The Wizarding World

"Don't make a sound."

You look up at him with a scared look. Just seconds ago you had said goodbye to Gi-Hun, ready to give your life in return for his safety, but now you are being dragged through the halls. He breathes in deeply before gripping his gun.

"I talked to the Frontman. We only have to reach the office and I promise you," he whispers. "I promise you that we will make it."

Frontman? That must be the person that is running all of these games. But how could Jun-Ho talk to him? He isn't even allowed to talk to the Squares without permission, so how could he have gotten to the Frontman all on his own?

Triangle slowly opens all the doors, making sure that no one can see them. They are far away from where the players normally walk, and all he can do is pray that no one spots them. You carefully follow him, making sure to walk as softly as you can. You have been pronounced dead during the Marble Game already, so if they would spot you it would not be good. Especially not if you are together with Jun-Ho.

Your heartbeat gets faster with every door you open. Especially when you hear movements behind the door next to you. 'Please, if we run into someone, let it be a Circle,' Jun-Ho thinks. The Circle wouldn't even be able to say anything, as they are the lowest in this game. He wouldn't even be able to talk to the Triangle.

But your luck seems to be running out as the door opens.

Fuck.

Triangle pushes you behind him, shielding you from whatever lays behind the door. The heavy footsteps get closer, stopping right in front of the two of you. You can hear the sound of the scanner as it scans Triangle his mask.

"Number 29," you hear.

You got to be kidding.

The fact that he has the scanner and speaks up first only confirms that it is a Square.

"Aren't you supposed to be working in the game?"

Triangle nods, gripping his gun tightly. Hopefully, he is covering you enough. Seconds seem like hours as the Square looks at him.

"The game just ended, sir."

The other man hums, his eyes not leaving Triangle. He is about to turn away when he sees the familiar greenish-blue fabric trembling behind the soldier.

"Number 29, step away."

Triangle firmly stands as he grips his gun tighter. He will not- He can not step away. it would be too dangerous to reveal the person behind him. Square groans when Triangle doesn't move.

"I said, step away."

When he still doesn't move, Square grips your arm, pulling you away from behind Triangle. He looks down at the number on your shirt before leaning down, only centimeters away from your face.

"Player 074," he mumbles, "So you have survived the marble game."

You nervously nod, too scared to speak.

"Not without help, did you?"

Triangle flinches as he keeps his eyes on you. No one except for the Frontman knew about how he has helped you. He grips his gun tightly, holding it ready just in case he has to shoot.

"Just like the doctor. He was helped too," Square starts, gripping your chin. "He knew what the next games would be. Which made these games unfair. The only place where everyone has an equal chance, yet he had decided to take it for granted."

Both you and Triangle are shocked when he grabs your chin, getting a little too close for your comfort.

"We thought that it would only be him. Harvesting the organs of each and every deceased player just to know what game will be next. It's what people do for money, in hopes to get back to their families or... Loved ones."

You look from Square to Triangle, panic settling in.

He knows.

It's almost like you can see the grin underneath the mask of the Square. The harsh reality of the games. Not everyone is like Jun-Ho. Not everyone cares about you, not everyone wants you to succeed. Especially not the man in front of you.

Square steps closer to you, almost squishing you in between the wall and his chest. Triangle clenches his jaw before pointing his gun at his superior. He is not supposed to do this, but there is only so much he can do. And at this moment, the only way for you to survive is to kill his boss. Square just scoffs, standing straight up.

"We have to go to the Frontman," Triangle says, his voice clear and strong.

But the Square doesn't listen. He just bursts out laughing.

"As if the Frontman will listen to a soldier," he spits out. "These games are designed and created for people to have a fair chance to win! We can't just let everyone survive just because we like them. Did you not see what happened to the doctor?"

Triangle doesn't move, his gun still aimed at the Square. You don't know what to do. You gave up your life for Gi-Hun, but this isn't what you had expected. Something seems to click in the Square's head before he steps back.

"Alright," you can hear his grin. "If you don't want me to do it, then you can go ahead."

Jun-Ho his heart almost stops as he looks at the Square. He has to be fucking kidding.

"You're already holding the gun," Square shrugs. "Fire it."

Tears fill your eyes yet again as you look up at Triangle. This can't be real, right? Triangle looks at his superior, a shocked face behind his mask as his hands start trembling. His breathing becomes uneven as he tries to understand it all.

"Didn't you hear me? Fire it."

Triangle grits his teeth. Normally, he would obey whatever one of the Squares would tell him. But now, he wishes he had picked the job to be a manager. Everything he has done in the games he now regrets. He's so close to the office, if he picks you up he might be able to get there if he runs fast.

"Don't even think about it."

In the time where Triangle was zoning out, the Square had grabbed you by your shoulders. The small revolver that is normally in the waistband of the Squares, is now resting on your temple. You are shaking, frozen in your place as your eyes have filled with tears.

"Either you do it, or I will. You know that you can't cheat at this game!" The Square yells, pushing the gun further into the side of your head. "So I give you a fucking choice. Either you do it, or I will."

"Just give me a second!" Jun-Ho screams back, the gun shaking in his hands. "I-I can't just... How do you fucking expect me to do this?"

The Square huffs, swinging around the gun as he talks.

"You know full well that this game is supposed to be fair. Do you not fucking get it? You will end up like that doctor and his little friends. Is that what you want? Because that is your last choice," he groans. "This is your last fucking chance. Either you do it, or I will. And I won't be nice about it."

Then something clicks in his head. He can't get around. There is no way that he can get out of this right now. In his head, he starts praying, praying that his brother would walk through the door right this second and then he could leave, together with you. But that wouldn't happen. So he starts praying again, this time asking for forgiveness from his brother, his parents, you.

"Jun-Ho," you whisper as you look up at him. "Is this it?"

Your voice breaks in the last sentence as tears start streaming down your face. All you wanted was for you and your friends to get out, restart your lives. Go back to school, show your parents what you had accomplished, maybe even meet up with Jun-Ho and never think about the games again. But this was it.

It was too good to be true.

This game isn't meant for love. It isn't to find friends.

You either win or lose.

Cheaters never win.

"You know what," The Square grins. "I will make the choice for you. You'll be the one to do it."

The tone of his voice is almost playful as if he completely enjoys seeing the couple in front of them in this situation.

"How romantic is that?" He pushes you against Triangle, clapping his hands. "You already knew that this would never work out. So, why not clean up your own mistakes?"

Jun-Ho knows that he will not be able to live with himself if he would be the one that pulls the trigger.

"We just need to get to the Frontman-"

"And what will he do for you, huh?!" Square screams. "That fucker cares about no one, especially not about a soldier like you."

"It's okay."

Your soft voice stops the screaming match between the two. You had accepted your fate, even if it was not what you were dreaming of. You gave up your life for Gi-Hun, fully expecting to die. If someone were to pull the trigger, you would rather have it be Jun-Ho. Even if you were only to feel his touch for a second more.

The Square smirks behind his mask, stepping back one step before gesturing for Jun-Ho to do what he has to do.

But Jun-Ho knows that he can not do this. Not if he can walk away without any physical scratches. So, he would break a rule one last time.

'Always wear your mask outside your room.'

He pushes off the hood of his jacket before ripping his mask off, throwing it to the ground. You gasp, looking up into his eyes. You can't believe that this is only the second, but also the last time you would ever see him. And he broke a rule yet again. Even the Square seems shocked, or at the very least confused.

But Jun-Ho knows the consequence of the rule he had broken. He would not leave this room alive. He looks down at you with teary eyes as he quickly pulls you against him, tightly wrapping his arms around you.

"I'm sorry," he whispers, his voice cracking as tears flow down his cheeks. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry."

You shake your head, tightly grabbing onto him as you only wish to feel his touch once more. He takes off his gloves before putting his hands on your cheeks. Jun-Ho presses a kiss on your forehead before leaning down to give you a kiss on your lips. In any other situation, this could be romantic. Any but this one.

"It's okay," you whisper, leaning into his touch. "I hope my friends win."

Even in your last moments, you still find a way to prioritize the others. But you do. You hope they win, and you hope that they get to live on. And hopefully, you will live on in their memory. You take one last look at Jun-Ho's face before sobbing, clinging on to him for the time you still have.

Jun-Ho tightly wraps his arms back around you, whispering sweet words in your ears.

"Don't worry, okay?" His voice trembles. "You will be fine. After this, we will return to our normal lives. You go to school, right? I can visit you every break you have. Bring you lunch."

You smile through your tears before nodding.

"We can go to this cute cafe, it's right next to my school," you whisper. "Although I might be too nervous to call it a date."

Jun-Ho nods, pressing a kiss on your forehead again.

"I will surprise you with flowers every chance I get. I will wear my nicest suit to meet your parents."

You let out a gasp when he mentions your parents. You would never see them again. You grip him even tighter than before, burying your face in his neck.

"We can even live together. Invite your friends over."

"I would love to," you say, "I'm a good cook."

Jun-Ho lets out a sob when he reaches for the gun in his belt, his trembling hands grabbing it before looking up.

"It's okay," you whisper, a small smile on your face. "I trust you. We will see each other again, right?"

"I will be waiting for you. At the cafe, next to your school."

The last thing he does is take off his hair tie, slipping it onto your wrist before looking at the Square on his right. The Square raises the gun he was holding, aiming it at the head of Jun-Ho.

"I love you."

"I love you more."

"I love you most."

Jun-Ho breathes in deeply as you tighten your grip on him. He rests the barrel of the gun on your head, kidding your forehead once more before putting his finger on the trigger.

"I will see you there."

And as he pulls the trigger, so does the Square.

"Player 074, eliminated." The robotic voice says for everyone in the sleeping quarters to hear.

Gi-Hun had already explained to the rest of his team what you had done for him, how you had sacrificed yourself to let Gi-Hun live. But why would they only say your name now? Maybe the system was slow. 001 rests his hands on Gi-Hun his shoulder with a smile.

"She will be fine," he says with a knowing tone.

The Square looks down at the two bodies in front of him, still clinging onto each other even when death. Rules are rules, and they are not meant to be broken. Soon enough some Circles arrive, placing both you and Jun-Ho in the black boxes, decorated with a bow.

It's morning, and the Triangles and Squares walk into the sleeping quarters.

"Players, we are very sorry to announce that these games have been unfair."

A couple of the players raise their eyebrows, looking at the Square who is talking.

