03:17

The first game: Rain

Everyone was occupied…

Some were trying to find someone they knew,

others clung to a thin thread that might lead them

to the reason for their presence on the island.

Meanwhile, a few busied themselves with introductions,

as if words alone could grant them an illusion of safety.

Suddenly…

Tick…

Tock…

Tick…

The sound of the clock pierced the silence.

At that very moment,

the system began its first game.

A dense mass of black clouds

spread across the sky,

slowly swallowing the light,

as if night had fallen all at once,

without warning.

Eyes lifted upward,

hearts tightened,

breaths held,

and no one knew

what awaited them

when the game truly began

The sound of thunder was so deafening

that they covered their ears instinctively.

It roared across the sky like an angry scream,

then the light flared suddenly—

lightning tearing through the darkness,

blinding their eyes for a moment…

only to leave them even more afraid.

Then the rain poured down.

This was no ordinary rain.

Each drop lashed like a whip,

scratching the skin,

stinging their bodies with brutality.

Everyone started running.

No direction… no plan…

just blind escape.

Each person ran

without knowing where to,

or exactly what they were fleeing from.

The sound of the rain mixed

with the pounding of hearts

and with screams:

— Aaaaaah!

And in the chaos,

they were no longer a group…

but scattered prey

in a game that had finally begun to smile.

Some of them stumbled and fell,

but rose again driven by fear alone.

Qais ran faster, gripping Dima’s hand tightly,

pulling her behind him as they fled together,

their steps sinking into the sand,

their breaths chasing one another

beneath the merciless rain.

On the other side,

Sam stood frozen in place…

confused, paralyzed.

He looked left and right,

seeing nothing but running shadows

and lightning tearing the sky apart.

Tears fell without him realizing it—

fear was heavier than resistance.

Suddenly…

a girl broke into the scene.

Her hair was black, long… wavy,

flying wildly with the wind and rain.

She took his hand without a word,

clenched his fingers tightly,

and started running.

He lifted his gaze to her…

her eyes were brown,

as if filled with coffee—

a strange warmth

in the middle of a merciless storm.

He ran with her,

staring at her in disbelief,

his heart pounding,

his mind unable to comprehend.

Where did she come from?

Who was she?

And why did she choose him?

There was no time for questions.

The game had begun,

and whoever stopped…

was left behind.

Amid the chaos,

and the thunder tearing the sky apart,

Rose was not running blindly like the others.

She lifted her head for a moment,

between one flash of lightning and the next,

and saw what no one else did.

Behind the curtain of heavy rain,

there was the wreckage of a rural house…

old… frighteningly old.

Its walls were cracked,

its roof slanted as if breathing with difficulty,

its wooden beams blackened by time…

yet it was still standing.

She saw Sam and the strange girl

running without direction,

stumbling through mud and water.

She screamed with every breath left in her chest:

— Heeere! In front of us! Hurry!

Her voice echoed with the thunder,

but they heard her.

Sam turned suddenly,

his eyes shining through tears and rain,

and the wavy-haired girl tightened her grip on his hand,

as if she had known the way from the beginning.

They rushed toward the house,

the doors screaming under the wind,

their footsteps outrunning thought itself.

And when they slammed the door shut behind them,

they collapsed onto the floor—

bodies exhausted,

breaths shattered,

their broken moans

like a weeping melody

played by the island without mercy.

Qais was panting,

his chest rising and falling violently,

blood streaming from his shoulders,

mixed with the rainwater.

He spoke in a broken voice,

between one breath and the next:

— How… how did this house appear out of nowhere?!

Rose looked at the strange girl,

a silent, investigative glance—

a mix of suspicion and unease.

Then she turned to Qais and said,

with weary calm:

— I don’t know… I truly don’t know how it appeared.

Jawad stepped forward,

his voice low but charged with fear:

— Is someone messing with us?!

No one answered.

And in a silence heavier than thunder,

doubt began to seep into their hearts:

This place…

was not just a shelter…

someone was playing with them

Dust covered the furniture,

and spider webs clung to the corners of the house,

as if life had not touched the place for centuries.

Suddenly..

one of the girls screamed:

“Ahhh! A snake!”

Panic erupted.

They stumbled back in terror,

crowding themselves into a narrow corner,

their breaths uneven,

their hearts pounding violently…

Until the rain finally stopped,

and fear

remained..

hanging in the air.

Everyone stepped outside and looked up at the sky.

The dark clouds slowly withdrew,

and a warm sun shone once again.

All of them—

except one young man.

He remained inside the house,

searching carefully,

as if hoping to find something… anything.

Qais approached him.

“Hey—what’s your name?

And what are you doing?”

The young man turned toward him.

His hair was dyed a deep blue,

his eyes the same striking shade.

A small earring hung from his ear,

a necklace resting against his chest.

He smiled lightly and said,

“Matthew. That’s my name.

And what am I doing?

I’m looking for something.

This house seems abandoned for years..

maybe I’ll find a photo,

or something that belonged to its owners.”

Qais smiled and nodded.

“You’re right,” he said calmly.

“Let’s search carefully.”

As for Sam, the strange girl never left his side.

She tended to his wounds,

her features heavy with sadness,

as if she were on the verge of tears.

He looked at her from time to time,

then turned his gaze away,

until she finished cleaning the blood from his body.

She smiled softly and said,

“My name is Milda… and you?”