I didn't want to die.
Not like this.
Not when I had barely begun.
There were still dreams left.
Things I hadn't seen.
Lives I hadn't lived.
Was this really the end?
Darkness pressed in—
until slowly—
something pulled me back.
Light.
Blurred.
Unsteady.
I forced my eyes open.
Shapes formed.
Buildings.
Tall.
Empty.
For a second—
I thought—
Heaven?
No.
Too silent.
Too… wrong.
Reincarnation?
My mind struggled to make sense of it.
But my body—
my body knew something was off.
Cold ground beneath me.
Rough.
Real.
I pushed myself up.
And that's when I realized—
I was alone.
Not just alone.
Completely alone.
No people.
No movement.
Not even the faint sound of life.
The silence felt unnatural.
Heavy.
"Where… am I?" I whispered.
Then—
BEEP.
BEEP.
I froze.
The sound came from my wrist.
Slowly—
I looked down.
A band.
Black.
Tight against my skin.
A red light blinked rhythmically.
And on its tiny screen—
one word flashed.
DANGER
My heartbeat spiked.
"What the—"
DA! DA! DA!
Gunshots tore through the silence.
My body reacted instantly.
I dropped—
rolling behind a row of abandoned cars.
My breathing went sharp.
Uneven.
Think.
Think, Rose.
Peeking through the gap—
I saw him.
A man.
Mask covering his face.
Gun in hand.
Firing randomly.
Not aiming.
Just shooting.
Like—
he didn't care who he hit.
Or maybe—
he was waiting.
For me.
A chill ran down my spine.
If I stay here—I die.
That much was clear.
My eyes scanned the ground.
Searching.
Anything.
And then—
I saw it.
Broken glass.
Sharp.
Jagged.
Memory flashed.
Training.
"Use your surroundings. Everything is a weapon."
My grip tightened.
This was it.
No backup.
No team.
Just me.
And survival.
I picked up a shard.
Held it tight—
edge facing outward.
One chance.
I moved.
Silent.
Fast.
Closing the distance.
Closer.
Closer—
Now.
I lunged.
Jumping onto his back—
driving the glass deep into him.
A sharp gasp.
Then—
warm liquid splashed across my face.
Blood.
He collapsed.
So did the world around me—
for just a second.
My chest heaved.
My hands trembled.
I killed him.
The realization hit—
hard.
Before I could process it—
The band vibrated.
I looked down.
A message appeared.
"Congratulations. Mission Completed."
My breath caught.
Mission?
Another line appeared.
"Alter Card Granted — Validity: 4 Days."
"What… does that even mean?" I whispered.
This wasn't normal.
Nothing about this was normal.
Then—
something cut through the air.
Fast.
Sharp.
A metallic flash.
I flinched.
A dagger slammed into the ground—
right beside the body.
My heart nearly stopped.
I turned.
And saw her.
Tall.
Strong.
Sharp eyes.
She stood there like she owned the silence.
No fear.
No hesitation.
Just control.
She walked past me—
without even looking.
As if I didn't exist.
"What the hell…" I muttered.
Still—
I followed.
"Hey!" I called out.
No response.
"Can you hear me?"
She stopped.
Slowly turned.
Her gaze landed on me—
cold.
Assessing.
"Are you a newbie?" she asked.
Her voice was flat.
"Yeah…" I replied cautiously."Do you know where we are?"
She studied me for a second.
"Not yet," she said.
A pause.
"But you will."
That didn't help.
"Have you been here long?" I asked.
"Long enough."
Not an answer.
"Are you alone?" she asked.
"For now… yes."
Another pause.
Then—
"Join us."
That caught me off guard.
"Us?"
"Our group," she said simply."Unless you'd rather die alone."
Straight to the point.
I swallowed.
"I'll come," I said.
Because honestly—
I had no other choice.
She turned—
and started walking.
"Our headquarters is across the street."
I followed.
Trying to process everything.
"So… there are more people here?" I asked.
She didn't look back.
"People?" she repeated.
A faint smirk appeared.
"I think survivors fits better."
A chill ran through me.
"What do you mean?" I asked.
She stopped.
Turned halfway.
And for the first time—
her eyes held something else.
Not cold.
Not emotionless.
But—
something darker.
"You'll understand," she said quietly.
Then she started walking again.
And I followed.
Because I had to.
But deep down—
I already knew something.
This place—
wasn't about survival.
It was about—
selection.
My wristband vibrated again.
I looked down.
A new message flashed.
"Day 1 Begins."
Then—
another line appeared beneath it.
"Players Remaining: 100."
My blood ran cold.
Players?
Before I could react—
the final line appeared.
"Only 10 will survive."
I stopped walking.
My breath caught in my throat.
Slowly—
I looked up.
At the girl.
At the empty city.
At the silence.
And for the first time—
I understood.
This wasn't a mission.
This wasn't training.
This was—
a game,.....a Death Game.