“Ande, where the hell are you going?” Zane was struck with confusion as I made a turn towards the opposite direction and could not hide his concerns. Believe it or not, this was my only option, and I wouldn't let things end this way.“Time's up!” A voice yelled from somewhere amongst the crowd, and I knew I had to get things scurrying if we wanted to get to that exit on time. Tossing between my thoughts, I quickened my feet and headed straight to my left, where I spotted the other students. As I had predicted, the ball seemed to be tailing me, and it did not look like I could shake it off, no matter how many turns I took. This was the only option I had left. I ran like all hell had just broken loose, “Hey!!!” I yelled out loud to get their attention, but they didn't seem to hear me. One quick look behind me, and immediately, I knew I was in for a hot ride. “Hey!!!! Behind you!!!!” I continued to call out all which went to deaf ears. “Have you gone mad?”Upon hearing Zane's voi
As soon as it disappeared, panicked screams erupted from around. Exchanging worried stares with the others, I wondered what was going on. The only idea I had was that the appearance of the dead student on the screen must have reminded the other students that this was a death trap. “Shit,” I mumbled beneath my breath. It wasn’t the first death and wasn’t going to be the last. However, I thought that if we had a plan, we could lessen the number of deaths. It seemed hopeless now. I turned to the others. “Let’s go.” The screams didn’t still stop, making me wonder if I was just wrong and, perhaps there was an annihilation somewhere, which was impossible. The old geezer would rather we fought amongst ourselves, but it didn’t make sense for the former to happen since we still had time left. I needed to stop overthinking. As we turned a corner, three students stood in the middle of the road, having a discussion. Upon hearing our footsteps, they turned with panic-stricken expressions, which
We began running, with Zane and me in the lead while the others were behind. Before us was a right corner, and just as we turned, we saw a horrifying scene. A loud gasp sounded behind me. Perhaps one of the girls. On the ground was a boy whose neck was turned at an abnormal degree as if he had been looking backwards when he fell. Even his legs were broken. It was a sight that almost made me scream, but there was no use to it. “Let’s just go,” Zane called out, and reluctantly, the others began to run. I didn’t turn back; I focused more on the timer on the screen. We had two minutes and thirty seconds remaining. If we got locked in the maze, I wasn’t sure of what could happen next. There’s another fork in front of us, and glancing at Zane, he gestured to the right. Just as we veered in that direction, I heard my name. “Ande!” Turning, I saw Austin running towards us, his face streaked with sweat. Naturally, he didn’t look fit, but I was impressed he already came this far. “Where’s
His eyes narrowed, and I guessed he couldn’t see my features because I wasn’t facing the moonlight. I decided to use that to my advantage. “Where are you going?” “What’s it to you? Are you stalking me?” “It’s late. You shouldn’t be out wandering the hallways.” He crossed his arms. “And what are you doing?” Touche. I quickly thought of something to say. “I wanted to pee.” “I also want to do the same.” “You’re going the wrong way. The restroom is behind us.” At that moment, I suddenly realised I placed my foot into my mouth. The boy’s stance shifted as if weighing a decision, and just as I opened my mouth, he turned around and bolted. “Wait—” My voice caught in my throat as I realised I couldn't shout in the hallway. People could wake up. Quickly, I took off after him, footsteps making sounds against the floor. Despite the boy’s size, he was fast, like a missile. Whenever I thought I’d catch up, the gap will only increase. His running only confirmed my suspicions. Something wa
My suspicions were confirmed as some of my mates rushed to gather around her. “Were you able to do it?” one asked, and she nodded. “The tracker is on the hem of his trousers. He won’t easily notice it.” From what the guys and I gathered, Eliza and some people had teamed up to find a way to find out what the teachers were hiding. They had tried it out on the other teachers, but it was a dead end. It was either the small device had slipped off roughly, or the teachers hadn’t done any suspicious thing or revealed secrets that could help. The only good thing was that none had been noticed yet, so the trials continued. Just like before, the students were excited about the prospect of getting something new, especially since the teacher dealt with weaponry, which was pretty serious. “I’ve got the tracker on sight.” The voice was from Miguel, who had his device in his hands, which he stared into. We all moved as one, though three people went to guard the door in case someone came in. Et
A word I was now used to and didn’t seem like I would avoid. I also thought it was a word that brought isolation, especially in a case I could quickly solve if I told people, but I had been threatened with being punished if I broke the deal. Also, I couldn’t risk it because I didn’t know if the punishment would only affect me or other innocent people. I couldn’t bear it if I placed them in that spot. So, I needed to solve the riddle quickly. Throughout the night, I did that as I lay on my bed. A face was round, but there was a mouth so it could feed. I thought about a coin, a plate, and even a steering wheel, but it didn’t feel like that was the answer. Was it something mechanical? Or something wooden? Or perhaps it was a metaphor?Or a description of a person? Maybe someone with empty hands, offering no treats because they didn’t have any? I wasn’t sure the riddle was that simple. Finally, I slept on it. The following day, after breakfast, the bell rang, and we went to class. As w
