(Panic Room)

Oblivion
.the people, t̶h̶e̶ p̶e̶o̶p̶l̶e,
the players.

April

I see the colour blue and hear the sound of metal hitting metal echoing in the room as my body slips into consciousness.

Everything seems blur for a moment before I felt the throbbing pain at the back of my head followed by a trail of fresh blood on my left temple. I think I am still in my thin green dress and black high heels, cause it does nothing to fight the cold grazing my arms and open back.

I couldn't place my surroundings but I could hear the faint sound of people talking.

I am not alone.

Everything is spinning, I tried to stand up from the metal floor only to realise that my hands are tied behind my back with something metallic- copper wire.

"She is awake." The voice was close, very close. I blinked clearing my vision before it landed on a pair of eyes that almost took my breath away. Blue eyes as the colour of Ice, crisp and cold like a winter morning, sharp like crystals pinning on my skin. It had the power of lighting in them, just as captivating.

Beautiful and vaguely familiar.

I squint my eyes to get a better look. It's a he. Snow white hair falling on his forehead in messy waves, strong set of jaws, with dark tattoos swirling on his fair skin reaching up his arm and neck like ink on a white paper. He was wearing a black tuxedo rolled up his sleeves and looking at me with an expression I can't decipher.

I have seen him before.
But where?

"Here comes the element of surprise." He smiled at me, revealing a set of twining dimples. "So, we meet again."

I frowned snapping into reality, "What?"

"Don't play dumb. I know who you are." He spoke narrowing his eyes.

A cold chill ran down my spin as I am suddenly aware of the deeds I did.

My memory coming back like a triggered bullet, fired backwards in time.

I was hit on my head,
I was betrayed by my best friend,

But I also escaped from my house,
I also killed- murdered my brother in cold blood.

And it looks like I am trapped too, In the hands of Phantom.

However, I have to do something before I get myself killed. I need my powers, Now!

So, I tried to focus on my bound wrists, calling to the surge of energy from inside me. But- Nothing happened.

I frown, suddenly nervous,
I tried more desperately this time.

Nothing at all.

I gasped in horror, how?
But then, I looked at my wrist closely and saw a thin metallic bracelet beneath the many rounds of copper wires. It has a number of six digits consisting only of zeros and one.

Binary Numbers.
My powers are not breaking because of this damn bracelet.

Fuck You Phantom.

I sighed and looked at the boy kneeling in front of me.
I looked around and can see three other figures shadowed in the background behind him, but can't make the face out because of the dim lights.

I tried to make sense of my surroundings. Metal floors, old dark tunnel and a metro sitting on the platform, doors still closed. I remember coming down to an old metro station. I am still here but my memory seems to blank out after the hit on my head.

And now I am lying here kidnapped, powerless, in the wake of five mysterious figures, who are very likely to kill me.

I have to get out of here.

I tried to kick my legs and screaming against the metal floor to let go off me.

"Easy, Princess." He grabbed my feet, his plam closing around my ankels and I wanted to kick him double hard for even touching me. "You don't wanna hurt yourself, unless you know." He shrugged.

"What do you want from me?" I yelled. "Who even are you? Did the Phantom send you?"

He tilts his head irritated, "Does the name Charles Harper ring any bells to you?" And smirked. A bitter smile touching his lips and all at once, The familiarity of his face totally makes sense to me.

He is the one, The guy dressed in black who bumped me the other day in my office. How can I forget him? That wired name and narcissistic face.

Ghost of December.

"You? Ghost of December?" I frowned my eyes revealing nothing but frustration.

"Yeah the same." He smiled impatiently. "Not a surprise at all."

"What do you want and why have you tied me?"

"It's obvious, Cause I don't trust you. You" He pointed a finger at me "are a spy."

"Excuse me, What?" What in the hell is he going on about. "I am not some spy! Why would I be a fucking spy?"

"Cut the crap." I heard another voice behind the Blue eyes shadowing my face.

I jerk my head away to focus on the voice.

A brown skinned guy with tall and bulky physics came forward, holding a metal pipe in his huge brick like hands. His black eyes glared at me with the intentions of hitting me. I bet he is the one who hit me on my head. "Just kill her already."

In return Blue Eyes smirked at me, "Not until that pretty mouth of her's spills all the secrets. If we want to get out of this oblivion alive, we have to tolerate her. "

The name hit me like a current, my eyes widen with terror. Nobody is supposed to know the name of Phantom or the Oblivion.
No body except me.

But, If what he is telling is true. They are not the people send by Phantom to kindnap me.That means they are just like me. And when my eyes landed on his metal bracelet same as mine. I knew for sure.

"How do you know?" I asked astonished.

Instead he laughed, "So you know?" He moved closer, "Tell me what you do? Tell me how to get out of here?"

"How do I know, You are the one who kidnapped me."

"Ugh, enough of this bullshit." A girl stood in front of me and grabbed my wrist dragging me to the floor.

