya.
At first, she could still make out fragments of the children speaking.
'..Don't ask.....I don't want another color...
...We're just waiting...'
Their frightened whispers drifted through the endless corridor.
The scientist walked at an unhurried pace,
his polished shoes clicking softly against the steel floor.
Click...Click...Click...
Balanced effortlessly over one shoulder hung Maya.
Her small body swayed gently with each measured step, her dark hair falling across her face.
Her arms hung limp from exhaustion, the bruises and shallow cuts covering them stark beneath the cold fluorescent lights.
Every now and then, her fingers twitched weakly, as though some stubborn part of
her still refused to surrender.
In his other hand rested a slim electronic tablet.
Its glass display glowed softly in the sterile light, streams of information flowing continuously across the screen.
[Audio Feed... Active.
Arena Surveillance... Online.
Subject Monitoring... Stable.
Environmental Recording... Continuous.]
The tablet remained wirelessly connected to the arena they had just left behind.
Nothing occurring inside that immense chamber escaped its sensors....All of it transmitted directly into the scientist's
hands.
Without slowing his pace, he glanced down at the display. Wave forms danced across one side of the screen.
Children's voices.
Tiny spikes rose and fell as frightened conversations filled the arena.
One sentence after another appeared beneath the live transcription.
The scientist's eyes moved slowly across each line. His expression never changed.
If anything...The corners of his mouth lifted almost imperceptibly.
It was the quiet satisfaction of a researcher observing an experiment progressing exactly as predicted.
Behind him, the remaining scientists exchanged brief glances.
His thumb brushed across the tablet, enlarging the live transcript.
"The younger subjects are seeking reassurance."
"The older subjects are reinforcing the psychological framework."
Another scientist tilted his head slightly,
"So the transition has begun already."
"Once promotion occurs, the experienced subjects become the most effective instructors."
Another scientist scrolled farther.
'I miss being scared...The lucky ones aren't around long enough to become unhappy...'
A faint hum escaped him, "Remarkable."
One of the other scientists glanced sideways,
"Their despair spreads more efficiently than any formal orientation.The subjects educate one another."
He looked at Maya across his shoulder,
"And they do it far better than we ever could."
Silence accompanied their footsteps. Only the rhythmic clicking of polished shoes echoed through the endless white corridor.
The scientist lowered his eyes to the tablet.
Small indicators continued updating in real time.
[Stress Levels : Rising.
Heart Rate Average....Elevated.
Group Emotional Synchronization... Increasing.
Compliance Probability... Recalculating...]
He watched them with quiet interest, "Excellent."
He locked the tablet with a quiet touch.
The glowing display faded to black,
"The experiment is progressing precisely according to design."
Satisfied, he slipped the tablet back into the pocket of his laboratory coat without a second glance.
His attention returned to the little girl resting across his shoulder.
The corners of his mouth lifted ever so slightly.
Today's observations had exceeded every projection.
Without breaking stride, he spoke in the same clinical tone,"Initiate post-trial containment."
One of the scientists walking beside him glanced up, "Sedate every Code?"
A slight nod,"Yap."
The second scientist reached into the pocket of his laboratory coat and withdrew a compact handheld remote.
Its smooth metallic surface reflected the harsh fluorescent lights.
He pressed a single button.
Far behind them—inside the enormous arena—
Hidden vents built into the concrete walls and high along the ceiling silently slid open.
At first, nothing happened.
Then thin streams of pale white vapor began to drift from the openings.
The smoke spread quietly, rolling across the steel floor before slowly rising through the vast chamber.
Several children looked around in confusion,
"...What's that?"
One of the older children saw the mist and immediately understood, his face drained
of color, "No...No..please don't."
The white vapor thickened, swallowing the lower half of the arena.
Children instinctively covered their mouths and noses.
Some tried to run. Others backed away in panic but there was nowhere to escape.
The gas spread with relentless efficiency, filling every corner of the chamber.
One by one, coughs echoed through the arena.
A little girl rubbed at her heavy eyes,
"...I...I'm sleepy..."
A boy tried to answer, but his knees buckled.
He collapsed onto the steel floor.
Another child staggered only a few steps before falling beside him.
Across the chamber, children fought to remain awake.
They blinked again and again, their movements becoming slower with
each passing second.
One after another...They sank to the floor.
The frightened whispers faded.
The crying stopped.
The arena gradually fell silent as every child lost consciousness.
Within moments, only the quiet hum of the ventilation system remained.
The pale mist slowly cleared.
Dozens of unconscious children lay scattered across the vast steel floor beneath the cold lights.
