"That bitch!" Henrika's venomous voice forced my eyes open. I stared blankly at the familiar ceiling of my room for a moment, listening to the furious woman continue to spout out her discontent for the object of her rage. "She has no idea who she's messing with here! I've tolerated her long enough! Someone's got to teach that girl a lesson!"

I yawned and closed my eyes again. I knew it was pointless trying to get some rest, but it sure as hell beat wasting time arguing over something that couldn't be helped. Melanie was a lost cause. I knew that was the case a long time ago.

"You shouldn't let her get to you," I warned my partner. That's how someone like Melanie operated. Once she got her target angry, she'd get inside their head and make them lose their focus. She was dangerous. That was for sure.

"I don't want to hear that from you!" Henrika's booming voice caused me to open my eyes again. I sat up from the bed and met her sharp gaze. The incident with the petition affected the woman more than I expected. "You're usually the first one to snap at her whenever she does something! When did you start getting all calm?!"

"When I realized I was dancing right in the palm of her hands," I answered. It pained me to admit it, but Melanie played me on more occasions that I wished. She wasn't a genius by no means. I was just an idiot. "Keep a cool head."

Henrika sighed and paced back and forth in the room. She stopped and took a few deep breaths before evidently settling down. "Okay, okay, I'm calm."

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'm good to go," The woman nodded her head and approached the shredded remains of the petition left on my desk. "Thankfully, this is salvageable. The signatures are still eligible."

"You're not going to try and get the last two signatures from Melanie and Zoey?" I left my bed and walked over to her.

"No point. Melanie won't bother, and Zoey will get suspicious," Henrika shook her head and collected the pieces of paper from the desk.

"Bet she already is," I assumed. It was no secret to anyone that Zoey's detective skills were top notch. There was no telling how much she knew was honestly going on around Serendipity. 

"As long as she doesn't get in our way, there won't be any problems."

"Is that a threat?"

Henrika responded with her usual, warm smile. Afterward, she left me alone in my room without another word. The unsettling silence unnerved me. Had I gotten used to having someone else in my room? 

When I first arrived at Serendipity, it wasn't my intention to get along with my opponents. But, there I was, teaming up with two of them and caring whether or not the others died. Had I gone soft? 

The old me wouldn't have given two shits of the others dropped dead in the games. As long as I won and got my money, nothing else mattered in the end. But, things were different. 

I was different.

The hours of silence passed very slowly. Eventually, the most dreadful time of the day came. 

Game time.

I left my room and joined the other players in the lobby. Oddly enough, Caius hadn't arrived to greet us. Punctuality was one of his main rules. So, it felt strange not to have him there before all of us.

"What's taking Fedora so long?!" The first complaint of the night came from Melanie. She threw her arms in the air and plopped down on the couch. 

"It is quite unlike him to be late," Nicholas stated. He looked toward the door as if expecting him to walk through it at any moment.

"Zoey's not here either," Salomon pointed out. Everyone looked around the room and confirmed his statement. 

"What's going on?" Henrika muttered. 

Before we knew it, Caius walked through the door and stopped at the front of the room. He cleared his throat and spoke with his usual joyous tone, "Good evening, everyone! I hope you are all ready for the next exciting game tonight!"

"What took you so long, Fedora?! Can't keep us waiting like that!" Melanie snapped at him.

"I humbly ask for your forgiveness, Melanie," Caius removed his hat and bowed to her in a smooth motion. "The security staff and I had trouble dealing with a situation. But, we have taken care of it. Now we can move on to the game."

"Wait, what about Zoey?" Nicholas inquired. "Can we not wait until she arrives?"

Caius straightened his posture and put his hat back on his head. His smile that followed afterward made my skin crawl as he answered, "Zoey will not be here, as she is already dead."

"What?!" I exclaimed. 

"Oh, shit? Really?!" Melanie's Cheshire smile returned once she heard the sudden news.

"Is this some joke?! It's not funny, Caius!" Henrika raised her voice and pointed at the Game Moderator. "Where's Zoey?! Bring her over here right now!"

