9:00 PM.
The address led me to a run-down skatepark beneath the bridge by the canal. Fog crept along the pavement. The only light came from a cracked streetlamp flickering like it was about to give up on life.
"Definitely not a trap," I muttered, stepping into the dark.
But someone was already waiting.
Orion.
Leaning against the halfpipe, eyes glowing faintly violet under the hood of their black cloak.
"You came," they said.
"No one ever says that with good vibes."
Orion smiled—barely.
"Come. The others are below."
A hidden staircase behind the broken vending machine led to an underground tunnel system lit with blue glyphs etched into the walls—symbols that hummed with energy.
I followed Orion through the path until we entered an abandoned subway station.
Keon and Vix were already inside, sitting around a projection table glowing with spectral light.
At the center?
A glowing screen titled:
REAPER CLASSIFICATION SYSTEM
Phase 1 Access – Players Only
🧟 THE REAPERSSpiritual entities born from the Void between Life and Death. Once neutral, now corrupted by the Games.
Each Reaper has:
One Core Role
One Death Gift (Power)
One Class Type
📜 REAPER ROLES (Core Function):Hunter: Tracks down active players with the strongest energy. Ruthless and fast.
Warden: Controls territory. Can trap players inside temporary "death zones."
Harvester: Feeds off emotions—especially fear. Grows stronger the longer you run.
Messenger: Doesn't kill—delivers rules, visions, or false hope.
Judge: Rare. Kills with one strike. Only appears near phase transitions.
🧬 REAPER CLASSES (Behavioral Type):Stalkers: Silent and calculated. They enjoy the chase more than the kill.
Berserkers: Raw power. Unpredictable. Brutal.
Illusionists: Masters of manipulation and dreamwalking. They break minds first.
Shifters: Can copy voices, forms, and even emotions.
Spectrals: Can phase through walls and space. Almost impossible to hit.
"And guess what?" Vix said, flipping a dagger in her hand. "The one that killed Jaylen?"
"Berserker," Keon answered. "Class-3. Harvester Role. Doesn't chase. It waits—feeds off panic until you collapse."
"Reapers can't be reasoned with," Orion said. "But they can be outwitted. Sometimes."
I looked at the projection, every piece of information burned into my brain.
"But why are they playing this game?" I asked. "Why us?"
"Because they're bored," Vix muttered. "Because they're hungry."
"No," Orion whispered. "Because they're scared."
That silenced everyone.
Keon folded his arms. "There's another faction. A group of Players who… don't want peace."
Here it comes.
"They call themselves The Watchers."
👁️ THE WATCHERSA rogue faction of Marked Players. They believe the Reaper Games are not a curse—but a gift.
Their leader?
Sable Ryn.
Code name: The Seer of Endings.
"Mark this down," Keon said. "She was the first to be chosen. Before all of us. Maybe even before the Game was public."
"She talks to Reapers," Vix added. "She worships them. Thinks they're gods reborn."
"And worst of all," Orion said, "She's recruiting. Pulling new Players away before they understand the truth."
"They want the world to break," Keon said. "Because they think something better comes after."
Just then—
BANG!
A flash of black energy burst from the entrance tunnel.
We all jumped to our feet.
Footsteps.
Then a voice echoed out.
Smooth. Female. Too calm.
"Talking about me already?"
From the shadows stepped a girl about our age—tall, pale gold skin, white braids glowing faintly, black coat swirling behind her.
Eyes like liquid obsidian. Calm. Cold. Empty.
"Hello, Catalyst," she said to me. "I've waited a long time to meet you."
I didn't move.
"You're… Sable?"
She tilted her head. "Not yet. But close enough."
Behind her, two others appeared—marked Players. Their chests glowing dim under their clothes.
She's already turned others.
"We're not enemies," she said softly. "But you're standing on the wrong side of change."
"No thanks," I said, voice steady.
Her smile didn't change.
"That's fine. You'll choose eventually. One way or another."
She turned to leave, but before she vanished, she said:
"When Phase One ends… two more will fall."
And then—
She disappeared.
We stood in silence.
My chest burned again.
The Mark pulsed.
Time Remaining: 67:44:09
Phase 1: Active