Muffled noise. The clatter of plates echoed through the house as food overflowed the dining table. The boys focused on finishing the banquet they had started. The aroma of the meal hung thickly in the air, filling every corner of the residence.
They were cleaned up, dressed in proper clothes they had found in the house, and perfumed—almost unrecognizable as survivors of a murderous world.
"This is delicious!" Jamie exclaimed, shoveling spaghetti into his mouth as though each bite might be his last.
"Mind your manners at the table!" Alexander scolded, though a trace of amusement betrayed him.
"We're already dead. What's left to care about?" Jamie replied bluntly, his words hanging in the air.
"Besides, we don't know what the next game will be. This might be the last meal we get," Bray muttered, voice muffled as he pushed his plate aside.
"Don't worry, we're safe!" Alexander said, trying to infuse confidence into his tone.
"Safe?" Bray scoffed, a bitter edge in his voice. "Everyone hates us. The odds aren't on our side!"
"Don't judge before you hear my plan!" Alexander snapped. "Don't you realize something strange?"
"What?" Jamie asked, curiosity piqued despite himself.
"They say nine games are left, but 263 people died in the first one!"
"So?" Bray interjected, shrugging.
"Those numbers… they're too low," Alexander said, his brow furrowed.
"He's right. It wouldn't make sense to eliminate that many people at once if nine games are left," Jamie added.
"We just have to be careful," Alexander concluded, eyes scanning the empty corners of the room.
Vroom!
The sudden roar of a limo stopping made them all flinch. Their hearts thudded in unison.
"Is that him?" they whispered, eyes wide.
Carefully, they rushed to peek through the windows. The limo doors opened, and a man stepped out. Long hair shimmered faintly in the light, absorbing it rather than reflecting it, giving him an almost ethereal presence.
"That man has class," Bray muttered, a cold knot forming in his stomach.
Calm and deliberate, the man approached, crossing the fence into the premises. He walked toward the empty house first, pausing as if assessing the area, before turning toward their home. Every step was precise, every movement calculated, like a model striding through a photoshoot.
"He's coming!" Bray hissed, quickly they dived on couches.
"Act normal!" Alexander instructed, forcing stiff poses.
Knock knock.
"Yes?" Alexander called, voice sharper than he intended.
The door opened to reveal a man bowing—not casually, but with the disciplined precision of a martial artist.
"Thank you for keeping a limo for me!" he said, and confusion rippled through the group. They had done nothing remarkable.
"No worries," Alexander replied with a shaky smile.
"My name is Greg. If you need anything, come to me."
"I'm Alexander," he said.
"That's Bray and Jamie," Greg nodded, still observing them carefully.
"Yeah we will come to you!" he added.
"I have to go freshen up!" He said as he turned ready to move way.
"We are having lunch—you can join us if you want," Alexander offered.
"No worries. I'll cook my own," Greg said, his tone calm but carrying an unspoken edge.
"Bye, guys!" he waved.
"Bye," they echoed, smiling as Greg departed, his composure unshaken. Alexander could tell immediately—this was no ordinary man; he was a martial artist.
---
[Attention Players]
A mechanical voice cut through the quiet, cold and unfeeling. A shiver ran down their spines.
"The next Event is now," Jamie thought, his body trembling.
[I hope that you've refreshed your energy.]
Every system screen in the house flickered to life, displaying a glowing map.
[Follow the map to the mission post.]
[Every successful participant will receive 50 blue points >that are used to upgrade personal stats<.]
[This mission is optional; there is no penalty.]
A collective exhale filled the house, but relief was hollow. Danger lingered, crawling like a shadow along the walls.
"We're going, right?" Bray asked.
"You dont need to ask!" Alexander replied.
"Shouldn't we go with Greg?" Jamie suggested.
"After we finish eating, we will go get him" Alexander said casually, masking urgency.
The trio finished their meal, tension coiling tighter with each bite. When they tried to recruit Greg afterward, he didn't answer the door.
"He heard the announcement. He knows where we are going . Let's go," Bray said, voice low.
They Followed the map on foot, to see a calling view , they arrived at a park. Trees shook violently in the wind, their whispers crawling along Jamie's skin. Over twenty-five people had gathered already.
Among them was the girl who had awoken near Jamie earlier. She looked at him shyly, a flicker of fear in her eyes.
The Commander's gaze landed on them the moment they arrived. A cold smirk spread across his face.
"Well, well… look who showed up. Where's your long-haired friend?" His voice dripped venom. "Eliminated him already to thin the competition?"
Laughter rippled through the crowd, sharp and cruel.
Bray's eyes narrowed. His voice cut through the noise like steel.
"Or maybe you should mind your own business instead of assuming the worst about everyone."
The Commander's smirk flickered but quickly hardened. "Careful, boy. Words can get you killed just as fast as a blade."
Jamie swallowed, feeling the weight of the man's presence. "Why are you so obsessed with others?" His tone was calm, but his pulse hammered in his chest.
"Obsessed? No… I'm just precise," the Commander said smoothly, eyes glinting dangerously.
Bray's tone changed , this time sharper. "Then maybe you should focus on winning instead of being jealous."
