A few minutes passed since Amelie had separated from Maria. Although Maria was a bit worried, she knew Amelie could take care of herself. No matter where she went, Amelie would always return unscathed, with not a single scratch or wound in sight.
Be it wandering through dark forests or sewers, Amelie would come home looking as if she had just hung out with her friends and was full of glee. It was almost unsettling.
I don't know if I should be scared for Millie or Millie herself...
In order to pass the time, Maria took out her phone and plugged her earphones in, drowning herself in soothing music.
She walked past run-down houses, marched down a rusting staircase, and stridden across the road and into a wide alleyway. Maria knew the neighborhood inside out, so she knew where and where not to go.
There were some parts of the neighborhood that were dangerous to enter or trespass on, Maria learned it after Joseph had accidentally strolled past a building that was occupied by a group of thugs. Fortunately, her brother had made it out uninjured and reported the thugs.
But apart from thugs gathering, the place was also crawling with creepers. Whenever she walked by or entered the neighborhood, Maria could feel someone's eyes on her, as if watching her. It gave Maria a sense of unease every time she was in the neighborhood.
Damn it Millie... why did you have to leave me in this place? I would've preferred if you ditched me right after we left the neighborhood...
Maria shuddered when recalling those stares. She had gotten used to them whenever she came to this neighborhood, but it didn't change the fact that it made her uncomfortable.
Other than that, there was something else that bothered Maria. The same word kept repeating in her mind, occupying her thoughts like a math equation she couldn't answer.
Game.
What did it mean by a game?
She didn't know and was a bit anxious. There were always some stories about strange advertisements or unknown messages posted on the internet. The possibility of being hacked through those messages scared Maria.
It was best if she ignored it for now.
Maria walked quietly to an empty sidewalk, listening to the soft beats playing on her phone, hoping that it would help clear her head and ease her nerves. The exit of the neighborhood was only a block away. Maria only took two steps before coming to a stop.
The music playing from her phone had gone quiet, with her finger resting on the paused button of her playlist as her ears perked up to hear footsteps.
Tap! Tap! Tap!
There were loud footsteps nearby. Maria looked in the distance and saw a young woman running. The woman's gaze was focused behind her, unaware that a person was walking in front of her.
"Do people ignore their surroundings nowadays?" Maria thought and sighed. She placed her phone in her pocket and walked across the opposite sidewalk.
There was no use shouting for them, so the best she could do was to move and avoid them. She didn't want to gather unwanted attention since she was now within the quiet parts of the neighborhood.
As she continued walking, the footsteps gradually grew louder and closer. Maria glanced curiously at the woman. She was drawing closer, seemingly running away from someone.
The streets were empty, only littered with trash and rotten leaves. Maria tried to ignore the loud clicks the woman's heels were creating and shifted her focus back to her phone.
"It isn't my business anyways." Maria had her head down to avoid eye contact when she suddenly heard a pair of voices coming in front.
Yelling and screaming, the male voices that came from the woman's direction caused her to shrink.
Who would shout this early in the morning? Especially in this neighborhood?
Hearing their voices in this secluded neighborhood, Maria felt a bit agitated.
"Get back here!" A raspy male voice cried out.
Another male voice followed, this time, it had a deeper and firmer tone. "You can't keep running off to places whenever you feel like it!"
The woman didn't look terrified, but rather determined. Maria was observing her when the woman sharply turned to her left, increasing her pace.
Maria didn't expect the woman to suddenly change her direction. She opened her mouth to shout, only for it to be too late. Both Maria and the woman collided with each other, letting each of their pained groans and cries as they fell to the ground.
"Watch where you're—!" It was the woman who bumped into Maria who raised her voice, but her expression stiffened for a moment.
"Me? You watch where you're going!" Maria shouted back, gritting her teeth.
Great...
Maria grumbled when she quickly remembered the two voices. She immediately looked across the street, seeing nothing but an empty sidewalk.
"Where's the two men that chased after you?"
The woman looked at Maria with a bit of surprise before calming down. She smiled nervously at her and said softly, "I'm sorry, but no men are chasing after me... You must've misunderstood."
"I see..."
I know for a fact I wasn't hearing things... but where are the two men? They couldn't have magically disappeared from thin air... could they?
No, there's no way.
Maria decided to play dumb and shrugged it off as if her ears deceived her, but she knew she heard them correctly. She knew what she had heard and wasn't delusional. Though it was better not to get involved in people's matters, so she just accepted the woman's lie regarding the two men's existence.
Her gaze moved from the empty sidewalk to the woman sitting in front of her, staring at her with blank eyes. She scanned the woman from top to bottom and took note of her appearance.