"As we mentioned before, these games are to create an equal chance for everyone, no matter their background or history. These games have to be equal for everyone, no matter what connection they have to our workers. Be it as family, friends, or lovers."

The doors behind the masked people open back up, revealing Circles and the familiar black boxes with the contrasting pink bows.

Did someone die throughout the night?

The Circles stop in the middle of the room before lifting up the lid.

Everyone looks around, who had died? Some people take a step closer to the boxes when they notice that they were occupied already. Gi-Hun gasps when he spots the number on the jacket before running towards the box.

He doesn't care about your relationship with the soldier, all he cares about is that you had to die like this. He sees you as a daughter, as a friend.

"We sincerely apologize that we have allowed this to happen. We have taken the appropriate actions. Let this be another warning."

Gi-Hun lets out a loud scream, grabbing your cold hands as he hopes that you will just wake up, that all of this is a stupid dream, and that you would return.

But you never did.

"Attention," the voice says. "The fourth game is about to begin. Please follow the staff's instructions and swiftly make your way towards the game hall."

A game this early? The fact that there isn't any breakfast doesn't really surprise you.

"Let me repeat the instructions. The fourth game is about to begin. Please follow the staff's instructions and swiftly make your way towards the game hall."

The door towards the hall opens and the first soldier walks through. You give Gi-Hun a look but he also seems confused. You follow the line of people and you can hear the same song playing in the distance. The pink walls around you feel like they are becoming smaller and smaller.

You can already see people looking up, to which you follow their gaze. Oh, how you wish that you wouldn't have done that. Above you are different bodies hanging from the ceilings. Including a triangle.

"Players, what you witness before you is what remains of those who broke the rules for their own benefit," your breath hitches in your throat as the manager speaks up. "They tainted the pure and fair ideology everything here has been built upon."

Fuck.

Did they find out? Is the Triangle hanging there... Yours? You see the doctor hanging there too, standing out in between all of the pink suits. You could have ended like that. The bodies are too far away to even slightly see who it could be.

"You must all be guaranteed the same opportunities without being disadvantaged or facing any kind of discrimination. We truly apologize for allowing such an unacceptable incident to occur."

What is going on? Where is your soldier? Will you end up hanging on the ceiling? The soldier behind you ushers you to keep walking, but the shock is almost keeping you from moving. You would think that bodies do not bother you anymore. Everyone ends up in another room, looking like the one that you were in before Tug of War.

You nervously look around, trying to inspect every single triangle that is in the room with you. Surely he wasn't the one hanging at the stairs... Right? Your eyes fall on the triangle standing in the corner. His grip on his gun is still tight, but the slight movement of his shoulder lifts up the fabric of his sleeve. You can see his wrist, and even though you can't see if it has the hair tie around it, it must be your Triangle. The thought of him still being alive makes a weight lift off of your shoulders, but it quickly becomes just as heavy when you hear the voice announce the next game.

"Players, welcome to the fourth game. For this game, you will be playing in teams of two. Please look around and find someone you wish to play with. When two people agree to play together, shake hands to show you have become partners."

Only a team of two? What game could this be? Maybe it would be hide and seek this time. You look at your team who are all thinking deeply about what the game could be.

"I don't want to team up with a girl," one of the players grimaces while looking at you.

You raise your eyebrows, slightly offended. Sae-Byeok and 240 also look at each other before giving the man a look. They then shake hands, becoming a duo for the next game. After a while, everyone has a partner, even player 001.

"Want to team up?"

A hand appears in front of your face. You follow the arm, seeing Gi-Hun standing tall with a big smile on his face. You smile too, shaking his hand before standing up. Just a minute after, the clock runs out of time.

"The time for finding a partner is now over."

"You guys, you’re all making a big mistake," 212 screams. "Do you really think you can win without me on your team?"

While everyone is standing in their duo, 212 is standing in the middle of the room, all on her own. You thought that she would have gone back to 101. She frantically looks around, clinging onto random people to try and get into their group. The door to the next room opens, revealing the place for the next game. You look back, seeing 212 being dragged away by the guards. Hopefully, she will be safe.

You can still hear 212 screaming once the doors close behind you. In front of you is a big group of guards. They all stand in the exact same position until the voice appears again/

"Attention. All players, please follow the staff to your designated positions for the game."

A soldier walks up to Gi-Hun and you, briefly looking at you before turning back around and walking away. You nervously follow him, looking up at Gi-Hun. Even though you still don't know what you are going to do here, at least the room looks impressive. You don't realize that the guard has stopped walking, making you walk right into him. You gasp, looking up at him. Are you going to get killed before you even start?

"I'm sorry," you mumble before looking at the ground.

"No need to worry, player 074."

The voice. It's Jun-Ho. You nod as he sticks out his arms, holding up two small bags.

"Players, please take one bag each from the staff member before you. There should be a set of ten marbles in each bag. Please check to confirm the number."

You open the bag, counting the marbles in the bag. 8, 9, 10. Gi-Hun smiles, looking down at you.

"Don't worry, we got this! I used to play marbles all the time when I was younger. We will win," he sticks out his pinkie. "I promise."

The action makes you laugh before linking your pinkie with his, nodding in agreement.

"In this game, using your set of ten marbles, you will play the game of your choice with your partner. The player who manages to take all ten marbles from their partner wins."

The smile that you had on your face is long gone as you stare up at Gi-Hun with big eyes. Do you have to play against each other? Gi-hun looks as confused as you do as the voice repeats the rules.

"You will have 30 minutes for this game. Let the game begin."

The timer starts counting down as you still stand frozen in your spot. You look up at Triangle, this can't be true, right? Either you die, or you have to see Gi-Hun die. Both choices are a bad outcome.

"I can't play," you whisper, clutching the bag of marbles in your hands. "One of us is going to die."

Gi-Hun breathes in deeply as he drops down to the floor, leaning against the fake wall behind him. He can't play with you, he can't fight you. In only a short amount of time, he almost feels like a father to you. You are only a student, your life has barely started yet.

"Can't we vote to stop it?"

You breathe in shakily, looking at Gi-Hun before also sitting down.

"We have to play," you whisper, opening the small bag before taking out a marble.

"I don't know a game."

Gi-Hun looks up at you in disbelief. Your voice is filled with determination, almost as if you have accepted death already. Your face even has a small smile on it as you look at the marble in your hands.

"We can always wait before we start," you shrug. "We have half an hour. We will just play a game before the timer ends."

"Y/N, you can't just-"

"One of us is going to die, Gi-Hun. And I will not let it be you."

Gi-Hun decides to not answer, as he knows that he will not let you die. He feels that he has disappointed so many people already, and he will not let you down. He breathes in deeply before patting the floor next to him, gesturing for you to sit down. You take his offer, looking up at Triangle before looking at Gi-Hun.

"I guess we can talk about everything then."

Minutes pass and it feels like you have spilled your deepest secrets to each other. How you failed school, how he feels about disappointing his family, what you would do with all the money.

"A vacation maybe," you mumble. "I would first pay for school. Then, maybe meet up with some people."

You give a quick glance to Triangle as he just looks down at the two of you.

"Maybe I'll treat you to a nice dinner," you giggle, elbowing Gi-Hun.

He truly does feel like a parent to you in this unknown country. You have only been here for a month or two, but it feels nice to have someone that you can lean on, even in a situation like this. When you look at the clock you see that half of the time has left already.

"I would visit my daughter. She just moved to the United States, I would love to visit her again. And my mother, I would treat her to a big feast, and pay off my debts-"

Just as Gi-Hun wants to finish his sentence, a loud bang can be heard from the corner of the room. You slightly jump as the player number gets called out. No one you know.

"Time for us to play," you mumble, grabbing your pouch of marbles again. "One last walk? To find a pretty place?"

The tears in your eyes are evident as you stand up, wiping your pants to get rid of the sand. You smile at the older man, slowly blinking to try and get your vision sharp again.

"Can we?"

Triangle looks at you, a pained face behind his mask.

"Request accepted."

You look at Gi-Hun before you start to walk. If you will die, at least let it be somewhere nice. The two of you stop when you reach a type of backyard. You look at Gi-Hun who just nods before walking through the small gate.

You dig a hole in the ground with your heel on one side of the small backyard before standing at the other side.

"Whoever can get the most marbles in wins. Or whoever gets it closest to the hole," you say before breathing in deeply.

The older man looks down at you, blinking quickly before nodding.

"You start," you smile, tears filling up your eyes.

Gi-Hun sighs, taking his marbles before flinging them towards the small dent in the ground. One marble made it in. He steps back before looking at you as you just stare at the marbles. Your hands are trembling as you roll marble after marble. Before you know it, you only have one left.

You hold the marble in between your fingers before holding it up to the light, admiring the pattern in the small orb.

"Gi-Hun?"

Gi-Hun hums, looking at you. Your eyes are filled with tears as you look back at him, a smile on your face.

"Remember how we said that this is the perfect time to admit... Everything?"

He carefully nods, not knowing what you are trying to get at.

"I just want to thank you," you shake your head, "For being someone I can admire. Someone like a parent."

You breathe in shakily before dropping your last marble to the ground. It falls right next to your feet, not even close to the hole in the sand. Gi-Hun gasps, grabbing your shoulders tightly.

"What-What are you doing?!"

He tightly wraps his arms around you, as if he is trying to protect you from the bullet that will come. Tears stream down his face as he only holds you tighter. The tears in your eyes also flow freely as you tightly cling onto him.

"Player 456, please step back from player 074."

Gi-Hun violently shakes his head as he sobs. Breathing gets harder and harder the more you cry.

"Player 456, please step back."

With a lot of pain, you slowly let go of Gi-Hun. You stare up at him with teary eyes but a big smile on your face.

"Tell your daughter I said hi. And that I am the coolest friend you have ever had."

Gi-Hun frowns before nodding, pressing a kiss on your forehead before glaring at the soldier. You collect all the marbles from the floor before handing them to him, making his victory official.

"Player 456, pass."

You send each other one last smile before Gi-Hun has to turn away, ready to exit the room. All the tears that you tried so hard to keep in start flowing out as you look at Triangle. It's like it is all starting to feel real. In a few seconds, you won't even be here anymore.

Triangle even has tears flowing down his cheeks, not visible due to his mask. He can't let you die, he won't.

Your heartbeat is getting faster and faster and it seems like the room is only getting bigger and bigger. You have pushed yourself in the corner, almost hiding underneath the sink. It's like you can't breathe anymore.

