After the guards left the lights flickered off and the door clicked shut. Joo Yeon laid back on her bed nd stared up at the darkness above her. The faint sound of shuffling bodies and hushed whispers filled the room, but no one dared to speak too loudly. The weight of uncertainty pressed against her chest, making it hard to relax.

She turned her head slightly, glancing over at Ji-yeong, who was lying on her side, arms folded across her chest. Their eyes met in the dim light.

"Can't sleep?" Ji-yeong whispered.

Joo Yeon exhaled through her nose. "Not really."

Ji-yeong hummed in agreement and turned over, her back facing Joo Yeon.

Joo Yeon closed her eyes, her mind drifting between exhaustion and unease. She was just about to doze off when a sudden, frantic banging on the door jolted her awake.

"Hey! Hey, open the door, you jerks!" a woman's voice shouted, her fists slamming against the metal.

Annoyed murmurs and curses erupted around the room. Joo Yeon furrowed her brows, trying to place the voice, but in the darkness, she couldn't tell who it was.

"I have to pee really bad, right now. Don't you jerks ever take a leak? Let me use the restroom. I gotta go now!" she said desperately banging on the door but the door didn't open.

"Hey let me use the bathroom for one second. Jeez come on," she said after a few times the small door opened and a masked guy answered saying that they cannot leave the room past curfew and then Joo Yeon heard a click followed by the woman's cursing.

She let out a string of curses under her breath, her frustration boiling over. More players groaned, telling her to shut up.

Just when it seemed like she would start banging again, the door creaked open, and two guards stepped in. Without a word, they took her by the arms and led her out toward the restroom.

Silence settled over the room once more.

Joo Yeon exhaled, rolling onto her side. Her exhaustion finally won out, and she drifted into a restless sleep.

She woke up for the chime of the PA.

"Good morning, everyone," a woman's voice announced smoothly. "A new day has dawned."

Around her, players stirred. Some groaned, rubbing sleep from their eyes, while others stretched stiff limbs, reluctant to leave the brief comfort of sleep.

Joo Yeon pulled the covers over her head and exhaled softly. One day down. Six more to go. If she could last that long, the prize would be hers.

Her mind drifted to the massive piggy bank hanging above them, filled with stacks of cash. The thought of all that money was enough to keep her going, but doubt still crept in. Could she really make it? Could any of them?

Around her, the other players were beginning to stir more, some talking in hushed voices while others moved sluggishly toward the sinks at the far end of the room to wash their faces. Ji-yeong sat up, running a hand through her hair with a quiet sigh.

"Another day in paradise," she muttered.

Joo Yeon smirked under the covers but said nothing. She wasn't in the mood to joke—not when the reality of their situation was settling in more with each passing moment.

A sharp tone rang through the speakers again, making some players flinch.

"Attention," the woman's voice from the PA announced. "It is now time for breakfast. All players, please form a line in the center of the room."

The room buzzed with reluctant movement as players groaned, stretched, and dragged themselves out of bed. The overhead lights, now fully illuminated, cast a harsh glow over the weary faces around Joo Yeon.

She pushed herself up and sat on the edge of her bed, rubbing the sleep from her eyes. Ji-yeong stood beside her, arms crossed, watching the others shuffle into a single-file line.

"Guess we better move," Ji-yeong muttered.

Joo Yeon nodded and got to her feet. She fell into step behind Ji-yeong, scanning the room as more players joined the line.

As they neared the masked figures, a voice rose above the hushed whispers.

"Uh... excuse me," Player 456 said hesitantly. "Could I get chocolate milk instead? I have digestion issues."

The request hung in the air, met with nothing but cold silence. The guard in front of him didn't acknowledge his words, merely holding out the standard meal tray without a single reaction.

After a brief pause, Player 456 exhaled, dropping his gaze. He hesitated, then reluctantly took the tray and shuffled away to join his friends.

Joo Yeon barely spared him a glance as she accepted her own tray and followed Ji-yeong into the cafeteria. The rules here were clear—requests, complaints, or even the smallest show of defiance were ignored.

Joo Yeon scanned the room and saw everyone eating but out of all one of the peculiar duo was Player 067 and Player 212 conversing and upon seeing her eyes on them Player 212 stuck her middle finger at her to which Joo Yeon rolled her eyes and continued to eat. After finishing her meal Joo Yeon got up and stretched a bit but she felt someone'e eyes on her so she shifted her gaze and saw the genuis staring at her. Their eyes met for a brief moment and he looked the other way focusing on his friends again.

"Attention. The second game will begin shortly. Please follow the staff's instructions and swiftly make your way towards the game hall. I will now repeat the instructions," the woman on PA announced and Joo Yeon breathed heavily. They are starting the next game this quickly?

"Let's go," she muttered under her breath, turning to Ji-yeong, who had already got up from her bed.

They made their way toward the exit, blending into the growing crowd of players filing out of the room. Joo Yeon's mind raced, thoughts swirling about what the second game might hold. But as they neared the door, something caught her eye. She glanced back and saw the genius and Player 067 in a quiet conversation, their heads close together. A pang of jealousy shot through her chest, sharp and unwelcome. It was the way they interacted—too familiar, too easy. She quickly looked away, trying to push the feeling down.

Joo Yeon focused on keeping her pace steady, following Ji-yeong as they joined the throng of players moving toward the game hall. The hallways felt narrower with each step, the weight of anticipation pressing down on her shoulders. There was no turning back now.

As they reached the door, one of the guards stepped forward, his expression impassive. With a mechanical click, he unlocked the door and swung it open.

Joo Yeon's breath caught as she stepped inside.

The game hall was vast—far larger than she had imagined. The floor stretched out in front of her, covered in an expansive, well-lit area that resembled a playground, with towering structures and strange obstacles scattered about. There were no clear signs of what the challenge would be, only a sense of emptiness that filled the space like an unspoken challenge.

Along the walls, Joo Yeon's eyes were drawn to the shapes emblazoned in it: a circle, a triangle, a star, and an umbrella. They stood out, painted in large, unmistakable designs as if they were marking different zones or perhaps giving some sort of clue. Each shape felt like it carried some kind of meaning, though the significance was still a mystery.

The players shuffled in, whispering nervously as they spread out across the room. Joo Yeon stood still for a moment, her eyes scanning the surroundings as she tried to make sense of it all. What did these shapes mean? And what kind of game awaited them?

Before she could think further, the PA system crackled to life once more.

𝗛𝗶𝗶. 𝗛𝗼𝘄'𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝘀𝗼 𝗳𝗮𝗿?