The scientist slipped the remote back into his pocket without even looking behind him,
"The arena is secure."
"Good."
Maya hung motionless over his shoulder.
Fresh blood had dried across her scraped hands.
Ahead, another reinforced steel door emerged from the endless corridor.
Unlike the others, a large designation had been engraved directly into the metal in stark black lettering.
[ Room : 17 ]
The scientist stopped.
A small scanner beside the door emitted a soft green light as it detected his identification badge.
[Access Granted.]
Heavy locking bolts disengaged one after another with deep metallic clunks.
The thick steel door slid sideways, revealing a small containment room beyond. He stepped inside.
He did not kneel, Instead—he simply shifted his shoulder.
Maya's exhausted body slipped free.....She struck the hard concrete floor with a dull thud.
Her shoulder hit first, then the side of her face came to rest against the cold ground.
A faint breath escaped her lips. She was too exhausted for even pain to pull her back into consciousness.
For a brief moment, the scientist looked down at her.
Blood stained the floor beneath her scraped hands and feets.Deep cuts still oozed where rough concrete had torn her skin.
One of the younger scientists glanced toward the injuries,"...Should we disinfect the wounds?"
The older scientist barely spared Maya another glance, "No, She isn't dying."
Silence.
"The abrasions should be cleaned. Several lacerations may become infected."
The senior scientist calmly folded his hands behind his back,
"If infection becomes a variable, we'll address it later. Right now, time is more valuable than comfort."
The scientist stepped backward into the corridor.
Without another glance at the unconscious girl lying on the cold floor, he pressed a control panel beside the doorway.
The reinforced steel door began to slide shut.
Its massive weight rumbled through the corridor.
For one brief instant, Maya remained visible through the narrowing gap covered in cuts and bruises curled helplessly on the unforgiving concrete.
The opening became thinner. Finally...The steel door sealed completely.
Heavy locking bolts slammed into place.
[ Clang .... Containment Room 17... Secured. ]
The scientists turned and continued walking.
Their footsteps gradually disappeared into the endless white hallway.
~~
The heavy clang of the containment door echoed through the mansion.
[Containment Room 17... Secured.]
Naya's knees gave way beneath her. She sank onto the polished floor, staring at the closed door with vacant eyes,
"They...They threw her away. She was bleeding...She couldn't even stand..."
She pressed both trembling hands over her mouth, "...They dropped her like she wasn't even alive."
Farhan's entire body shook. He stared at the projection with bloodshot eyes,"Damn them!"
His voice broke with rage.
"She was exhausted.....and they threw her onto concrete! They didn't even look back..."
Mahim remained frozen. His gaze never left the sealed steel door, "...Room Seventeen..."
He whispered the words as though trying to memorize them.
Mahi burst into tears, she covered her face.
"I can't.....I can't watch them treat her like that..."
Another sob escaped her.
Faha stared blankly ahead. His lips moved before any sound emerged.
" 'She isn't dying '...That's all they cared about."
He swallowed hard.
"They never asked if she was hurting. They only cared whether she would survive long enough for the next experiment."
Anik lowered his head,"...No medicine, No food."
His voice became almost inaudible.
"...She was covered in blood."
Fahad turned away from the screen for the first time.He dragged a hand across his face,
"I've seen cruelty before but this.....
Hup.... The hounds showed her more hesitation than the humans did."
No one argued.
~~
Maya remained motionless for a long time.
The cold concrete beneath her seemed to pull every ounce of warmth from her battered body.
Pain pulsed through her shoulders, back, and legs in slow, relentless waves.
Every shallow breath stung the bruises blooming across her ribs, and the cuts scattered over her arms and legs burned where they scraped against the floor.
For several moments, she simply lay there, listening.
Silence.
Only the faint, mechanical hum of the ventilation system drifting through the
small containment room.
Slowly, her fingers curled against the concrete.
With visible effort, she planted one trembling hand beneath her and tried to push herself up.
The moment she shifted her weight, a sharp ache shot through her shoulder, forcing a sharp wince across her face.
Her arm buckled, and she nearly collapsed again. A quiet gasp escaped her lips, "Ahh....that hurt's. "
She closed her eyes, waiting for the dizziness to pass.Then, stubbornly, she tried again.
Her movements were painfully slow.
Every inch she lifted herself felt like climbing an invisible mountain.
Her scraped palms trembled violently as they struggled to support her weight.
Finally....She managed to sit upright. Her back found the rough concrete wall behind her, and she let herself lean against it, exhausted.
Her breathing had become uneven.
A strand of dark hair clung to the dried blood on her cheek as she sat completely still, trying to steady herself.