Triangle nervously waits in front of the door. He hasn't heard a toilet flush, or any water running from the sink. Should he knock? He takes a step towards the door, knocking firmly.

"Hello? Player 074?"

He just hears your panicked breathing, is someone else in there? How could that have happened? He holds his gun high, quickly opening the door before pointing his weapon around. But, he sees no one. Instead, he sees you in the corner on his left. Triangle immediately closes the door behind him, placing his gun on the floor before kneeling down. He makes sure to keep his distance, as he knows what he is in this game. The one who hurts, the one who kills, the one who is dangerous.

You look up at him, tears still flowing down your face. You don't want to be in these stupid games anymore. The only thing that can happen is that you die, or you lose all your friends. It feels like there is only one thing left that you can do, and that is to accept. You have to accept whatever happens. These games have already taken over your life, and you would never be able to forget them.

"Player 074?" Triangle asks, leaning his arms on his knees.

He wants to help, but he decides that it might be better not to make any sudden movements. He might have placed his gun away from him, but that doesn't mean that you trust him.

"Triangle, I am so done," you whisper before wiping your eyes. "I don't want to lose my friends. They are like family, and I don't want to leave them behind."

Your voice is trembling as you speak. It's like you have to throw everything out, and the only person that you can tell is Triangle.

"I can't do it. What if I have to kill them? I can't."

Triangle sits in silence before scooting a bit closer, sitting opposite of you while leaning against one of the stalls. You dry your eyes before letting out a sigh, sniffling as you wipe your nose with your sleeves. Just when you think you have calmed down, it starts again.

"I killed people today, Triangle," you whisper, staring at your hands. "I pulled them over the edge and now they are dead. And- and they have families or... or kids-"

Before you know it you are sobbing again, but this time, Triangle is there. He slowly reaches out to you, sticking out his gloved hand for you to grab. You look at it for a second before grabbing it. He pulls you closer to him as you cry on his shoulder. He doesn't care about the fact that you are a player, or that he is the soldier. All that matters right now is that you need to get everything off of your chest. He can't change what has happened, but he can help you through it.

Laying in his arms feels weirdly natural to you. You don't even know what he looks like, yet it feels like this is exactly what you needed. You might die tomorrow, so does it all even matter anymore?

You break free from the hug, letting out a sigh before wiping your face again. The only thing you can do is accept. And so you do. You might as well enjoy all the time that you still have, it could end at any point.

"So," you sniffle. "If I'm going to die, we might as well get to know each other."

Triangle lets out a small laugh, looking at you as if you're telling him a joke. But your face is still serious, even if you wear a small smile. Do you think that you will die?

"I won't let you die," he says, a sharp tone in his voice.

You snort, looking at his mask.

"Triangle, you and I both know that if you would try to save me, then I wouldn't be the only dead body."

"But I know people," he says. "I can get you out, I promise you."

You look back at the floor. This is the game where everyone is supposed to be even, everyone is supposed to have the same chances at the prize money, yet you get all this help from him.

"Alright," you then mumble. "But we should at least get to know each other. Just in case. Dying wish?"

Even though you are still emotional, it's some sort of acceptance. Instead of nervously waiting for the next game, you have to live by the hour. Who knows when the next game could start. The least you could do is enjoy the time you have and get to know the person who has gotten you this far.

Triangle sighs before nodding. He knows he can get you out of here, he will try his hardest.

"How did you get here?"

Triangle raises his eyebrow, despite you not being able to see it. That is something he didn't expect. Even though he isn't supposed to give out personal information, this is the least he could do for you.

"I won the games before. Two years ago. My brother had won before me."

You look at him, leaning your head back. He was a player once?

"Why are you here?" He asks back.

"Turns out I am quite bad at saving my money," you chuckle. "I am doing an exchange program to study here for a year. But, I had already spent all the money I had saved up in the first two months. I got kicked out of my apartment. So I have no house and all my money is already put into the exchange program."

Triangle nods, putting his hands on his knees. Money. Everyone is here because of money. He was there for the money.

"Why," you start. "Why do you help me out?"

You are afraid to ask, even though you don't know why. Maybe it's the gun that is next to him or the fact that you can't see his face. Even his name and age are unknown to you. From what you know, you have never seen him before you joined the games. So, why would he?

He doesn't know why, either. Maybe it is because you got the crazy lady to stop screaming or the funny questions you ask him. Something about you makes him feel protective over you, so much that he basically risks his life to help you survive.

"Because you need to win."

A simple answer. Short, but full of determination. He means it when he says that he will do everything in order for you to win. You look at him, trying to see through the small holes in his mask. It doesn't help in any way, but you like to think that he looks back at you.

You bite the inside of your cheek as you think about his answer. If you win, it means that all your friends will die. You play with the zipper of your shirt before letting out a sigh. It's not that you do not appreciate the help, but you don't want your friends to suffer for you.

"Is that why you wear the hair tie around your wrist? So I always know it's you?"

Triangle nods, lifting his arm to show his wrist. The black band is visible up close but seems to blend in with his gloves if you would move back. You take his hand into yours as you twirl the hair tie around his wrist.

"I wonder how it would have been if we met outside of the games."

He hums in agreement, watching you as you hold his wrist.

"It would definitely be a lot easier," you mumble with a sad smile on your face. "At least I would be able to put a face to a name... Even though I don't even know that yet. I just keep calling you Triangle-"

"Jun-Ho."

You stop talking when he interrupts you, your smile disappearing as a confused look makes its way to your face.

"Hwang Jun-Ho."

You open your mouth to say something, but nothing comes out. Is that his name? Not only did he break the rules to help you, but he is even opening up about his personal information. It's like he's not the soldier anymore but instead feels like... A friend. He's not just a mask or a soldier. He has a name.

"Y/N," you whisper. "Y/L/N Y/N."

It's strange. No one really uses their names in the game, it feels like it doesn't really matter. Of course, you know Gi-Hun and your own group, but the rest is like a stranger. Just a number on a shirt.

Jun-Ho nods at you and you can almost hear him smile.

"Sounds pretty."

For some reason, it feels like you are only just getting to know him. In reality, you kind of are. You didn't know his name until only a few seconds ago. You haven't even seen him and especially not outside of a setting like this.

"I'm sure that I don't look pretty," you puff.

Looking pretty is not what this game is about, but you just feel... Disgusting. You have tried to wash the blood off of your hands and face, but your clothes still smell dirty. It's not like they would let you shower either, they didn't even give you a hairbrush. In the last few days, your hair has tangled together, but at least you can still run your hands through it.

"That's not true," Jun-Ho says. "You look as pretty as your name sounds."

A blush makes its way onto your cheeks as you suck in your cheeks. You look up at him before bursting out in a laugh as he joins you.

"If it makes you feel better, I also look like shit. This suit is quite warm to be in all day."

"I beg to differ," you chuckle.

If your imagination is true, then your Triangle is not unattractive at all. Even though no one's appearance matters in this game, you can't help but think about what he must look like. It's just something that happens if you can't see someone's face.

Triangle raises his eyebrows underneath his mask, does he seem attractive even without you seeing even a centimeter of skin? He shrugs before raising his hands to his hood to slip it off of his head. You gasp before leaning forward, taking the hood before putting it back on his head.

"You can't do that!" You whisper-shout. "Don't you remember? When I asked you why you had the mask? You aren't allowed to take it off!"

"Y/N, I would already be in trouble if they knew how long we were in here. Nothing in the bathrooms gets recorded. I promise."

You do really want to see what he looks like, but you don't want him to get in trouble. You breathe in deeply before nodding.

"Only if you don't get in trouble."

He takes his hood off again before taking your hands, leading them up to his mask. Do you have to take it off? You give him a look before he nods, giving you the sign to do it. You nervously breathe in again, slowly lifting the mask, careful to not hurt his face.

Your eyes grow big when he takes off the black fabric mask. In front of you is just... A man. It's not a robot in a suit, it is an actual person. He seems to be around your age, maybe a bit older, but your imagination was right.

He is gorgeous. You almost forget about the fact that you are in the deadly games, only focusing on the soldier in front of you.

"What?" Jun-Ho smirks, looking at you as you stare at him with your mouth open. "Disappointed?"

You immediately shake your head, clutching onto his mask. If only you would have met him outside of this hell. Even though you might have forgotten it for a few moments, you remember your surroundings. You are in these deadly games, fighting for your life, hoping you can get out. What if you never see any of these people ever again? Would you ever see Jun-Ho again if you would survive?

"Is there really no way for all of us to survive?"

Triangle blinks, looking down at the floor.

"I don't think so."

Tears fill your eyes as you just breathe out. You then just let out a chuckle before looking at Jun-Ho.

"Thank you for letting me get to know you."

It hurts him to see you almost emotionless. Of course, he can't guarantee anything, but he will do everything in his power to help you as much as he can.

He pulls you closer to him, wrapping his arms around you tightly before pressing a kiss to your forehead.

"You're going to be okay."

A knock on the door startles you as you look up at Jun-Ho with a scared look. Shit. He takes the mask from your hands, quickly placing it on his face as you jump into one of the cubicles.

The door to the bathroom opens and you flush the toilet in order to make it seem like you just finished. When you open the door you see 212 standing right next to a Square. You slightly move your head to see Jun-Ho. He is standing with his gun gripped in his hands, his mask perfectly covering his face again. The Square takes out a small device and scans Triangle his mask.

"Number 29." His low voice booms. "Why are you in the bathroom? You are supposed to wait outside."

"Player 074 got sick, sir. I made sure that they got to the toilet safely."

The Square is silent for a second, staring at Triangle.

"Bring the player back. Return to your job."

Triangle nods and takes your upper arm, guiding you past the Square and 212. The woman raises her eyebrows at you with a smirk as you exit the room. You don't even know how long you had been gone.

You reach the door to the sleeping quarters and Triangle opens it for you.

"Stay with your team," he whispers.

You nod, smiling at him before turning around, walking back to your team.

"Ah, Y/N!" Gi-Hun smiles. "Are you okay? You were gone for quite some time!"

You smile at him, assuring him that you are feeling fine and that you only felt a little sick. Gi-Hun engulfs you in a hug before showing you the fort that they made.

"We must be safe in here! We will take turns with sleeping, just to be sure that nothing happens."

The only thing you could do is agree. It sounds like a good plan, you could only wish that nothing would happen tonight.