"Do you have any idea how long it takes to drag a corpse back and forth around this facility? It is tiresome and unnecessary. Zoey is dead. No point in wasting time on her." Caius' adamant refusal of Henrika's demands infuriated me.

I didn't want to believe it. I couldn't believe it. Zoey was one of the most hardened members out of the players. She seemed the most likely to survive the whole ordeal. It didn't make any sense for her just suddenly to drop dead.

She was always so careful; so vigilant. I couldn't have been the only one that sensed foul play.

No.

I wouldn't accept that outcome.

Something was up. And I wanted to know what it was.

"You son of a bitch! What do you mean she died, Caius?!" I shouted. "How'd she die?! What did you do to her?!"

Caius stepped back and gasped. His hand moved to his chest. "How dare you?! You think I had something to do with Zoey's death?! I am innocent!"

"Bullshit," challenged Henrika, also not buying the load of shit Caius spewed from his mouth. "People don't just suddenly drop dead here!"

"Not unless they're murdered." Melanie boldly stated. All eyes in the room focused on her, who took pleasure in the situation, judging from that sickening smile on her face.

"Did you have something to do with this?" I demanded answers.

Melanie shrugged her shoulders. "Maybe. Maybe not. I've done so much shit here; it's hard to keep track of everything."

"If you had anything to do with this, I swear I'll--"

"I'mma stop you right there, Scraggly. You're not gonna do a damn thing. You ain't got the balls." She proclaimed with utmost certainty. She reached into her cleavage and pulled out Elena's necklace. "What about Dumbass? Or Funbags? Or Rainbows? Or Cyclops? You've all made pointless threats. I've kept true to my words."

"That ends today," I declared. My patience with that girl reached its peak. Before, she was only a mild inconvenience to everyone. All bark and no bite.

But, that wasn't the case anymore. Melanie sank her teeth into several people, hoping to get them killed. Well, no more. I wouldn't let her cause any more trouble. If I had to, I'd kill her.

"Oh? Is that right?" Melanie tilted her head to the side. "What makes you so sure?"

"Whose playing today, Caius?" I looked at the Game Moderator. He activated the randomizer on his tablet. The dreadful smile on his face told me everything that I wanted to know. When he showed the screen to everyone, my attention shifted back over to Melanie. "That's how I know."

Melanie glanced over at the screen and smiled. "Fucking sweet. You're my next victim. You can say hi to Doc and the others in hell."

"You can tell them that yourself." I countered.

"Oh, how scary."

"If you are both done with your banter, turn your attention to the game wheel," Caius instructed. He spun the wheel and stepped back, watching with glee as the pictures on the panels blurred. Eventually, it came to a stop. The needle pointed to a panel depicting stick figures on battleships. "Congratulations! Player number two, Melanie Slater, and player number twelve, Troy Ambrose, will face each other in a game of battleship!"

"Let's get this over with," I demanded. 

No one offered any complaints. Melanie and I followed Caius' instructions and went through the usual routine of the game preparation. I didn't bother with Caius' crude attempts of trying to get me to gamble more points. One was more than enough.

With Melanie as my opponent. I knew exactly what to expect from her. I entered the game room. Oddly enough, several barrels with chains attached to them were situated all around us.

Melanie wasn't bothered by them. She sat upon one and playfully kicked her feet back and forth.

"Bet you've been dreaming of this day, Scraggly. Must be a dream come true for you; getting your chance to lay your hands on me." She followed up her taunt with a wink.

I ignored her. I didn't want to waste my time or breath on that bitch.

Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

She noted my silence and smacked her lips. Our attention moved to the ceiling when Caius' voice came from the intercom.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the ninth game, Battleship, will begin shortly! I will first explain the rules!" Caius announced.

"Hurry it up," I ordered.

"In mere moments, a wall will rise and separate you two. After that, water will fill the room until both players are submerged."

From that announcement alone, I understood the point of the barrels. They were meant to act as our air pockets while underwater. 

