#nctzennetwork

“With an engine like this, we won’t go far, but we should be able to get to the border in one piece.” Taeyong responded, sending Ten a reassuring smile.“Go back to sleep, you need it.” He turned his eyes back towards the road- or what used to be a road, at least. It was barely holding itself together, and Taeyong was struggling to drive smoothly as he drove the truck over deep cracks and attempted to avoid areas that were completely fragmented. Not much was left intact around The Borderland after the F.E.D.R.A dropped over 20 bombs in the area. Infected and uninfected alike had lost their lives, although most were already lost. Taeyong shivered as he recalled the image of disembodied corpses mangled in the debris, a burnt teddy bear lying idly on the side of the road. He could still feel the stench of burning flesh and gasoline seep through his lungs.

Ten cocked a brow at his best friend, taking in the dark circles that lay under his eyes and his tousled hair. “Bold of you to say. Let me drive for once, you can sleep in the back seat.” The smile on his face was earnest, and Taeyong couldn’t help but mirror it, his light almost contagious. He shook his head in disagreement, squinting his eyes at the silhouette of a tank emerging towards them from the dust. Watchers. 

“No need, they’re here- get the papers.” Said Taeyong, under his breath. They unstrapped their seat belts and concealed their pistols in their waistbands before getting out of the truck. Ten quickly made his way to the back of the vehicle, taking out their paperwork from a safe they’d hid under a stack of blankets and clothing, weighed down by an old carpet that neither of them knew the origin of. The wind was cold on his skin, the sunlight providing little warmth. Once he made his way back, the tank had just come to a halt in front of Taeyong. He couldn’t help but shudder, seeing it loom over him. 

The Watchers came down one by one. Two of them. Taeyong was sure there were two more inside, presumably for back up. Sometimes, they’d squeeze a fifth in. The thought alone made him scoff. He could hear Ten’s breath halt in his throat beside him, and he had to remind himself not to reach his hand out to him. Vulnerability was not an option.

“Names.” Ordered the Watcher on the left. He was masked, they all were. All black jumpsuits, rifles strapped on their backs, boots marking the ground as if it were their own. 

“Taeyong and Ten.” Taeyong responded, his voice was stable, staring the Watcher dead in the eye. Ten fumbled with the papers. The Watcher on the right snatched the paperwork from his grip, looking over the details.

“Where’s the third?” Asked the Watcher after reading over their details. He signaled to the tank before Taeyong could respond. Two Watchers jumped out, just as he had assumed. They began searching the truck, weapons drawn, pace slow and alert. “Zhong Chenle. Where is he?” 

“He..” Taeyong faltered. Ten gently placed his hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in reassurance. The Watcher gripped his rifle. “He turned. We had to..” The Watcher nodded.

“Back to base.” He ordered. The two Watchers inspecting the truck headed back to the tank. “Follow the tank to the border. Johnny’s waiting for you at the F.E.D.R.A headquarters.” He instructed. Both Watchers turned to the tank, already beginning to drive away.

Taeyong and Ten hurried back into the truck, the latter exhaling heavily as he sunk into his seat. “Fuck them.” He groaned, rubbing his forehead. He took his pistol out of his waistband, checking the ammunition. An act of self soothing. Nobody wanted to feel defenseless in a place like this. “We really have to pretend to tolerate them for god knows how long now.” He said with a roll of his eyes. 

“Hold your tongue, they’re always watching.” Chuckled Taeyong, Ten slapping his arm lightly in response. Taeyong tightened his grip on the wheel, his smile not reaching his eyes. Silence befell them, and Ten couldn’t help but fidget as he tried to come up with something to fill the silence.

“We did what was best for him,” Whispered Ten, almost hesitant to bring the topic back up in the first place, aware that Taeyong was still grieving. “You know that, right?” 

“I.. I could’ve done more to help him, Ten.” Said Taeyong, gaze fixed on the tank that drove steadily ahead of them. “I could’ve saved him.”

“No, Taeyong. You couldn’t. It was out of your control- out of our control.” Ten stared at him as if he were searching for something he could not find, existing like shattered glass, void of its true form. Taeyong clenched his jaw as tears formed in his eyes, the initials etched onto his skin burned his wrist. “He can rest now.” 

