AIOLOS

You handed an apple to Haru and bit down on your own. You looked at the sunset ahead of you and sighed. You found a hidden area for both of you while you prepped for the next game. You hated detting Haru involved, but her Visa...

"Do you really believe we will make it out of here?" Haru asked, gripping her apple.

You looked over at her and nodded. "Yes, I do. And we will get you home to your parents."

"... my parents are dead."

Silence washed over both of you. Did they die in the games? Or before? Did she have anyone waiting for her at home?

"My parents owed money to some very powerful people. I didn't know; they kept it from me. I thought... we were a big happy family. My mom, my dad, and my little brother. Then one day they came to the house. They shot my dad at the front door. My mom screamed at my brother and me to run and hide, but before I could get to my brother, one of the men grabbed him. I was so scared... So I ran and hid in the pantry. They didn't see me. They killed my mom and my brother, right in front of me.

I couldn't protect them, I couldn't save them. My grandmother took me in, but she's too old to take care of me. We can barely afford food. Half the time, she doesn't remember who I am. She thinks I'm my mom. I know I look like her."

Haru was in tears by the end of her story, and your heart ached for her. You could only imagine how old she was when it occurred. And more than that, just how much she must be triggered by the games. No wonder she was so scared when you two met.

"Haru..."

"I keep thinking that this is my punishment. I let my family die, and this is my punishment for it. I should've done something, anything. I'm the big sister; it was my job to protect him!"

You pulled Haru into your arms and ran your finger through her hair as she sobbed. She was usually reluctant to be touched, but she didn't fight it this time. "Haru, you're not being punished. You were just a child. You are just a child. What happened wasn't your fault, nor was it your responsibility."

Haru cried harder, and you wondered if anyone ever tried to be there for her after what happened.

"You aren't being punished. This is just a coincidence, Haru. We will get out safely, and you can go visit your family. Talk to them, talk to your brother. Keep their memories alive."

Haru nodded and pulled away, wiping her eyes. "Will you come with me?"

You smiled.

"Of course I will."

You took a sip of your miso soup and sighed in contentment. Your work day was extra long, and you still had your appointment to get to. Luckily, Kuina asked you to eat before you both went in. You needed a good meal.

"How is everything with your parents?" You asked as you pushed the empty bowl of Miso to the side.

"It's been a lot better," she responded with a smile. "I'm working with my dad, and he's been referring to me as his daughter. Which is a big improvement. And my mom is happy to have me for meals again."

"I'm glad to hear it. You've been happier the past few months."

"You know, you should visit the dojo sometime. Free lesson, and I'd like you to come by and say hi."

You smiled, "I would love to. I mean, I've always wanted you to teach me karate. I think I'd have a lot of fun. And, I wouldn't mind meeting your parents."

Kuina cheered and clapped before catching the time. "Oh crap, we gotta go, we're going to be late!"

You perked up and noticed the time also. Your appointment was before hers, and you really didn't want to miss it. You both quickly cleaned up your space and left. You wrapped your jacket tightly around yourself; the breeze today was stronger than usual.

While rushing to your appointment, you saw the flash of a bloody child. It was quick, and you turned around to see if the child was still there. She wasn't. And what got you more was that it was the child from your nightmares. But she wasn't real...

You went back into the waiting room after your appointment ended, waiting for Kuina to finish hers. When you walked out, and she walked in, you found your shoulders relaxing a little when you spotted a familiar blonde man.

You purposefully sat next to him, not missing how his eyes followed you the entire time.

"They told me to enter a sleep study. I mentioned my nightmares and my seemingly new sleep schedule." You didn't like disclosing what was said during your appointments, especially to strangers. But after he found you out after one of your nightmares, it seemed fair to give him an update.

"Are you going to do it?" He asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I... don't know." You respond honestly, looking over to him.

"You should. You'll start having physical symptoms soon. You can get quite sick from lack of sleep." He informed in a calm tone.

"I know, I already am. The fatigue is a bitch, and I'm starting to lose my appetite again. I do want to fix it. It's just..."

"You're scared."

You nodded and looked down at your lap. "Something about it makes me feel vulnerable and violated. I can't explain why. But the meds I'm taking aren't doing much."

Chisiyas gazed hardened, a flash of recognition running through them. You nearly missed it, but you were able to see it from the corner of your eyes.

"Talk to the place they're referring you to. You can back out at any moment." He responded as he looked away.

His tone gave you no room to argue. He spoke softly, yet at the same time, it felt like a terrible idea to go against him.

"Okay, I'll at least contact them. See how it works."

"Shuntaro Chishiya? We're ready for you now."

