In a world where memories are the key to life and death, fifteen strangers awaken in an endless void, their pasts erased, their fates intertwined. They have no memory of who they are, only their names. The being known only as "God" informs them that they are part of a deadly game where the rules are simple: collect your memories, remember how you died, and fight to survive. Some of them were killers in their past lives, others were victims—but in this game, they all must contend with the darkness inside themselves and the people around them. Only one will survive, but the price is steep: they must face the truth of who they were—and the horrors they’ve forgotten.

Fragmented Memory

Chapter 1: The Infinite Room

True awoke with a jolt, his body stiff and disoriented. The dim, cold light above flickered, casting long shadows on the smooth, endless floor beneath him. He was confused, groggy, and—most annoyingly—without shoes.

"Nothing like waking up in an endless void with no shoes," he muttered, a thin smirk crossing his face despite the discomfort. "God clearly isn’t into footwear."

He rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the overwhelming fog clouding his thoughts. His name was... True. That much he knew. But where was he? Why was he here? His mind buzzed with questions, but nothing felt solid. It was like his past had been wiped clean, leaving only a blank canvas.

Looking around, he realized he wasn’t alone. Several figures stood scattered in the vast room, all as confused as he was. The room was so massive that it felt suffocating, even though there was no ceiling in sight—just infinite darkness above, broken only by flickering lights that seemed too weak to illuminate much of anything.

"Great," he muttered. "I’m trapped in some weird hellscape and I don’t even get a comfy bed to cry in."

As True walked cautiously forward, his eyes scanning the eerie space, he noticed a few details. A long reflective table stretched endlessly ahead of him, its surface as smooth as glass. Along the edges of the room, doors of various sizes stood in neat rows. Each had an intricate keyhole, but there were no keys in sight.

True felt the prickling sensation of being watched. Then, he noticed a girl standing nearby. She was alone, her fists clenched, her bright pink sweater torn at the hem, and her jean shorts frayed. She had striking pink hair and pale skin. She was visibly tense, scanning the room with wary eyes.

He couldn’t help but notice the tension in her posture—like she was trying, and failing, to act normal.

"Uh, hey," True said, his voice cutting through the heavy silence.

The girl glanced at him, quickly looking away as if ashamed to be seen. "I’m Lilly," she replied, her voice quiet but firm.

True gave a small, knowing nod. "True."

Lilly looked at him for a moment, her lips pressing into a thin line. "You remember your name, at least. That’s something."

Before True could answer, another figure caught his eye. A young boy, standing apart from the others, looking even more out of place. He was about twelve, dressed in old, worn farming clothes, his southern-like features—large ears, dirty fingers nails, and rugged teeth—giving him a distinctly inhuman appearance.

True watched as the boy tried to smile, his smile nervously twitching. "I’m Drew," he said in a high-pitched voice, his Southern accent thick and nervous. "Guess we’re all in the same boat, huh?"

True nodded, his gaze softening. "Yeah... I guess so."

As the trio exchanged glances, an eerie voice echoed throughout the room, its presence overwhelming and unyielding.

“Welcome to Purgatory.”

The voice reverberated in their minds, cold and indifferent. "Here, you will play for your lives. Collect your memories. Remember how you died. Only one of you will leave this place."

TRUE’s stomach tightened as he listened, his mind racing. Died? What did that mean? Why were they here?

The voice continued, almost as if it were amused. "The darkness is not your enemy. The others are."

A chill ran down his spine. The lights above flickered and then suddenly went out, plunging the room into pitch black. Panic erupted as the survivors began stumbling over each other, shouting and scrambling for safety. Lilly instinctively grabbed Drew’s hand, pulling him close when she noticed how terrified he was. True, despite his sarcastic exterior, did the same. He couldn’t leave them alone in this madness.

"Great start," he muttered, his voice tinged with nervous humor. "Next thing, someone’s gonna bring snacks."

In the darkness, a door creaked open, revealing the first game’s environment. It was an abandoned town, its tall buildings casting long, menacing shadows. The survivors slowly made their way through the eerie streets, each one more on edge than the last. The air was thick with tension, and each step felt as if it might lead to danger.

Suddenly, a loud, disturbing noise rang out—a sharp boom. A figure in the distance exploded, his body disintegrating in a cloud of dust and gore. The explosion was so violent that it shook the ground beneath their feet, sending several survivors falling to the floor.

True flinched, his eyes wide with shock. Lilly gasped; her hand tight around Drew’s as she stared at the gruesome scene.