The truck came to an abrupt stop, earning a clumsy yelp out of Ten as he almost hit the dashboard. “Put your seatbelt on next time.” Muttered Taeyong, he unbuckled his seatbelt and stepped out of the truck without sparing a glance at his stunned friend. Ten stumbled out before trying to compose himself, hurrying behind Taeyong towards the entrance of the border. 

They were faced with concrete walls and guard towers, Watchers wearing gas masks, combat helmets and body armor stood at the entrance, assault rifles pointed towards the pair. The Watchers who lead them there exited he tank, one of them walked towards the Watchers at the border while two others approached Ten and Taeyong. The fourth remained in the tank. 

“We will now carry out the standard test for infection,” Stated one of the watchers approaching them. Both of them quickly took hold of Ten and Taeyong, pushing them to their knees and pinning their hands behind them. “Do not resist.” He ordered. They complied, eyeing the scanner that both of the watchers had taken out of their utility belts. They activated the scanners with a push of a button before running them across both of their bodies. Taeyong looked up at the other Watchers, only to see them with their rifles drawn towards them, ready for a signal of infection to pull their triggers. The scanners beeped with a flash of green light. 

“Clear.” They motioned for them to get up, they could barely sigh in relief before they were pushed towards the now open entrance, “Commander Seo will get you to the F.E.D.R.A Headquarters."

- this is only the prologue, the reader will be present in chapter 1. im considering making this a potential love triangle fic w ten as well, but im not sure yet. either way, this is a slow burn so it’ll take a while before anything solid progresses so wether or not that’ll fit in will be clear by then.

- the quote under the header is from ‘its sunday, april 19th and i miss you’ by flatsound! also, if it isnt clear enough already, this fic is heavily inspired by the last of us and i really recommend you check it out if you havent already!! its one of my fav video games ever !!

- in the future there may be graphic depictions of violence and major character death. 

Sonorous laughter penetrated the thick air. Renjun’s ears perked up, moving through the crowd in the direction of the noise. Donghyuck’s laugh was a memorable one, and Renjun was certain that was his. The laugh was followed by a faint punching noise, presumably Mark, and an extensive series of ‘Ouch’s and complaints by none other than Donghyuck followed. Those two were inseparable, and difficult to miss in a crowd. The pair spotted Renjun quickly, waving him over to where they were standing. They were situated in the middle of the hall, an extravagant chandelier hanging down above them.

“Thank god you’re here!” Donghyuck beamed, “If I have to listen to another second of this pussy’s complaints I’m resetting my game and joining another server.” He glared at Mark as he said ‘pussy’, clearly amused by his friend’s reactions. Mark looked completely done with him, which wasn’t very unusual, considering Donghyuck was consistently on a mission to get him to snap.

“There’s no way to reset the game or join another server, dumbass.” Mark retorted, adjusting his glasses, to which Donghyuck only rolled his eyes. He turned his attention to Renjun, who in his sudden reticence had yet to say a word, sensing the tension between the two. “What the fuck was that questionnaire? God, it got me like.. questioning why I was born and shit.” Mark looked completely out of it, hair a mess from running his hand through it too often, eyes wide and searching for a response. Renjun released a breath he’d been holding in for longer than he cared to know, relieved that someone other than himself had something to say about the questions they had no choice but to answer.

“Okay, so I wasn’t the only one with questions that have absolutely nothing to do with the game.” He replied. “I just- I can’t think of a reason for them to want to know any of these things.” Renjun shifted his weight as he wondered what the purpose of the questions were, still unsure of what to make of the situation. Nonetheless, he was thankful for his slowing heartbeat, as he’d felt it hammering in his chest for far too long. He was sure, however, that the game was definitely not what him and his friends assumed it would be. It wasn’t what the developers marketed it to be, either. The image of the wrecked house him, Jaemin and Jeno wandered into resurfaced in his mind, its bloody walls and broken windows clearly contrasting the other houses in the neighbourhood. He quickly brushed it off, deciding it had nothing to do with the issue at hand.

“To me, it just felt like a shitty Until Dawn therapist scene remake.” Interjected Donghyuck. “I mean, come on, October is coming up- so, halloween is soon!” He snapped his fingers, a comical grin spreading across his features, “Boom, Case of the Creepy Questionnaire: Solved by Lee Donghyuck. You’re welcome.” Mark looked as if he were inwardly trying to convince himself not to deck his best friend in the face, but settled for a roll of his eyes.

