Niragi

After Chishiya told me where his cell was located, I easily found it on the outside of the prison. Now it was a matter of finding a way to see his symbol and tell him so he could make it out alive.

I thought deeply and reminded the shattered mirror that I found earlier near the Beach hotel. I pressed the button of my walkie talkie and talked: 'Shiya, how are you doing?'

He chuckled: 'I have felt better, but hanging in here... there aren't much competitors left so the game won't take long anymore. Do you already have an idea how you're going to help me get out of here?'

'Yes' I confidently said, 'I found a mirror earlier. If I am able to take some pieces with me and place them so that I can see your back, I can tell you your symbol over and over again until the rest of the players are eliminated. You won't even need to look for the traitor anymore!' I laughed. 'How much time is left?' I asked while grabbing my backpack out of the bushes again.

'38 minutes before the next round. Be careful' he whispered.

'Don't worry! Just sit back and relax' I grinned and started for my run back to the mirror. Even though my burns stung and my neck hurt, I tried to focus on finding the mirror and saving Chishiya. It was a welcome distraction.

Chishiya

I grinned because of his confidence, but appreciated that he at least tried to help me, even if it wouldn't succeed. 38 minutes wasn't much and the Beach was quiet a distance away from here. But Niragi was a fit person. So the chance he'd make it was rather high then low.

And so I tried to do what I was told: relaxing. My life was in Niragi's hands, so I couldn't do anything about it anymore. Nothing I did mattered anymore. So I used that as an advantage and went to stir up some chaos in this game. I wanted to find out whether my first idea about the traitor was right. And a slight plan for revenge nestled in my brain.

I walked to the cellar, grabbed my favourite pack of cookies and beckoned the last remaining players to sit with me.

'So, we've been here for quiet some time now. But we barely know each other' I smirked, 'let's change that and tell something about ourselves so we at least know who we're killing in this game.' I glanced through the room with my cat-like gaze and made eye contact with each of the other players individually.

'Hehe, why would we care, blondie? I'm only here for the fun! And the cookies' the girl in blue giggled before taking a bite from her pocky and standing up to leave.

The older woman who had been at her side immediately stood up as well and left in her wake. The couple in formal clothes didn't say a word.

'Maybe he's right. It will make it easier for us to be able to eliminate the traitor if we know each other. I'll go first. My name is Enji. Before this, I ergh... I worked in a supermarket as a cashier' someone said.

Right, Enji. I heard that name before. Or better: I read that name before...

Someone else took over the word: 'I am Banda. I didn't have a job before I came to Borderland. Let's say I was kind of a hopeless person. To be honest, my life was so meaningless that I actually quiet like Borderland. It... gives me a goal in life.' He said it all with a big smirk on his face, like he said something with a hidden meaning.

I grinned. I knew that feeling. 'My name is Chishiya. And I will get out of this game alive. My boyfriend is waiting for me, so I have to.'

I stood up and walked out to go back to my cell, smirking. It actually felt good to tell someone about my 'relationship' with Niragi. At least, I could die peacefully knowing that someone knew about it, I thought by myself.

Niragi

I ran as fast as I could towards the Beach hotel, carefully avoiding all the zeppelins that indicated a nearby game. 38 minutes wasn't much, but I just had to make it. I had to save Chishiya, just like I promised.

I ran across the buildings I stayed in some days ago and remarked that they looked way more battered then before. It seemed like they'd been here for years to rot, not some days. Grass peeked between the cracks in the asphalt road and plants grew on the walls of the houses. When I came across a crossroad, a deer jumped up from the other street and ran away. Everything seemed so abandoned, like no soul had been around for decades. That was so weird. It was the first time it occured to me that time was way different in Borderland. I stood still and caught up on air for a moment while looking at this weird phenomenon. I caughed and spit out some blood.

But I had no time to dwell on, I had to collect the pieces of the broken mirror and rush back to Chishiya before it was too late. I reached the hotel and found them where I remembered, selected some big chunks of the glass and shoved them in the backpack to make my run back.

In the process, I cut my fingers but I was used to some pain by now. So I grabbed some pills out of the backpack, took them and started going back very quickly, on my last strenght.

Chishiya

I stared at the blue sky through the bars of my cell, patiently waiting for Niragi to return. My idea to talk to the other players of this game was smarter than I first imagined: the new information about their names and what they told me, made me think.

Even though I still had my hopes up for Niragi to come back in time, I started thinking about my tactic for when I had to do the next round by myself after all. I could eather try one last time and convince Banda to tell me my symbol or just make a guess and let fate decide. I just had 5 minutes left, so there wasn't really a choice.

I heard footsteps in the hall. I opened my door and looked to see who it was. Banda. 'Look. I know I can't convince you anymore in this small amount of time that's left, but if we are still alive after this round, do you want to listen to what I have to say to you? Privately?' I whispered. He nodded and walked straight past me, right into his own cell.

I closed my door again and sat down, my back against the cold metal door. I closed my eyes for a second. The sound of a little pebble against the bars of my cell startled me. I opened my eyes and rubbed them to make sure I didn't imagine it...