It is your turn to sleep first and you would be up together with 001 and Gi-Hun. You lay down on one of the mattresses, hiding underneath the blanket. If only you had some sort of way to get yourself out of this game, together with all of your friends. They have to be safe, you have to make sure that they are. You fall asleep, dreaming about one face in particular.

a"Are you okay, sir?"

The older man looks up at you, his eyes looking quite tired.

"That was quite dangerous, climbing on those beds. We're happy that you are okay."

He smiles before nodding. Soon everyone else wakes up too, grouping together at some of the lower beds that are still standing. The room is emptier than ever before and the floors still have light stains on them.

"Did you both not sleep?"

101 and you shake your heads. You didn't even notice that the poor man was also awake through the night. He must be terrified.

"We can have people on night watch? We can switch every few hours to make sure that nothing happens," Gi-Hun suggests.

After making a plan on how you could all protect yourself, the song plays again.

"Attention, players. The third game will begin momentarily. Please follow the staff's instructions and swiftly make your way towards the game hall."

No breakfast this time? You look at your team who seem just as tired as you are. There is nothing you can do except obey the rules. You follow the line of people through the pastel-colored halls again. At this point, the soft colors do everything except calm you down. The colors are supposed to be cute, calm, maybe even childish. But now it only reminds you of death.

You look around with a confused look when you enter the white room. It is completely empty, except for a couple of soldiers in the corners. 101 is whispering with his team behind you, making you nervous. Does he know something? Maybe they're planning on who to take out first?

"Players, welcome to the third game. For this game, you will play in teams."

Oh, thank god. You look at Gi-Hun who is descending the stairs already, silently asking him if the team will stay how it is. He nods with a small smile before walking to the middle of the room.

"All players, please divide yourselves into teams of ten people. Your time limit will be ten minutes. Ten minutes."

Ten? What type of game could it be? Maybe it's Hide and Seek. Oh, what if it will be dodgeball? You look at the triangle soldier who is waiting at the end of the stairs. It's hard to see if it's him as his sleeve covers his arm. Hopefully, he's here.

You run your hands over your face before joining Gi-Hun. Why are you looking for this Triangle? Yes, he has helped you and warned you, and he even let you go to the toilet after the lights went out. But he is also dangerous. He's the soldier, the one with the gun, the one that could send you into one of those boxes with a bow on it in less than a second. Something about him is comforting. Is it his voice? Or is it just because you feel like you can trust him?

"Okay, we need ten people. We are with..." Sang-Woo quickly counts everyone. "Six. Let's find some people, then we come back here and pick between them?"

Everyone agrees before splitting up. You don't know anyone outside of your team, so you would have to find someone new to talk to. It is quite difficult to see who you could trust. You notice that Sae-Byeok has picked someone already, and Gi-Hun is talking to someone too.

You inspect all the guards, trying not to be too noticeable. He must be here somewhere, he was here before. You take away your attention from them when you hear screaming.

"I don't get it... You must be joking!"

"My team is full. Sorry."

212 is standing in front of 101, tears in her eyes. You raise your eyebrows, what's going on? Those two were stuck together, in every game and even in the sleeping quarters. Why would they split up now?

"But you promised me! Together till the end," 212 exclaims. "Come on, please. I need you, can't you see?"

You gasp when 101 pushes 212 on the ground. You aren't close to her, but it does make you feel sad. She really did seem to care about him.

"You are dead to me," she spits at him when she stands back up. "You just wait."

101 laughs, turning around to face his group. You make eye contact with 212 before looking away, walking to your own group. Everyone sits down in a circle, only a minute left on the clock.

"Okay, we have..." Gi-Hun counts everyone. "Nine? Who didn't bring anyone?"

You awkwardly raise your hand. You simply couldn't find anyone that seemed trustworthy, not to mention that everyone who might fit in with your team was picked already. Sang-Woo eyes 240.

"And what are you doing here? I thought that I said to only bring men."

Sae-Byeok and you share a look. Who did he even bring? 240 just shrugs before looking at him.

"Oh, I can leave. But then you will be even further away from the ten players."

"You are looking for a number ten? Well, here I am!"

212 plops down right next to you, throwing her arms around your shoulder with a big smile. She must have seen you looking at her. Sang-Woo rolls his eyes. Another woman? This is not going like he thought it would be. But he doesn't have time to say anything as the timer hits zero.

The big, yellow doors open to reveal more guards. This room was almost the opposite of the one before. It's way darker and it has bright yellow structures standing on either side of the room. In the middle... A rope? You follow your team down the line, nervously playing with the zipper of your jacket. You look at the teams beside you, something tells you that this isn't going to be dodgeball.

"I would now like to welcome you all to the third game. Today's game is Tug of War."

You see Sang-Woo looking down. You look at the rest of your team and to the other teams, seeing 101 grin and fist-bumping 111 behind him. They know something. Their team is fully made out of the strongest looking men, is this why they didn't want 212?

"In order to win, you must pull the rope towards your platform in an attempt to drop your opponents down below."

Shit. Shit, shit, shit.

You know that you're not strong enough to pull anyone off of there. You silently say a little prayer in your head, hoping that you wouldn't have to go against 101 and his team.

"Now, I will draw numbers to decide which two teams will play first. Everyone, please sit down."

All teams sit down and you look up at the tall structures. What if this is where it all ends? You will fall down with all your friends? You can't even bear to think about losing them, losing your life.

"First, the team that will play on the left tower."

The Circle picks a ball out of the box, it being number One. The team stands up, confident looks on their face. It's a strong group, much stronger than the others. Physically, at least.

"And now, the team that will play on the right tower."

You nervously look at the Circle. Please, don't let it be your team. The sound of the rubber balls inside the box sounds louder than it should, your hands shaking more and more as the seconds pass.

"Team Seven, please stand up."

You let out a small sigh, leaning your head forwards. Thank god. You look up at the two teams. For some reason, you can't imagine that half of these people will be dead in just a few minutes. For the last days you have been trying to block it out, act like nothing happens, act like no one dies. But this game is different. You will just have to sit here and hopelessly watch the teams play together.

"Teams One and Seven will be the first teams to play. Both teams, please go to your towers."

Both teams walk to their sides, getting ready to play the dangerous game. You can't help but stare at the platforms. What if this is really it? Your family doesn't know about your money problems, they just think that you are living your life and discovering the world. They are even proud that you are doing an exchange program, but here you are. Fighting for your life.

You get pulled back to reality when you hear the loud gunshot. The game has started. Both teams are aggressively pulling the rope, trying their very best to throw the other team off. Everyone gasps once team Seven gets closer and closer to the edge. You hear 101 screaming before they pull their hardest, making the first player from team Seven fall off the platform. The rest of his team follows him as a chain reaction. You breathe in deeply when you see them hanging, high above the ground. The rope gets cut in half, making the hanging team fall down onto the ground. Your eyes grow big and you cover your ears when you hear the bodies hit the ground. The sound of bones cracking makes your breathing go faster as tears fill your eyes.

It is not until Sang-Woo taps your shoulder to alert you that it's time to go. Wait, you have to go now? You look up at the older man before standing up, following him to the elevator. 101 and his group pass you and for a second you're scared that he will push you off of the bridge. But you get to the elevator safely, nervously waiting for it to start moving.

"I might know how to win," 001 mumbles, making everyone look at him.

"Old man, you look like you would fall over if I breathe too hard. What if you just save your energy for the game, huh?" One of your teammates sarcastically replies.

You shoot a look at Gi-Hun who just shrugs.

"It's a long way up there, why don't we hear him out?"

Leader. Anchor. Left and right. Straight forward. Lean back.

Apparently, Tug of War is a game that 001 has played his entire childhood. He knows the best tactics, and this one is the one that he used to win from everyone. It's not like you could do anything else, it's better to try than to lose, right?

The doors from the elevators open up and it's time for your team to take place. Two soldiers are waiting for you, keys and locks in their hands. You would be chained to the rope just so they could make sure that you would fall down if you would lose. Everyone follows what 001 had said. An anchor, being Ali, in the back and then everyone alternating from the left to the right side. The soldiers come up to your group to lock the chains around your wrists. You stare at the floor as a soldier comes up at you, gently taking your wrists. The familiar hair-tie shows up in your vision before you look up.

It's a shame that you can't see his face. Somewhere, somehow, you have this hope that you would maybe be able to meet him in a setting that isn't as somber as this.

"Do what 001 said. It will guarantee your victory," Triangle softly whispers as he puts the second lock on your wrists.

He wishes that he could put the fake locks around your wrists too. They would break just in case your team gets pulled down, making sure that there is no way that you could ever fall down. But he can't. He is instructed to only give 001 the special locks. If anyone in these games has to stay alive, it's him.

You nod before looking into his eyes. His face is so close to yours that you can peek through the small holes in his mask. The only thing you can really catch is the light in his eyes, but it is still mostly blocked by his mask. Shit, you really have to make it out alive. Triangle moves on, locking everyone up before stepping back.

The people on the other platform are relaxed, even laughing and joking. This is not the time nor the place to be nervous or scared. You have to muster up all the power you have in order to win. The Square raises his arm, gun high up in the air. You tightly grip the rope in your hands, waiting for the shot to start the game.

BANG

Everyone leans backward, their stomachs facing the ceiling as they try and hold on to the rope. Your heart is going crazy, but you can't focus on that now. You lean back even more, letting out a gasp.

"Now!" Gi-Hun screams.

Your team jumps up, jumping back with the rope with all the power and energy you have. It works, it actually works. The other team gets closer and closer to the edge, right before it backfires. The others catch up, dragging your team closer to the edge of the bridge too. You start to panic, is this it?

You aren't the only one panicking.

Luckily Triangle his face can't be seen. He's nervous and his hands are even slightly shaking while he holds the gun. It's hard for him to just stand there and watch you fight for your life. 001 will make it, no matter what happens, but he isn't allowed to help you. He can't, even though he wants to.

"We have to run forward!" Sang-Woo exclaims.

Run forward? Is Sang-Woo crazy? 212 screams in disagreement. If we would all run forward we would fall off of the platform in no time.

"Just listen to me!"

You give him a firm nod. He counts down from three and you all take three big steps towards the edge. It works. The other team falls on the ground as they did not expect the lack of tension.

"Gi-Hun!" You scream when you see him dangling over the edge.

"Pull! Now!"