“All I’m saying is, I thought this game was meant for decorating your house and, I don’t know, dyeing your hair ugly colors without having it fall out, not committing mass murder.” Groaned Renjun, lightly rubbing the back of his neck, which was beginning to feel sore. He’d probably shifted into an uncomfortable position in real life while playing, which was slightly unsettling as he was now completely unaware of his surroundings back in reality.

“Moving on!” Mark exclaimed with a clap of his hands, “It’s over now, so let’s forget about it. Where are Jaemin and Jeno? You were with them earlier, yeah?” He questioned, his demeanor already seeming more relaxed than it was previously. Donghyuck’s (pretty foolish, in Renjun’s opinion) explanation seemed to calm his nerves, at least for the time being.

“I was, but I lost them after the Questionnaire.” Responded Renjun, his eyes returning to scanning the crowd. “Do you think they’re still-” A blast of electricity erupted from above Renjun, stopping him mid sentence. The lights in the hall abruptly shut off. After a few moments of stunned silence, It felt as if the whole building had begun to shake. Crepitation of grating metal agonized his ears, squeezing his eyes shut as they began to ring as if it could soothe the forming pain. The chandelier that had been hanging above the boys’ heads began to rock furiously, its creaks reverberating throughout the hall. Renjun could hear the chain connecting the chandelier to the ceiling beginning to break off. Panic rose in his chest. The structure shook above him, back and forth, showing no sign of stopping. His muscles tightened, he tried to move, his mind screaming at his body to get out of its range. He remained rooted at his spot, as if a force held him mercilessly in place. The crystals hanging off of the chandelier were flying off, flung across all directions in the hall. There was movement all around him, the crowd rushing to get out of the chandelier’s shadow, but all he could register was the breaking glass and screams. The creaking grew louder by the second. Someone grabbed Renjun’s arm. They pulled, begging him to get out of the way. The chandelier fell, quickly and all too silently, and it took Renjun with it.

> PLAYING AS USER #JENO

> 5:05 PM

> 15 MINUTES PRIOR TO TASK COMPLETION

As Jeno was transported back into the hall after completing the questionnaire, all thoughts about the absurdity of the questions he was asked escaped him. He stood almost face to face with the switch. He thought it was the game taunting him, reminding him of what he was too hesitant to do. ‘What could go wrong?’ he thought, it’s part of the gameplay, a way to progress whatever storyline the game had in store for him. Then again, he could simply ignore it, if he wasn’t interested in progressing through his pathway. Jeno thought it was somewhat ridiculous how much he was overthinking this, he would’ve flipped the switch already if it were any other game. Although, it was easy to forget that Unreality was only a game- its ability to replicate all senses except smell along with its realistic graphics made it difficult to differentiate from reality. Jeno briefly scanned his surroundings, making sure no one was paying attention to what he was about to do. If something went wrong, or if flipping the switch was the wrong choice, he did not want to be held accountable for it. A few taps on his shoulder interrupted him before he could extend his hand to flip the switch. Jeno turned around to see Jaemin eyeing him with an overly skeptical expression. His friend knew him too well, he almost had a sixth sense for when Jeno was up to something and was always there to either enable or stop him.

“Yo,” Greeted Jaemin as Jeno turned around. “should I be concerned that you’re staring at a wall, or is that just a thing you do now?” He chuckled, studying Jeno’s expression with a cocked eyebrow and crossed arms. His signature ‘If you think you’re going to do whatever dumb thing it is you’re about to do alone, then you’re wrong’ face.

“Yes, this is a thing I do when I contemplate wether I would kill someone or let them kill me first.” Jeno replied, acutely aware of Jaemin’s unconvinced expression. He leaned his back against the wall, making sure not to accidentally hit the switch. Breaking into Jaemin’s house currently didn’t seem like such a bad idea, although that option was now completely out of the picture, with Jaemin already suspicious of him.

“Uh huh..” Nodded Jaemin slowly, his index finger tapping his chin a few times as his gaze landed on the switch. The invisible lightbulb floating on top of his head lit brighter than ever. “You know, you never told me your task.”

