C H A P T E R S E V E N T E E N

"You lied to me."

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Every player tensely gripped their thin covers as the robotic voice echoed through the cold, metallic walls, counting down to the inevitable nightmare that awaited them.

"Three."

A suffocating silence settled over the room, broken only by the uneven breaths of the desperate and the doomed. Yi-Seo's fingers curled tighter around the fabric in her lap.

Her heart pounded against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat of fear. She had seen the way the others eyed each other during the day—calculating, predatory, waiting.

"Two."

Someone whispered a hurried prayer.
Another muttered a curse. Footsteps shuffled as players subtly shifted their weight, preparing for what was to come. Yi-Seo swallowed hard, her throat dry as sandpaper.

"One."

The lights flickered once. Then, complete and utter darkness.

A breath hitched in Yi-Seo's throat. She forced herself to take slow, silent inhales, sharpening her ears for movement. At first, nothing. Just the shallow, panicked breathing of over a hundred terrified souls.

Then—a sudden, guttural scream.

Chaos erupted.

Yi-Seo quickly sat up, looking around. Everyone got out their beds either screaming, panicking, or killing. The lights began to flash, making it harder to see. As soon as Yi-Seo saw the killings were heading her way, she quickly jumped out of her bed seeing that player 67 was getting choked by player 101.

Yi-Seo ran to where she was, grabbing a blanket and using it to choke player 101. She wrapped it tightly around his neck, pulling him back.

"Run!" She yelled to player 67.

Player 67 nodded and went through the beds, running far as she could. Yi-Seo pulled player 101 back, making him fall. She quickly took the opportunity to run and follow behind player 67.

Just as soon as she almost reached player 67, Yi-Seo was knocked out by one of player 101's group members.

"Thought you could escape so easily?" He snickered and hit Yi-Seo with a railing.

"You bitch!" Yi-Seo gritted her teeth, forcing herself to stay conscious despite the blinding pain spreading across her back. The cold metal of the railing sent shockwaves through her body, but she refused to go down easily. The player towered over her, gripping the railing tighter, ready to strike again.

"You think you're tough?" he sneered, swinging the railing down toward her head.

Yi-Seo rolled to the side at the last second, the metal slamming into the floor where she had been lying. The force of the blow sent vibrations through the ground, but she ignored it, kicking out at his knee. The player staggered, cursing, but recovered quickly.

"You little-"

Before he could finish, Yi-Seo lunged at him, grabbing his wrist and twisting it sharply. He howled in pain as the railing clattered to the ground. Seizing her chance, she punched him hard across the jaw, feeling the impact rattle through her knuckles. Blood dribbled from the corner of his mouth, but he barely flinched.

"You're dead," he growled, wiping the blood away.

Yi-Seo barely had time to react before another player rushed at her from behind, locking an arm around her throat. She gasped, clawing at his grip as he dragged her back, his hold tightening.

"Let's see how long you last," he taunted.

Spots danced in Yi-Seo's vision as she struggled, her hands desperately prying at his arms. Her lungs burned. She couldn't breathe.

Then, suddenly-

A loud bang.

The player's grip loosened, and he let out a strangled cry before collapsing to the ground.

Yi-Seo stumbled forward, coughing and gasping for air. She turned, vision still blurry, and saw a familiar figure standing over the downed player.

Sang-woo.

He quickly pulled Yi-Seo up, gripping onto her waist and held her tightly close to him as they ran.

"Are you okay?" he asked, his gaze scanning her for injuries.

Yi-Seo swallowed, still catching her breath.
She was bruised, shaken, and exhausted— but she was alive.

"I'll be fine," she muttered, glancing at the bodies around them. The lights continued to flash, screams still filling the air. This night was far from over.

Sang-woo and Yi-Seo finally reached where the rest of the group were at. He put Yi-Seo behind him, where player 67 was also standing at. Player 101 and some of his allies eventually approached them. Yi-Seo grabbed player 67 hand, making sure she was alright and safe.

"Hey, Ssangmun-dong. Why are you butting in?" Player 101 mocked. "Fewer people is good for you too."

"She's on our side too." Said Gi-hun confidently. Player 67 looked at him in shock.

"Damn it!" He mumbled, ready to fight all of them.

"Please, stop!" A voice yelled. 

Everyone looked up, seeing it was the old man.

"I'm... scared." He cried "At this rate, we'll all die! Everyone is going to die! I'm so scared. Stop it! If you keep going like this, everyone will die!"

Suddenly, the lights stopped flashing and a loud buzzed filled the room. The front doors opened, the guards walked in. One guard amongst the group began to shoot at the ceiling, which caused the players to panic even more.

The guards began to run to the center of the room. They all went to different groups and players to patch them down.

"Drop your weapon." The guard ordered. "Turn around."

The group lifted up their hands and did was they were told. The guards started to patch them down, checking to see if they had any kind of weapons.

Yi-Seo cleared her throat and looked at Sang-woo. "Thank you," she whispered to him.

"Anytime." He nodded.

The robot started announcing the deaths of all the players who didn't make it. Yi-Seo looked down, her body aching.

"Ms.Yoon Yi-Seo." A guard spoke up but only that she could hear.

She turned her head, confused why the guard called her by her name.

"You lied to me," the square masked guard said firmly.

"Lied?" Yi-Seo had a puzzled look on her face.

"Café." Was the last thing they said before walking off.

Hwang Jun-Ho.