Chishiya stood up and looked down at you, giving you a light smirk. "Good." He pulled something out of his pocket and handed it to you, a card. "If you get too nervous or need to talk, give me a call."

You looked down at the card, and you were pleasantly surprised. Chishiya seemed like a private person, and yet he gave you a business card. IT showed his name, what hospital he worked at, his role, his email, and his phone number.

You smiled and nodded. "I will, thank you."

Were you two becoming friends? You hoped so. You couldn't help but gravitate towards him, and it seemed he was reciprocating.

You walked up to the arena holding Haru's hand. Kuina chose to stick with you both, deciding that the three of you would work together as a team to get through this living hell.

"Let's hope it's a big number, maybe then we will have a break from playing," a young lady cried to an older man next to her.

"You idiot, if it's a big number, that means we are more likely to die in the game." He growled back.

You guided the two girls with you past them to grab a phone. You handed one each to them and kept one for yourself. Judging by how many people were already there, you assumed it wouldn't be long before it started.

Haru refused to let go of your hand.

"Registration closed."

Haru pulled you closer. You were a bit surprised, but you knew she felt closer to you after opening up.

"There are a total of 16 participants. The game will not commence. Difficulty, nine of hearts. Game. True or lie. Rules. All players have a designated number on their devices. Each number has been assigned to two players. Those players will be partners."

Your heart sank, a game of hearts, a nine at that. Everyone started murmuring to themselves and checked their phone. You did the same. Your number was 8. You looked at Kuinas, a 7. You let out a shaky breath, hoping that meant you two wouldn't have to go against each other. You looked at Harus' next, and you nearly dropped your phone. 8.

Your mind was racing.

"You and your partner will enter the same room and put on a collar. There are four rounds. Each round, you and your partner will be asked a question. Answer truthfully, you live. Answer with a lie, you die. You may lie to save your partner's life. If by round four, both participants are standing, a player will be randomly selected to die."

A few of the participants started panicking. You yourself were barely able to keep it together. Kuina seemed to have noticed the numbers too, her gaze sad as she looked between you both.

Numbers began to light up above doors, ranging from 1 to 8. You turned to Kuina and hugged her tightly, holding in your tears. You knew all three of you weren't going to make it out.

"Hold fast, please." You mumbled to her.

She returned the hug, "You too."

Haru joined in, a few tears silently falling.

"Each round will be five minutes long. If you do not answer in time, you will be eliminated. Game start!"

Everyone timidly moved to their positions at the door. You took Haru's hand and led her to door 8. You walked in, a sterile pure white meeting you. A table with two chairs facing each other, a giant monitor behind both seats. On the table were two collars and a machine with a finger monitor attached.

Once you both entered the door, it slammed and locked behind you. Haru jumped, and you gave her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"It'll be okay, Haru, we can win this, together."

Haru blinked through her tears and looked up at you. "One of us has to die."

"No, no, that's not true. There is always a way to beat a game of hearts, remember?" Your voice was shaking. You tried your best to sound confident. You weren't sure how well that worked, though.

A timer appeared on the screens, counting down from thirty seconds.

You both walked over and sat down at the table. You put on your collar first, and Haru nervously followed. You placed the monitor on your finger next, and on your side of the device, a heart rate was showing.

The thirty seconds were up in a flash.

"Question one. What's the biggest lie you've ever told? Ready? Go."

A timer for five minutes started counting down.

You gave Haru a reassuring nod before answering. "I told my family that the college I got into was the best choice for me, and I'd have multiple scholarships if I came here. In reality, I was tired of living under my sister's shadow. I wanted freedom; I wanted to move to a completely different country. I love my sister, but I am tired of being my mom's second chance with her."

The screen behind you turned from white to green, the timer still counting down. You let out a shaky sigh. This game could easily get to your head.

"I told my little brother that I skipped his performance at school. I didn't I was backstage, so he didn't see me. I was cheering him on. But we were fighting at the time and I... I lied to him." Haru's voice kept breaking; you knew the memory of her family broke her heart.

The screen behind her lit up green, and she cried harder. You reached over the table and squeezed her free hand. For the rest of the timer, you two sat in silence. When the timer went down, in the distance, you heard an explosion, followed by screaming.

This game was a trap; you were sure there were people here who knew each other well.

"Question two..."

You were gripping your blanket for dear life as he slept. It was the longest you had slept in a long time. Yet of course, it was your worst nightmare. Broken whimpers left your throat as you tossed around. But there was no waking.

"Just one more question, okay? It's okay." You gave her hand another squeeze.

"Question four. Have you ever committed an action that led to the death of another? Ready? Go."

