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Chapter 3 – The Masked Fool
The moment Chester opened his eyes, he was already standing.
The world around him felt like a glitch in reality — a desolate forest of dead trees, stretching in all directions under a bruised-purple sky that bled static and clouds. The wind whispered in forgotten languages. The air smelled like old paper and burnt sugar.
He blinked once. Then twice.
Then he grinned.
"Oh wow," he said aloud, spinning on one foot. "Is this... the afterlife? Because honestly, it's less impressive than I imagined. Where's the harp music?"
Around him, fifteen others stirred slowly. Some gasped. One threw up. No one laughed.
Then came the voice.
> "Welcome, Dreamers. This is the Nightmare — the Trial of Entry."
"You were chosen at 25. Not all are chosen. You will remain here for ten days. Only four may pass through the Gate at the end. The rest will be claimed by the dream."
"Your Pillar abilities are now active at Tier One. Use them. Survive. Trust wisely. Deceive, if needed. This world belongs only to the strong."
"Trust no one in this Nightmare."
The last line echoed like a curse.
Chester clapped slowly. "Oooh, spooky voice! 9.5 out of 10 presentation. Points off for lack of dramatic lighting."
Silence.
Someone stepped away from him.
A boy, tall and scowling, muttered, "That's the guy who picked Chance. Freak."
"Who even picks Chance?" a girl hissed. "It's a joke Pillar. Totally random."
"Maybe he's suicidal."
Chester twirled in place again, arms out. His Mask of Chance shimmered under the flickering sky — white porcelain, no mouth, just a stitched smile and dice symbols embedded near the temples.
"I prefer the word adventurous," Chester said cheerfully. "Besides, you all saw the list! 'Iron, Order, Flame, Veil, Blood, Pain, Destruction…' So serious! I just thought, 'Why not live a little?'"
He stumbled forward dramatically and pointed at a rock. "Name's Chester! If this Nightmare's a game, I call dibs on comic relief!"
No one laughed.
Except for one — a pale girl with eyes like moonlight. Veyna. She didn't smile, but her eyes narrowed in deep calculation.
"He's acting," she murmured. "That's not a fool. That's a mask."
Chester turned to her and gave a finger-gun. "Mask? Check! Acting? Never! I'm genuinely this unhinged, thank you very much."
> Gambler's Glint: Tier One. See betrayal probability for anyone nearby. 1 use remaining. Store or Activate?
He stored it again.
Why bother?
He already saw the betrayal forming — in the hands that twitched near knives, in the backs that leaned subtly toward the strongest, in the eyes that flicked too quickly away.
They underestimated him. That was good.
No... that was perfect.
Suddenly, a distant howl echoed — wet and distorted, like it didn't belong in this world.
The trees shifted. From the shadows emerged a creature — crawling backward on its limbs, a too-wide grin splitting its chest, skin stitched from nightmares.
A scream erupted from someone in the group.
"Form a group!"
"We need weapons!"
"Someone has the Order Pillar! Lead!"
Amid the chaos, Chester pulled out a coin and flicked it lazily into the air.
"Heads I live. Tails I die," he whispered to no one in particular.
It landed on its side.
He cackled.
"This is going to be fun."
And behind the mask, his eyes glowed with terrifying clarity.
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Chapter End.