Back to this shit hole. Home didn't feel like home. Not like it ever felt like home but I'm just saying. I went overboard back there, can't believe I tried to kill myself cause of a man. It felt like a pause button. Or i was finally being controlled by the rotten brain upstairs
I shut the door behind me and leaned against it for a moment, breathing out slowly, like if I stayed still long enough, the world would forget I existed.
It didn't.
Wow
Verline's voice chimed almost instantly. You lasted a whole seven seconds before dissociating. Personal best?
I snorted, "You're horrible."
Says the guy that wanted to take his life a few hours ago and I prefer professionally unpleasant she spoke with what I would call hurt? But she's not human so its not possible for her to feel such.
I pushed myself off the door and dropped my bag on the floor. Moving through the apartment, performing my usual routine with muscle memory kicking in—shoes off, phone down, hoodie discarded. Normal. Grounded. Hey…. I'm not doing badly for a guy who attempted suicide a few moments ago.
So, Verline said lightly, Let's talk about your mysterious midnight guest.
I froze. "There was nothing mysterious about that pyscho. He was just blabbering nonsense about being a contestant" I forgot his name because I just really wanted to die at that point not listen to some stranger who is half as crazy as I am
"The guy on the bridge," I said. "You sent him, didn't you?"
No
The word landed wrong. I frowned. This bitch better not be lying to me. "You're lying."
I'm really not. You think I'd outsource my dramatic entrances?
Well, that makes sense, but that did not relive me in anyway. I felt my stomach tightened. "Then who was he?"
A name appeared.
RAKEN GUERRA
I stared at it.
He's a contestant Verline said. Veteran. Winner. Kind of a problem.
"A problem how?"
I feel as if a creepy smile with no humor is forming on her face luckily, she doesn't have one. He doesn't behave like someone who believes the rules
I swallowed.
"If you didn't send him," I said slowly, "then why was he there?"
Verline didn't answer immediately.
That, she said, is above my clearance.
Fear crept in quietly but I'm too exhausted to think clearly at this point, I sank onto the couch. "So, the game sent him."
Maybe
"Or something else did."
Verline didn't deny that either.
Before I could say anything else, the room dimmed slightly. My phone buzzed. Once. Then again. Goodness isn't this night already shitty! I need a shower I reek of sorrow and exhaustion.
A notification bloomed in the air.
~System Update
All contestants have completed Quest One
Status: Synchronized
~Quest Two Initiation: LIVE PHASE
Oh. That's soon Verline spoke in shock
"What does live phase mean?" I asked. All exhaustion gone, uneasiness now settling in.
It means, she said, you don't get to hide
The notification expanded.
~Quest Two Details
All contestants will be relocated to a remote residential compound
Luxury accommodations provided
External contact restricted
Audience access: 24/7 Live Broadcast
"That sounds like a reality show," I muttered trying to grasp the situation.
It never is
The final line appeared slowly, like it wanted to be read twice.
~Quest Two Objective:
You will live together.
You will be watched.
And you will be tested.
My chest tightened.
"What's the test?" I asked. Feeling as if my heart will soon rip out of my chest. This is a buttload of gooey brain guts for me to handle
That, she said softly, is where things get ugly.
--------------------------
I barely got any sleep last night. Verline words kept lingering in my ears and the worst part of this situation is Davion hasn't even called or left a single text. I should stop obsessing over him, I do not want to go down that rabbit hole again
Changing into a fresh pair of clothes, I ordered pizza for breakfast. Just as I was chugging down some cold orange juice down the shit ass ai had to show up and made me spill it all over myself
"Fuck you for that"
Love you too. I have some information about quest two.
"Oh, I've started packing when do they expect us?"
Tomorrow night, A driver will pick you up. The address will not be revealed to contestants
Weird but this whole game has past that bridge but who I'm I to complain, I literally flew past the bridge and ended in the ocean
~QUEST TWO: CONTROLLED DISCLOSURE
Congratulations, Contestants.
You have successfully completed Quest One.
Quest Two marks the beginning of the Live Phase. From this point forward, privacy is no longer guaranteed.
Sliding in the last slice of pizza the ending statement got me a little frightened "What does that mean?"
Verline didn't answer right away.
It means, she said finally, you stop belonging to yourself.
The text continued to unfold. Fuck, there's more.
"That still doesn't sound like a quest," I spoke in annoyance
That's because the quest isn't where you live, Verline replied. It's what you lose while you're there.
As if on cue, the screen dimmed—and then brightened again.
Quest Two Rules
Contestants will be monitored at all times Audience engagement will be tracked daily Lowest-ranked contestant at the end of each cycle will face Disclosure
My God. I'm losing my mind right now. I feel a frown forming. "Disclosure of what?"
The word appeared on the screen slowly, deliberately.
Disclosure Definition:
Information withheld.
Truths avoided.
Narratives corrected.
A chill crawled up my spine. Okay way too much information for me "You mean secrets," I said.
Verline hummed. They prefer the word assets.
The next line appeared.
Disclosure Choice
At the end of each cycle, the selected contestant must choose:
Self-Disclosure
Reveal the assigned truth personally, live, and unedited
OR
System Disclosure
Allow the system to release the information on your behalf
Failure to choose will result in automatic disclosure.
I stare blank at the screen. "And if they lie?" he asked.
The system already knows the truth.
His hands curled into fists. "This isn't a game."
Silence. Verline didn't speak, of course she wouldn't.
Another line appeared—shorter, sharper.
Important Notice
Some disclosures may involve third parties.
Consent is not required.
My breath hitched. "That's not allowed,"
Neither was most of Quest One. For other contestant surely.
The final message settled into place.
Quest Two Objective:
Remain relevant.
Remain watched.
Remain in control—if you can.
The screen vanished.
The room felt smaller.
I sank back into the couch, heart pounding. The remaining slices of pizza left forgotten. Stomaching this would mean no more space for any food at this point. "They're going to tear us apart."
I'm not allowed to say this but, they're going to ask you to do it to yourself first, the audience just decides how long you get to pretend you're choosing.
My mind suddenly danced across a certain memory. Of Raken standing in front of me. He'd said they'll turn it into content. Fucking a-holes
Now I understand.
"So what do I do? I asked quietly.
You survive the first cycle, she went quiet for a while. After that… you adapt. Or you break.
Damn it, This is about survival not fame