“I mean, didn’t you say you heard static or something, when I tried telling you?” Jeno responded. “I don’t think you’re meant to know-“

“Blah, blah, blah,” Interrupted Jaemin, rolling his eyes “Just tell me, it could’ve been a glitch, it might work now.” Jeno remained unconvinced, and Jaemin resorted to using his infamous pleading puppy aegyo until Jeno would repent and tell him his task. To which he did, unsurprisingly. This time, it was said with no interferences, much to Jeno’s surprise.

“I told you it was a glitch.” Jaemin said with a smug smile spread across his cheeks, “Also, if you break into my house I will kill you. Literally.”

“More like figuratively; we’re in a game, I won’t actually die.” Jeno corrected, to which simply Jaemin rolled his eyes, muttering a ‘nerd’ that Jeno chose to ignore. “Should I flip the switch, then?”

“Duh, unless you wanna break into Renjun’s house-“ Jaemin paused, “wait, where is he anyway?” He questioned, now looking around the hall with a slight pout, squinting his eyes as he studied the crowd.

“Probably still doing the questionnaire, a lot of players are still missing.” Jeno observed the hall, which wasn’t as full as it was when they had first entered it. It was likely Renjun took longer with the questions. They were heavy, for a lack of better word, and Renjun was prone to overthinking. “Ok, well I’m gonna flip it now. Can I get a drumroll, please?” Smirked Jeno, now fully straightened up with his sight fixed on the switch.

Jaemin drew his attention back to Jeno, rapidly patting his hands on his thighs in attempt to mimic a drumroll, lightly chanting ‘flip it, flip it!’

And so he did.

The lights on the chandelier exploded, a flash of light penetrating the room before darkness replaced it. Jeno instantly reached his hand out towards Jaemin, gripping onto his sleeve. He felt his friend’s shoulders shake as he laughed at Jeno’s panic.

“Pussy.” Jaemin snickered, “It was just a light switch, and you somehow wrecked the chandelier. That’s fun. Good job Jeno!”  Jeno punched his shoulder to shut him up, he could make out Jaemin gripping his shoulder and grimacing in the dark as he laughed. The crowd in the hall had began to stir, unsettled by the sudden darkness. Just as Jeno was about to flip the switch back on, a familiar hologram appeared in front of him, accompanied by the same robotic voice from the questionnaire.

> #JENO chose OPTION #1: FLIP THE SWITCH NEAR THE ENTRANCE OF THE TOWN HALL.

< Congratulations on completing your first task, J̷̖͛e̶̯͛n̷̹̂ò̶͇! Do you think you made the r̷i̵g̴h̴t̸ ̸c̷h̵o̷i̸c̷e̴? Remember, e̵v̵e̶r̴y̶ action has its c̷͇̓ö̸̦́ṅ̷͓s̷̠̎e̸̯̓q̷͖̔u̸̬̕e̶̦͗n̸͖̈c̸͓̈́ë̷͖́s̶͙̽, no matter how ĭ̴̡̱̀n̷̙̔͑s̴̤̍̄i̸̻͑g̶͕͇̈́ń̶̝i̵̤͛̓f̸̮̹̏i̷̝̎̽c̷̮̀ͅa̵̡̺͂n̸̦̲̽ț̸͉̾̕ it may seem. Keep an eye out for your next task! It’s going to be a tough one. B̶e̴ ̴c̷a̵r̸e̶f̶u̸l̷, or else you may not be able to keep up. W̸͍̙̔͑e̶͍̤͛͝ don’t want that, do we, J̴̨͍̬̫̗́͂̄̊̂͐̀̍̑̅͋ͅẹ̸̢̩͖͙͖͙͙̟̞͇̒̑͌̈́̊̉͝ͅͅǹ̷̨̞̟͉̼͈͓͓͙̮̗̐ọ̸̎? >

As the voice spoke, voicing out the hologram, it almost sounded human. It was only when it glitched, disembodied and grating on Jeno's ears, did he remember it was a mere machine. Jeno felt the urgent tugging on his arm and heard the sound of screams following echoes of shattering glass as the hologram began to fade. “What the fuck is going on?” He gasped, unable to read Jaemin’s facial expression. The hall felt darker than it was previously.

“The chandelier, it’s-“ A crystal flew directly into their way, Jaemin pushing Jeno and himself away just as it shattered on impact to the wall they were standing in front of. “It’s about to fall, we need to get out now.”