For a long while, she said nothing.
Her dark eyes slowly lowered toward her own body.
Bruises had spread beneath her pale skin in shades of deep blue and purple.
Deep cuts crossed her arms and legs like careless red lines, some still seeping beads
of blood.
Her clothes were stained with dust, blood.
And dried streaks where rough concrete had torn through the fabric, making them sting with every slight movement.
She quietly turned one hand over, studying the scraped skin across her palm.
Then the other, her fingers flexed weakly.
No surprise crossed her face.
No tears came.
She simply looked at herself in silence as though confirming the damage with detached acceptance.
Silence. An overwhelming, unnatural silence.
Only the soft rhythm of her own breathing filled the tiny containment room.
Seconds passed. Then another minute.
Her dark eyes quietly wandering across the empty room.
She turned her head toward the wall beside her. For a few seconds, she simply stared at the cold wall behind her.
The metal was smooth, colorless, and utterly lifeless beneath the harsh light.
She hesitated. Then, very gently...Her knuckles touched the concrete.
Knock.
The sound echoed through the tiny room before fading into silence.
Nothing.
After several long seconds, she knocked again. Knock... Knock...
This time, she kept her hand against the cold surface as if hoping she might somehow feel another living soul beyond it.
Silence stretched on. She closed her eyes for a moment.
Then...A faint vibration.
So slight that she almost believed she had imagined it.
Maya's eyes snapped open. She pressed both palms against the wall. A tiny, muffled thump.
It wasn't the groaning of machinery, it was irregular. Someone or something—
was moving on the other side.
Maya held her breath.Her exhausted heart began to beat a little faster.
For the first time since being locked inside Room Seventeen, the crushing silence no longer felt completely empty.
She leaned closer until her forehead rested against the freezing steel.
Another faint sound drifted through the wall.
A scrape, not clear but unmistakably alive.
Her fingers tightened against the metal.
Someone else was there.
Another child or perhaps someone just as frightened and alone as she was.
The thought stirred something inside her that she had almost forgotten.
Hope.
Only the fragile hope that she was no longer the only heartbeat trapped within this endless white prison.
Her dry lips parted.
Her voice was barely more than a whisper, rough from exhaustion and thirst,
"Is... is someone there?"
The words were so quiet they almost disappeared into the steel itself.
Maya waited, her forehead resting against the freezing wall.
For several seconds, nothing came.
"...Is... is someone there?" she asked again.
She lowered her eyes, thinking perhaps whoever was beyond the wall had chosen
not to answer.
Then—
A dull knock answered from the other side.
Once.It was followed by the faint sound of someone shifting closer.
Her heart skipped. She pressed closer to the steel, "...Is... is someone there?"
Silence.
Then a girl's voice reached her through the thick wall, "...Who are you?"
Her voice was rough, guarded, and carried the sharp edge of someone who trusted no one.
Maya blinked, " I..."
She swallowed, "I'm... new here."
Another long silence followed.
The girl sounded genuinely puzzled, "...New?"
A pause.
"Wait....Which room are you in?"
Maya slowly lifted her eyes toward the steel door across the room [ ROOM : 17 ]
She looked back toward the wall.
"...Room Seventeen."
"Ro....Room Seventeen?"
"Yes."
"...What the — ? You're in Room Seventeen?"
"...Yes."
"...You're serious?"
"I think so."
The girl let out a short, disbelieving laugh,"Hah...Well, that's unexpected."
Maya frowned, "...What's so strange about that ?"
"Because no one has ever been put in that room before."
"...What do you mean?"
"I've been here for years.I know every occupied room around this corridor.
But Room Seventeen...It has always stayed empty. I've never heard footsteps inside.
"I never heard a voice from behind that wall.
You're literally the first person who's ever answered from behind that wall.
So... yeah, I'm surprised."
Maya lowered her eyes, "Ohhh... I wasn't expecting that."
The girl clicked her tongue impatiently.
As though she regretted allowing the conversation to continue.
"So...What do you want from me?"
Her tone had become sharp again.
Maya gently rested one hand against the wall.
She hesitated before answering,
"...I want to know about this place."
The answer came instantly, "...No."
Maya blinked, "...Why?"
The girl spoke, there was unmistakable irritation in her voice,
"...Seriously? I don't owe newcomers explanations and I'm definitely not your
tour guide."
"...Please, I don't understand anything."
Another scoff echoed through the wall,
"Understanding won't change a damn thing.
So stop asking."
"Please... I just want to know what's happening."
"You're stubborn."
"No, I'm scared."