You pull your hardest, even harder than ever before. The other team struggles as they try to get up to continue the game. But as one falls, the others follow. Everyone screams when they fall down, the weight making you fly closer and closer to the edge. Lucky for you, the rope gets cut, making you fall backward.

Did you make it? Did you die?

It's hard to breathe, the bright lights of the ceiling are burning into your eyes. If this is heaven, you would believe it. It's not until you feel someone pulling you up that you get back to reality. Triangle releases you from the handcuffs, putting the locks in his pocket. He runs his fingers over the palm of your hand. It has burn marks all over them from the rough rope. He gives you one more look before continuing to free the others from the cuffs.

You just killed. You killed all the others. It was you who send them over the edge.

You can't help but blame yourself. It is a game that you have to win in order to be able to pay off your debts, but do you really want to pay for that by killing?

Gi-Hun puts his hand on your shoulder, guiding you back to the elevator. It hurts Triangle to see you like this, so distraught and sad. He has seen this look before when people too innocent for the games would have to join. People who aren't used to the violence.

△

Before you know it you're in front of the door to the sleeping quarters. You can hear 101's voice booming already as he brags about the last game.

"Did you see that one dude? He peed his pants! I can't believe-"

He stops talking when he notices that his team isn't paying attention to him anymore. Instead, they are looking at your team. They look confused, they never expected that your group would win. You seem the weakest as your team doesn't have the most physical strength, but you are all still smart enough to figure something else out to do.

You're quiet for a big part of the evening. It's like everything is catching up to you, and fast. All the death, all the games, all of it just for money. Money that you desperately need. You listen in on the conversation that the rest has, something about building a fort, or maybe some type of wall to keep the rest out. It doesn't sound too bad, but hopefully, it isn't needed.

That's when it hits you.

It's the feeling like you are about to faint. You get lightheaded, your heartbeat gets faster and it feels like you are losing control of your own body. You have to get away from everyone, even if it's only for a minute.

"I'm going to the toilet," you whisper as you walk to the door.

You knock on the door, feeling like you will collapse any second. You need some water, some rest, some time alone. Your hands are shaking and all you know is that you need to get out of the sleeping quarters.

The little sliding door opens, revealing a triangle. Is it yours? You don't know.

"Can I use the toilet?" You whisper, barely able to form your sentence.

The triangle nods, opening the door to let you in. You silently follow him, trying to contain the tears that are forming in your eyes. Everything that has happened in the last couple of days is finally becoming... Real. It felt like you were just watching it, or if it was just a summer camp where you could hang out with your friends, but after today it was all different. The contrast between the full room at the beginning and the empty room now is strange.

The soldier in front of you discreetly moves his sleeve up a little, showing you the familiar hair-tie. You're happy that it's him, even though you wanted to be alone. He opens the bathroom door for you, letting you in before waiting in the hallway.

"We were so worried!" You frown, looking between Gi-Hun and 001.

"Pff," Gi-Hun grins, "It will take a whole lot more to get rid of me! Hah!"

The group laughs before walking back towards the beds. It's best to stick together, a group will always come in handy. And after all, they're not the worst people to be surrounded with. They all bring their own talents, they make this dark situation a little brighter.

"Attention players. I will now announce the results of the second game."

For some reason, you had forgotten that there would be results. To be quite honest, the only thing you were able to focus on was to survive, the shock of seeing all those bodies still on your mind. You avert your gaze towards the big screen.

"Out of the 187 players who participated, 79 players were eliminated," the voice says.

How does it sound so bright and happy? The numbers sound terrifying, seventy-nine people that are now dead. More empty beds, less people. You stare at the large piggy bank that's hanging from the ceiling as it gets filled with more and more bills.

Isn't that why you're here? To win, get the money, and pay off all your debts? That is why you joined, but now that you have friends in the game, you aren't so sure if you want to win.

"The prize money accumulated this round is 7.9 billion won. The total prize money accumulated so far is now 34.8 billion won."

ꕔ

Time for dinner again. You stand in line behind Gi-Hun, patiently waiting for your turn.

"I nearly fucking died, and this is what I get in return? An egg for a meal."

You look up when you hear the voice, seeing player 101 standing right next to you. It seems that your eyes were on him for a second too long as he immediately walks closer to you.

"Is there something wrong, huh?"

The masked guards look at what's causing the commotion, seeing 101 towering over you. He looks strong and quite intimidating, you know for sure that you don't want to get on his bad side. If he even has anything other than that.

"Huh?!" He shouts, almost spitting in your face.

You move to wipe his spit off of your cheek.

"Nothing," you mumble, turning away from him.

Something about your actions doesn't please 101. Maybe it's because you don't look that intimidated by him. Either way, he's annoyed. He groans, tightly gripping you by your neck before pulling you against his chest. You yelp, trying to get out of his grip.

"Listen up, I will only tell you once. I swear that I will kill you," he growls, pressing your throat even harder. "You just fucking wait-"

"Player 101, step back from player 074."

The Triangle has come your way, pointing his gun at 101. His grasp on your neck is still tight, your face slowly becoming red from the lack of oxygen.

"Rules during mealtime. Form a line in the center of the room, then retreat to your place."

101 rolls his eyes before letting go of your throat. You gasp for air, falling against 456 before looking up at the Triangle. It's him again. But you notice a difference between him and all the other soldiers. He has a small hair-tie around his right wrist, barely visible against his black gloves. You nod at him before regaining your posture, standing up straight before coughing.

Triangle immediately takes back his place behind the circles, back in his original position with his gun in his hands.

"Are you okay?" Gi-Hun asks, a worried look on his face as he stares at your neck.

You just nod, not wanting to worry the poor man. You take one of the eggs and a bottle before going back to the rest of the group. An egg and a drink isn't all too much, but it's better than having nothing. Luckily everyone is there to cheer each other up. You ended up sitting in between Sang-Woo and Gi-Hun, listening to the story that the old man was telling you. He seems too sweet to be in the games, and also too old. What is a man like him doing in a dangerous place like this?

"Hey! Who do you think you are?!"

Player 271 is in the middle of the room, pointing at 101 and his team. You furrow your brows, what is going on? It's not smart to pick a fight with them, that's one thing you learned. You take a sip of the drink you have, nervously looking at the player.

"That's my food! You just ate it."

"Ah," 101 laughs. "This? Yours? I don't see a name on it."

271 sprints towards the laughing man, trying to take the half-filled bottle of cider out of his grasp.

"Give it back! It's mine!"

The bottle falls to the ground, shattering as the liquids spill all over the floor. 101 lets out a growl, pushing the man down.

"How come someone as scrawny as you are this greedy for food, huh?!"

101 keeps kicking the poor player, the room gasping with every hit. You breathe in shakily, wanting to stand up, but Sang-Woo grabs your wrist. He looks straight into your eyes before shaking his head. Too dangerous, don't do it.

"Learn to share," 101 screams, still kicking the poor man. "Greedy little shit!"

He turns away from the poor player, grabbing the shattered bottle on his way back. The last drops disappear in his mouth before he throws away the part that he was holding. You take your half-filled bottle before walking to 271.

"Hey, are you okay?"

You shake his shoulder, placing the glass bottle next to you.

"You can have my drink," you smile, patting his shoulder.

Sang-Woo follows you, softly pushing you to the side before placing his fingers on the man's neck. He clears his throat, looking from 271 to the guards, and then to you.

"He's uh... He's gone."

Gi-Hun then joins you, checking up on the man as well before running towards the guards. All he wants is for the man to be helped, someone just killed an innocent person out of the games. Isn't that against the rules?

"Player 271, eliminated."

The numbers on the screen change again as the lights lower, more and more money falling into the piggy bank. Fewer people, but more money. You look at 101, who seems to be... Proud? He has a grin on his face, not even slightly bothered by what he just did.

A black box gets carried into the sleeping quarters before they put the poor player in there. You grab your bottle with shaking hands before Sang-Woo and Gi-Hun guide you away. You would think that after a while, all the death wouldn't bother you anymore. But it does. And it will.

You notice the lingering look of one of the guards, staring straight at you from across the room. You just blink before turning away, this place is absolutely crazy.

"We can't fall asleep tonight," Sang-Woo mumbles. "If anything happens, come to our side, okay?"

Ali and you nod. You both sleep on the other side of the room, it would be the safest to run to the others just in case anything happens. Time goes by quite fast, and soon it's half an hour till the lights go out. Gi-Hun was telling the group all about his daughter and his personal life. You laugh at the silly stories he tells, it's nice to have someone like him in here.

Before you can respond, you notice something. A mask appears behind the door that leads to the halls, the Triangle. He lifts up his hand, gesturing for you to come towards the door. You frown, what does he need you for? Will you get murdered?

"I'm going to go to the bathroom. You know, before I end up like 212," you laugh. "Don't want to keep you all awake!"

You wipe your pants, getting up before walking towards the door. The masked face follows your movements up until you reach him.

"Um... Could I use the toilet?"

The door opens to reveal the Triangle, your Triangle. He gestures for you to start walking, following you closely. You enter the bathroom, Triangle closing the door behind you.

"Listen closely, okay?" He mumbles, looking at you. "This is the only place without cameras or a microphone. After 'lights out', a fight will break out. One bigger than with Player 101 and Player 271."

You look at him with big eyes. He's helping you yet again, but why? Aren't you just another player that they want to kill for money?

"People have gotten less food on purpose. We set the Players up for a fight," Triangle explains. "We turned people against each other."

The information is a lot to take in. People will fight tonight, fight anyone they can. You are especially terrified of 101, he can and will do the most damage. Triangle notices your worried look and places his hand on your shoulder.

"Stay with your team, stay with the strongest. But most of all," he slides a small pocket knife into the pocket of your pants. "Stay alive."

You nod, thanking the soldier before he leaves the bathroom. He looks up at the camera, signaling for the Square to rewind the security cameras to the right time.

Triangle follows you again once you finish, making sure you get back to the door.

"Player 074?" He then asks, right before going to the door.

"Yeah?"

"Be careful."

ꕔ

"Lights-out in thirty seconds."

You nervously look at the rest. Hopefully, there won't be a fight and the only thing that will happen is that everyone has a good night's sleep.

"If anything happens, come to my bed, alright? We will get together here," Gi-Hun explains, the group agreeing with him.

"Goodnight," you smile. "Be careful."

You quickly walk towards your bed as the voice begins to count down. Your bed is placed in the middle, which feels like the most unsafe spot, but it's not like you can switch at this point.

"Ten, nine, eight," the voice counts down.