Your face fell as you realized the impact of that question on Haru. She withdrew her hand and hugged herself.

"It's okay, Haru." You knew it wasn't though. You protected her from making any choices in anyone's life or death in the games so far. The only death she would've had a hand in, well...

"Yes, I didn't stop others from going first in the four of spades game. I knew they'd help us find the traps, even if it meant them dying." You answered honestly. The screen turned green.

Haru started shaking her head and crying. "I can't do this, I can't. I'm sorry, I can't."

"You can, sweetie, you can. We never have to talk about it again. It wasn't your fault—“

"Yes! Yes, it was! I could've saved him, I should've... It was my job, I'm his big sister."

You tried to stand and cross to her end of the table, but the monitor's cord wasn't long enough. It slipped off your finger, and the screen started flashing red; a ten-second timer showed underneath the main one, flashing as well. You quickly put it back on and reached your hand over the table instead.

"Haru, listen to me, we can both survive this." One minute remaining. "I don't want to lose you, and you don't deserve to die for someone else's crimes."

Haru shook her head. "It said by the end of round four that one of us would be selected, I can't do that. I can't be responsible for your death. It's better if... I'm so lucky that it was you who saved me, I'm lucky it's been you. Your sister would've been so lucky to have you as a younger sibling." She smiled sadly and finally took your hand back.

"Haru, I'm begging you, please."

"Thank you, for being my friend. No, I have never done anything that resulted in anyone's death."

You cried out as the screen turned red. Right after, the timer hit zero. She kept her smile on her face as she cried. The collar beeped, and her neck exploded.

You flinched, a scream caught in your throat. Blood got in your eyes, blurring your vision. The once sterile white room was painted in blood and flesh. Her grip on your hand loosened slightly, but still held.

"Winner. Congratulations."

The door opened up. You didn't leave immediately; all you could do was stare at Haru's body in shock. The collar immediately unlocked from your neck and fell. eventually, you slowly stumbled out of the room, as others started exiting as well.

The grumbling man from earlier walked out by himself. You looked at room 7, and Kuina walked out by herself. She looked concerned and slightly horrified when she saw you. You looked to the door next to hers as both participants walked out.

You both could've survived.

You fell to your knees and started hyperventilating. She could've lived. You finally let out the scream you were holding. You told her you'd protect her, and you failed. Kuina rushed over and crouched next to you, pulling you in for a hug. You didn't register it.

All you could think of was that Haru was dead.

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© 2022-2025 locketsvault all rights reserved. please do not copy, translate, plagiarize, feed to ai, pass off as your own, or repost my work to any other site/app without my consent!

Haru held your hand as you approached a tall building guided by bright lights. It was an office building that appeared to be under construction. Harus' visa was going to end that night. Despite her being a child, she needed to play again. Your mind ran through all the possible games you'd play this time.

After your first game, one of the other survivors gave you a rundown on what each game meant. There were four types of games, and the numbers signaled difficulty.

A game of Diamonds, which meant a game of intelligence. Diamonds tested your strategy and wits, and how well you were able to keep up and read patterns.

A game of Spades, which meant a physical game. Spades tested your physical endurance and agility, and how far you could push your body.

A game of Clubs, which meant a game of teamwork. Clubs tested your ability for cooperation and your all-around ability to work together and survive.

A game of Hearts, which meant a game of psychology. Hearts tested your psychological state, trust, and betrayal. Hearts was said to be the most brutal of all the options, and you hoped to avoid it. You knew with your history, you had a higher chance of survival, but you weren't willing to test that.

"Ready?" Haru asked as she looked up at you.

A couple of people filed past you both. Taking one more deep breath, you nodded. "Ready."

You woke up drenched in sweat, again. You couldn't remember the last time you didn't dream of those games. You brought it up one more time to Arisu, but after that, kept quiet. You didn't want to talk about them, coincidence or not.

You had yet to tell Kuina about your strange dreams. Every time you tried, your throat closed up. It felt like you were forbidden to mention anything to her. It felt, though, that if you were to try to tell her, something bad would happen. To her? To you? You didn't know. But you couldn't shake the feeling that there was a bigger picture to the story.

You dragged yourself out of bed and to the bathroom. You had work today, and your weekly meeting at the councilor's office. You wondered if the fatigue showed in your eyes. No matter how much you tried to sleep, it didn't feel like you were getting any rest.

You managed to survive the accident and trauma alongside it, but somehow, these dreams you'd been having have taken more of your light than recovery did. You wondered if you should try to talk to Arisu again. You were showing signs of a mental health crisis. But how... How do you open up about them?