"MARK MY WORDS" God’s voice echoed from above, cold and calculating. "You were not only chosen to play for your lives, but you were chosen because of your past. You may have died in a cruel way—or perhaps, you are the one who killed. Your memories are the key to escaping. If you remember how you died, if you remember who you were... you will gain your life back."

There was a pause, the silence suffocating as TRUE’s heart raced. The implications of God’s words hung in the air, chilling him to the core.

"But understand this: The darkness is not your enemy. The others are. Those who killed and those who were killed will fight for survival. Only one of you will leave with your memories intact."

A sudden, loud voice broke through the tense air, filled with defiance.

"I am a king!" the voice boomed. "I will not listen to you. I am above this. I do not bow to anyone, least of all to some... God!"

A large, fat man, his clothing rich and regal, stepped forward. His face was red with anger, his voice thick with arrogance. His eyes blazed as he glared toward the ceiling, challenging the voice that had just spoken.

The silence that followed was heavy and unsettling.

“Don’t forget,” God’s voice rang out, calm and terrifying, “I am God. And I am the Devil.”

With a flick of unseen force, the king’s body suddenly expanded grotesquely, bloating as if something inside him was about to burst. His eyes widened in horror, but his screams were cut short as his entire body exploded in a violent burst of blood and flesh. The explosion was so intense that it sent debris and gore splattering across the room, raining down on the survivors.

True, Lilly, and Drew froze, their faces smeared with blood, shock and horror written across their expressions. The room fell eerily quiet again.

The voice of God reverberated throughout the space, as if it had expected no less.

“Remember,” it said again, this time colder than before. “You will die here. Some of you will die again, and only one will leave. Who will you be? The killer... or the victim?”

The survivors stood in stunned silence, the weight of God’s words sinking in. TRUE’s heart raced as the reality of their situation fully dawned on him.

Someone was going to die. And that someone could be any one of them. 

As True looked into the room, he couldn’t help but wonder what was going to happen to him and his new friends. He glanced at Lilly from the side. She was beautiful, wearing her bright pink turtleneck sweater. Then there was Drew. He looked around nervously, only 12 years old, dressed in old farmer’s overalls that were ragged and torn. His messy hair added to his disheveled look. True thought, No way a child like him should be going through this. Then a darker thought crept in, one True refused to believe. Wait… if what God said is true, one of us could be a killer. Imagine if Drew was some crazy serial killer. Nah. I don’t even want to think about that.

Suddenly, Lilly gripped True’s hand tighter and whispered, “I think we should walk in now. The other survivors… I feel them looking at us. We can’t stand here frozen forever.”

True looked down at Drew. The kid stood there, trying his best to put on a plain face. True nodded. “Yeah.”

Together, True, Drew, and Lilly stepped through the door. In an instant, as if transported in the blink of an eye, they found themselves in the middle of a large, empty city surrounded by a towering forest of pine trees. The trees were taller than some of the buildings. As the trio stared at the sky in shock, they noticed something unnerving: above them, there was no sky, only fog and a single dim light.

The room was cold—so cold that their breaths were visible. But the crunching of the ground behind them snapped the kids out of their trance. True spun around, and the first person he saw was a tall woman with dull green eyes and a strict ponytail. She wore a light gray blouse, and her name tag read Margot. True noticed that everyone now had name tags.

Quickly, he let go of Drew and Lilly’s hands. “Look,” he said, “we all have name tags now. Finally, we can start the family reunion off right!”

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Lilly squinted her eyes at him, clearly unimpressed with the joke. “You’re right; we do have tags now. Drew, look—it’s your name!”

When they looked at Drew, he shrugged and said in his old western accent, “Don’t mean nun to me. Can’t read anyway.”

True and Lilly blinked in synchronized stupidity, silently thinking, Duh! But their moment of realization was interrupted by the booming yet calm voice of God.

“As you can all see, you now have name tags. Since there are only 19 of you, let’s introduce ourselves before the first game. It won’t take long, considering you all only remember your names anyway. So, who will speak first?”

A long silence followed. No one moved.

True, employing his gifted ability to look at the ground, avoided eye contact to dodge being chosen. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Lilly and Drew quickly adopt the same tactic.

No one is going to do it, old man, True thought. Why would they? We’re just here for a quick game of “let’s kill each other.”

But as soon as True had that thought, God’s voice boomed again: “Oh, True, you volunteer then. Since I’m merciful, I’ll let you go first—for calling me old man.”