The pocket knife feels heavy, heavier than before.

"Seven, six, five."

Let's pray that there's no fight.

"Four, three, two."

Please, stay safe.

"One."

The lights flicker before turning off completely. It feels like the room has never been this dark before. The only source of light is the screen that displays the money and the players. You clench the small knife in your hands, ready to use it just in case something breaks out.

You hear shuffling, or do you imagine it? It's hard to differentiate, but hopefully, it's all in your head.

But that scream isn't.

After that one scream, it all goes down. People frantically run around, either to try and get away or to try and get others. Your eyes dart around, trying to find anyone from your team. Gi-Hun, where was his bed? You yank the blanket off of your bed, holding it around you tightly as you softly slip off. As long as no one sees you, you'll be fine.

Gi-Hun can't be too far away. Just go straight through the room, and he should be there. One thing that's quite a problem, is that there is nothing in the middle of the room. If you were to run through it, someone would definitely see you. But if you would walk along the walls, then the chance that you would run into someone would be huge.

The chaos around you is getting bigger and bigger. People get stabbed, choked, thrown off of their beds. You have to get away, right now. You clutch the small knife in your hands before taking a deep breath. 'Stay alive, be careful.' Listen to the Triangle.

And then, you go. You run as fast as you can, down the stairs and towards Gi-Hun and the rest.

"You can't get away!" 101's voice screams, right behind you.

He grabs you, holding on to your blanket. You let out a scream, trying to get out.

"You arrogant bitch!"

You panic and let go of the blanket before stabbing 101 right into his thigh. He yelps as he lets go of you, clutching his leg. You don't even look back, you have to leave. Luckily you can spot the others.

"Sang-Woo! Ali! Gi-Hun!"

They catch you once you reach them, holding you tightly. Seconds after that someone else joins you. Sae-Byeok has a pained look on her face and bruises on her cheeks.

The middle of the room has turned into some sort of warzone. It's chaos. The lights start flickering again, making you see someone behind Sae-Byeok.

"No!" You shout, pulling her closer to you.

Sang-Woo has grabbed some steel pipes, giving one to Ali before knocking out the person in front of you. The blood on your face is sticky, you barely even know where it has come from.

"Where is 001?" You shout, looking around.

The poor man is nowhere to be found. His bed is supposed to be next to Gi-Hun, but it is now empty. Oh no, what if they have gotten to him?

"001?! 001?!" You all shout, running around.

Where is he? You have to find him, he is a part of your team. Not only that, but you have grown quite fond of the older man. It seems like he doesn't have a bad bone in his body.

Ali wields around the steel pipe, knocking everyone out when they get too close.

"All of you, stop this! I'm... I'm scared!"

001?

You all look up, seeing the old man standing on the highest bed in the room. How did he get up there?

"We're all going to die like this! Everyone, every single one of us!"

Everyone slowly starts looking at the older man. Bodies drop and the lights turn back on, showing the chaos to everyone.

Dead bodies are scattered around the entire room. Some are hanging down the beds, on the floor, it's a gruesome sight to see. Your hands are shaking as you put your pocket knife back in your pants. Hopefully, it wouldn't get you in trouble. Your hands and face are covered in blood, was it yours? You fall down to the floor, staring at your stained hands. How many people have died in this short time?

The big sliding doors open and multiple Triangles step out together with a Square. One Triangle starts shooting in the air to stop the last people from fighting. Considering you were quite close to the door, you could see his wrist. Hair-tie.

The shots still make you nervous, will you have to pay for the fight that broke out? The soldiers point their guns at everyone, ordering them to drop whatever they are holding and to turn around with their hands high.

It might not be noticeable to his colleagues, but Triangle his eyes are darting through the room. He had to wait in front of the door, so he couldn't see anything on the security cameras. What if you had fallen too? Hopefully, the knife helped you out, but he wouldn't know until he would find you. Alive. There are so many bodies, but none with the number he is looking for. But then he spots you, fallen to the floor and barely able to hold yourself up.

He's relieved. You have made it.

Triangle walks towards you and your group, but his gun isn't pointed directly at you. It is in a position where he could immediately fire it, but he doesn't want to accidentally shoot.

"Hands above your heads."

Gi-Hun helps you up, making sure that you can stand by yourself before letting go. Triangle takes a good look at you, are you hurt? He pats everyone down to make sure no one has a weapon anymore. The last one to get checked is you.

You are shaking from shock, fear, confusion. How would you be able to sleep after this? Numbers are being called, indicating the death of the person. You feel the Triangle his hands on you, discreetly taking the knife out of your pocket before slipping it into his.

"Player 074, are you wounded?"

You slowly turn around to face him. You look so different from only a day ago. The shimmer in your eyes is gone, you look tired and above all, you are covered in blood.

"I don't... I don't think so," you sigh, wiping your face.

It almost feels like your hand is stuck on your face, sticking together because of the blood. It's disgusting. You don't feel any pain, or maybe it's the adrenaline. Triangle nods, wiping away a droplet of blood from your cheek before stepping back.

So many numbers are being called, did that many people die? They walk in with the black and pink boxes again, carrying everyone that has died out. The Triangles meet in the middle again, most of them leaving while only four of them stay back. Some Circles are mopping the floor, trying to get rid of all the bloodstains.

What about your bed? They have all fallen over, and even if you could find it back, you wouldn't have your blanket. You then decide to just lay on the cleanest mattress you could find, one without blood. It might sound easy, but it was quite a task to find one. You lay down on top of it, closing your eyes. Please, let tomorrow be easy.

Triangle is one of the last four soldiers in the sleeping quarters, making sure that the Circles do their job and that there wouldn't be any other fights. He keeps a close eye on you, up till the point where they all have to leave the sleeping chambers. He is the last one to leave the room, making sure to give you one last glance before locking the door.

You sit on your bed as the others had grouped together, talking to each other. Reasons as to why they came back, stories about the last game they played, why they need money, even people trying to find out what the next game would be. It wasn't like you wanted to play again, but you have to. This feels like the only place where you actually get a chance to be able to earn money. You had moved to South Korea for an exchange year, but it didn't go as planned. Your budgeting skills were not as good as you thought they would be, miscalculating the amount of money you would spend in the year. It would be impossible to pay for, even if you worked for years.

So, the only choice that you saw was to enter the weird game again. You throw your blanket off of your shoulders when you hear the familiar classical music again, signaling some kind of announcement.

"Attention. Your mealtime begins now. All players, please form a line in the center of the room."

Everyone gets up, standing in a straight line just as the instruction had told them to. Right in front of them were the Circles, as you called them, handing out tins. You take the one that gets handed to you before you return to your bed.

"Hey, you can sit here!"

You look up, seeing a man smiling and waving at you. He looks nice enough, but in this place, you can't trust anyone. But what if you'll need a team later? You clench your jaw before smiling back, walking towards the small group.

"I wished the rice was at least a little heated up," Number 456 pouts before taking a bite of the cold rice.

You laugh, taking a bite too. It isn't all that bad, at least it's better than what you have been eating. The group is nice to be around, they're talking about all different things, their past and even offer to help you and Ali out, considering you aren't familiar with the games. Maybe it wasn't a bad choice to sit with them.

Soon enough it was time to sleep... If you could.

"HEY! Let me out! If you don't let me pee, I will just pee on the floor! Yeah, right here!"

You groan, is no one gonna stop this woman? Your bed is in the middle, but if you walking up to her is going to make her stop screaming, then it's worth it. Maybe the game tomorrow requires a good rest, but no one will be able to rest like this. Besides, you have to pee too, so if they will let her through, maybe you can too.

"I mean it! I will pee right here! You just wait, you will have to clean it up anyway!"

With big steps you walk towards Number 212, grabbing her by the shoulder.

"Can you please quiet down? Maybe if you weren't screaming like a crazy person then they would let you through."

212 looks down at you, confused at what you said. Maybe she is used to people doing whatever she pleases, but for now, you just want to use the toilet and go to sleep. You breathe in deeply, licking your lips before walking towards the door, softly knocking on it. The small slider opening, revealing a Triangle mask. He almost looks confused that it's someone else. You awkwardly smile, giving a small wave.

"Um, hi. Could we maybe use the toilet?" You point to the woman behind you. "Please?"

The Triangle inspects you for a second before looking to his right, probably to the Square that was there. He gives a small nod before turning back to you.

"Make it quick."

You sigh in relief as 212 jumps up, screaming before flinging her arms around you. A few seconds later the doors open and the two of you step in, following the Triangle to the toilets. If this wasn't a place where you could get killed in a children's game, then you probably would have liked all the different hallways. They are all pastel and colorful, unlike the entire vibe in the sleeping quarters.

A big sigh escapes your mouth once you can finally use the toilet. A bit of peace and quiet. After you wash your hands, you suddenly smell smoke. Is there a fire? You knock on the door to 212's toilet.

"Are you okay?"

You hear a groan and the little door opens.

"Can a woman not smoke? Buy me some time, will you?"

Before you can answer she has closed the door again. She is in a place where you could get murdered at any moment, but she seems calm enough to take her time to smoke. A loud knock on the door makes you look up.

"Come out, it has been long enough."

You look back at the toilets before opening the door, revealing the tall Triangle. He looks down at you before looking at the stalls.

"Where is the other Player?"

"Oh, she has um..." You purse your lips before looking back up at him. "Diarrhea. Yeah, really bad."

You could almost hear the offended gasp coming from 212 as you said that. The guard almost seems uncomfortable with your answer, but hopefully, it would give 212 some more time. Triangle steps back, allowing you to enter the hallway before closing the door to the bathroom. You slide down the wall, sitting down with your legs stretched out. It has been a long day and all you want to do is sleep.

"I would bring you back to the sleeping quarters," Triangle starts. "But unfortunately the other Player is... having troubles. I can't risk her walking through the halls on her own."

"Oh, I get it," you mumble, closing your jacket. "At least she's quiet now. I don't think I would be able to get any sleep if she kept screaming like that."

The guard almost laughs, but instead keeps his composure, standing straight while you wait for 212. Minutes pass and the only thing you can do is to wait.

It's strange to be alone with one of the guards, especially after the gruesome events that will happen in the next few days. If you'll even make it that far. The games are unpredictable, and even if you would know the names, you wouldn't know how to play them.

"So, what's up with the masks?"

You look up at the tall figure. Maybe you could see why they would cover their face. They look intimidating, dangerous, even slightly creepy. But getting short answers might be more fun than just sitting in silence.