"The barrels serve two purposes; to act as your battleships and provide you air while submerged. Each turn the players will have a chance to call out an attack on their opponent. I will announce whether they land or miss."

"How do we announce our attack while underwater?" Melanie questioned.

"Use your bracelets," Caius answered.

"How do we decide the winner?" I added to the questions. "When we destroy all the barrels on the enemy side?"

"That is one way, yes," Caius confirmed. "Of course, I have taken the liberty of adding a few changes to the game. Both players will act as admirals to their fleet of ships. So, even if the ships are sunk, if the admiral wishes to continue, then the game will not end."

"Sweet," Melanie cooed.

"However, there is a faster method to ending the game. Below your feet are drains. Should any of you remove your respective drains, the game will end with your loss." Caius revealed. "If there are no more questions, then let the game commence!"

At his command, a large wall rose from the ground, separating Melanie and I. Afterward, panels in the walls opened and allowed copious amounts of water to fill the room. The entire game room submerged in water within minutes. I swam into the safety of one of my barrels, taking refuge in the air pocket it provided.

I checked my bracelet and grimaced at the sight of Caius' face on the screen.

"Ambrose, you have been selected to fire the first shot. Choose wisely," Caius instructed. Coordinates on Melanie's side appeared on the screen. I chose at random and hoped for the best. If I were lucky, perhaps I'd end everything in the first round.

Those hopes of mine were dashed when a red x blinked across my screen. It didn't take a genius to know that I missed.

Unfortunately, Caius rubbed it in my face when he reappeared on my bracelet. "Too bad, you missed. Melanie has launched her counterattack. It is a direct hit." He revealed.

"What?!" I wasted no time in diving out from the barrel. Harpoons shot out from the floor and tore through it. I winced at the thought of those objects piercing through my body.

I swam into the safety of another barrel while the planks of the previous one scattered in the water.

"That was a close one, Ambrose. Make sure to choose more carefully this time around," Caius suggested. I wasn't convinced. His joyous tone and the cruel smile plastered on his face told me everything that I needed to know.

The bastard didn't give two shits if I chose correctly or not. As long as one of us suffered throughout the game, it was more than enough for him.

I checked my bracelet and observed a slight change on my screen. The coordinates I chose previously greyed out. 

"Okay, so I can't select that anymore." I nodded my head. It was simple enough to understand. Once again, I selected a spot at random. 

Like before, Caius' face returned to my screen. His trademark smile said it all. "You have missed again. Melanie has signaled for another counterattack. Direct hit."

I swam out of the barrel again. That time, harpoons propelled from the wall and pierced through it. It didn't take long for me to find shelter inside of another one.

"Game just started, and I'm already down two barrels. Can't keep this pattern going," I looked at my bracelet. Thankfully, Caius' face didn't appear on the screen. I selected another spot. 

It was no good.

I dove out from the barrel again once Caius warned me of Melanie's counterattack. 

I wasn't the type of person to believe in coincidences. I missed three times in a row while she lands direct hits that many times. It didn't take a genius to know what was going on. The bitch gambled more points than me.

Somehow, she knew my exact location.

I didn't go into another barrel right away. I looked around the room for anything that would help me turn the situation around. There were two possible ways Melanie could've known my location. One was my bracelet. 

But, since I couldn't remove that, I figured the second option was the security cameras in the room. I tested my luck and grabbed one of the harpoons that floated around. I swam over to the security cameras and stabbed them through the lens.

Afterward, I returned to a barrel in the far back of the room. I had no clue if my plan worked. All I could do was hope for the best.

I set in the coordinates for an attack. Of course, I missed. But, that wasn't my main concern. It was whether Melanie's would hit.

Surprisingly, it didn't. I looked out from my barrel and found scattered remains of another that got destroyed. While disheartening, a sense of relief washed over me. My plan worked. 

I evened the playing field.

