The sun peeked over the mountains, casting a warm, deceptive orange hue across Madini Village.
The morning after their unsettling arrival, Matilda, Ruby, and Lily sat in the cafeteria, staring down at the breakfast served before them. It was a perfectly plated full English breakfast—eggs, bacon, toast, and juice—sitting untouched, steam rising into the cold air.
"Is it safe to eat?" Lily asked, her eyes darting nervously between the food and the door.
"Let's just eat. It's not like we'll get food anywhere else," Matilda replied, trying to sound more confident than she felt. Reluctantly, they dug in. Their stomachs growled in gratitude, but the unease lingered. They needed energy for whatever came next.
Ruby set her fork down and wiped her mouth.
"Okay... so what now? Do we just walk out of here like it's nothing?" Lily glanced at the door.
"Do you think Luna will let us leave if she catches us?"
Matilda folded her arms. "She said we can do whatever we want. She never explicitly said we can't try to leave."
Ruby raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, but she also didn't say we could. What if she's watching us?"
Matilda hesitated, then shrugged. "We'll just act like we're exploring."
Lily lowered her voice to a whisper. "And what about the zombies? We don't really know if they only come out after 8 p.m. What if we meet them in the woods? I'm so scared."
Ruby stood up and stretched, her face hardening. "Alright then. Let's go. But if I hear groaning or see Luna watching from a tree like some creep, we run back." They all agreed.
Once they'd finished, the three of them set out. They followed a narrow path leading away from the village, hoping it might take them to the outside world. The scenery slowly changed as they walked—shrubs turned into tall pine trees, the path turned rocky, and the village faded into the misty distance behind them.
After what felt like hours, they reached a large boulder marked with a jagged red X. They passed it and kept walking, fueled by the hope of escape. Ten minutes later, Matilda suddenly stopped.
She stared at a familiar shape ahead of them.
"Guys," she said, pointing. "Didn't we pass that rock already?"
Ruby and Lily looked ahead. "I didn't notice it," Ruby said with a shrug. "Maybe it's just similar," Lily added. Matilda squinted at the mark. It's the same one. It has to be. But she let it go. "Must've seen it wrong."
They walked again. Ten more minutes. Then Lily stopped, grabbing Matilda's arm. "Wait a second. Guys... look! It's that rock again!"
Ruby frowned. "No way. That's the same X. We've been walking straight. How are we here again?" "This is getting weird," Matilda said. "Let's try one more time. Faster."
They pushed forward with determination, their pace increasing, the silence of the woods growing thick and oppressive. And then... the same rock. But this time, they weren't alone.
Sandro sat on the boulder, arms crossed, staring into space. Beside him, his roommate, a boy named Nico, was hunched over, gasping for breath. "It's no use," Sandro said as soon as he saw Matilda. "You'll just end up back here." "We've been trying for hours," Nico added, wiping sweat from his forehead. "Always the same spot. Over and over."
Matilda stepped forward. "Did you mark this rock?" Sandro nodded grimly. "We have passed this rock three times now. The mark reappears each time. The path loops."
They all stood in silence, the strange realization hanging over them like fog. Nico finally broke the silence.
"What on earth is happening? It's like we're stuck in a loop." "A loop?" Lily echoed. "Like in the movies?"
Matilda turned and looked behind them. From this vantage point, the village was visible down in the valley. It looked beautiful, but wrong. Too symmetrical. Too pristine.
"You notice it too," Sandro said softly.
"Notice what?" she asked.
Sandro gestured toward the village.
"It doesn't feel real. It's like... a movie set. Or a video game map."
Nico blinked. "You think we're in some kind of simulation?"
"It doesn't feel like human trafficking or kidnapping," Sandro continued, his voice analytical. "It feels... arranged."
"Arranged?" Ruby repeated, skeptical.
Matilda nodded slowly. "Every time we ask Luna how to leave or where we came from, she dodges the question. But she doesn't seem like she's lying. It's like she really doesn't know."
