FIRST'S / LEONTHAN HORTAIA'S POV
In the tri-games, players are placed consecutively. The player with the first ordinal name number was chosen last by Author and vice versa. It means that Fortwen was the one to be chosen first by Author to play, and I was the last. The one who was selected first has the strongest will to fight their ill fate. But it doesn't mean that if you have the strongest will, it will remain the same while the game progresses.
To think that Rey, also known as Eleventh, is chosen before and far from me, means he bears more burden than I. He might act cool, but he's hiding all of it.
We are all placed with a corresponding partner, either a classmate or schoolmate, as long as we're in the same school as students.
We are chosen based on our feelings and thoughts, those who are most desperate to change the world or our own world.
I was named First and Second is my classmate in the real world, and my partner on the nth planet. These were our temporary names as we found our real identity. This is to confuse us with fantasy and reality. Inside the game, we are the embodiment of two people in one.
What are we really, and what are we even fighting for?
We get to question ourselves whether to save the lives of the friends we've made in-game or finish them winning the game.
Are we going to let our conscience ruin us again, or let the game be an opportunity to build something after we got ruined?
It's all to their own.
And now, this is the second tri-games. I used my 'time' to be brought back here. The good news is, I remember the patterns of the game, but this time, all games differ compared to the first one. There are separate mechanics, other settings, and new faces of my co-players. The set of players has been changed because I went back with Heavien. This is giving me a hard time because I thought going back to the game would be no hassle.
Yes, I will forget myself, Heavien, and the first tri-game's style, but it all boils down to the Stealth Level—the last and most important level that would dictate our fate. What matters most is for me to survive and reach this level for a purpose that I always had from the start. From then on, my memories are solid to carry out my mission.
However, intuition kicks in for me. I can't have Heavien say my real name. I know she wants to call me by it, but I have a reason for it. If I can't let her call me by my name, so do I. I couldn't help but say her name earlier. Her name came out of my mouth unconsciously. This is bad for me to think about it and be suspicious of her, but I can't let her do it if I'm right. Letting her call me by my name might trigger something in her.
During level 2 stage 2, there was an explosion. I hurriedly searched for Heavien, but there was smoke. That guy, named Trake, went near her.
"Cy, are you okay? Your forehead is bleeding!" Heavien's forehead is bleeding.
I ran towards them and grabbed that guy's collar.
"What do you think you're doing? You're thinking of ditching and harming her? Don't you even dare." If he has an ounce of motive in killing her, I'll end him now.
"No!" Heavien shouted when I landed a punch on him.
I assisted Heavien. "You're bleeding. You really are a defiant one. I already told you not to fight." She's been hurt so badly like this. I shouldn't leave her side.
"I'm fine. Go on with Trake. I'll handle Nadine."
"But-"
"You have nothing to worry about, First," she ran.
When Heavien strongly decides on something, I cannot stop her. All I need to do is to support and have faith in her.
"Hey, hey, hey," The guy is waving his hands, averting my gaze on Heavien's back to fight Sectwen or Nadine. "Don't forget about me. I'm still here, 'ya know."
I need to deal with him first, and it's a drag. "What do you want?" I asked him with a stern look.
He smirked. "What do you mean?"
"Don't play dumb unless you really are."
"Whoa, slow down, hahaha!"
This guy's jokes can be funny at times, but he's at the wrong time right now.
"Aight. I can't fool you enough, eh?"
"Just get to the point. If you won't, then I'll settle this." If I can't get a piece of information from him, then it's better to end him.
"You prolly don't know me, but Cy and I have known each other for years. I have an ambition for why I'm here in this crazy game. I mean, all of us are. Quite fancy meeting you again."
He's aware that this is the fourth one. But how? Every new batch of tri-games is a new set of games and players, too. Since I brought myself back, I am the only previous player who must be here.
"How'd you know?"
"It went into a loop. Maybe all of us, or I just got my memory of it earlier. But sooner or later, everyone will know."
"Just get to it!" I was about to attack him when he dodged my punch. He is making me impatient. But what made me do it to him is because of a possibility that I do not want to accept.
"I know you know what it already means. Shall I toast a truce?"
My eyes widened. "Don't tell me-"
"Exactly," he grinned.
And with that kind of conversation, I fully understood what he meant. My intuition was right. Not long, Heavien will be aware of her real intention in this game. And I must stop her from doing it. I have no definitive proof because only 90-95% of our memories come back. The remaining percentage might be small compared to what we've gained so far, but that fragment of our memory is the core—it serves as the most vital part. Another game's schemes for us to trick ourselves, aside from tricking our comrades.
Our co-players are not only our enemies. Our greatest enemy is ourselves. It is worse because once you've done bad to your comrades, all that's left to do is blame yourself. That one grave mistake that I could have made must be prevented at all costs.
I already lost everything. There's only one person whom I can save from this game. The person who recognized and saw right through me. The one who shares my feelings... grief, joy, love, peace, distress, disappointments, failures... The person who made me realize that I can live to the fullest. I made her go back to the game to save her using the necklace that I got as an acknowledgment gift. That necklace was my mom's favorite piece of jewelry. I wanted to have that keepsake from my parents, which is why I requested Author for it as a gift for winning.
We're already in the fourth tri-games. I was the winner in the fourth one. I already know what will happen.
I, Leonthan Hortaia, pledge to protect, save, and let Heavien Cyre Luvitos live.
If this is the only way, I won't hesitate. I am obsessed, possessive, and selfish. And being someone I am not, the role that suits me best. The game only accepts one sole winner; I guess it should be me.
"It ends here."