Officer Kurk led us back up the stairs. I searched through my brain for a plan. They all seemed to end with me getting caught again. Even if I managed to escape, my bounded hands would have made it difficult to run. The gun in Officer Kurk's belt wasn't promising, either.

We made it up to the floor where everyone was fighting. It was incredible how quickly a bloodbath could occur. Several people were sprawled on the floor, dead or injured, while the others were shooting aimlessly. Officer Kurk merely walked through it, unbothered by the flying bullets.

He pressed his earpiece. "Shut this down."

I looked back at the chaos. I searched for Marcus, but he was nowhere to be found.

We went up another floor. We went down the hallway and stopped in front of a door. Officer Kurk's face was scanned and the door swung open.

The room reminded me of the camera room but larger. There were also far more screens. In the camera room only showed the main areas, but these screens seemed to locate every corner of the entire building.

"Sir." A man turned at Officer Kurk's voice. His lips stretched into a grin.

"Katherine, my dear." I recognized the man from when I had completed the Pestilention. I instinctively backed away. Officer Kurk shoved me forward. "I was wondering when you'd show up."

I looked to the side. My heart caught in my throat. Glass enclosures were placed close to the wall. Within one was Aster.

I opened my mouth to say his name, but the word was lost. Instead, I tugged at Officer Kurk's grip. Surprisingly, he released me. I ran over to Aster. I placed my hands on the glass, tears welling in my eyes. I had thought that I would never see him again.

This was what I had hoped to accomplish, just not this way.

Aster was moving his mouth frantically, but nothing came out. He stopped when he saw my confused glance. He smiled sadly and placed his palm where mine was.

I looked over at the other boxes. There were three other people: Tilly, Stace, and Caden.

I stumbled back, shaking my head. I couldn't believe it. This wasn't real. It couldn't be.

"Excuse us, would you?" the Game Master said. Officer Kurk nodded and exited the room.

Though I didn't like him, the absence of Officer Kurk made me feel vulnerable. I didn't know what the Game Master would do. This man was the creator of decades of obstacle courses. His cruelty was perpetual.

"It's apparent what the situation is, Katherine," he said. My hands trembled at my sides. My heart felt like it had been torn out and shredded. In front of me were the only people I loved, and they were in cages.

My eyes couldn't tear away from the boxes. Tilly was staring at me, her eyes wide. Stace was sitting down, crying messy tears. Caden was trying to talk to me. Aster's hands were still on the glass.

I had expected to find Aster and Tilly to be beaten up and behind bars. The only person that looked somewhat touched was Aster. His hair was frizzed and tangled and his features were drooped with exhaustion. He didn't have any markings that showed that he had ever been hurt, though. I hope that's the truth.

I looked at the Game Master. He watched me, seemingly amused. I didn't know whether to be angry or scared. I didn't know what would happen to my friends if I made a false move.

"What do I have to do?" I asked.

The man chuckled. "You're asking the right questions, just far too quickly."

Too quickly? My mind was too cluttered for tricks and riddles. I shook my head. "What do you want?"

"Just to chat for now." The Game Master sat down in a seat in front of the screens. "I assume you've had a long journey to get here." He looked up at the screens. "That's quite a fight you caused out there. Care to sit?"

I shook my head The last thing I wanted to do was sit with him. Especially when my friends and my brother would be watching me, waiting hopefully for me to get them out.

God, how was I supposed to get them out?

"Fine, let's cut the formalities." He leaned back in his chair and smiled. "I've been waiting for this moment for a long time."

"What?"

"Your four friends are here for a reason," he said. "There's a course that I constructed specifically for this occasion. After some brief preparations, they will run through it. And I'd be glad to have you sit and watch with me."

I felt my face pale. I looked back at the cells. The Game Master's words rang in my head. They felt like ones in a nightmare more than in real life. This entire moment felt like a scene in a nightmare. I squeezed my eyes shut. Maybe it was one. Maybe I could wake up and be back in New York, safe from all of this.

I opened my eyes. I was still here.

I walked towards Caden. There were tears in his eyes. I bit my trembling lip. I couldn't imagine my brother facing the Pestilention. And Stace? They weren't fit for an obstacle course.

I backed away. I couldn't let this happen. It would be too painful to watch. I would rather die than let this happen.

"Don't do this," my voice came out hoarse. I wish I could have gained more confidence at this moment, but I had none to conceal my fears with. "Let me do it instead."

There was a pause. The Game Master turned his chair away from the screens and towards me. "All by yourself?"

"Yes...by myself."

He only took a moment to think before grinning. "Then you'll need to get ready."

He called in a guard. The man grabbed my arm and started to pull me away. I looked at Aster. His eyes were round. He started slamming on the glass. Though I couldn't hear him, I knew that he was shouting.

My eyes welled with tears. I looked away from him and exited the room.

Woah...that was unexpected! The Pestilention—part two! What do you think's going to happen?

If you enjoyed this chapter, make sure to vote, to comment, and to share this story with your friends. Try to vote for this chapter with your palm. Just smack it! Stay amazing.

This song is called Wasted by Rainbow Kitten Surprise. Enjoy!