A green light suddenly illuminated Jaemin’s face, and he pointed to something just behind Jeno. An exit sign had just lit up. The boys quickly made their way to it, the chaos not far behind them as other players shuffled towards the exit. The town square had darkened. The sun had began to set, tinting the sky purple and orange. Jeno took a deep breath, and the lack of fresh air was almost jarring.

“Do you think everyone’s okay?” Jeno asked after a few minutes of silence, him and Jaemin sat on a bench to recollect their breath as they watched the light slowly fade out of the sky.

“It’s just a game, there isn’t even a health stat or anything as far as I’m aware. It’s not a big deal.” Jaemin said, “But we can feel pain within the game, that alone is scary enough.” Jeno recalled the punch he blew to Jaemin’s shoulder, how he winced. He pinched himself lightly, as if to make sure if he were dreaming, tight enough for it to hurt. And it did. He could feel the pain he inflicted on himself inside the game. He wasn’t sure what to make of it all.

“That’s weird. How does that even work if we aren’t even moving in real life?” Jeno questioned. Jaemin had been interested in game mechanics for years, which was the main reason he wanted to play Unreality. It replicated real life to a point that no one thought would be possible. He was determined to figure out how, solely out of interest. “Like, is it even possible to just generate pain?”

“I guess the headset is in some way connected to some part of our pain receptors, and it sort of- I don’t know, mimics real pain? Like, when we’re hurt in the game, it tricks us into thinking we’re actually in pain. So we feel it.” Jaemin looked uncertain, as if he were forming his thoughts as he spoke, head rested on Jeno’s shoulder as he looked up at the clouds. Just as Jeno was about to respond, they heard a crash resound through the hall. Shattered glass and clanging metal on marble flooring. Jeno winced at the how loud it had been, Jaemin chuckled once he saw his reaction but decided against teasing him about it.

“Okay but, like.. what’s the point?” Jeno muttered. Jaemin lifted his head up from Jeno’s shoulder before facing him again. He opened his mouth to speak before shutting it again, his head back into his seemingly never-ending thoughts about game mechanics. “I just don’t get why thats necessary, y’know? What if someone, like, stabbed their friend just because they didn’t know it would actually hurt? What would happen then?”

“I doubt a game could mimic the pain of a stab wound that well, and I also doubt anyone would do that.” Jaemin responded, “What, were you planning to stab me?” He said, nudging Jeno’s shoulder as he insisted he would never do such a thing. Just as they decided to get up and explore the rest of the town, their names were called from behind them.

Renjun’s arms were slung around Donghyuck and Mark’s shoulders as they dragged him out of the town hall. Donghyuck’s rapid breaths were audible even from a distance, he gently pushed Renjun’s hair out of his face as he set him down on the bench. The color was almost completely drained from Renjun’s face, he was shaking lightly as perspiration dripped down his neck. Donghyuck pressed his fingers to Renjun’s wrist, checking for his pulse, mumbling something about how it was too low for it to be safe. He covered his face with his hands and turned away, shoulders heaving. Jeno and Jaemin rushed to the bench, waiting for Mark to explain what had happened.

“The chandelier fell on him, he’s… not in good shape.” Said Mark, glancing at Donghyuck uneasily before turning to Jeno and Jaemin, who were now stood frozen at Renjun’s side. He was completely unconscious, eyes shut tight as if he were faced with monsters he’d rather remain blinded to. He was almost unrecognizable. “His ankle is seriously injured, he fainted right when it fell on him, too. I tried covering the wound as best as I could, but.. I didn’t do a great job.” Mark elaborated, taking off his smudged glasses and wiping them clean with his shirt. His hands were jittery, he eyes darted everywhere but down at his best friend’s unconscious body.

Jeno dropped to the floor near Renjun’s left ankle, it was roughly bandaged with what seemed to be fabric ripped off from a shirt. Blood was seeping through the material. He began to undo the knot tied around the wound, looking up at the pair who brought Renjun in to check for their reactions beforehand. Mark nodded, Jeno had just noticed that one of his sleeves was ripped off. Donghyuck remained turned away from his injured friend, his shoulders shook violently as Jaemin gently rubbed his arm to calm him down, assuring him Renjun would be okay. Jaemin’s eyes were watery as he looked back at Renjun’s limp body. The cloth was now left on the ground, Renjun’s bloody ankle in full view. Raw, vermilion flesh split open, littered with shards of glass. Bruising was forming on his pink, agitated skin. Jeno couldn’t tell how deep the wound was. Only that it was bad. Really, really bad. His head began to spin, unable to recognize wether the glitches that began forming on the wound were reality or his own imagination. It was as if the game was truly mocking him this time, saying ’What? So upset over a game?’ in the form of distortion. He closed his eyes, taking a few deep breaths in attempt to force down the bile surfacing in his throat.