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
“What will happen next?” It was a question on people’s lips; people living far away from the building, their whole lives now filled with watching the show and their money on their favorite players. Each day the show ended, they would break into different groups, talking, speculating, and arguing about what might happen next. For the last one, the fervent watchers believed that Everett’s plan might work, given that she was smart and some of her plans had been successful. They were confident in their thinking until someone mentioned how Ande had looked at her suspiciously. Some believed that he was only jealous he hadn’t thought about the plan first, and others thought his suspicions were natural, given that the idea seemed risky. How would the students survive if they were to pollute the air? It was a question no one had an answer to and were eager to know. Something that also kept them on their toes, eager to watch the next scene, was Ande’s riddle. When he was given it, some vie
"We're not your enemies. We're students, too. We escaped the school just like you." I hesitated, my grip loosening. "Prove it," I demanded. "How do we know you're telling the truth?" At last they took off the mask from their faces, they looked nothing older than eighteen at most, but I wasn't going to be fooled, definitely not by their appearance especially. We pointed the guns at them, cold sweat dripped all over my face but that wasn't enough to make me tremble, at least I wouldn't allow myself to fall victim to such trickery. “No problem, no problem, I'll prove it, I'll show you that we mean no harm I swear,” the female of the group yelled. “Please, just back off with the gun a bit, that thing's dangerous and I doubt you even know how to hold them properly which makes it more dangerous.” Was she mocking us or what? I couldn't make due with it. I took a quick look at her and her colleagues behind us. They didn't seem to have any sort of weapon on them and they didn't retali
I could hardly believe my eyes at first, but that was the honest truth apparently, and just like that, we had finally escaped the school, but freedom felt like a distant memory as we trudged through the arid landscape. Where we would go from here, that was the next question. Amid the celebration and excitement from my classmates I looked around, something didn't feel right, not in the slightest, but what was it? Suddenly, it occurred to me to look ahead as if I surveyed the land. "Does anyone have a binocular?" I asked. "A binoculars? I think I got one while we were escaping, it was amongst the staff gadgets," someone said. At once it struck me. Why exactly would they need such in the first place? The more I puzzled about this uneasy feeling the more restless I felt. The girl handed over the device with a bothered look on her face. I grabbed hold of the device and peered through. Scanning- Scanning- The coast looked clear, crystal clear however, what was this cloud of dus
(Diego's POV)I dart through the shifting corridors of the maze, my heart pounding in my chest as I try not to lose sight of the others. The disorienting twists and turns of this twisted landscape make it difficult to keep my bearings.And I'm finding it harder and harder to keep on going.As I watch my classmates struggle to cross the swaying platforms, a seed of doubt begins to take root in my mind. Something about this whole scenario doesn't feel right. The way the walls shift and the floors move - it's almost as if it's an illusion, a trick of the mind.I take a step back, studying the maze around us more closely. The patterns on the walls seem to shimmer and distort, and the very air feels charged with an unnatural energy. Narrowing my eyes, I focus my senses, trying to pierce through the deception.Suddenly, a flicker of movement catches my eye, and I whirl around to see a shimmering figure in the distance. It's the teacher, I'm sure of it. A wild surge of anger rises within me
(Ande's POV)We wait patiently for Ethan in the game room, the few of us that are still free, trying to cross check if we have everything. It was almost….. peaceful.Alas, things were not meant to be, as the world around us suddenly shifts and distorts.I grip the railing as the building contorts before my eyes, the once familiar corridors and classrooms twisting and distorting like a kaleidoscope. The floors seem to shift beneath my feet, and I struggle to maintain my balance as the world around me turns upside down. "What's happening?" I shout, my voice laced with panic as I glance at my teammates. Ava clings to the wall, her eyes wide with terror, while Chris braces himself against a doorframe, his knuckles turning white.A sinister chuckle echoes through the disorienting space, and I feel a chill run down my spine. "Did you really think you could escape me so easily?" The teacher's voice, dripping with malice, surrounds us.I whirl around, searching for the source of the sound.
