[THIRD ROUND: FRANCE.]
[LET THE NEXT ROUND BEGIN]
The circle vibrated once more. My fingers felt numb, as if the die had stuck its weight in my palm. All eyes were already turning towards the French team.
Viper, angry, had regained his carnivorous grin.
The French woman, on the other hand, seemed ready to collapse, her breath caught every time the word "France" was mentioned. George, his hands trembling, fiddled with his watch. As for F-02... he kept that icy facade, but his eyes betrayed him: he was nothing more than a tightrope walker above the void.
While F-05, stand still and observe them
[CHOOSE YOUR NUMBERS. AND THE BET.]
Viper spoke first, his voice hissing:
- Number 3… five million.
A clap of thunder. The French woman almost choked.
-WAIT, I'LL NEED A MINUTE, interrupted F-05
"But you… you're sick! You had to do so much," the woman whispered, one hand on her chest.
[WHY ARE YOU ASKING FOR A BREAK?]
Viper sneered, his hand clenching around his watch.
- EXACTLY, why are you asking for a break, I don't have time to waste
F-05 shook his head.
-…HE MANIPULATES US
[..... . ]
The woman, trembling, whispered:
- what is this madness again...
A heavy silence. His voice echoed.
Everyone then turned to F-05.
His eyes fixed on Viper, then on me. Long silence. Finally, he said:
-If we continue to play like this we will lose everything, we are a team we don't need to tear each other apart. All we have to do is win
[YOUR MINUTE JUST ENDED]
[SELECT NUMBERS AND BETS]
A shudder ran through the circle.
Viper opened his eyes wide.
- Where did you get all this from? It's all nonsense. You've finished your little hero speech, but where is the fucking solution?
F-05 didn't answer. He stared at the die in my hand, as if trying to read his destiny.
[ CHOOSE . ]
-number 2 for 10000, breathed viper, eyeing F-05
-number 1 in 10,000, the woman whispered
-number 4 for 10000 too, followed by George
-number... 3 out of 10,000, F-02 said
The circle fell silent.
only F-05 had said nothing
I raised the die.
*[Ki-Moon, look at them. Each one is ready to sell his soul. But I think he's seen through you... hehehehehe]
I threw it.
CLANG.
Metallic rolling. Each bounce sounded like a heartbeat.
Rolled
Roll
Roll
[..... 2. ]
Silence
[LET THE WINNERS CHOOSE THE LOSER OF LOSERS]
I slowly turned my head until I looked at him with my eyes wide open. I saw only him with narrowed eyes and a smirk. F-05, F-05, F-05
[PICK THE LOSER OF THE LOSERS]
Silence
-I….. II chose...F-0...F-02…, Viper finally breathed
The compartment opened immediately, revealing the 9 revolvers standing upright.
F-02 bit his lip, took a deep breath, and mindlessly grabbed a weapon.
[ADDED A BULLET]
F-02 placed the barrel against his temple. His lips were still moving, silently praying.
1
2
4
5
CLICK.
A sigh of relief escaped him.
[ SURVIVOR. ]
His gaze was new. He was no longer angry and seemed freed from a weight.
That was not my goal
[WINNINGS ARE TRANSFERRED TO THE WINNER.]
The viper watch lit up. Just 40,000, but it was worth it.
Smiling Viper.
The woman was trembling.
George was nothing more than a breathing corpse, staring at his watch in terror.
And I... I felt things slipping out of my hand.
[FOURTH ROUND: AMERICA.]
The spiral continued.
The circle was closing in.
And in the shadows, the buyers were still laughing.
I no longer had that sense of control
*are we suspected?
*[us?, I would say rather that they suspect you, but even if that was not the case, you make them lose a lot of money, what are you going to do, hehe]