You found yourself dissociating while traveling to work. Not the smartest move to make on the train, but you couldn't help it. Your mind would travel to your job, to the accident, and to the dreams. But you never had a dream happen during your commute. That was, until now.

You walked into an elevator while holding Harus' hand tightly. You didn't like the fact that you two were going up. Neither did you like the idea that a building being built had a working elevator. You did your best not to show your worries. You didn't want to worry Haru.

When the elevator doors opened, you guided both of you to the table with brand new phones. You grabbed two and brought Haru to the side. You handed her her phone and gave her a reassuring smile.

"No matter what happens, you stick by my side, okay? No matter the game. And we will get you out of here, alive." You spoke in a quiet voice. You didn't trust anyone there and wanted to be careful.

Haru nodded and registered herself on her phone. "What happens if I can't keep up? What if I get you killed?"

Your gaze softened; you couldn't help it. You knew she felt like a dead weight from your first game.

"You won't, Haru. And I will do everything in my power to keep us both alive. Remember when I said I'd protect you? I meant it."

You held out your pinkie to her with a smile, and she took it, holding your pinkie tight with hers. She nodded and tried to mimic your reassuring smile. You knew she was trying her best to stay brave and optimistic.

"Y/n?" A familiar voice approached. You recognized that voice immediately, your eyes widening. You turned around, mumbling a soft "Kuina?" under your breath.

Haru tensed next to you and let go of your hand as Kuina walked over and gave you a hug.

"What are you doing here?" She asked in disbelief.

"Same as you, just trying to get by."

You pulled away from the hug and looked at Haru, then back to Kuina. "Haru, this is Kuina, she's my best friend, and we can trust her. Kuina, this is Haru. I met her at my first game. Her visa is up today."

Kuina nodded, looking between the two of you. She smiled and offered her hand to Haru. "It's nice to meet you, Haru. Let's work together, yeah?"

Haru hesitated before taking her hand and shaking it.

You felt the train call out your stop, which startled you back to reality. You wiped your tears, then gripped your cane and got up. Once the train came to a complete stop, you got off. You couldn't understand why you were crying. That wasn't a bad dream?

Actually, was it even a dream? Or was it you making stuff up from your dreams? You couldn't quite tell.

What stuck out to you the most, though, was that Kuina was in them now. Maybe it was because she had been on your mind a lot since you wanted to tell her about your dreams? Or because she's your best friend?

The walk to your office took about two minutes; you were grateful for the short commute. Opening the front door, the front desk worker looked up and smiled. You don't think you've ever made it to work before her.

"Good morning, Y/n," the receptionist—Michiko—greeted with a smile. "Have you been getting sleep? You look exhausted."

"Just some insomnia, I'll be okay though. I get enough sleep." You responded.

"Well, today your schedule is light, only two patients before lunch. Take it easy, will you?"

You nodded and gave her a genuine smile. You could see why she got hired here. She may only be a receptionist, but she was a gem of a human being. "I will, Michiko, thank you."

You walked over to your office and pushed the door open. You had about an hour before your first patient. Today seemed mostly filled with paperwork. You didn't mind. You needed some time to yourself.

You sat at your desk and logged into your computer. You just had to survive the day, that's all.

"Registration closed. There are twenty-four players in total."

Haru reached out and gripped your hand. You could feel your heart pounding.

Here we go again.

"Difficulty, four of spades. Game. Finish Line. Rules. Players must make it to the first floor of the building before the timer hits zero."

Crap. Spades. Lots of physicality. While you felt some relief for Kuina since you knew she was fit, you were worried for Haru.

"Be careful. Every floor has traps waiting for you. Avoid them to make it to the next floor down. Game start!"

"T-timer? Traps?" A timid man said. He was holding his phone to his chest.

Another man looked at everyone in a panic before running to the only door in the room. "Stairs". He opened it and ran in, triggering a panic. Multiple others followed after him.

"We're gonna die!" "Just follow the rules, and it'll be fine." "Finish line? Like a race? Can't be that hard."

"Y/n?" Harus' voice cut through everyone screaming and your own heartbeat.

"We will wait until the others leave. If we go now, we'll just bottleneck the next floor. Plus, we can see where the traps are and avoid them." Kuina called out.

You knew what she meant by that last part. Sacrifice them. You knew she was right, though. You nodded and turned to Haru. "Stick by me, okay? We can do this."

All three of you jumped when there was the sound of gunshots and screaming. You knew it was one of the traps. Taking a deep breath, you looked between the two girls next to you. "Let's go?"

You tossed and turned in your bed, your heart rate picking up. Tears clung to your lashes as broken whimpers left your throat. Your body began to react to your dream.