 We went back and forth several times. None of our attacks hit one another, but we sank a bunch of barrels. I had no clue how many Melanie had on her side of the room. Me, on the other hand, I didn't have much left. It wouldn't be long until I'd get forced into forfeiting the game.

My bracelet alerted me to another attack. Only that time, it was different. Instead of harpoons, the panels in the floor opened, allowing naval mines attached to chains to float around.

"Are you serious?! Naval mines!" I exclaimed. 

If not for the fact that they were chained up, I probably would've pulled the drain to end the match. It wasn't a game anymore. A single mistake would cause those things to detonate. While they didn't look that big, I wasn't stupid enough to underestimate the punch they packed.

I swam over and collected the debris of the barrels away from them. I made sure I was safe for the time being before I made another choice. 

Another miss. 

Melanie made her turn. 

Another miss as well.

The pattern continued a few more turns until it finally happened. Melanie's last attack destroyed my last barrel. I watched in horror as my final piece of salvation floated away. 

There weren't any choices left. I stared hopelessly at the drain which was blocked by the naval mines. If I fucked up in trying to remove the drain, then the mines would explode, killing me instantly. Either that or I could wait and drown.

Dying instantly sounded better than drowning painfully. But, either way, those choices ended with Melanie's victory. That was something I couldn't allow. If she defeated me, it'd practically glorify everything she'd said and done to everyone. There wouldn't be anyone left to stop the girl's rampage.

That very thought drove me to do something suicidal. I grabbed a harpoon a swam over to the mines. I carefully used the instrument to break the chains keeping them to the floor. Afterward, I grabbed the chains and maneuvered over to the wall, making sure that the mines didn't touch each other.

My target was the wall.

I tossed the mines over to the barrier and swam to the farthest part of the room, hoping to get as much distance away from the blast as I could. The mines contacted the wall and exploded. The shockwave itself threw me for a loop.

Intense pain coursed through my body and made me lose consciousness for a moment. When I came to; I found a massive hole in the wall. There, I saw Melanie, who also got blown away by the blast. All her barrels were long gone.

However, unlike me, the bitch had a rebreather mask on her face. That probably explained why none of my attacks were direct hits. She never had to use her barrels for air pockets. As long as she had that mask, she could stay anywhere she wanted.

 I covered my mouth and slowly swam over to the motionless girl. Each movement caused severe pain. My whole body was on fire. Added with the fact that I was nearly out of air only made matters worse for me. When I reached Melanie and tried to remove her mask, the bitch regained consciousness and grabbed my hand. 

She targeted my stomach and landed several kicks there. Each blow hurt like hell, but I managed to endure it. I removed the mask from her face and shoved her aside, which bought me enough time to equip it and receive some precious oxygen. 

Those few seconds of heaven shattered when Melanie came up behind me and wrapped her legs around my neck. She snatched the mask off my face and strangled me. My vision blurred. Oxygen-depleted quickly. I felt myself drift in and out of consciousness.

All strength in my body left me as we sank further down closer to the floor. When my eyes finally closed, Melanie's chokehold on me loosened; which was exactly what I waited for. My eyes snapped open, and with my final burst of strength, I removed the drain from her side of the room.

All the water in the room disappeared shortly afterward, leaving Melanie and I down on the floor, coughing up a fit. I coughed up more blood than water, but at least I survived.

Despite the situation, Melanie laughed. The bitch tossed her head back and laughed at me. 

"Pretty crafty, Scraggly! Played dead, did you? Sure got me good," Melanie flashed her Cheshire smile, "too bad you still lost though. You pulled the drain. It's my win."

She sounded so confident. Unfortunately, I wasn't the one that broke the bad news to her.

"Melanie," Caius' voice came through from the intercom, "Ambrose is the winner of this game. The drain on your side of the room was removed. Therefore, it counts as you having forfeited the match."

"What?!" Melanie exclaimed. The broad smile on her face dropped immediately, which only brought one to mine. 

"Loopholes," I chuckled after I got most of the water out of my lungs. "Gotta love those loopholes."