I tried to scream but she pushed me up against a wall and pulled a knife at my throat. "You will tell us everything you know or the next minute you wouldn't be alive to speak."

She was short, brown eyes, blue dyed hair, huge boots and sun tanned skin. I kicked my legs in a disappointed attempt to free myself but her hold was too strong against my arms.

"I don't know anything. Let go off me or I swear I will rip your arms out from your body!" I glared at her.

My words did nothing but spite more anger. She let go off the knife and dragged me forward trying to bang my head on the metal pole. I dogged her, lifted my head and hit her on the chin.

The movement caught her off-guard but she was fast enough to clench her fist and punch me on my jaw, hard.

These people are twice as powerfull than I have ever fought in any Oblivion. And with my powers off, My chances of survival is minimal. But that seems to only quicken my pace. Worries aside I need to be alive.

I jerked back and from the corner of my vision I saw the heavy dude marching forward with the metal pipe. I stepped aside only to fall on the ground tripping, but I recoiled and rolled from place where the pipe hit the tile, shattering in small bits.

"What do you want?" I spit out, I so desperately wanted to feel the power to shake my nerves. But I can't, I am too weak now, too exhausted and this damn bracelet will be the death of me.

I pushed myself against the wall bracing myself for another attack when I hear an alarm go through the air.

I heard the snap of engine, as the doors to the metro opened.

"Enough Archie! Gerin! We need to go." Blue shouted at them. "Leo, grab her and on the train. We need to go now."

Leo, the guy blue called. Is a Korean guy with straight hair, slim but well-built with veins pumping out of his muscles.

He came forward and looked at me, looked away and dragged me with him following in the line with the others.

The train started to take motion when I saw Archie jump in after Gerin. Blue followed quick. Leo pushed me inside, nearly throwing me on the floor, making me hate this dress more than I am already.

I slumped myself against a metal seat with my hands tied on my back, the exposed skin on my back allowing the cold to seep into my spine, giving me an odd kind of comfort. Huffing the black strands of hair out of my eyes, I tried to take in my surroundings.

It's small and dark, same as a normal metro, silver grey seats with yellow poles.
Dusty windows blur the view of the outer world, taking away the only way for a look out. I am sure it was done intentionaly.

I have only been to few metros in my life but I was not amature enough to ignore the obvious clues painted in here.

Everything done here is intentional.

So this is the main puzzle.
This is where the game starts.

I could count six people in the metro now, including me.

Blue eyes.
Archie.
Gerin.
And...

And a girl in red hair.
I almost didn't notice her presence until now. But when I did it was hard not to notice how pretty she Is. Soft ginger hair cropped short reaching up her shoulders, freckles dotting on her pink skin and her amber eyes were like warm pools of honey. She looks almost angelic with a white dress in this death like train.

I wonder, What her name is?

And as if reading my thoughts.
She turns towards me and nods, a small smile flicking her lips in my acknowledment. I didn't smile back, but I didn't look away either.

She smiled at me, that could mean something, maybe she can hel-

My thoughts of help, goes away as quickly as it came.
Blue eyes, circled around her, his muscled arm holding on a train lach, nerves a vibrant colour of green, and that pathetic smirk playing on his lips as he looks at me.

"Are you comfortable princess?" The train was driving fast on the track as well as my impulse to kill him.

"Why don't you come here and check it yourself, when I pull your teeth out of your mouth one by one."

"Vicious little thing aren't you?" He smiles, as if satisfied by my reply, then looks around the train cell, scanning his eyes around just like I did.

I sigh frustrated, there is no way they are going to untie me.

This is worse than, staying at home. I gulped, home.

No more home.
Never home now.

Before my thoughts can wander back in time, and the golden cage behind.

The speaker beeps alive, a ding sound and red light echo through the metal chamber, grabbing everyone's attention, followed by a voice I recognize so well.

Camille.

"Congratulations Players,
You six have been the winners of your individual Oblivion Games. The Oblivions you so bravely fought to win.

Your deaths and sufferings will not go in vain as I understand the cost it took you all. So, I am delightful to announce you all that this game is gonna be much more than that.

A trial to win,
Not just your life.
But your freedom forever.

After continuous challenging years of your beloved Oblivion. This is the last chance, the last game.

This as your number suggests, will be a series of six different Oblivion.
Consisting of six different stations,
Your six levels of freedom.

In each station, one of you will unlock your powers. A green light will blink in the chosen one's bracelet to activate your power. But it's not as easy as it sounds. Their will be two phases of it, one for you to win, one for you to be eliminated.

A puzzle awaits you in each station you reach, you have to solve it and have to defeat your fellow players to move on the next station.

The more the wins, the more the points, and the merrier your chances to survive.
And remember the person with the least point will be eliminated in the sixth round.

So better win to make it alive, cause only one is the winner of the prize.

Your dear Phantom,
Welcome, to the season of death."

And as if by absolute luck, a green light flickers to life in my bracelet.

I smirk,
Let the Oblivion begin!