Jeffrey stood up and ran. His gaze remained on the golden apple, so much so that he nearly stumbled. When he got near, he snatched it from the ground, and dared not to linger. Like a vampire that met garlic, he bolted back to their hiding spot in a flash.
His shoulders rose up and down as he gasped for air, but he still shoved the apple into Anderson's arms. The boy blinked and stared at him.
"Eat it," Jeffrey looked into Anderson's dark brown eyes. "We need to run later, probably. You can't be without energ—"
"No," Anderson shook his head, even as his nose twitched and his stomach begged him for a taste. The golden apple had a sweet scent, and one couldn't only imagine how juicy it was.
"You know about the special items, right?" He grabbed the apple and rubbed his fingers through its golden surface. It felt… natural. Like its skin wasn't gold, but real apple skin.
"Y…eah?" Jeffrey nodded. Perhaps it was fatigue, but his mind was all jumbled up.
"I'll be safe, even if I get eliminated. But you aren't," Anderson's grip on the apple tightened. "If you're the Watcher, what then?"
Jeffrey shook his head and turned away from the apple. Truth be told, he too was tempted to take a bite. "I'm not the Watcher."
"How can you be sure?" Anderson poked Jeffrey's cheek. The latter turned, only to feel an apple shoved into his lips.
"Eat it. What if it saves you?"
.
.
.
The labyrinth was confusing. However, there was one thing that all but one of them failed to take notice of. Each wall had a symbol. Or rather, a mark. It could be a letter, a number, a question mark, or even a simple line.
[1:45]
Chills ran down Cel's spine as she pressed her back against the wall. Her vision spun as another set of walls slammed close. The ground trembled beneath her feet.
Her breath caught, and she turned to run.
[1:46]
She turned left.
Then froze.
"How…"
.
.
.
[1:47]
"I feel uneasy here… This place is too open," Jeffrey frowned.
"M-maybe let's go back to the theatre? It's dark there," Anderson shivered.
Jeffrey nodded. "Let's hurry," he ran toward the theatre. The hallway was long, but a sprint took care of the distance.
[1:49]
"Let's hide in two different spots," Jeffrey whispered.
[1:50]
Cel's name was crossed out on the board.
"Ah~" Vincent stretched. "Well, I'm screwed, aren't I?" He snickered, emerging from the labyrinths as he stretched his legs.
He glanced around and broke into a sprint.
[1:51]
"The classrooms are annoying. Each room is small. They won't hide there," he ran past the classrooms.
"The warehouse isn't even worth mentioning. There's no place to hide there," he spared it no glance.
"Unless they have daring guts," he smirked, his voice cracking, "But they're pussies! HAHAHA!"
Before he knew it, the corners of his eyes were wet and red. Veins on his temples bulged.
"THAT LEAVES THE THEATRE!!!"
Adrenaline fueled his blood.
[1:52]
But time had no mercy.
He ran into the hall that led to the theatre, his shoulders heaving up and down. He bolted through the hall, past the posters.
[1:53]
He slammed the doors open.
[1:54]
His eyes practically glowed with blood, and a silhouette failed to escape his sight.
"HAHAHAHA! I FOUND YOU!!!" He dove forward and tackled the person hiding.
[1:55]
Anderson stiffened when the floor swallowed him whole.
Sweat poured down Vincent's face as he gasped for air. Behind him, Jeffrey ran as fast as he could.
But a man can't outrun a monster.
[1:56]
"Hiehiehiehie~" Vincent felt his heart ache and his nose seemed to burn. But if his nose failed him, then he'd pant like a dog!
He shot off the floor and burst through the doors. His eyes honed in on the only person left.
[1:57]
Jeffrey gritted his teeth and forced his legs to run faster. His whole spine trembled each time his feet landed, but he couldn't care less. He can't let Vincent get near. He glanced behind him and raised his hand.
Vincent's eyes widened. A wrench went flying from Jeffrey's hand. He ducked, and tripped to the ground.
"FUCK YOU!!!" Jeffrey growled and ran toward the classrooms, his legs nearly a blur from his rush.
Vincent wasn't too far behind.
[1:58]
[1:59]
"Hehehe," Vincent slammed through the doors of Room C-1. One look, and Jeffrey wasn't there.
Room C-2.
No one.
10 seconds remained.
He took a deep breath.
9.
"Phew~" he licked his lips and placed a hand on the doorknob, gently pushing the door to Room C-3 open. At the back of the room, Jeffrey stood with loose shoulders.
8.
"You know," Vincent couldn't help but laugh.
7.
"I thought you were already eliminated. Was Adrian the protector?"
6.
"Or was it Michelle?"
Jeffrey frowned. "So what?"
5.
"Too bad~" Vincent approached Jeffrey, who didn't budge.
4.
"They've been eliminated~"
3.
Vincent smiled. Three steps away from Jeffrey, he stopped.
2.
He patted Jeffrey's shoulder. "I win."
"Or did you?" Jeffrey smiled, pushing Vincent's hand off of his shoulder.
1.
"Hmm?"
0.
Four tiles on the floor split open. Harpoon guns shot up, and just as quickly, they fired.
"ARGH?!" Vincent stumbled. Two harpoons penetrated his left and right shoulders, while the other two pierced through both of his thighs.
The ceiling directly above him tore open, and large chains fell down. They moved like starved pythons and wrapped around Vincent's limbs to deny him of movement.
"What… how…" The boy gasped as blood rushed out of his throat. Unable to do anything but slump against the chains, he glared at Jeffrey. "How… are—"
A resounding boom echoed in the classroom. Not just him, even Jeffrey stiffened up. But before either of them could move, a giant hammer made of stone slammed through the ceiling and landed on Vincent's body.
Blood splattered as though he was a fat mosquito that'd been squished. The walls were painted crimson, a mixture of blood and organs. Jeffrey, for better or worse, avoided the worst outcome.
Only his uniform was stained with blood, as well as his face.
"I—" He opened his mouth.
The floor beneath him split apart.
The board above the Tree of Eden went into static, replaced by the clown doll.
{GAME OVER~} It raised its head to stare at the screen, its smile glowing brightly in pink. {THE SEEKER LOST!}
Rainbow confetti rained on the garden as trumpets blasted. Drums echoed, and applause followed after.
Nine seconds later, the arena fell silent.
The first round of the Executioner Trials had concluded.