The oppressive silence in the divided room was broken only by the faint hum of the hidden surveillance cameras. Vayunesh sat still, his eyes slowly drifting to the deck of cards on the desk in front of him. Without a word, he slid one out and held it between his index and middle fingers, studying the information etched on its surface.
Subject: Jaya Widagdo – Age: 21Event Record #032: Involvement in retaliatory homicide.Court Judgment: Sealed.Public Perception: Mixed.
A soft smirk tugged at the corner of Vayunesh's lips. "So… this is how it begins," he whispered, almost amused. "Only one of us walks out alive—or neither of us does."
From the other side of the wall, Jaya's voice trembled. "Bu-but… I'm not ready for this. I never signed up for something like this."
Vayunesh leaned back, his voice eerily calm. "I have no problem dying together, honestly. I meant what I said earlier—I considered you a friend. So, we can die together too. I don't mind."
"ARE YOU INSANE?" Jaya shouted, the panic in his voice rising. "Why are you being so calm? Don't you value your life?!"
"It's simple logic," Vayunesh replied coldly. "Neither of us will want to surrender. And if we don't… we both get eliminated. That's how this game is designed."
Jaya's voice cracked. "Please, PLEASE… I want to live. I can't die this soon. Please, try to understand—I didn't come here to kill or be killed. I just wanted a second chance at life…"
Vayunesh's voice deepened, carrying a weight of detached observation. "You know… humans are born with one shared instinct. Survival. No matter what kind of person you are, that primal urge is embedded in you. You will claw, lie, beg, betray—do anything to keep breathing. Life… is a beautiful lie everyone wants to keep telling themselves. And what makes it bearable is the 'fun'—the temporary pleasures it offers between the suffering."
He began picking up another card, casually flipping through details that revealed more about Jaya's past, his personality traits, past traumas, psychological assessments.
Jaya was silent for a moment, then his voice broke through again—fragile and cracked. "I… really didn't think you were such a psychopath…"
Vayunesh chuckled faintly, shaking his head. "I'm not. But if you live long enough in this kind of world, where people wear masks and survival is currency, you start understanding the game. I just refuse to pretend it's anything else."
A long pause followed. Then, Jaya muttered, "You speak like you've seen too much."
Vayunesh didn't answer. He simply looked at the card again, his expression unreadable.
"I don't know if I'm in hell or just a nightmare I can't wake up from," Jaya murmured. "And you're not making it easier, Vayunesh."
"That's the thing," Vayunesh finally said, leaning closer to the square hole, his voice soft. "You'll understand me. Maybe in heaven. Maybe in hell. Or maybe when it's already too late."
The room fell silent again, heavy with tension, fear, and the weight of an invisible countdown ticking away.