More gunfire, screaming, and... an explosion? You were beginning to wonder if you could make it. It was a four. Why did it sound so chaotic?

You walked through the door first and immediately noticed why the stairs were unavailable when you arrived. The stairs led to the next floor, and then there was a wall. You couldn't climb down. Your guess; each floor looked like that. It kept people from skipping.

"It's okay, let's go." You walked to the door before opening it. You peaked out and shuddered.

Blood and... what you could guess was flesh, covered the floors and walls. Bodies lay all along the ground, dead and alive. There were no rooms built, just boxes and pillars to hide behind. People were crying out for help, including a lady who was missing the lower half of her body. How was she still alive?

Kuina leaned over your shoulder, scanning the room as well. Haru squeezed herself between both of you, gripping your shirt as she nervously looked at the bodies. You reached back and tucked her close.

"Try not to look," you murmured.

"Cameras at the top, they barely rotate. Guns are connected to them. My guess is they only shoot when they detect motion. We just have to avoid them." Kuina whispered to both of you. You nodded along.

"The doors in the distance, only one is meant to be an exit, the rest are traps." You responded. That's where the lady in half was located.

"We just have to hide behind the boxes and pillars and avoid the cameras. We can see which door is the correct one." Kuina nodded to herself. She looked down at Haru and squeezed her shoulders. "Stick close, we got you."

"On the count of three. One... Two... Three."

You gasped awake and gripped the sheets below you. Every night now. Every night, you had these damn nightmares. And you just wanted them to stop. You couldn't help the quiet sob that left your lips. You were tired, so tired.

You looked at your clock, and it was a little past three am. You knew you wouldn't be able to fall back to sleep. You decided to go to a small twenty-four-hour store to grab a snack. Sighing, you dragged yourself out of bed and fixed yourself up a bit before leaving your apartment. You knew it was unhealthy to build a habit of going out when you couldn't sleep, but you needed to get out of your apartment.

You grabbed yourself a drink and your favorite Japanese snack before sitting at one of their outdoor tables. You were so out of it, you didn't notice someone was there until you heard the chair.

You blinked a few times, feeling that your eyes were deceiving you. It was Chishiya. He was wearing a hoodie with his hood up he looked tired as well.

"Chishiya? What are you doing here?" You asked while adjusting in your seat.

"Just got off work, wanted a snack. I work night shifts sometimes," he responded as he opened up a bottle of water. "And you? You're wiped out."

You chuckled at how he went straight to the point. "I couldn't sleep, and I wanted out of my apartment, so I came here."

"Nightmare?"

You raised an eyebrow. "How'd you know?"

Chishiya chuckled and took a sip of his water. "I know the look," he said, sitting up, tilting his head slightly. "I get them too."

You looked down at your half-eaten snack, and you both fell into silence. He didn't bother asking, and you couldn't tell if you wanted to confide in him. The couple of times you both got to talk, Chishiya never asked, even when he noticed something, you knew that. It was one of the things that drew you to him.

"Do you... Ever have nightmares so vivid and violent? That only started out after the meteor?" You asked nervously, picking at your sleeves.

Chishiya hummed and sat back in his seat. "Yes, I do."

You nodded and sighed. Your wording was vague enough for those dreams to easily pass for PTSD from the event. You didn't want to sound crazy. You knew you weren't, but sometimes, like now, you couldn't help but feel so.

"I keep dreaming about these... games. They're violent and horrific. I can't escape them. I know it's probably just my mind trying to cope with the meteor. But it feels so—" "—Real."

You looked at Chishiya, a little startled. He sounded so assured.

"You're not crazy, Y/n. Come on, let me walk you home. You look like hell. You need to sleep. Those dreams can't hurt you. You need to focus on the now." Chishiya said as he got up, offering you a hand.

You took it to steady yourself up before grabbing your stuff. You had this nagging feeling he was holding back. That he knew more than he was willing to say. And you realized, as he walked you home, that no matter how blunt he was, he always spoke gently to you.

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© 2022-2025 locketsvault all rights reserved. please do not copy, translate, plagiarize, feed to ai, pass off as your own, or repost my work to any other site/app without my consent!

"Registration closed. There are thirty players in total."

Your breath was shaky as you stared down at the foreign phone in your hand. As the rules were being read out, you looked at the wristband you had just applied to your right arm. In that moment, all it showed was a club symbol.

"Difficulty, four of clubs. Game. Conjoined. Rules. Players are tasked to wear a bracelet representing their team. You must find who is on your corresponding team and who is not."

You looked around the small four-by-four room. There was a door in front of you and behind you, that was all. No one else was around you; they had purposefully separated you. What was going on? What was with these "games"?

