The forest was alive.
Not with life, but with something else… something watching.
I didn't dare move. The echo of that voice still rang in my skull, carved deep somewhere between my thoughts. The silence that followed was unbearable — so heavy it hurt my ears. I tried to speak, to ask what this "game" was, but my throat refused to work.
Then, a sound. Soft. Footsteps on the leaves, not far away.
I turned slowly. In the darkness, shapes moved between the trees. Five… maybe six people. Some wore the same expression of fear and confusion as me. Others… looked prepared. Their eyes sharp, focused — as if they already knew.
One of them stepped closer — a girl with short black hair, her jacket torn. She didn't seem afraid, just alert.
— "You're part of this too?" I asked, my voice shaking.
She shot me a cold glance.
— "We all are."
Before I could reply, the forest lit up.
A crackling sound tore through the air, followed by a crimson light crawling across the ground. A huge circle appeared beneath our feet, carved with strange symbols that pulsed with an eerie glow.
Then, the voice returned — closer this time.
— "Welcome, Players. The Game has begun."
A deep vibration rippled through the soil. The red light split into glowing lines that connected each of us together. I felt something pull at my chest — an invisible thread binding me to the others.
— "You have one hour to complete your first trial," the voice continued. "Survive."
— "What does that mean?!" someone shouted, panic rising.
The answer came as a scream.
A human scream… followed by a growl.
Behind the trees, something moved. Fast. The cracking of branches, heavy steps, and a guttural snarl that made the air vibrate.
Everyone froze. My breath caught in my throat.
The girl beside me whispered:
— "Run."
And then — chaos.
We all ran in different directions, like prey.
A creature burst from the shadows — humanoid, but deformed, as if someone had tried to sculpt a human without understanding what it was. Its eyes glowed white, and its jaw opened wide, filled with too many thin, sharp teeth.
It caught the first player in its path. A scream, a crack, then silence.
I didn't look back. My legs moved on their own, pounding against the wet ground. Branches whipped my face; my lungs burned. All I could do was run.
But as I ran, I saw something horrifying.
Behind me, the creature didn't just kill.
The player it had touched… was getting up again. Slowly. His skin cracked, his eyes turned pale, and his bones twisted beneath his flesh. He… was turning into one of them.
I almost threw up.
— "Don't let them touch you!" someone screamed.
The warning spread through the forest, echoing between the cries.
Suddenly, a boy fell right in front of me. He hit the ground hard, gasping. Without thinking, I turned back to help him.
— "Come on! Get up!" I yelled, reaching out.
But it was too late.
The beast lunged from behind and grabbed his shoulder. The boy screamed — a raw, tearing sound — before his body convulsed violently. His skin darkened, his veins swelled, and his eyes rolled back. His scream turned into a growl.
He was gone.
I stumbled back,
And then, the truth hit me.
The goal of the Game wasn't to fight.
It was to hide.
And pray you wouldn't be found.
I ran again, heart hammering so hard it hurt, darting between the trees — while the voice whispered, calm and merciless:
— "One player eliminated… two players transformed… stay alive, Rayer. The Game has only just begun."