Tension in the house slowly dropped. What was once a battlefield now sat in silence.
Shards of broken glass still scattered across the residence, the front door left unfixed. Inside, the fighters had finally settled.
Lora wasn't among them—she was upstairs, taking a shower. Drops of water echoed faintly through the house, the sound strangely soothing after the chaos.
They sat scattered across the room, their attention fixed on Emily, waiting for her to speak.
"We were five before," Emily began, her voice trembling. She looked down nervously, tears starting to form in her eyes.
"What were their names?" Alexander inquired, leaning forward.
"Elen and Victoria," she answered.
"After we came here from the first game, we were broken… afraid. We felt so powerless. Victoria suggested we join the Commander. She believed under him, we might survive a little bit longer." Her sad tone did not waver.
"Charlotte tried to convince them that we could survive together, but it was of no use. They had already made up their minds," Emily continued.
"They?"
"Yes. They. Elen knew of the plan all along. So, when we went to the park, that was were it happened,they joined him, leaving just us three."
"Why did you attack us, when clearly you needed allies?" Jamie interjected.
"At first we didn't. When we saw you in the hall, we actually thought of you as potential allies."
" Why did you change your mind then?"
"The system told us you had a golden point."
"When?" Jamie asked quickly.
"Outside the hall, after we finished the first game."
"Our chances of survival were higher if we got the points." She added.
"But that doesn't justify trying to kill us!" Alexander cut in, his tone sharp, clearly unwilling to let them be forgiven so easily.
"The whole point of telling you all this is for you to know that we're sorry," Charlotte added softly. A faint white glow shimmered across the bandages wrapped around her body.
"We shouldn't have let this place strip away everything left human in us," she continued, voice shaking.
Alexander and Jamie stayed silent. Only the deep rhythm of their breaths could be heard, blending with the sound of water running upstairs.
"You said they would make good allies," Bray reminded, his tone persuasive.
"You changed sides quick. If I recall, you were the one who hated coming here in the first place," Alexander shot back.
"I know I was. But after I saw the way she held that portrait, I knew something wasn't right," Bray finished, firm in his conviction.
"Let's give them a chance," Jamie added, locking eyes with the angry Alexander.
His words pierced Alexander's resistance like a nail through wood.
"If they betray us again, it'll be on your head," Alexander warned coldly.
So they agreed. The broken shields forged an alliance with the girls. It was a bumpy road, but for the moment, they had reached the destination they needed.
"So… what are your special skills?" Charlotte inquired as she carefully stood, wincing slightly to avoid cutting into her wound.
"Bray, tell them yours," Alexander said, still not fully trusting the girls.
The two boys exchanged a glance, frustration flickering, but they knew this wasn't the time to quarrel.
"Elastic Potential," Bray finally answered.
"Any side effects?" Charlotte asked as she opened the fridge in the dining room.
"It has a cooldown period of ten minutes. And it can't be used if my mana is too low," Bray explained.
"Just like a video game," she remarked lightly, taking a drink of orange juice.
"What about you, Jamie?" she asked, skipping Alexander, knowing he would never answer.
Jamie was about to reply, but Alexander cut him off sharply.
"You'll know the rest when you prove useful."
Charlotte didn't argue. She simply nodded, understanding that trust couldn't be given freely here.
The silence deepened when the sound of the shower stopped. Jamie's eyes widened with sudden fear—the quiet could only mean one thing. Lora had finished bathing.
"Guys… we gotta go," he said hastily, dreading the awkward encounter that was about to unfold.
"You can't," Alexander said firmly.
"If we're going to work together, you need to fix the weirdness between you two," he added.
"Let's just leave them alone," Bray chimed in mockingly, his usual quirky tone returning. But despite the sarcasm, he had a point.
"Good idea," Emily agreed.
One by one, they slipped out of the doorless house.
"That's what you get for starting all this," Bray said in a mocking, vengeful tone as he followed the others out.
Jamie was left alone in the sitting room.
Alarming silence followed. His stomach twisted with nerves. He wasn't good with women, not since his girlfriend. Now, standing in this situation, the awkwardness doubled, making his heart pound like a drum.
"Uhm, guys… are you still there?" Lora's voice called out, surprised by the unnatural quiet.
Jamie tried to answer, but his tongue failed him. Words caught in his throat, stammering uselessly. What could he even say? That the others left to give them space? Not a chance. So the silence dragged on.
"Guys?" Her voice grew closer, coming from the stairs. She was investigating. Jamie needed to say something—anything—to delay the confrontation. He mustered his courage, words forming in his mouth, when he froze at the sight before him.
It was Lora.
She looked normal again, fresh from the shower. She wore a white towel, her damp hair clinging around her face, highlighting its natural beauty. The light from the bulb reflected against her features, and Jamie's heart skipped a beat.
She froze too, blushing, her heartbeat quickening as she saw him.
"Ahm… where are the others?" she asked, forcing the words out to break the silence.
"They… went out. To give us some room," Jamie stammered, his hands shaking.
"Okay."
"Yeah. So… about earlier, we're cool, right?" he asked nervously.
"Yes," she replied softly.
"Okay." He nodded awkwardly. "So, I'll be on my way now."
She smiled faintly. They exchanged a small wave as he stepped outside, gasping loudly for air the moment he left the house.
"It's done. Let's go gu—" His words froze when he spotted something ahead.
At a distance inside the fence, the girls and boys had gathered around a man kneeling on the ground, crying.
Jamie rushed toward them.
"Please… let me go!" the man begged, tears streaming down his face.
"Tell us why we should set you free," Charlotte demanded, voice sharp with threat.
"In god's name, please!" he pleaded again.
"Alright, I'll tell you what the commander is planning!"
The group exchanged quick, wary glances.
"Spill it," Bray pressed, leaning close.
"You know he helped a lot of people get blue points?"
"Yeah," they replied cautiously.
"He did it intentionally—to increase his own power!"
"How? Your information isn't helping," Bray snapped.
"He's killing the other participants… to take their points!"
"What?!"
Their voices erupted in unison.
"That's awful," Jamie thought, his chest tightening.
"Should we believe him?" Emily asked, uncertainty in her voice.
"I think we should. He doesn't seem to have a reason to lie," Alexander replied, rubbing his chin.
"You're telling the truth?" Bray pressed, his tone menacing.
"Yes, I swear on my mother!" the man sobbed.
"We've got a big problem on our hands," Charlotte muttered.
"Yeah, we do," Alexander agreed darkly.
Fear tightened in their chests—the realization sinking in that he may already have more than double their stats.
"Uh… can I go now?" the spy interrupted weakly.
"Shut up!" Bray barked.
"Please, have mercy! I'm just a journalist!"
"I said, Shut up!" Bray snapped again.
[ATTENTION PLAYERS]
The mechanical voice rang out, cutting through the interrogation. Everyone's heart sank.
For a fleeting second, they had forgotten they were trapped in this cursed place.
[The second game will begin in two hours.]
A thin thread of relief swept through them—relief that quickly vanished.
[All teams are advised to be in their respective residences after that time elapses.]
The boys looked at each other, tension rising once more. Heartbeats quickened, readying themselves for the horror to return.
[Thank you for listening.]