"There are 5 teams, and the last team to find their members is eliminated. You have one hour. Find all your teammates. Game start!"

The door in front of you immediately opened, and the symbol on your wristband changed from black to bright green. So this must be based on colors, huh? You hesitantly stepped out of the room, only to realize it led to a maze. Great. How were you supposed to find anyone in one hour in these conditions, let alone five other people?

Someone came up next to you and roughly grabbed your arm, holding their wristband next to yours. Their color was red. The man who grabbed you cursed loudly and shoved you away, running off.

"Thanks, asshole..." you grumbled, knowing a bruise would probably form from how hard he grabbed you. You didn't even have time to react to how quickly it happened.

You looked down at your phone; two minutes had already passed. Sighing, you looked around the room. You noted where the man came from and decided to head that way. He probably was scaring off most of the others with the insane look in his eyes. And wait... was that smell... blood?

Your breath caught in your throat as you could hear a woman scream in the distance, and then another scream later on. You had a feeling, whatever this game was... nothing good would come from it. Your senses were on high alert as you took up a jogging pace. You needed to find your teammates, and you knew that.

You placed the final box of your belongings and work supplies in your office. You got hired as a psychiatrist at an office close to your apartment and the Sakurazawa University Hospital, where you had a feeling a lot of your patients would be referred from.

You were quite excited to set everything up. Your office already came with a desk, chair, a computer, bookshelves, and a sofa facing two matching chairs. All that was needed was your personal touch and supplies.

You were tired of being pent up at home. Talking about your experiences with the meteor seemed to have caused a new bout of night terrors to reappear. Sleep was no longer your friend, and you needed something productive and good to take your mind off it. You hoped working would do just that.

They were kind enough to allow your first day to be for settling in. You unpacked your boxes, filled the bookshelves, got your drawers organized and ready to hold patient files. You set up your desk exactly how you needed it, adding photos of happy memories to carry you through the harder days. And right behind your desk chair, you hung up your graduation certificate. You were quite proud of it.

After that, you took the time to get familiar with the programs you'd be using. You knew you'd be doing several things on there, including patient forms, diagnosing, and prescribing medication. You wanted to make sure you understood the program. It felt weird, knowing you were working the job you spent years studying for. But you were grateful.

To top off your first day, you had an appointment back at the counselor's place. At least this gave you something to talk about. This was a big progress, you couldn't deny it.

The energy in the maze was heavy; you could practically feel how seriously everyone was taking this. It felt like life or death. And you started to wonder...

"Hey! You! What color do you have!" A guy called out, holding a girl's hand. He looked to be no older than thirty, and the girl around twenty-five.

"Green!" You called back in return and felt your body wash with relief when the two smiled at each other.

"Hurry! Let's go!" He waved you over, and you did exactly that. You picked up the pace until you were standing directly next to them.

Two down, three more to go. Forty-two minutes were left on your clock. Maybe you'd have a chance...

"I don't think we should split up; there's no guarantee we will be able to find each other again." The man said as he continued quickly in the direction he was heading.

"I agree. I can't tell how big the arena is, though, and we don't know if we're moving in the same direction as the others. Standing still would be stupid." You nervously responded, doing your best to stay calm.

"Keep an eye out." The girl input, nodding to herself.

And that's what the three of you did, even as the building filled with screams.

"--Y/n?"

You startled a bit from where you were daydreaming, blinking away your tears. You looked up at Arisu, who looked at you, slightly concerned.

"Y/n? Are you ready?" He gently asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm ready." You got up and made your way to the familiar room. You sat on the couch and got comfortable, noting that Arisus' eyes did not leave you.

"I called your name three times. Is everything okay?" He asked, sitting in front of you.

“Yeah, I just… No, actually.” You quickly stopped yourself when you realized your automatic reply. “My dreams have gotten worse as of late. Vivid nightmares, they almost feel like memories…” You can’t help but laugh nervously and shake your head. “They’re so life-like. I can still distinctly remember their faces, too. And the pain I could feel in them.”

“These nightmares, what exactly goes on in them?”

One thing you could always appreciate about your time with Arisu before the doctor came in, he was always genuine. Whatever you were going through, he took seriously and personally. You needed that.

“Wait, wait, wait, stop!” You urged, as you noticed a young girl curled up in a corner, crying. Your two companions listened, and you noted how quick the man was to hide the girl behind him. They definitely knew each other prior to this, you were sure.

You slowly walked up to the crying girl, who seemed to panic a bit when she noticed your presence.