The city shook, and the trees swayed from the intense winds caused by God’s words. True’s heart started pounding. He had no choice but to step forward.

As he moved, he noticed the buildings were completely empty—no furniture, no curtains, just windows and walls. Huh, he thought, a city with no Walmart. That’s a first.

God cleared his throat, his tone soft yet commanding. “Now, True, they can all see and hear you. Introduce yourself.”

True summoned his courage, but his voice came out timid, like a scared transfer student on their first day of high school. “M…Myyy… my name i-is True. Nice to meet you.”

He quickly looked away, feeling both embarrassed and terrified. Glancing back at Lilly and Drew, he found them looking at the ground or walls to avoid any association. Traitors, True thought.

God spoke again. “Feel free to introduce yourselves, the rest of you.”

For a moment, no one moved. Then Margot stepped forward. As quickly as she moved, she said, “Name is Margot. That is all. That is it.” Just as quickly, she stepped back into her spot.

True returned to Lilly and Drew, giving them both a light shove. “Fake friends,” he muttered.

Lilly smirked. “You sucked out there. I hope you weren’t this bad in school, right, Drew?”

Drew shrugged. “Don’t know nun about no school.”

True sighed and nudged them both. “Pay attention. We need to know who these people are.”

“Why?” Lilly asked. “It’s just names. We’re planning to outlive them anyway.”

True’s expression grew serious. “Listen. I know I make jokes all the time, but let’s not be stupid. These are dangerous people. The army man, Lincoln—his name tag clear against his military fatigues—was staring at me with a kind of hatred burning in his eyes. The tension in the air was thick, like a storm waiting to strike. Margot gave off weird vibes. The way she looked around, the way she moved—it was unsettling. This place was terrifying, but Lilly's voice cut through the fear, reminding us of God’s warning: “It’s not the darkness to worry about, it’s the people.”

Lilly did her best not to show any fear on her face, but Drew was gulping down his nerves. As he did, the next person walked up slowly. Another tall man—probably around six feet. He wore a worn-out black jacket, his brown hair wavy and just long enough to brush his shoulders. His eyes were soft grey, and when he spoke, you’d expect his voice to boom with authority, but instead, it was quiet, controlled.

“My name is Theo…”

He paused for a second, then walked off, no care, no fear. It was almost chilling, but in a weird way, True felt respect creeping in. Lilly looked at him with the same kind of approval, while Drew kicked a pebble in boredom, not caring.

Then, people started flooding in one after another. The first was Nadia—her presence was striking. She wore an elegant, stage-worthy red dress that flowed around her legs, showing off her curves. Drew, as blunt as ever, leaned toward me and whispered, “She’s got boobs, huh?” I couldn’t help but chuckle. “Yeah, kid knows what he’s talking about,” I thought, scanning her eyes. They were deep brown, almost like I could see a star in them. I’d watch her on TV anytime.

She stood tall and smiled with grace. “Name’s Nadia. Nice to meet you all.”

She walked off, and as soon as she did, another figure approached—Elliot. He was dressed entirely in black, hoodie up, hiding his hair. Only his cold blue eyes were visible, like they could freeze you on the spot.

“Name’s Elliot, I guess…” he muttered, his voice low and detached.

Lilly whispered to me after Elliot walked off, “We should definitely watch him. Something’s off about him.”

I nodded, eyes narrowing. “Yeah, I wonder if it’s the tone or the fact he’s wearing the type of outfit you’d expect to see on a killer’s mugshot.”

Before Lilly could respond, a new figure strutted forward—and I mean strutted. Carter, a man who could only be described as a clown, literally. He walked with his feet pointing outward, his red jacket bright and exaggerated, with mismatched white-striped overalls. His smile never left his face as he bounced around, like he was on some kind of sugar high.

“Hi, guys! Name’s Carter!” he yelled in a nasal, high-pitched tone, like he was talking to kids at a birthday party.

He flung his arms out in a mock-jig as he introduced himself and then bounced off, laughing to himself.

Lilly and I exchanged looks—both of us uncomfortable, but Drew just stared at him with wide eyes.

I asked Lilly what she thought of Carter. She froze, pale, eyes wide. She didn’t respond. I didn’t touch her—I didn’t want to make a scene—but I’d ask her later. The next person walked up without fanfare.

Viktor was his name. His hands were crossed in front of him, and his head was slightly bowed. He mumbled something under his breath, probably praying. His torn-up priest outfit was a stark contrast to the clean-cut professionals from before.

