Kai Lin was just about to drift off when his phone buzzed. Groaning, he reached for it without opening his eyes. But the screen light made him squint. A notification from an unknown sender glared at him.
"Congratulations. You have been selected."
Kai frowned. He hadn't signed up for anything.
He unlocked the phone to dismiss it—and another message popped up.
"Welcome to the Eternal Survival Game. Confirm your participation by opening the next message."
His heartbeat skipped.
"What… is this?" he muttered to himself.
Before he could react, the room around him darkened. The ceiling seemed to stretch, the walls dissolving into shadows. His phone's light was the only thing in the room now.
A third message appeared, slowly typing itself on the screen:
"World #1: Red Moon School. Players: 12. Survival Requirement: Stay alive until sunrise. Game Start: 00:00."
Kai froze. The last thing he remembered was checking notifications before bed. And now… he was here?
The floor beneath him shivered like water. His body felt light, then heavy, then completely ungrounded. The sensation of falling swallowed him whole.
When he opened his eyes again, the air was thick, cold, and smelled of dust. He was standing at the entrance of an old school. The windows were broken, and the gate creaked in the wind. Around him, eleven strangers looked equally stunned. Some were whispering, others frozen in fear.
Kai's pulse raced. Something about this place felt… wrong.
He stepped closer to the gate. A rusty sign hung crookedly above it:
"Brightwood High School"
From inside the building came a slow, deliberate sound: footsteps echoing in the empty hallways. And then… laughter. A low, chilling laugh that seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere at the same time.
Kai's instincts screamed at him to run. But he knew from reading countless horror stories: running into panic was the fastest way to get trapped.
"Stay calm," he whispered, more to himself than anyone else.
Kai glanced around at the other players. Twelve in total, including himself. Most were frozen in fear. Some whispered, some panicked, and one or two tried to take charge. There was a tall man with a leather jacket, arms crossed, looking like he didn't care; a girl with a notebook in hand, scribbling furiously; a younger boy trembling and holding his backpack like a shield; a woman in a red hoodie glaring at the school as if daring it to attack first; a man with glasses muttering nervously; a girl with long braids whispering to someone behind her; another young man tall and broad-shouldered scanning the courtyard like a soldier; a girl in a scarf hugging herself, eyes darting to every shadow; a man with a hood pulled over his face, silent, unmoving; a boy with headphones, seemingly unaware of the horror around him; a woman in a long coat checking her pockets and muttering, "We're all… doomed."
Kai studied them carefully. He needed to know who could be trusted—or who might make a mistake that would kill everyone.
A faint glow appeared at the edge of Kai's vision. The system was showing him something: subtle outlines of movement within the school, like threads of light connecting rooms. Only he could see them. It was enough to tell him where danger might be, and which doors might be safe to enter.
Kai's eyes caught someone standing a few meters away. A tall young man, calm, expression unreadable. His eyes were sharp, like they could pierce through the shadows. He didn't speak. He just observed. But Kai felt it in his gut: the man wasn't just watching the world—he was watching Kai. Kai didn't know if he should be reassured or terrified.
The red moon rose higher in the sky, spilling its eerie glow across the broken courtyard. A sudden metallic clang echoed from inside the school. The gate rattled. A wind swept through, carrying whispers that weren't quite human. Kai felt the hairs on his arms stand on end. He tried to steady his breathing.
Then, without warning, the gate slammed shut behind them. The sound echoed like a gunshot. Every player jumped. The courtyard was now a cage. The game had begun.
Some screamed. Some ran toward the school entrance. Some froze completely. Kai took a step forward. He had no plan yet. But he knew one thing: panicking would get them all killed.
"Listen," he said, voice steady. "We need to stay together and observe. Don't go running in blind. Watch each other—and watch the school."
Some glanced at him skeptically. Others simply nodded. The tall man in the leather jacket muttered, "I don't need you telling me what to do." Kai didn't respond. He couldn't waste time arguing. He scanned the school through his Hidden Vision. Faint glimmers outlined a few doors. One flickered red. Danger. Another glowed dimly. Safe… for now.
From the main building came a slow, dragging step, echoing through the hallways. Then a low, almost human growl. The girl in the red hoodie screamed. The others scattered. Kai's gaze fixed on the door glowing dimly. He had a choice: run toward safety—or step into the unknown. And as the moonlight cast its red glow over the courtyard, he realized something terrifying: this was only the beginning.