The Commander's grin widened, predatory. "Bold… I like bold. But remember—boldness can be just as deadly as weakness."
[Attention Players!]
The mechanical voice cut through the tension like a blade.
[In groups of two, collect emeralds dropped when you kill random monsters.]
[Collect 10 emeralds in under 15 minutes to win.]
[Only one rule exists: this mission must be carried out all the way as two people.]
[If your teammate is no longer able to compete, it will result in immediate disqualification.]
"Duos?" Jamie thought, anxiety gnawing at him. "We're three. Someone will have to team up with an outsider."
"You two team up. I'll find someone else," Alexander muttered. "Even if there's no death penalty, things could go wrong. The mission is too simple—odds are safer this way."
The two nodded in agreement.
A tall, muscular man stepped forward, chest puffed slightly as if asserting dominance, a forced smile stretching across his face.
"Let's team up, glasses!" he said, voice friendly but eyes scanning for weakness.
Alexander adjusted his glasses, trying to keep his nerves hidden. "No problem. I'm Alexander," he replied, voice calm but measured.
"I'm Arnold," the man said, giving a curt nod, muscles flexing subtly as he moved.
Alexander caught a flicker in Arnold's eyes—a predator's glint barely masked by the polite introduction.
"Perfect. I'll kill you at the first chance I get," Arnold thought.
Suddenly, fifteen tall doors materialized before them, looming like silent sentinels. The metallic scent of anticipation hung in the air.
[All duo's are advised to proceed to the doors.]
Alexander and Arnold exchanged a quick, sharp nod. "See you soon!" they said in unison, their voices masking the tension coiling between them. Then, without another word, they turned toward separate doors, stepping into the unknown as the mission officially began.
---
The duo entered a dense forest, mist curling around towering trees. Every step felt swallowed by shadow, the silence pressing down like a weight.
"We move together," Jamie whispered, his voice barely audible.
Hearts hammering, they scouted the area as they ran, scanning for any sign of monsters. The tension hung thick until Bray broke it.
"I know it's personal, but… why don't you talk much?" he asked, voice tentative.
Jamie's gaze dropped to the forest floor, careful with his words. "Ever since I came to this place, I've felt… different. I don't know why. Maybe is the fact that am stack in this messed-up even if I died doing a good thing."
Bray's tone softened. "You're right. I get it—you're a mama's boy."
"Yeah. I am," Jamie admitted.
"I didn't mean that as a compliment!"
"I don't care. I loved my mother."
"Always keep her in your memories. Some of us never met ours."
"Sorry," Jamie muttered.
"No worries," Bray replied, his voice steady.
The brief connection shattered with a sharp whistle. A massive, razor-sharp log hurtled through the mist, smashing into Bray with unstoppable force. His body twisted unnaturally, pinned against distant trees.
"Bray!!" Jamie shouted, panic clawing at his throat.
"Bullseye!" a cold voice called from above.
"Who—who are you? Show yourselves!" Jamie stammered, fear gnawing at him.
"We are the black markets greatest assassins!" Another voice joined from the opposite side, echoing through the fog.
Twin blades clashing menacingly, steel ringing through the forest.
Jamie's mind raced. A high-school kid had no chance against trained assassins. He had to survive—fast.
He tapped into his speed. "Let's see what 20 points in speed can do!"
In a blur, Jamie leapt, moving with precision and grace. Swirling sand erupted behind him, forming a thick, blinding screen that masked his escape. Shadows flickered through the mist—the assassins' forms moving like predators circling their prey.
"I like it when they run," one muttered, amusement dripping from his voice.
Jamie's pulse surged as he pressed forward, darting toward the side where he knew Alexander had entered. He had memorized the path, calculated which door his friend had gone through—he had to reach him for help. But before he could close the distance, his chest slammed into something impossibly solid.
Bark scraped his shoulders, tearing through his clothes. He stumbled back, gasping for air, eyes widening.
A massive, uprooted tree loomed before him, its twisted roots clawing upward like frozen hands. Dirt fell from its tangled mass, and branches jutted out at impossible angles.
That tree… it wasn't here before. Jamie's mind raced.They knew exactly where I'd go.
From the shadows, faint rustles told him he was no longer just fleeing—they had herded him. Every path he could take—the left, the right, even the one leading toward Alexander—was carefully blocked. He was trapped.
The assassins stepped from the mist, grins sharp as blades. One leaned casually against a branch, katana glinting, while the other twirled a ninja star between his fingers, eyes gleaming with cruel satisfaction.
"You feel that?" the first said, voice low and taunting. "The rabbit finally in the snare."
[Kali sticks ]
They beamed.
Jamie's hands clenched around his only weapons. Sweat slicked his grip, his chest rising and falling rapidly. His heart hammered as the realization hit him—he wasn't running anymore. He was cornered, hunted, and every move he had made had been anticipated.
The forest itself seemed to press in, the uprooted tree now more than a barrier—it was a cage. He was prey, and the hunters were closing in.
"No choice left… I need a special skill," he told himself, eyes narrowing as the interface blinked awake, its glow cutting sharply through the dim forest.
Don't do it—not yet, darling!" The mysterious female voice rang in his head, sweet but unnervingly sharp, making Jamie's body tense with dread.