"She's like an NPC," Sandro added.
Everyone stared. "NPC?" Ruby asked, clearly confused.
"Non-Playable Character," Sandro explained. "It's a character in a video game that doesn't have free will. They just do what they're programmed to do. They can't answer questions outside their script."
Lily looked terrified. "So... you think we're stuck in a game?"
Matilda paused, a thought clicking into place. She turned to the group.
"Wait. Did anything strange happen before you woke up here in this village?"
"I found a blank book in my room," Nico said, looking puzzled. "It had something written on the cover."
"Was it 15 Chapters?" Matilda asked, her voice steady despite the tension.
"Yes, that's it," Nico said, surprised. "How did you know?"
"I got the same one," Lily whispered.
"Me too," Ruby added.
Matilda glanced at Sandro, and they exchanged a knowing look. "We all received it," Matilda said, the weight of the realization settling in.
Frustrated, she grabbed a nearby heavy stick and began hitting the rock.
"Whichever jerk sent this book—" WHACK "—I will kill you!" WHACK "Pray that I don't find you!" WHACK "Now I'm stuck in this stupid world!" The others just watched her in stunned silence. "...What is she doing?" Nico whispered. Everyone shrugged. Sandro sighed, brushing off his pants. "Alright, let's head back. It's almost evening—we don't want to be outside past 8 p.m."
Lily and Ruby gently pulled Matilda away from the abused rock. She was still fuming, muttering curses under her breath. The group slowly turned around, their footsteps heavy as they walked back toward the village.
The five of them walked together. Along the way, Nico broke the silence.
"We never introduced ourselves properly. I'm Nico, and this is my roommate Sandro."
Lily smiled weakly. "I'm Lily. And these are my roommates—Ruby and Matilda."
Lily turned to Matilda. "By the way, Matilda, I didn't know you had it in you. You always seem so calm, but wow, you're explosive when you're mad."
Matilda crossed her arms. "I'm explosive, alright," she huffed. "My nickname back home is 'Angry Child.' My mother says when I was born, I didn't cry—I was frowning. Then the floods came, houses were destroyed, and lightning nearly struck the nurses tending to me." The group stared at her.
Ruby blinked. "Wait. What?"
Matilda shrugged. "True story. Apparently, I caused a natural disaster just by being born." The others chuckled nervously, but Matilda raised a finger.
"Do not laugh. It doesn't matter if I'm angry or not, chaos follows me."
Sandro raised an eyebrow. "No wonder the principal at Evermore is terrified of you."
"Him? Don't mention it. He always assumes the worst of me. I've been in and out of his office more than I've been in class."
She paused, turning to him. "Wait. You go to Evermore College too?"
Sandro nodded. "I'm a transfer student." "Ahh, no wonder you looked familiar," Matilda said, squinting at him. It's the guy who saw me getting yelled at by the principal, she thought, grimacing. She muttered under her breath, "Great. Even a transfer student knows me. I'm really good at attracting attention."
They reached the courtyard.
"Alright," Nico said, "we're back. Let's head to our rooms." Everyone waved goodnight and went their separate ways. Just as they closed their door, a bell echoed through the village: Ding. "The 8th hour has come. Please remain indoors."
Lily sank onto the bed. "We have 13 days left, right? What do you think will happen after that?" Ruby leaned against the window, staring into the deepening gloom. "In games, there's always a time limit. If you don't finish, you lose." "You mean... we might die here?" Lily whispered. "We wasted a day," Ruby said quietly. "Tomorrow, let's search the village proper. There must be a clue."
As the undead began to crawl out from the shadows, Matilda peeked through a crack in the window shutters. Her eyes locked on a figure standing near the village square. It was a zombie. But not just any zombie. It stood taller than the rest, its skin a dark, bruised purple. And on its decaying head sat a tarnished, golden crown.
Matilda's heart skipped a beat. A zombie... king? She backed away from the window, her mind racing.
Do we have to kill it? Is that how we win the game?