“Listen,” Began Mark, leaning down beside Jeno, hesitantly placing a warm hand on his shoulder, “he’ll be okay. It’s a pretty heavy injury and it must’ve, I don’t know, emptied his health or energy bar or something. It’s just a game, remember? There’s even a hospital just around the corner for incidents just like this, we could-”

“This.. this is my fault.” Interrupted Jeno, shaking his head as he picked up the discarded bloody cloth. He studied it as if it could tell him otherwise, as if it wasn’t a confirmation that it was, in fact, his fault. A confirmation stained in his best friend’s blood. He couldn’t bring himself to look at Renjun’s face as he gently wrapped the bandage back around his ankle, unable to do any more to help him. Donghyuck’s shadow loomed over him as he did so, contemplating Jeno’s every move.

“What do you mean it’s your fault?” Insisted Donghyuck, closing in on Jeno with trembling lips and tear stained cheeks. He was shaking, his hands trembling at his sides. Donghyuck clenched his fists, now directly in front of Jeno’s crouched frame. Jeno remained still, completely unmoving. He looked smaller than he really was with his head dipped downwards and eyes so distant. “Answer me, Jeno. What do you mean it’s your fault? What did you do to him?” Donghyuck was fuming, breathing uneven and heavy. Jaemin held his arm, quietly telling him to calm down, to breathe, yet his attempts proved futile. Donghyuck ripped his arm out of Jaemin’s grasp, eyes trained heavily on Jeno. He repeated his question. Jeno stood up, turning towards Donghyuck. Mark inched closer to him, alarmed by the state they were both in.

When Jeno spoke, he could barely process the words that left his lips as his own. He sounded almost robotic as he recalled his task, recalled the choice he made. The wrong choice. “I- it’s my fault. I flipped the switch, the chandelier, it fell- the switch made it break and fall and.. it was because of me. He’s hurt because of me.” He choked, whatever dam that held back his guilt ridden tears had broken, his last words a mere whisper. Sobs overtook his body until his knees could barely support his weight, so choked up he was unable to breathe. His vision was blurred, all water and pixels, blinding red pixels. He could hear Donghyuck’s enraged voice and Mark’s futile attempts at calming him down. Jaemin was now at Jeno’s side, holding him tight, assuring him it wasn’t his fault, assuring him that they could fix this, assuring him that he would be okay, drowning out the chaos around him. He let Jaemin’s words soothe him.

When Jeno’s eyes fluttered open, he found himself back on the floor, cradled in his best friend’s arms. His head was pounding, he could feel his tears drying on his cheeks. Donghyuck sat closed eyed on the bench next to Renjun’s unconscious form, Mark standing nearby fiddling with his game settings that were generated in a hologram in front of him. Jaemin turned to Jeno, who clumsily shuffled away from him, trying regain his composure. The crimson pixels were gone.

“Feeling better?” Jaemin asked with a warm smile. Jeno nodded, patting his friend’s thigh lightly before standing up. Jaemin got up soon after him. The town square was empty except for the five of them. The sun had set completely, the moon barely visible behind the grey clouds crowding around it. A few vintage street lights lit up the area, casting a sickening amber glow over the large square, almost warping the boys’ features. Donghyuck opened his eyes in response to the sudden movement, glancing at Jeno before lowering his gaze to his feet. He fiddled with his fingers before standing up, taking small steps towards Jeno, who stood staring at the lion fountain situated in the middle of the hall. Jaemin sat in Donghyuck’s spot. He placed Renjun’s head in his lap, lightly combing his hand through his messy hair, his expression unreadable.

“I’m sorry,” said Donghyuck, almost under his breath as he stood beside Jeno. “I shouldn’t have.. went off on you like that.” Jeno remained motionless, and Donghyuck didn’t know how to lighten the situation for once. So he continued. “I just- seeing him like that, I couldn’t help but think of..” He trailed off, his breath catching in his throat. He saw all black suits and burial grounds, the vivid feeling of wanting to pry the ache out of his body.