(Ande's POV)After washing out the blood from my clothes, I looked down with a heavy sigh of disbelief, I could not believe that this was what I had been reduced to. A monster, perhaps. "We have to go," Chris said to me, his hand upon my shoulder. Yes, there was somewhere we had to be and I refused to let anything come in the way of my freedom, not even myself. Chris and I rejoin the others. The students from the lab are gathered, their faces etched with a mixture of fear and anticipation. They couldn't possibly reject me and I knew that, I was one of them and they were just like me, we had the same substance or whatever it was that was put in me running through their veins, they couldn't possibly bail on me. "Ande," one of them says, her voice tinged with relief. "We've been trying to make sense of what happened back there."As I explain what I found in the lab and the chip I retrieved, their expressions shift from confusion to horror."So they were trying to turn us into desti
(Ande's POV)I shake my head, refusing to believe what they're telling me. "No, I can't have done this. There must be some mistake." I couldn't accept that in the slightest bit, how could everything turn out this way, we had come so far and yet this was supposed to be the result?No, it couldn't possibly be this way. "Ande, listen to us," Ethan says, his tone urgent however I looked away from him, the last thing I wanted on my plate was someone to interfere with how I felt but he was persistent an attribute that I had hated for quite a while now. "We all felt... different, after what happened in the lab. And now, with what's happened here... we can't risk staying any longer. For our own safety, and for yours."I want to protest, to demand answers, but the fear in their eyes gives me pause. I took a deep sigh, surely this wasn't the end of everything, I knew there had to be some sort of way but the opportunity seemed difficult to come by. "I understand but I'm sure there's a cure
(Ande's POV)Ethan's head snaps up, his eyes wide with fear. "No, please, Ande! I swear, I won't do anything like that again. I'm with you, all the way. You can trust me, I promise.," he said, while desperately leaning to us for trust. I hold his gaze, searching for any hint of doubt or deception. After a long moment, I nod slowly. "Alright, Ethan. I'm going to hold you to that promise. We can't afford any more risks, not when we're so close to freedom."Ethan nods, his shoulders slumping with relief. "I understand, Ande. I won't let you down, I swear it."Before I can say more, Jay suddenly interrupts us, his gaze strangely vacant as he clutches the sleeve of my shirt. "Ande," he says, "Ande…""Jay, what's wrong?" I ask, placing a hand on his shoulder. "You seem... different."Jay turns to me, his eyes clouded with an almost otherworldly intensity. "We need to go back to the school," he says, his voice barely above a whisper. "It's important, Ande. We have to leave go back now."I'
I'm in my office when a guard bursts into my office, breathless and wide-eyed. "Sir, there's an urgent joint summit being called. You're expected to attend immediately."I let out a frustrated sigh. These summits always mean more demands and red tape to deal with. "Can't they handle this without me for once?" I grumble.The guard shakes his head. "I'm afraid not, sir. They've specifically requested your presence."I groan in frustration, slamming the files shut. The benefactors - those stupidity wealthy elites who oversee the Games - are the bane of my existence. "Unbelievable. Can't they see I'm up to my neck in work here? We're still recovering from the disastrous events of the last Games."The guard shifts nervously. "I'm afraid they won't take no for an answer, sir. They said it's non-negotiable."I pinch the bridge of my nose, feeling a migraine coming on. "Fine, fine. Tell them I'll be there momentarily." As the guard scurries off, I mutter a string of curses under my breath.
There is a dismembered hand lying on the floor, partially obscured by the doorway. My stomach lurches at the gruesome sight, bile rising in my throat.The skin is pale, the fingers contorted, and there's still fresh blood pooling around it. I freeze, my eyes fixed on the grisly scene.Ethan and the others hadn't noticed it by the looks of things, their focus probably only on getting into the school undetected. But I can't tear my gaze away. Something about the hand catches my eye - it appears to be clutching a small electronic device, a tablet of some kind. Swallowing hard, I slowly approach the severed limb. I need to get a closer look. Crouching down, I carefully pry the fingers open and retrieve the tablet, wincing at the sticky, warm sensation of the blood on my skin. My heart is pounding as I examine the device, realizing it's emitting some kind of frequency. An idea struck. Quickly, I pull out my jammer and connect it to the tablet, grinning as I gain access to the video.