"Ah! How wonderful, I cannot wait! Now run along and play your little games, I don't mind watching you two work yourselves up for a while longer." Marilyn called out with a teasing tone. In the meantime, I'll make sure that everything is perfect for your arrival." It was then that a loud clanking sound could be heard coming from the rooms ahead of them. With no other pathways available, Luke and Ella thrust themselves into the only doorway that was available to them. Preparing themselves for the worst, They remained vigilant as the door predictably shut behind them. The room wasn't too far in length but it was quite large in width. There was nothing except for empty space all around them with a single panel in the center. It looked like it had been designed as a large warehouse, which was evident due to its large steel walls and high ceiling that could reach up to ten feet in height. It was lit up by bright white fluorescent light bulbs hanging from above that provided adequate illu
Looking at his current hand, Luke couldn't help but feel a deep aggravation as his hand had decreased in value by half. There was no way he would be able to win this round with a hand like this, but things weren't all bad. He still had at least two turns to increase his chances before everyone's hands were revealed. Using this turn, Luke hit once more netting him an additional 5, increasing his hand to 15. Heading into the final turns, Luke was beginning to get worried. His current position was far from comfortable. In order to secure a clean win, he would no doubt be forced to hit one last time. But with a max of 6, hit chances were going to be slim. Not only that, but Luke had once again witnessed the other players removing their cards when two messages appeared on his screen in succession. "Player 2 has activated True Sight" "Player 3 had activated Donation" Luke wasn't sure what True sight meant as nothing seemed to have happened but he immediately felt the weight behind the s
Luke starts the second round with a hand valued at 21. With both an ace and a jack in his possession, Luke was set to take control of the next round and hopefully secure himself a clean victory. But knowing how this game was played, Luke knew that just having the perfect hand wouldn't secure his victory. A hand as rare as this was nothing in the face of this game's many rules. "watching as everyone takes their first turn peacefully, Luke decides to play things a bit riskier. Rather than waiting on his perfect hand. he decided to enter into the shop and immediately sell his ace, netting him an additional 11 chips putting him at a solid 13. After selling his ace, Luke finishes his turn by hitting, raising his card value to 19. With this, the first set is finished as everyone moves into the second set of the round. Luke watches as player 1 removes one of their cards and then activates an item that he had yet to see in action. Activating the 'Thief' item, Player one steals one of playe
With his first point and round 2 ended, Luke prepared himself for the upcoming battle. He had used all of his chips which left him with only 10 after splitting his winnings with player 2. And if that wasn't bad enough, the water filling the room was now resting at his waist. Knowing that the water would soon reach above his head, Luke needed to make sure to end this quick fast. He just needed to watch out for player 2. If he gained one more win, it would be all over, and with an item like Cover to block himself from being targeted, Luke needed to hit him hard and fast before he had a chance to lock himself down. Starting off the next round, player 1 sells one of his cards and then simply ends his turn with a hit. Player 2 does the same. Almost like they are both playing the round safely. Unfortunately, player 3 didn't quite get this memo, as he sold his card and without a thought, used Trade-Off on player 1. Despite having no information to go on and it only being the first set. I
Pushing to finish this game in the next round, Luke raises his head and takes a deep breath, as the water was now high enough to cover his face. Turning to his side to check on Ella, Luke could see her floating away on her back while giving him a thumbs up. He could tell that she was having fun despite the obvious danger approaching. But at least this meant that she trusted him to pull through. Finishing his breath, Luke dives under to see what was happening on his screen. His starting hand turned out to be a 15 made up of a 7 and an 8. Unfortunately, though. It seemed as though player 1's turn was taking much longer than usual. The same thing happened last round, so it wasn't unusual. Luke was just in a bit of a hurry considering his circumstances. Finally taking his turn, Player 1 instantly used the cover option and ended his turn with a Hit. Putting his cards count at three and locking down anyone's ability to manipulate his cards was most likely the best alternative. With playe
As the screen fades to black, Luke can hear the sound of heavy machinery above him. Swimming up with his key in hand, Luke pops his head out of the water to find a thin catwalk extending from the wall opposite of the door. It continues to extend until it reaches the door, creating a path for him and Ella to stand on. Although out of reach currently, The water continued to rise which would soon allow them to reach the door if they wanted to escape. With a glance at Ella, Luke can only shake his head as he watches her playing in the water like a child. She's definitely enjoying herself way more than she should have been. Watching Luke play must have truly bored her. Once the water level was high enough, Luke grabbed hold of the catwalk's railing and pulled himself up. After taking a quick look back towards the water, Luke reached his hand out to pull Ella up from below. "Why, thank you kind sir." Ella replied sarcastically as she placed her hand in Luke's grip. The two were now sta
"Is this what you call fun!" Ella said through gritted teeth as she glared at Marilyn. "Is this truly just one big game to you!" Ella shouted with rage. "You're just picking and choosing who lives and dies because you think you can! Just like those poor kids!" Ella screamed at the woman before her as she bawled her fists and raised them high. Marilyn let out a small laugh at her statement before turning her gaze down to Ella and giving her a smile that was meant to look kind and welcoming but instead gave the girl chills. "Oh, sweetheart! Don't you know that there are more important things than living or dying. Everyone here is doing their part to ensure a brighter future for everyone. Even you." She said as she stood up from her seat. "But you see, I don't have any plans for you today dear. Your time hasn't come just yet. The only one I need is my dear brother. After all, this was set up just for him." She said as she attempted to walk past Ella. But Ella's anger flared up once ag
Turning his back to his sister's unmoving form, Luke walked over to where Ella stood and wrapped his arms around her. Holding her close to him as he tried desperately to hold on to what little sanity he had left. He had acted confident in the moment, but had yet to fully realize what he had just done. Once again, he had managed to find his way back to the path that his brother had set for him. He was finally beginning to take control of his life and destiny and yet, once again he found himself on the verge of losing it all. "What is wrong with me?" Luke whispers into Ella's ear while tightening their embrace. His hands shaking as he attempted to calm himself down, but the thought of what he just did continued to plague his mind and make him panic. "I killed Marilyn. I didn't just kill her, I actually strangled her with these hands. I watched her life leave her body. What the hell have I become?" Luke asks as he tries to calm down and regain his composure. Ella could feel his hands