“Jisung.” Jeno finished, turning to look at Donghyuck. “I know. Me too. I think all of us did.” He put his arm around Donghyuck, who wiped away a stray tear that had trailed down his cheek.

“It’s hard, so hard without him, Jeno.” Said Donghyuck, now eye to eye with Jeno. “I can’t lose anyone else. I won’t.” His gaze was almost wild, eyes burning with desperation that Jeno couldn’t bear the burden of.

“We won’t, Hyuck. We’ll be okay.” He responded. It was like tying a shiny decorative ribbon around a present to your future self, ignoring the fact that the contents inside were rotting by the second and would be nothing but filth when unwrapped.

A hazy groan followed by a series of curses broke the silence that befell the group. “Guys, get over here.” Called out Jaemin, bringing everyone’s attention to Renjun writhing in pain in between his arms.

Renjun was now conscious, hands gripping his left calf as he looked down at the blood stained cloth wrapped around his ankle. The shock of the fall and his unconsciousness shielded him from processing the pain for a while, but it didn’t hold back the violent waves of pain that befell him once he’d awoken.“It hurts so much,” Renjun inhaled sharply, rocking slightly as he spoke as if to comfort himself, “if it’s just a game, why in the hell does it hurt so much?” His face twisted in raw pain that no game could simply generate.

“We’ll get you to the hospital, they can revive your health stats and you’ll be as good as new.” Said Jaemin, standing up and gesturing for Jeno to help him lift Renjun up. Jeno didn’t move, looking to Renjun for permission beforehand. He tended to tense up under pressure, unable to make up his mind on what to do as every possible bad ending played in his head. He couldn’t see a good one coming out of this situation. Jaemin, on the other hand, seemed to have everything figured out. A step ahead of everyone else. Donghyuck was completely silent, lost in his thoughts and suddenly speechless as Mark stood next to him checking the game’s map for the location of the hospital.

“No, guys,” disagreed Renjun, jerking his arms away from Jaemin. His hands tightly grasped onto the bench beneath him. He looked up at his friends, never looking as helpless as he did at that moment. With his eyes wide and pleading, he said “I don’t wanna play anymore- I’m scared, I don’t know what’s happening to me, okay? I just.. I just want to go home.”

H̷̻́͋̚e̷͖͔͊̽̕̚͘͝ stood idly, watching them contemplate their next decision. H̷̻́͋̚e̷͖͔͊̽̕̚͘͝ thought of all that was left unburied, or rather, that they hadn’t buried properly. The unburied refused oblivion, h̵͚̣̕ḙ̸̛̐̓͋͗ was aware of that, the absence it left behind refused to be forgotten.

What should Mark, Renjun, Jeno, Donghyuck and Jaemin do?

> GO TO THE HOSPITAL

> QUIT UNREALITY

[NOTIFICATION] New Feature! Would you like to view player stats?

> YES

> NO

[NOTIFICATION] You have unlocked [2] secrets!

> SECRET 1

> SECRET 2

-  woah okay! I cannot explain how sorry I am for how late I’m uploading this.. this chapter was extremely difficult to write not only because its sort of a turning point in the story but also because I was traveling when I started it and I had to work on it while settling back home and also preparing for school. I think updates wont really speed up, mainly because school started literally today for me so it’s my main focus rn. I will be uploading other stuff though, I think? No promises hdbjnxjxks anyway I hope this was worth the wait!!

- I decided to make secrets viewable even though they weren’t originally! They should help you guys make better choices from now on, because if i’m being honest, the past choices haven’t been good ones. Good luck, though!

- Player stats are now a thing! Your choices affect the players’ health (any injuries they sustain will lower their health), nerve (Basically mental health. Their ability to survive when in dangerous or stressful situations will mainly be based on their nerve) and relationships (they need to maintain strong bonds to be able to go through the game together. The more split up they are and the less trust they have in each other, the more likely things are to go wrong) They will be updated each chapter. 

- I know some parts of this chapter are vague and maybe confusing, but if you have any questions then don’t be afraid to ask! Be it about the boys, the game, the story itself or.. Anything, really! omg theories would be cool too!

- Sorry I talk so much but thank you so much for supporting this story. I’m really passionate about it and it means so much to me that people are actually invested in it. Thank you for taking the time to read it!