"We are not allowed to disclose anything that has to do with our personal information. Face included."

Makes sense. You shrug before looking at the door. How long does it take to smoke one cigarette?

"Interesting," you mumble. "What about the food? Did you make that, or do you have a personal chef in this place?"

It might seem stupid to ask questions like this, but what else can you do? You're stuck here in hopes that you will be the last one standing. How big is that chance? There are hundreds of people in the sleeping quarters that would do anything for the money.

The Triangle snorts before clearing his throat. He then shakes his head.

"The workers make it."

You furrow your brows, is he not a worker? He notices your confusion and then kneels down, resting the big gun on his knee.

"Squares are the highest, kind of like a manager," he forms a square with his gloved hands. "Then there's Triangles, like me. The soldiers. After that are the Circles, our workers."

He repeats the movements with his hands again. Square, triangle, circle. It all seems quite thought out, but then again, how else would they be able to get away with all of this. You want to ask a question again, but before you can, the bathroom door opens. The Triangle immediately stands back up, tightly holding the gun.

"Ah, such a refreshing toilet break!" 212 grins, giving you a thumbs up.

You look from the guard to 212 before nodding.

"You have to go back now, the lights went out nearly an hour ago."

The Triangle gestures to the two of you to walk, 212 skipping past you and back to the door that leads to the sleeping quarters. You slowly follow her, slightly nervous about the Triangle being right behind you. His entire personality switched back to the cold, stoic Soldier.

212 opens the door, immediately walking towards her bed with a proud look on her face. You turn back to the soldier, nodding at him before mouthing a 'thank you'. He gives you a nod back before you walk into the sleeping quarters, returning to your bed.

Please let tomorrow be different.

ꕔ

"Attention. It is now time for breakfast. All players, please form a line in the center of the room."

You stretch your arms before neatly placing your blanket at the end of your bed. Time to get back in line. The rest of your team, if you can call it that already, has gotten their breakfast right before you. You look around, trying to see if you can find the same Triangle that had helped you yesterday. Why are you even looking? He might be the one that will kill you today.

The Circle in front of you hands you a small bottle of milk and a packaged treat. You raise your eyebrows and turn around to go sit with Gi-Hun and the rest.

"Good morning!"

You open the package with the pastry in it before taking a good look.

"It's good," Ali mumbles with his mouth full. "Sweet too."

Ali was right. The small pastry is indeed very good and surprisingly filling. You open up your milk and drink half of it before sighing. The thought that the people in front of you could be dead after today is horrible. Hell, the thought that you could die today is terrifying.

"Does anyone have any guesses as to what the game could be?"

Everyone shakes their heads. How could you ever start to guess what it could be? There are countless games that you could play. The group and you kill some time by talking about all these random things, Ali still munching on the pastry that he had gotten from Sang-Woo. The peace got disturbed quite fast as the same classical song blasted through the speakers.

The second game.

You nervously look at your team before breathing in deeply. Please let this be easy. And if not easy, then please let it be a game that you know.

The walk to the next game is nerve-wracking. You would think that if you would walk through a pastel-colored piece of art that you would enjoy it, but the stairs are only making you more nervous. It seems so unpredictable, you never know where you would have to go as the stairs lead to anywhere.

The soldiers in front of you walk into the room first. Is it the same one? It's hard to see, the only thing you can go on is either by voice or his height, which is still quite a task.

A playground? Your eyes fly around the room, trying to see what it's all about. The brightly colored room feels slightly nostalgic with all its huge equipment. On the wall are different symbols, but they do not look familiar to you. At least, not with any game.

"Why is this playground so big?" Gi-Hun mumbles.

You shrug while looking around. You stop when you look at the Triangle standing close to the umbrella symbol, is that him?

"Players, welcome to the second game. We will begin shortly."

Gi-Hun starts rambling about which game it could be. You look up at him, trying to follow everything he is saying. You don't recognize any of the names he is calling, which doesn't feel like a good sign. Before anyone can respond, the voice continues.

"Players, before the second game begins, choose one of the four available shapes you see on the wall. Once you've chosen your shape, please stand in front of it."

That seems easy enough.

"Okay. A circle, a triangle, a star, and an umbrella," Gi-Hun points out.

Sang-Woo zones out, staring blankly at the ground in front of him. You furrow your eyebrows, is he okay? Is he about to have a panic attack? Everyone decides to pick a symbol, all a different one.

"I'll go with an umbrella too. Looks the most fun," you laugh, giving Gi-Hun a high five as he also picked the umbrella.

Your group is one of the last ones to pick a shape, so you quickly walk towards the umbrella.

"Y/N?"

You turn around when Sang-Woo calls your name, smiling at him. He looks at you before clenching his jaw, sending you a small smile.

"Good luck."

You quickly nod, giving him a thumbs-up before entering the line for the umbrella. Would you receive an umbrella? How would you even use that in this huge playground? Maybe you could use it as a shield for something. Maybe it's dodgeball? That would explain the circle.

"There are too many people at the umbrella," the Triangle suddenly says. "Player 074, take place at the triangle."

It's him.

Why doesn't he want you to pick the umbrella? You raise your eyebrows and nod, joining the line for the triangle. It doesn't look like this line was any shorter than the umbrella one, but you don't dare to speak back. Even if it was the Triangle from yesterday.

"The time to select your shape has ended. I will now explain the rules of the next game."

The doors that have the shapes on them open up to reveal a table filled with tins. Not what you expected.

"All players, please take one case each from the table at the front of your line."

You patiently wait until it's your turn to grab a tin. The Circle hands you the tin and you nod before walking back to the playground. You look around to try and find your group, but everyone seems to be spread out.

"The second game is sugar honeycombs. The shape you have chosen is the shape you must remove from the honeycomb. The time limit is ten minutes."

The voice makes you nervous.

"You will pass if you trim out the shape without it breaking or cracking within the time limit. With that, let the game begin."

You debate whether or not you want to climb up the slide, but someone has already made their way up there. You decide to sit down at the end of the slide, the tin on your knee. The Triangles start moving around, taking a good look at what everyone is doing. Wait, carve it out?

The triangle. You have to carve out a triangle. Even though you don't have any experience with this game, you can tell that this must have been the easiest shape. Luckily you didn't get the- Oh no. Gi-Hun. The umbrella. You try to find him in the room full of people, but the soldier in front of you taps your shoulder.

"074, the clock is counting down. You might want to start."

Him again. You quickly nod, taking off the lid of the tin, revealing the honeycomb with the triangle pressed into it. The sharp needle is laying on top of it. Just three straight lines, that must be easy enough.

A minute passes and you have been able to take one side of the honeycomb off. The fact that you had gotten the triangle is unbelievable, you would never survive the umbrella. Hopefully, the others are doing alright. You can't find them as everyone is hunched over, blocking their faces and numbers.

"Wait... WAIT! One more chance!" Someone exclaims, making you look up.

"Please! No, please don't-"

The voice gets cut off by a gunshot, scaring the shit out of you. The loud bang surprised you, so much that you almost dropped your honeycomb. Where was it coming from?

Your breath hitches in your throat when you feel something hitting your back. It can't be. You slowly turn your head to look at what had fallen down the slide as more gunshots follow the first. Behind you is player 369 with a big hole in his forehead. Your eyes grow big as people around you start screaming, accidentally breaking their honeycomb and following 369's fate.

"Player 074, please move. For your own safety."

Move. You can't move. The shock has made you frozen, shaking while still having the head of the man against your back. Triangle grabs you by your arms, lifting you up before placing you closer to the edge of the room. He carefully maneuvers around the bodies, making sure you get on the other side of the room. He leans down to hand you back your tin.

"Please continue," he whispers before standing back up straight, looking at whatever the other players are doing.

Gunshots sound through the room every few seconds as you nervously carve the straight lines. It can't go wrong... Right? Slowly you start to ignore the gunshots for as much as you can. Could you ever fully ignore the sounds of screams, pleads, and shots?

"Player 111, pass."

The first few people are passing, leaving the bloody room behind as they will be safe for another day. You give the lines some more scratches, slowly breaking off more and more of the honeycomb.

Crack.

Your Triangle stops in front of you, leaning down to see your honeycomb.

"Player 074, pass."

You breathe in deeply, placing the small triangle back in the tin. The clock tells you that there are only two minutes left. You look up at the Triangle who just blankly stares at you. At least, that's what you think he is doing.

"Don't look down," he mumbles before turning around to check up on the other players.

You notice that he walks right towards the door, almost mapping out a safe path for you so that you don't have to look down. You had heard that Sae-Byeok, Sang-Woo, and Ali had finished already. Hopefully, 001 and Gi-Hun would survive.

You opened your eyes slowly to let whatever light beyond your eyelids filter in slowly, allowing your body to take the recovery process one step at a time. 

But the light never came. 

Maybe your eyes weren’t open?

“I told you she’d be alright, Djarin,” you heard in a thick accent from a few steps away. “She’s a fighter.” That gruff voice was Boba’s for sure, but you still had no way of confirming what you were hearing. Were your eyes just… adjusting? 

“Make yourself useful and figure out how to get more light in here, she can’t see anything,” Fennec’s unmistakeable lilt snarked, and with an amused grunt fading away with matching footsteps, you knew she’d thrown her jab at Boba. Yes, more light. That’s all you needed, everything was going to be alright. 

“Talk to me, how do you feel?” Din said above you, and you realized you hadn’t acknowledged him in your confusion. You made an effort to use your vocal cords, a few experimental groans coming out before you could manage any words. 

“I feel… tired.” You heard a quiet, shaky laugh come out from under Din’s helmet, and it didn’t take much longer before you felt the familiar Beskar of his helmet on your forehead. You steadily lifted one of your arms to reach for him, your body still coming back to temperature, and he met you halfway. If your eyes weren’t already closed, they were now as you savored the feeling of his hand in yours, how irrationally warm it made you feel to have Din wrapped so tightly around you. 

You heard Fett’s distant sound of triumph and a sputtering of electrical devices in the room around you. When Din slowly lifted his helmet, you attempted to open your eyes one more time. 

“There she is,” Fennec sighed, and your stomach flipped. “How’s the light, is that a little bit better?” She asked gently. 

You still couldn’t see anything. 

“Mesh’la… what’s wrong?” Din’s voice was quiet, smooth. Like he was trying to keep himself calm in order to comfort you. “Hey, look at me, I’m right here.” Your heart jumped to your throat, your head beginning to spin when you thought about how impossible such a simple task sounded when all you could see was black. 

