Game starts
In the stillness of the night, all the students gathered inside their tents, engrossed in heated discussions about the game. The atmosphere was thick with excitement and anticipation. Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air, a sound filled with agony and desperation. The students froze, their conversations abruptly silenced.
Without hesitation, they rushed toward the source of the sound, following it through the darkness. As they reached the clearing, their eyes fell upon a grisly sight: the lifeless body of a student, sprawled out in the dirt. It was Pond. His face was twisted in pain, his eyes wide open in an eternal expression of terror.
Some students stood in shock, unable to process the horror before them. Others stared at the body, their faces filled with suspicion and unease.
"Who did this?" Sky demanded, his voice tense with fear. "And why?"
Lumen, his face pale, spoke up, his voice trembling. "I think this is part of the game... Think about it carefully. Uncle always said the game starts at night."
His words sent a chill down their spines. "The game has already started," He continued, his voice steady despite the fear gripping his. "We need to be cautious. We can't move recklessly until we understand the rules of this deadly game."
But not everyone heeded her warning. Two students, driven by panic or perhaps defiance, bolted toward the jungle, their footsteps fading into the night. They didn't make it far. By the time the others reached the edge of the jungle, the two students were already dead, their bodies cold and lifeless.
As the grim reality of their situation set in, the remaining students were overcome with frustration and fear. "This is insane," William muttered, though his tone suggested a strange, twisted fascination. "This game… it's actually kind of fun."
Sky shot him a glare. "Fun? We're stuck in the middle of a nightmare, and you think it's fun?"
"We can't leave until we understand the game," Sky continued, his voice firm. "We're staying in the tents until we figure this out. No one leaves. Not until we know how this game works."
Nori, who had been silent up until then, stood frozen, her eyes wide with horror as he processed the death and chaos around his. The terror in her expression spoke volumes. Whatever this game was, it was far from over—and they were all trapped in its deadly grasp.
The group sat huddled together in the tent, the sight of the three bloodied bodies still fresh in their minds. Fear clung to the air like a thick fog, and their eyes darted nervously from one another, uncertain of what to say or do next.
One of the students, Matt, broke the silence, his voice shaking with panic. "Why are we trapped here? Why can't we just leave this game and go home safely?"
Nori's eyes narrowed, a dark shadow crossing his face as he looked at Matt. "None of us can leave. Not without finishing the game."
The words hung in the air, heavy with a sense of finality. There was a strange coldness in Nori's tone, an unspoken warning. He looked away for a moment, his gaze distant, as if caught in a memory that chilled him to the bone.
But then, something shifted. Nori's face seemed to soften, his expression faltering as he looked back at them, his voice now gentle, almost apologetic. "I—I didn't mean it like that. It's just... Lumen... Lumen told us about the others. Two students tried to run, to leave the game, but they didn't make it. They're dead."
His words hung in the air like a curse, and the group fell silent, the gravity of his admission sinking in.
Nori's words settled over them like a suffocating weight, plunging the group into an eerie silence. The tension thickened, the fear creeping into every corner of the tent. But as the minutes stretched on, a subtle shift in the air began to stir, whispers of doubt taking root among the students.
Sky, who had been unusually quiet until now, broke the silence, her voice low but laced with uncertainty. "I don't know... something about Lumen's words doesn't sit right with me. It's like... like he was trying to protect Nori when he said that. His tone... it sounded almost too defensive, as if he was covering something up."
Nori stiffened at her words, his heart racing. For a moment, he couldn't speak, as if her doubt had caught him off guard. His mind churned, racing through the conversation, piecing together Lumen's strange mannerisms, the way he had almost shielded him in his explanation. Was there more to the story than what they were being told? Had Lumen known something he hadn't shared?
A flicker of unease crossed Nori's face, and he looked away quickly, his thoughts spiraling. "I—" he started, but his voice faltered. It was as though Sky's words had shattered something fragile in his mind, and he couldn't quite piece it back together.
The air was thick with uncertainty now, and as the others exchanged wary glances, they realized that the game was far more treacherous than they had first thought. And somewhere, hidden in the shadows, was the truth—elusive and dangerous.
William called out, "Guys, let's head to our tent." Sky, however, turned to Lumen with a gentle but firm smile. "Lumen, come sleep in my tent tonight," she suggested, her voice carrying an unmistakable warmth.
Lumen hesitated, shaking his head. "I'm not coming with you."
Sky's expression softened, but his voice remained authoritative, yet laced with concern. "Don't argue with me. Let's go." It wasn't a request, but a statement filled with quiet determination.
One by one, the others made their way to their tents, but Nori lingered, his gaze distant as though lost in thought. A few minutes passed before he too retreated to his own tent.
Inside Sky's tent, Lumen seemed unusually tense. Sky, noticing his unease, sat beside him and spoke gently, "Don't worry, Lumen. We've got this. We're going to win this game." His words, a quiet reassurance, seemed to calm him slightly, though the worry never fully left his eyes. After a brief discussion about the game, the tension eased, and soon the two drifted off to sleep.
Meanwhile, in William's tent, the atmosphere was calm, almost unnervingly so. He lay back on his pillow, his face serene, a stark contrast to the anxiety that plagued the others. Lery, watching him closely, couldn't hold in his concern. "William," he said softly, "aren't you worried? We're trapped in this game. How do we get out?"
William didn't immediately answer. His gaze was distant, and when he spoke, it was with a quiet resignation. "Why should I worry? No one's waiting for me. My mom... she left me after I was born." He paused, the weight of those words lingering in the air. "And my dad..." His voice trailed off as sleep overtook him.
Lery stared at him for a moment, a sad understanding in his eyes. As he watched William fall into a peaceful slumber, Lery whispered to the darkness, "No one may be waiting for you, but I'll make sure you get home safely. I promise." With that, he too closed his eyes and drifted into the realm of sleep.