But then, a piece of mirror, taped to a stick, took away my view on the blue sky. While I stood up to have a better look, I saw how it was carefully put in place. And then... I saw the reflection of Niragi's eyes, tired but smiling at me.

Niragi

After putting the mirrors in the right place, Chishiya's cat-like eyes were visible, cristal clear! They looked back at me in disbelief. I grabbed my walkie, put it on and laughed in it: 'haha! What, didn't you believe that I would be in time?'

'I... Off course I believed in you! I just... I never thought you'd be smart enough to figure this idea out' Chishiya admitted. Ouch.

'I don't think you already figured it out, but I might not be as dumb as I made people at the beach believe. Not to brag, but I was a game developer with a very high degree back in the real world' I grinned.

Chishiya looked like he was thinking about a witty answer, but got startled by a loud 'beep'.

'Fuck, what is that?' I asked.

'The next round' Chishiya said. And he turned around to show me his symbol.

'It's hearts, dear' I said through the walkie. 'Good luck.'

Chishiya

'Please tell me your symbol' the voice asked.

'Hearts' I said confidently.

I heard one single shot and a click of my own door and knew I was safe for another hour.

'Thanks, Niragi. Stay there, out of the sight of other people and games. I call you again in 50 minutes. I have to arrange something,' I told him.

'What, Chishiya, wait!? What are you doing? Your life is safe now. Just sit back and relax. No need to mingle in this game anymore, right? Just stay here and talk to me' he said and I could just imagine the puppy face he made while doing so.

'Sorry Niragi, but you learned me that it is better to be a doer instead of an observer sometimes. And now is the time to act. Talk to you' I speeched. I hided my walkie under the bed and went to look for Banda.

In the hall, the girl in blue was crying besides a cell door. While passing her, I saw the older woman laying lifeless behind it. What a pity. But that only meant that she would be next, since she had no one to tell her her symbol anymore.

Banda was leaning against the wall of the corridor where I first encountered him. Iconic. I approached him and walked past him to take place on the other side of the corridor, leaning against the wall so that no one could see us talking together.

I hided my face under the hood of my hoodie and whispered: 'you killed that buff dude during the first round.'

I heard a smirk. 'Correct. How clever of you. I must say, it was a suspicious thing of me to do. Now you probably think I'm the traitor?'

I smiled. 'That's exactly what someone who isn't the traitor would say. No, I don't suspect you. Even though I know you were here in prison before. I already think I know who it is. I am just curious what your motives were to kill him.'

'Seems like I found my equal. How do you know I was a prisoner?' he asked.

'I found your documents. You are a psychopathic killer' my voice was only a sigh.

'Correct. Even though I was that before Borderland, I am sure that there are more psychopaths among us now. Borderland makes people do weird things...'

It was silent for some time and I thought about what he just said.

'John, was his name. He was a prisoner too. I still had a bone to pick with him. That's the mere reason I killed him. I never found the opportunity to do it before' he smiled.

'Do you have an idea who the traitor might be?' I asked him curiously.

'Yes. I just need the time to eliminate the rest of the players before I can get my hands on him' he answered.

'I can tell you your symbol to buy you some time' I suggested.

'Don't you need to know yours too?' he asked.

I slowly stood on both feet and took a step around the corner. While walking away, past him, I whispered 'don't worry. I have my own connections to find that out. Yours is spades.'

I walked back to my cell, the time had almost passed until the next round. I grabbed my walkie and turned around for Niragi to see my symbol.

Niragi

'I'm back' he said.

'Fuck, babe, is everything allright in there? I see your symbol. It's diamonds this time' I answered his call.

'Don't worry. Even though you came out as a genius during the last round, I am still the smart one in this relationship' he joked, 'I know what I'm doing. I'm just enjoying the game.'

The word 'relationship' echoed through my brain as butterflies fluttered in my stomach. I felt like a teenager because of that, but I didn't care. How come I never realized he loved me?

Round after round, I told him his symbol and he told me what was happening inside of the prison. Apparently he tried to make friends with a prisoner who systematically killed all the other players until only the three of them would survive: himself, Chishiya and the traitor. It was all part of 'his plan', Chishiya told me, to break free. I had no idea what he was up to besides just escaping, but I let it be.

The only thing I had to do was have faith in him and tell him his symbol and I was happy with that for now. I was very tired and my body still had to recover from the severe burns I still had. Above that, the attack from the Queen of Diamonds had weakened me even more. So I deserved some rest, I figured. I touched my sore neck and felt the small bulge again, where that bitch had stabbed me. I caughed up some blood again and spit it out.

I nestled in the soft grass and waited the hours before I would see him again...

[End of chapter thirty three]

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Hi y'all! I struggled a lot with continueing my story but finally found the motivation to write on, thanks to you guys, my lovely readers! I really hope you enjoyed reading this chapter. You're always welcome to give me feedback! Stay put for the next chapter. Votes and comments are always appreciated!