Melanie gritted her teeth and growled in frustration. She stomped her foot on the ground and roared. Afterward, she ran her hand through her hair and took several deep breaths. 

"Alright, fine, whatever. You win this round. Who cares? I still got plenty of points left." Melanie taunted. While her smile returned, the look in her eyes displayed clear disdain. Losing was the last thing that crossed her mind. That much was clear to me. "And as you can see, I'm still standing."

"Good for you," I said.

"Yeah, but not for you." Melanie approached me and kicked my sides. I hobbled over in pain and clutched my ribs. "Game's over, but we're still in the Game room. I can kill you here. It's not against the rules."

I spat my blood on the floor and forced a smile. "You're a sore loser, aren't you?"

"Call me whatever you want. I said I was killing you. I'm sticking to my word," Melanie raised her leg for another kick. I rolled out of the way and struggled to my feet.

A fight against Melanie after a game was one of the last things I expected to happen. However, deep down, I was excited. It was one of my only opportunities to beat some sense into that girl. I didn't want to waste it.

 "This is your only warning. Stand down..." I ordered, not that I expected her to listen. It was more of an excuse to justify my actions. 

"You should take your advice." Melanie approached me with a sickening smile. "You don't look too good. It looks like you can barely stand."

"You'll look far worse than me if you come any closer," I warned her. 

"Empty threats don't scare me!" Melanie rushed me and went for a high kick. I ducked under the leg and punched her in the solar plexus. Her legs buckled. She dropped to her knees and keeled over, going into a coughing fit.

The joy I felt from finally punching that girl nulled most of the pain within me. While disappointed I couldn't go further, it was more than enough to keep her down as I reached for the necklace around her neck. It didn't belong to her. I'd be damned if I let the bitch keep it.

I stopped when I caught a glint of steel from the corner of my eye. Melanie whipped around and swung her leg out. Thankfully, I evaded in time. However, the blade at the front end of her boot sliced through a large portion of my pants. 

The shredded pieces of fabric fell to the floor. Melanie chuckled and looked at the blade. "Damn. No blood. I wanted to skewer your legs..." A twisted expression of shock and confusion plastered on her face when her eyes landed on me.

It was something I planned to keep hidden throughout my entire time at Serendipity. But, it was impossible. 

"Which one of my legs did you want to skewer?" I asked while my prosthetic legs were on full display for everyone to see. 

For a moment, Melanie's mouth remained shut. She stared in bewilderment at my prosthetics. A chuckle escaped from her mouth when she regained her composure.

"That explains so much," Melanie stood to her feet. "don't expect sympathy from me 'cause you're handicapped."

"Sympathy's the last thing I'd ever want from you," I told her. "now hand over Elena's necklace. You do that; I won't hurt you anymore."

"Why would I do that? Nothing wrong with a little pain." Melanie charged me again and threw more kicks at me. I evaded each lethal strike. I couldn't get careless unless I wanted those blades in my body.

Her attacks were far too direct and predictable. The only issue I had in fighting her was my wounds. Had I been at one hundred percent, I would've put her down in the ground within seconds. When I spotted a hole in her offense, I took advantage and pinned her to the ground.

She struggled and kicked around wildly, but wrapped my hands around her throat and squeezed. All my anger and frustration built towards her exploded within that moment. I watched the color in her face wash away as the air in her lungs left her. Eventually, she stopped moving. 

I softened my grip and stared at her motionless body. I didn't know if I killed her or not. At that moment, I didn't care. 

"I'm taking this," I snatched Elena's necklace off of her body and placed it in my pocket. Afterward, I got off Melanie and sat beside her, contemplating my next action.

I could've left her there to die. It would've been easy. If Melanie died, the problems in Serendipity would've dropped significantly. However, I knew that I swore I wouldn't kill anyone. The games were about survival. Not murder.

Against my better judgment, I performed CPR on Melanie. It took a few tries, but I managed to save her life, unfortunately. 

Security team members entered the room and collected us, bringing us out of the game room.