“I… I can’t,” you whispered, unable to stop the quiver as you finished speaking, the panic starting to set in. You didn’t know where you were trying to go but your body went into overdrive, legs scrambling for some kind of leverage to sit yourself up. Before you could go far, Din’s hand squeezed yours a little tighter, the arm wrapped around you firm as he pulled you into a sitting position while keeping you curled up against his chest. 

“You can’t what?” Din’s voice was too calm, it was unsettling. Usually knowing that he was able to keep his calm in a less-than-ideal situation would be comforting to you, encouraging you to do so yourself and realize that you were okay. But it had never been this bad before. He wasn’t going through what you were. It was easy for him to find his calm, he could still see. 

“The bounty… what happened? What did he do to me?” You settled for, working yourself up as your brain reeled for an answer, an explanation, any morsel of a solution. 

“Easy princess,” Boba said from across the room. “Take it one step at a time, comin’ outta Carbonite isn’t as easy as taking a clam from a Gungan.” 

Carbonite… you could vaguely piece together a memory of fighting. Some slimy bounty you and Din had picked up as a side job on your way to Tatooine to visit with your friends in Mos Espa. What was supposed to be a standard grab-and-go mission had turned complicated fast. 

“You held your own,” Din’s voice said above you, no doubt watching you try to remember. “He caught us by surprise and managed to kick you back into a carbonite freezer. There was no way you could’ve seen him coming.” 

As he said it, the memories came back to you. Stalking around a dark warehouse beside your Mandalorian, lights scanning for any sign of movement. You’d heard a clang come from beside you, and before you could alert your partner that you were going to check it out, you’d been knocked against a metal container. You were able to process hissing sounds as your head stopped spinning, and as you shouted back out to Din, you watched him tearing to get to you before everything went cold. 

“How… how long was I in there?” you tried quietly. 

“A few hours at the most,” Fennec answered. “Mando reached out to us pretty quickly, and as Daimyo of Mos Espa, getting clearance wasn’t an issue. When we got there, Djarin was rooted to the spot next to you with a dead Trandoshan not too far off.” 

“We thought it’d be best if we defrosted you here at the palace,” Boba chimed in. “Give you time to acclimate without rushing you outta there.” Then there was a familiar gurgle, small noises that went directly to your heart. “And give the little one a chance to run around.” 

“But he’s been too worried about you to go anywhere,” Din reasoned softly. It was hard to tell if your eyes were still open, but you could feel the tears coming nonetheless at the thought of Grogu waiting patiently beside you. 

“Can I..” You wanted to ask if you could see him, but that seemed like a redundant question. “Where is he?” You heard the hesitant thump of Boba’s boots against the metal floor as he approached you. 

“Hold out your hands, mesh’la,” Din urged, releasing your hand while keeping you close. You did as he said, and before you could ask why, you felt a familiar weight being set in your arms. 

There were little hands on your cheeks and Grogu’s familiar gurgle of attempted words that were usually matched with his little toothy grin… What little restraint you had was shattered, and you felt the tears welling up in your eyes, and start to roll down your cheeks where they collided with your foundling’s fingers. Din pulled you closer as you cried, and you curled into him with Grogu in tow. 

“Why can’t I see, Din?” you whispered, and you heard how broken your voice sounded. It at least matched the way you felt; broken. 

“Carbonite takes its toll,” Boba started, and you felt Din’s body make a small, quick movement. You could only guess that he’d snapped his head up at the daimyo’s dramatic choice of words. “I just mean that there are usually side effects… but I’ve seen people come outta carbonite after weeks and turn out just fine.” 

“So… how long will it take me to get my vision back?” you choked, trying to put a stop to the stream of emotions that continued falling as you listened around you. Din’s leather-clad hands rubbing soothing patterns into your back was definitely helping on that front. “If I get it back.” 

“Don’t say that,” your Mandalorian’s firm voice countered. “You weren’t in there long. Your body will recover.” 

“He’s right,” Fennec piped up. Not being able to see where your party stood in the room was proving to be a strange sensation, figuring out where the speaker was in the room proving to be its own mental sport. “Unfortunately, there’s no way to tell when it will wear off. Carbonite affects everyone differently, so we could be waiting a few hours, a few days, a few weeks... It depends on how your body reacts.” 

There was a heavy silence in the room as Fennec’s words settled, forcing you to come to terms with the reality of the situation, and how little you could plan around it. 

Din, surprisingly, was the first to break the silence. 

“I’ll be here by your side each step of the way,” he started, his serious tone reassuring, backing up the weight of his promise.

Unsurprisingly, Din kept his word. 

In the days that followed, Din was with you every moment possible. He was there to help you up in the mornings, tender touches and slow movements in the private quarters your clan of three took up in the palace. His hands rarely left you as he helped you maneuver around the space, and had endless amounts of patience as you worked together to get through the day. 

Grogu definitely took a little bit to adjust. He was used to you picking him up and smothering him in affection too many times throughout the day to count. Now you often felt him at your feet, making soft sounds as he asked for you to lift him up. But when he started to understand that you couldn’t see him, his response broke your heart. 

Each morning Din would put Grogu in your arms, and without fail, those little hands would find your cheeks right before you would feel a strange sensation course through your body… He was trying to use his powers to heal you, much like you had seen him do with Din in the past. You wouldn’t let him do it for so long that he would tire himself out, but the two of you entertained his efforts – at the very least to make him feel better, but also to see if it would even work. 

In staying by your side, Din took to showering with you, too. Trying to convince him you could handle it was followed immediately by fumbling with the soaps until they clattered to the floor, and Din was knocking on the fresher door in moments. It was kind of amusing, at first, when he would step in behind you and you could hear the clang of the water against his helmet. 

Amidst the confusion and the disorientation of your lack of sight, the silver lining had been the day Din fully realized how much he could get away with when you couldn’t see him. Your entire relationship you kept your eyes shut tight – or left the room altogether – when Din removed his helmet, honoring his creed. But now he could go without it whenever he so chose… as long as it was in the confines of your room. 

Waking up to his soft kisses had been a warm welcome, one that was met with his enthusiastic affection scattered across your face. “We should do this more often,” he sighed, making you laugh against him as he kissed your cheek, the scratch of his facial fair tickling your skin. 

You grew accustomed to roaming your hands around his body so you could navigate to his soft curls, combing through his hair and massaging his scalp with your nails. You mapped the planes of his face with your lips, traced his pouted ones with your fingertips… and by the Maker, you were basking in the sound of his voice without the vocoder filtering it through his helmet. You could hear his smile when he spoke, could hear even the smallest huff of amusement his helmet usually kept from being audible, and his comforting tone wrapped you in a warmth you wanted to stay in forever. 

…

“Mesh’la,” you heard as you slowly came into consciousness. You gave Din a sleepy smile as he peppered kisses over your cheeks, the scratch of his mustache tickling your skin. “Someone’s here to see you early this morning,” he whispered, and you felt his side of the bed shift as he sat up. You kept your eyes closed through the whole process, like you did every morning, wanting to soak up the softness of your little family for just a little bit longer before facing the disappointment of not being able to see anything. 

In the last week, there was… some improvement. You knew you should be grateful for any steps forward your condition was taking, even if they were slim, but after the first few days, it just became exhausting. You could make out the vague shapes of the figures around you, and you could tell the difference between light and dark, but that was about it. Din had been ecstatic when you reached out for him that first morning, his excitement growing each time you turned towards him as he leaned in to give you a kiss. 

You just wanted to see again. 

When Din’s weight returned to the bed – your eyes still closed – he brought with him a familiar bundle that was set directly on your stomach. Grogu didn’t wait for your hands to find him before he was crawling clumsily up your body, and you shared in Din's laughter as you each gave him a hand to help him to his destination. 

“Well good morning to you too, little one,” you smiled, pleasantly surprised by your foundling’s newfound eagerness to get started with the day. “You must be hungry if you’re wanting to get this over with so quickly.” There was only a babble in response as he situated himself on your chest, and you could just imagine him reaching his little hands out to make it to your cheeks without losing his balance.

Din grunted as he shifted, this time getting up off of the bed, no doubt to go tend to make Grogu something to eat before it got past the point of no return. And yet, when his little hands finally reached you, there was no urgency. With your eyes still closed, you focused closely on the feeling that began spreading through your body, breathing deeply when the familiar feeling of weightlessness his powers brought you relaxed your muscles. 

The soft clanking of dishes from the living area of your room in the palace brought you back to the present, which meant that it was time to start moving through your day, and giving Grogu a chance to rest after using his powers once again. You opened your eyes as you sat up, hoisting Grogu up with you and returning the little smile that spread across his cheeks…

His smile. You could see it. 

You could see.

“Hi baby,” you whispered, your throat suddenly feeling very constricted as you took in the sight of your foundling. His big, dark eyes bore into you as his ears perked up at the attention he hadn’t seen from you in so long. He gurgled happily as he used his grip on your cheeks to encourage you to lean forward, pressing his little forehead against yours. 

You heard Din’s broken voice say your name, speaking softly as if he was scared to break whatever trance he was in. Without thinking, you lifted your head from Grogu’s and turned to look in his direction, and for a moment you couldn’t believe what you were seeing. 

Din stood frozen in place when he met your gaze, his warm brown eyes speaking a thousand words that would never pass his lips. His dark curls that you had felt so many times sat in a mess atop his head, matching the scruff and facial hair that decorated his golden skin. The prominent nose you had felt was more handsome than you could have ever imagined, the pouty pink lips you had traced time and time again as inviting as ever. 

You had imagined this moment a thousand times, thought of every possible situation or turn of events that might ever lead to seeing your Mandalorian without his helmet. Your worst fear was that it would be an accident – like it was now – and that his expression turning into disappointment, anger, or something worse that would mean he wanted nothing more to do with you. 

But the face looking back at you had nothing but anticipation and adoration written across his striking features. 

“Mesh’la…” you whispered, trying the Mando’a endearment on your tongue. The corners of his lips began to turn up in a tentative smile, and the sight you had just gotten back started to blur with the water flooding your eyes. “Beautiful… Din, you’re beautiful,” you sobbed. The last thing you saw was Din rushing to your side, quick to wrap his arms around you and kiss the top of your head as you closed your eyes once more, letting the happy tears flow freely across your cheeks.