The First Game
1043 Words
The giant screen suddenly flickered.
New words slowly appeared.
> FIRST GAME: INDIVIDUAL SURVIVAL
Confused murmurs spread across the hall.
The Host's distorted voice echoed throughout the room.
> "Teams of four have been formed."
A short pause followed.
> "However… this is an individual game."
Silence.
Then panic erupted.
"What?!"
"We're being separated?!"
The voice continued.
> "Each member of a team will enter a different room and complete a different task."
Lily's face immediately turned pale.
"No…"
Noah forced a nervous laugh.
"Okay… I suddenly don't like this."
Even Ava felt her heart begin to race.
The screen changed once again.
> GAME START TIME: 6:00 PM
>
> GAME END TIME: 6:30 PM
A countdown appeared.
30:00
The Host spoke again.
> "You have exactly thirty minutes to complete your tasks."
> "All contestants will play simultaneously."
> "The game will end at exactly 6:30 PM."
> "Contestants who fail to clear their rooms before the thirty minutes expire will be eliminated."
A heavy silence fell over everyone.
So they were all playing at the same time.
Whether someone finished early or late…
everyone would leave their rooms together.
No one would know what was happening inside the other rooms.
No one would know who had already failed.
No one would know who was still fighting to survive.
The Host spoke once more.
> "Once the first game ends, all surviving contestants will return to the city."
Then—
the doors opened.
And they were separated.
⸻
Ava’s Room
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Ava slowly opened her eyes.
She froze.
Clocks.
Dozens of clocks.
Large clocks.
Small clocks.
Wall clocks.
Grandfather clocks.
Some hanging from the ceiling.
Some lying on the floor.
And all of them…
showed different times.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The sound echoed endlessly.
A screen suddenly lit up.
Only one clock tells the correct time.
Find it within ten minutes.
10:00
The countdown started.
Ava’s heart pounded.
How was she supposed to know?
There were no windows.
No phone.
Nothing.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
The sounds became louder.
Almost suffocating.
Sweat formed on her forehead.
She walked toward one of the clocks.
7:15.
Another.
4:32.
Another.
11:58.
None looked special.
Her breathing became uneven.
Think.
There had to be a clue.
Then—
she noticed something.
One clock…
was ticking differently.
Softer.
Slower.
Her eyes widened.
She slowly approached it.
It read:
6:47 PM
Could that be the answer?
Or was it another trick?
The timer continued.
05:23
05:22
Her heart pounded harder.
She slowly reached out.
And pressed the clock.
Silence.
Then—
CORRECT.
A door appeared.
Ava nearly collapsed in relief.
⸻
Noah’s Room
Four boxes stood before him.
Red.
Blue.
Black.
White.
A screen appeared.
One box contains a key.
The other three contain consequences.
Noah frowned.
“What consequences?”
No answer.
He slowly opened the red box.
Nothing.
Then—
A loud horn suddenly blasted.
Noah nearly screamed.
The room filled with flashing lights.
Words appeared.
ONE CHANCE LOST.
“…What?!”
Three boxes remained.
Sweat rolled down his face.
He took a deep breath.
Then looked carefully.
One box had tiny scratches near its handle.
As if someone had opened it before.
His eyes widened.
He slowly opened it.
Inside…
was a golden key.
A door immediately opened.
Noah let out a shaky laugh.
“I am never opening boxes again.”
⸻
Lily’s Room
Darkness.
Complete darkness.
Lily immediately began trembling.
She hated dark places.
Four doors stood before her.
A message appeared.
Only one door leads out.
The others will return you to the beginning.
Tears filled her eyes.
“No…”
She slowly opened one, but didn’t step in.
“No”.
She stepped backwards .
“I can’t offer to get into the wrong and spend 30 minutes, without getting the right door. Or I’ll die. She sobbed.
As the door kept changing (swapping)
She got into one.
“No”
Again.
Back to the beginning.
Her breathing became uneven.
The timer continued.
04:15
04:14
She began crying.
“I can’t do this…”
Then she remembered Ava’s words.
Let’s all come back.
Lily clenched her fists.
No.
She couldn’t give up.
She looked carefully.
One door had dust near its bottom.
The others didn’t.
Meaning…
it had not been used.
She slowly opened it.
A bright light appeared.
CORRECT.
Lily burst into tears of relief.
⸻
Damien’s Room
A chessboard.
A screen lit up.
Checkmate in three moves.
Silence.
Damien stared.
Move one.
Move two.
Move three.
No.
Impossible.
Or…
was it?
The timer continued.
03:51
He narrowed his eyes.
Then suddenly—
his expression changed.
He picked up a piece.
Move.
Another.
Another.
Silence.
Then—
CHECKMATE.
The door opened.
Damien quietly walked out.
⸻
One by one, contestants emerged.
Some crying.
Some shaking.
Some relieved.
Ava stepped outside.
Immediately, she looked around.
Noah.
There.
Lily.
There.
Damien.
There.
All four of them.
For a moment—
nobody spoke.
Then Noah laughed.
“We’re alive.”
Lily nearly burst into tears again.
Ava smiled faintly.
Relief washed over them.
They had all survived.
Then—
BEEEEEP!
The giant screen lit up.
Everyone froze.
Words slowly appeared.
FIRST GAME COMPLETED.
A pause followed.
Then—
117 CONTESTANTS REMAINING.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
Three contestants…
had failed.
The entire hall erupted.
Some people screamed.
Some cried.
Others desperately searched for teammates who never returned.
Ava’s chest tightened.
It was real.
People were truly disappearing.
Then another message appeared.
MIDNIGHT VOTING BEGINS IN FOUR HOURS.
Everyone froze again.
Four hours.
Only four hours.
Then—
someone else would disappear.
Even after surviving.
Noah’s smile slowly faded.
Lily looked terrified.
Ava felt cold.
Because suddenly—
surviving the games no longer felt enough.
Someone among them…
would still be taken away tonight.
And the most terrifying part?
They would be the ones choosing who.
Another message slowly appeared.
> MIDNIGHT VOTING OPENS AT 11:00 PM.
>
> ONE CONTESTANT WILL DISAPPEAR AT 12:00 AM.
The entire hall froze.
Even after surviving the game…
someone would still be taken away tonight.
Fear slowly spread through the contestants.
Because for the first time—
they truly understood.
Passing the games did not guarantee safety.
This nightmare would continue…
until only one person remained.
- Writer