“Praise God for this second chance… and for the Father. My name is Viktor.”

He spoke with a thick accent, then walked off with a strange, almost joyful smile. He must think this whole thing is a gift, I thought. Didn’t he hear that God’s the devil, too? How could he smile after all this?

The next person was Axle. He was tall, wearing a black leather jacket with a spiked afro—something you don’t see much anymore. He didn’t make much of an impression. He just stood there for a second, looked us all over, and said, “Sup. Name’s Axle,” before walking off.

Nothing special about him.

But right as he finished, the mood shifted. A fight broke out in the back of the group. People were shouting and shoving each other. True instinct kicked in, and I grabbed Lilly and Drew’s hands, pulling them away from the chaos.

“Let’s go now!” I yelled, urgency in my voice.

Lilly snapped out of her trance and shook her head, following. Drew stumbled behind us, not even sure what was happening.

“What happened?” Lilly asked, still trying to make sense of it.

“A fight, maybe a murder—I’m not sure, doesn’t matter. We need to get out of here.”

I darted us toward a nearby building, still hearing the screams, the broken glass. As we ducked inside, Lilly asked, “Wait, if we didn’t finish introductions, won’t God be mad? What if the game doesn’t happen now? What if we’re punished for this?”

I shook my head, trying to calm her down. “Relax, Lilly. You’re scaring Drew.”

Drew, for his part, didn’t seem too concerned. He was kicking a pebble around, looking more bored than scared.

Then, all at once, the noise outside stopped. And then—God’s voice boomed.

“Wow. Thank you, I was hoping we wouldn’t have to introduce all fifteen just yet. Was starting to think this would get boring... but we have our first two deaths.”

I froze. Lilly and Drew were still, eyes wide. The voice continued.

“Two have died by the hands of others. Their names? Claire and Leon.”

Lilly glanced at me. “Did those two even introduce themselves?”

“Nope,” I muttered. “Guess it’s less competition for us.”

Drew piped up. “Well, dang that's less for us then.”

Lilly and I exchanged a look of disappointment. Drew shrugged. “My bad, my bad…”

I couldn’t help but think—this kid might just be a killer.

God’s voice came again, almost gleeful. “Now, who cares who you are? I just like messing with people. But the real fun starts now... Our first game will be Freeze Tag!”

I shot up, not out of shock, but sheer disappointment. It startled Lilly and Drew. “Wait, Freeze Tag? What kind of childish game are we playing here?”

“Oh yes,” God’s voice replied, mockingly amused, “Freeze Tag. But not just any tag. I will choose two random people to be the taggers. It’ll be a 30-minute game. The taggers must freeze people to earn a fragment point. But there’s a catch—if a tagger tags someone, they must wait five minutes before tagging another.”

Drew raised an eyebrow. “I’ve never played this game before. Is it hard?”

Lilly shook her head. “It’s not hard, but…” she trailed off.

I cut her off. “It’s typically not, but this isn’t a regular scenario. And remember, the man running this game is the devil himself. There’s gotta be some nasty twist coming.”

God’s voice echoed again. “But wait, there’s more. If you’re tagged and not unfrozen within five minutes, well... I’m sure you’ve noticed how cold it is outside. Let’s just say, you’ll freeze to death.”

Lilly covered her mouth in shock. Drew stopped kicking the pebble. I stood still, every word sinking in deeper.

“There’s more,” God continued. “If a non-tagger unfreezes enough people, they win those fragments instead. Oh, and for anyone who thinks they won’t participate... remember our fat king? Think about what happened to him when he doubted me.”

I could feel the pieces coming together in my mind.

“Okay, so all we need to do is hide,” I muttered, more to myself. “We don’t even have to save anyone frozen. Just watch each other.”

Lilly nodded. “Right. We don’t need to win. Just survive this one. If we can make it through, maybe the next one will be easier.”

Just as I was about to breathe a sigh of relief, God’s voice cut through once more. “Now, the two taggers will be... Lincoln and…”

Time seemed to stop for a second as God said the one name I didn’t want to hear.

“True. You two will be the taggers. The game starts in two minutes. Get to hiding, everyone... oh, and Lincoln and True, good luck. I know with teamwork, you can pull it off.”

Everything around me went silent. I could hear Lilly talking, but it was like her words were muffled. The world was spinning, and the only thing left was god’s laughs echoing through my mind and the city