Alys POV
The corridor didn't feel the same anymore.
It wasn't just fear now.
It was… pressure.
Like something was waiting for us to break.
"When will this end?"
I didn't even realize I said it out loud.
But everyone heard.
No one answered.
So I looked at the one person who might.
"Drake."
He stopped walking.
Slowly.
Like he knew this question was coming.
"…it doesn't go on forever," he said.
"That's not an answer," Jay snapped.
Kiefer crossed his arms.
"Then give a better one."
Drake exhaled.
"Last time… it ended after the final round."
Silence.
Gorya frowned.
"How many rounds?"
Drake hesitated.
That hesitation was enough.
"You don't know," I said softly.
"I know what it was," he replied. "Not what it is now."
Thyme muttered,
"Great. So we're playing a game with changing rules."
Ace, who had been quiet till now, finally spoke—
"…five."
Everyone turned to him.
Zien blinked.
"What?"
Ace didn't look at anyone.
"There are five games."
Drake's eyes narrowed slightly.
"You remember that?" he asked.
Ace didn't respond.
And that… felt important.
System Voice
"Game Two will now begin."
The floor beneath us shifted.
The corridor split into multiple paths.
Walls rising.
Separating.
"Wait—no!" Gorya grabbed Thyme's arm.
But the wall slid between them.
"Alys!" I shouted—but suddenly—
Drake's hand slipped from mine.
"Drake!"
Too late.
We were separated.
GROUPS FORMED
Alys + Kiefer
Jay + Drake
Gorya + Ace
Zien + Thyme
Kenning + Kavin (still together)
Alys POV
"Great," I muttered. "Out of all people…"
Kiefer smirked slightly.
"Miss me?"
"Not even a little."
But something felt off.
"Why are we paired like this?" I asked.
"Because this game isn't about comfort," he replied. "It's about choices."
Before I could respond—
A screen appeared.
"GAME TWO: CHOOSE YOUR PATH"
Two doors appeared.
Door A — Reunite with your partner
Door B — Proceed alone for higher survival odds
My breath caught.
"What kind of choice is that?"
Kiefer looked at the doors.
"…a dangerous one."
Jay POV
"Of course I'm stuck with you," I muttered.
Drake didn't react.
Too focused.
Two doors.
Same options.
"Reunite… or survive better?" I read aloud.
"So basically," I said, "we either go back to them… or choose ourselves."
Drake finally spoke—
"Or we choose what we think they would want."
I looked at him.
"That sounds complicated."
"It is."
Gorya POV
"I don't like this," I said immediately.
Ace nodded slightly.
"You shouldn't."
"Where's Thyme?" I whispered.
"Different path."
"I want to go back."
Two doors.
Same choices.
"I'm choosing him," I said instantly.
Ace looked at me.
"…without thinking?"
"Yes."
He didn't argue.
But something in his eyes said—
This won't be that simple.
Zien POV
"Why am I with you?" I muttered.
Thyme shrugged.
"Fate."
"Annoying fate."
Two doors.
I read them.
"…this is messed up."
Thyme nodded.
"Yeah."
Silence.
Then—
"You'll choose your partner, right?" I asked.
"Obviously."
No hesitation.
That surprised me.
Kenning POV
At least I was still with Kavin.
"That's suspicious," I said.
He chuckled.
"Yeah. Too easy."
Two doors appeared anyway.
Same choices.
"So even we have to choose?" I asked.
"Looks like it."
I looked at him.
"…we go together."
"No matter what."
CHOICES MADE (Intercut)
Alys looked at Door A.
Drake.
Without thinking—
She stepped forward.
Jay hesitated.
Then smirked slightly.
"Don't die before I get there," she muttered—
and chose Door A.
Gorya didn't even look at Door B.
"Thyme," she whispered—
and ran toward Door A.
Zien sighed.
"This is stupid…"
and followed her heart.
Kenning & Kavin
Together—
Door A.
RESULT
All doors closed.
Silence.
Then—
The system spoke.
"All players chose reunion."
A pause.
Too long.
Then—
"…unexpected."
The ground trembled.
"What now?" Jay muttered.
Drake's expression darkened.
"This wasn't supposed to happen."
Suddenly—
All walls dropped.
Everyone was back.
Together.
Alys ran straight to Drake.
"You're okay!"
He nodded—but looked confused.
Kiefer muttered,
"Something's off…"
Ace's eyes narrowed.
"…we broke the pattern."
SYSTEM RESPONSE
"Emotional priority detected."
"Recalibrating outcome…"
Lights flickered violently.
Everyone tensed.
Then—
Everything went still.
FINAL ANNOUNCEMENT
"Game Two Complete."
Silence.
No punishment.
No damage.
Nothing.
Jay blinked.
"That's it…?"
Thyme frowned.
"No way it's that easy."
Drake looked around slowly.
"No," he said.
"This is worse."
Alys looked at him.
"Why?"
He met her eyes.
"Because we all chose the same thing."
A chill ran through everyone.
ENDING HOOK (Game 3 Setup)
The screen changed.
Glitching.
Distorted.
Then—
Words appeared.
"GAME THREE: THE PAST"
Drake froze.
Kiefer went completely still.
Percy's name suddenly flashed on the screen—
Even though he wasn't here.
Alys frowned.
"…why is his name there?"
No one answered.
Because—
they all knew.
This game wasn't about survival anymore.
It was about—
what really happened three years ago.