“Shhh, it’s okay, you’re okay.” You held your hands up and slowed your movements. “I’m not going to hurt you. I just want to make sure you’re okay.”

The girl looked to be no older than twelve. She was shaking like a leaf. She nodded slowly but hugged her legs closer to her chest. Eventually, you made it over to her, slowly kneeling down to her eye level.

“Can I ask, what color does your bracelet say?”

She looked at you, then your bracelet, then at her own, before showing you. You smiled encouragingly and turned back, giving the other two a thumbs-up.

“That’s good, that means we’re on the same team. And you know what that means? I’ll protect you.” You stood back up and offered her your hand.

She was slow to take it, but once she did, her grip was like a vice. You guided her back to the others just as a loud chime rang through the building.

“30 minutes left. Two teams succeeded. Three teams left.”

“We just need to find two more people, and then we won’t die.” The older girl mumbled.

The lump that was forming in your throat finally made itself known at that sentence. It all but confirmed your worst fears. This truly was life or death.

You blinked a few times before looking towards the window. “It starts off with these… games. All titles are based on playing cards. Six of hearts, two of spades… You play the games or you die.”

Arisu looked a bit surprised before a flash of recognition flashed across his face. Your eyes stayed on him when you realized he knew something about your dreams. And he could practically read what was being asked.

“You… are not the first person to experience dreams like that. I cannot say who, though, so please don’t ask.”

You were well aware of HIPAA. But the fact that someone else had similar dreams? It was so oddly specific.

“Do you ever die in those dreams? Or is it only the people around you?”

“12 minutes left. Three teams succeeded. Two teams left.”

You just needed one more person. Where were they? The girl refused to let go of your hand, even as you found someone new. She practically stayed clinging to your side, mirroring the two you originally met.

“Hey! Does anyone have green?! Please call back if you do!”The newest addition to your team called out. Her voice was clear and powerful.

The bad news? The other team ended up doing the same.

“If you have blue, come now! Before we get eliminated!”

It became a never-ending battle of screaming, and eventually, you had to tell the lady to stop. They wouldn’t be about to hear anyone if they kept yelling over each other.

And it turned out to be the right call. In the distance, you could hear another female voice call out, saying she had green.

Your team wasted no time booking it in her direction, playing a game of Marco Polo. Not long after you started running, you could hear the last remaining blue call out as well. All you could think of were curse words. There was no way you were about to fail after coming so far.

You turned the corner and bumped into someone, accidentally knocking them over since your weight combined with the young girl's.

“I’m so sorry!” You cried out, helping her up with your free hand. You just so happened to grab the hand with the bracelet, a green bracelet.

Your group let out a cry of relief, and the newest member of your group couldn’t stop her legs from giving out on her, going back to the ground almost as quickly as she was pulled up.

“Two minutes and thirty-two seconds remained. Five teams succeeded. One team—blue—will now be eliminated. Game cleaned. Congratulations.”

The blue team scattered. One stayed still while the others ran in varying directions. Crying, screaming, begging. One fell to their knees, praying. The young girl who was holding onto you turned to hide her face in your chest. You wrapped your arms around her, not knowing what was going on. But you had a feeling she shouldn’t see it.

Suddenly, lasers were coming down and shooting through their heads. You wish you could say the screaming stopped. But it didn’t. Instead, it came from a couple of people from other teams who came to investigate what was happening.

It was their first games too.

“No. I’m not the one who dies. They are.”

Arisu nodded and took a few notes on his clipboard.

“I’m going to ask you a few questions, and then the doctor will be in with you. I think it’s important you talk to her about your findings as well.”

You nodded along to his words; you knew he was right. So many things could be causing it. Change in environment, coping, stress, trying to make sense of your traumas.

“You told me last time you were here that today is your first day at your new job. How did it go?” He asked as the tension in the room eased up.

And for the first time in a couple of hours, you smiled.

“So if we stick together, maybe we have a shot at surviving these games?” One of the strangers in your team asked as you all left the building.

“No, there’s no guarantee. Clubs is a team based game. Not all of them are like that. Some will have you turn on one another until only you remain.” Another replied.

You stayed silent, holding the young girls hand. Whatever choices you decide to make, you knew she’d be along side you.

“I’ll risk it.” The girl murmured, and it was the first time you heard her talk. She looked up at you nervously. “Everyone else hurt me, you didn’t. I’ll risk it being against you, if it means there’s also a chance you will be by my side.”

You smiled sadly at the girl and turned your full attention to her. You got down to her height and kept your voice soft. "What about your parents?"

"I can't find them. I don't think they're here..."

You nodded and took a moment before getting up. You felt you didn’t have much of a choice. And you didn’t want to abandon the child.

