If there wasn’t a sign that they were watching us, the destruction of Miguel’s tablet, our former hope, was it. After the incident, the students dissolved into small groups, talking amongst themselves, and I perceived they were now realising that things wouldn’t be that easy. If not for the riddle, I would have mentioned it, and though I wasn’t happy about Miguel’s tablet because that would have helped if it hadn’t been destroyed, I was glad everyone was beginning to see the gravity of it all. We had been lucky to find the wall and the hidden door, but I didn’t think we would be allowed to see further things. I felt they were only giving us a glimpse of the workings of the building. Now, we have five days more to the next day and one more day to my riddle. If I couldn’t get the answer today, that would be it. I was so desperate that I had even gone to the library, searching through books, hoping to glean something or come across a hint, but my efforts had been futile. Still, that w

There was no sleep for me that night. Not when the other students began working on Everett’s plan, just as it fell off her lips. A sudden wave of excitement and strength moved over them, and I didn’t think they would heed any logical advice. Everett’s group, overseeing everything, began fleshing out the idea, working on the loopholes, and finding solutions. They also grouped the students so that everyone could have a task. The goal was to have the coup that night, which was too fast for me, but I kept my thoughts to myself before I got lynched for having a different thought. Their excitement was contagious, except that I had mixed feelings about it. I had nothing against Everett or her attitude toward always wanting her idea chosen. It was fine as long as it worked in my favor. All I wanted now was to survive. The only issue I had about the whole thing was how rushed it was. It was great they considered the next game, but I wished we had more time. I’ve had experience with things

After the cheers died, the voice continued, "You'll be free to leave, and no one will stop you. Not a guard or a teacher. You can leave them in the room. We'll only attend to them when you're all gone.”Another cheer went up, louder than the first, but I only felt unsettled. I should be happy that we'd be leaving this hellhole, but instead, there was a sense of unease in my gut. This somehow felt too easy.They would leave the door open, and we'd be allowed to leave without an obstacle. Then, what about everything we've passed through? What was the point? What was the end of the other games? Of the balls, walls, and the maze that caused people's deaths? What was the point of making us go through this? Was this it? Could they see us as less important than the guards and teachers? Did it even make sense?"We need to leave now,” a boy shouted, shattering my reverie, "before they change their minds." "And hold on to your weapons too!" a second person said. Everett waved a hand and, in a

In the end, we couldn’t just run. It was as though the whole horde of destitute had been released, and as a result, there were many of them from which we could only escape. We were luckier than the rest behind, who were slow runners and whose screams were louder every passing moment. I didn’t dare look back. The walls were already stained with blood, and there were body parts strewn in different directions. It was a horrific display of gore and violence. There was no stopping us from running. It was either that or we hid, which didn’t work. Somehow, the destitute seemed to sense them, and more screams were heard again. Soon, our number began to lessen, and we all realised that running wouldn’t work anymore. We had to fight. Thankfully, we still had our weapons. Turning back, I noticed the number of needy people hadn’t yet reduced. I quelled the urge to stare at the blood around us and instead focused on the incoming destitute. With all my strength, I thrust the spear forward, th

Two more people joined us to decode the symbols. They were experts like Barry, though they claimed he was much better than them. We didn’t even have a choice because if we wanted to leave, we had to work with what we had. Except that there was a problem. “Two of them are identical,” Barry said, pointing to two specific symbols. Since it was my drawing, I felt I was to blame. “Maybe there was a mistake—” “No,” Barry said. “There has to be a reason for this.” “Maybe for emphasis,” one of the boys who joined us asked. “What is the problem?” Everett asked, walking towards us. Though we were in the class, we had taken a secluded spot where we could work without distractions. But now, we needed other ideas. The boy told her, and soon, the others surrounded us. Some argued that the door might be the key to our escape, and others believed we should avoid it. I sat aside, wondering what to do. Since I already had a hint about the doors, I could tell them, but I didn’t know how to do t