“Okay. We’ll risk it.”

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Phainon was one of the first friends Y/n made when he joined the grove. Y/n was friendly but more withdrawn than the blue-eyed boy. Seeing he was all alone, Phainon walked right up to him and offered his hand.

"Hello there! I'm Phainon! I saw you sitting all alone. You don't have to be, you know."

Y/n blinked a few times before taking his hand and shaking it. Phainon's smile grew wide before pulling the boy up. Y/n stammered, but allowed it to happen. "Come on! Let me show you around! Oh, let me show you my favorite toys!"

And three years later, you two were still quite close. You were the bane of your teacher's existence, always causing harmless trouble during class hours. But it kept your classroom lively. They couldn't deny that the laughter it brought was more than welcome.

Most of the students were orphans or displaced from their homes due to the black tide. More often than not, a new broken child was being introduced, and constant tears were coming from someone. Phainon took it upon himself to be the class clown; he was okay with that. If it meant making people smile, it was more than worth it to him.

And Y/n entertained it, sometimes joining in on his antics. They never truly got in trouble, only scolded. They never technically did anything bad, just disrupted their classes.

So when another boy was introduced to the school—their class, nonetheless—of course, y/n took it upon himself to try and make him feel welcome. The same way Phainon did for him.

Y/n walked over to the boy, playing with his hands. "Hello, you're new here, right?" When he got no response, Y/n frowned. "I'm Y/n—“

"I don't care who you are, go away," the boy growled, shooting him a piercing glare.

Startled, Y/n stumbled back a few steps. "Oh, I'm sorry..."

"Are you deaf or stupid? I said go away."

The boy stood up and clenched his fists. His face held a myriad of emotions, but anger and sadness showed through the most. Phainon seemed to realize what was happening and ran over, grabbing Y/ns hand and dragging him back.

"That's enough." Y/n was startled even more by Phainon's tone of voice. Rarely did he hear him so serious and stern. "We're leaving, you can back off." He practically hissed out.

He didn't allow Y/n to say anything and dragged him away. Y/n was the more emotional of the two. So it did hurt his feelings to try and be kind, only to be bitten. He couldn't help but cry, which aggravated the situation more. To say Phainon didn't like the boy would be an understatement.

It didn't take either of them long to learn that he's the Kremnoin prince, who was supposed to have been murdered by his very own father. Phainon said something about "no wonder he's horrible", but Y/n couldn't help but feel sympathy for his situation.

Phainon would pull y/n away from the boy—Mydei—anytime he got too close. He didn't want there to be another confrontation. That, though, only caused Mydei to be more isolated.

"It's not fair to him, Phai, he didn't mean to hurt me," Y/n mumbled, crossing his arms.

"He made you cry Y/n! And never even apologized for it!"

"You haven't allowed him to. You keep pulling me away!"

Phainon huffed and sat next to him. He knew he was right, but he was just trying to protect his best friend. As misguided as it was.

As if manifesting him into being, the very boy you were talking about was walking over. In his arms were three goblets. Phainon was about to get up again, but Y/n placed his arm over him and held him down.

Mydei grabbed one of the goblets and handed it to Y/n. Y/n hesitated before taking it. The drink inside looked pink and smelled very good. He hesitantly took a sip before smiling. It tasted like pomegranates and milk. Y/n looked over at Phainon and nodded. Mydei then handed a goblet to Phainon, who reluctantly took it.

"I'm... sorry. I was mean to you, I made you cry. I... didn't mean to." Mydei eventually said, his eyes staying on Y/n. "People aren't kind to me."

Y/n looked over to Phainon and then back to Mydei before standing up. He offered his hand and gave him a kind smile. "I forgive you."

Mydei briefly stared at Y/ns' hands before firmly taking it in his free hand. Y/n smiled widely and carefully pulled Mydei to sit with them. A single glance in Phainon's direction told him that the boy was okay with it. He could tell Mydeis' apology was genuine, and since you forgave him, he was going to as well.

"This drink is amazing, what is it?" Y/n asked curiously before drinking more down.

"Pomegranate juice with milk, my mom used to love this drink," Mydei responded almost bitterly.

Y/n took that moment to learn Mydei, realizing his bitterness wasn't directed at them but his memories. He made an "oooh" sound and nodded, while Phainon looked a bit puzzled at the combination, but seemed to enjoy it nonetheless.

"Thank you, Mydeimos," Phainon added before drinking the rest of his cup.

Y/n grinned, looking between the two boys. His oldest friend, and his newest one. He hoped maybe now they'd get along. He could feel it in his bones; they were meant to be friends.