The woman wore a long, taupe coat that reached down to her knees, with bandages badly wrapped around her neck and forearms. Her shirt was slightly tattered and she had shoulder-length, chestnut brown hair that was loose. She wore a dazed look on her face.
The woman just sat there, frozen like a statue. At first, Maria thought she might've gotten injured after bumping into her, but then again, she didn't look to be in pain. Just... surprised?
"..."
"..."
It was becoming awkward and Maria felt uncomfortable.
She doesn't appear to be a resident here and she was chased after by two men...
After a moment of thinking, Maria gasped inwardly when a thought came up.
Mentally ill patient...?
For a moment, Maria was silent. She looked at the frozen woman and prepared herself to speak.
Before the words could even escape from her mouth, Maria let out a surprised yelp when she felt the woman's arms wrapped around her. There was a moment of confusion, then processing before panic spread to Maria's face.
The unknown woman was hugging her?!
Do I push her away? Do I just sit here and do nothing? Should I speak?
She didn't know what to do in this situation and fell silent.
"..."
It would take less than a minute for someone to realize their action, but the woman didn't move. She just remained still, hugging Maria while her shoulders trembled greatly.
Even if it was strange, Maria took her time to slowly relax.
"It doesn't seem like she wants to hurt me," Maria thought and calmed herself down.
She didn't feel anything being pressed against any part of her upper body, like a gun or knife or any weapon in particular. So it was safe to say this woman wasn't a threat, but she didn't want to remain still while being hugged by a stranger.
Thus, Maria slowly tapped her back to speak. She had already put together what to say, but all of a sudden, the woman backed away from her in an instant.
Just realizing what she did, the woman quickly bowed her head and apologized. "I'm so sorry! I don't know what came over me!"
It was an unexpected action that Maria didn't have time to react to. Two residents happened to pass by and whisper amongst themselves, but they were close enough for Maria to hear them.
"Did you see that?"
"That woman must've done something to her. She has so many bandages..."
"Poor her."
This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Don't pity her! She was the one who ran into me! I also had nothing to do with her bandages and ruined clothes!
Maria felt nervous, not only because a random person hugged her, but because she was still in the neighborhood.
"Hell, I don't even know who she is." Maria thought. "Two residents also whispered things about me and assumed I caused trouble."
Her morning was already starting badly.
Maria looked back at the woman who was still bowing her head down with complicated eyes.
It made her feel slightly pitiful toward the woman.
"No need to apologize..." Maria waved a hand awkwardly, forcing a smile as she tried to assure the woman.
The woman looked up and Maria stared at her cautiously. There was a sense of nostalgia this woman's face was making as she kept her eyes glued to Maria's.
Maria couldn't help but think to herself, "Could it be... that my assumption is correct? Is she a patient who perhaps lost a loved one that looked like me? Isn't this usually the case?"
Thinking this, Maria sighed and felt sympathy for this person. It wasn't necessarily bad to be cautious towards strangers, but she couldn't help but still pity the woman in front of her.
Maria had to ask about this woman's condition first before leaving. It was the least she could do after she bowed her head for her. She also wanted to know if she didn't receive any injuries because of her.
After composing herself, Maria lightly coughed and asked, "Are you okay?"
The woman nodded. "Yes, I'm sorry..."
The woman avoided eye contact and looked down at the concrete road. Maria was still unsure about what to say next when she noticed her gaze was focused on her wrist rather than the ground.
It took Maria a while to realize the woman wore many accessories hidden from her sleeves. Bead bracelets, rings, necklaces, and one hairpin. She also had two interesting watches.
One was a chronograph while the other was a smartwatch, although the smartwatch had a different model than the one Maria was familiar with on the internet, their advanced and distinct design didn't hide the fact that they looked expensive. The two watches did not quite match when paired together, but that may just be the woman's preference. After all, as long as it's useful then style doesn't matter.
The chronograph had three crowns on its left side, but there were also four others on its right side, two of which were knobs while the other two were buttons. For the other watch, it had a circular shape and was completely made out of glass, with nine apps displayed on the surface of the screen and one knob located on its lower left side.
Technology sure has come a long way since then huh?
Maria was not the type to keep up with the latest announcements and developments regarding the new models or concepts for future technology or gadgets. She was content with her old smartphone and slightly worn-out earphones. As long as it was usable and still in working condition, what was the point of buying a new one just to keep up with the latest trends? It was quite a waste of money.
Apart from the strange designs the two watches had, there was one thing that caught Maria's attention, and that was the unusual symbol engraved on the straps of the two watches. With a golden rising sun that was curved in a semicircle shape, the normal rays of light the symbol had seemed to turn into arrows, as the tip of the lines formed a curved head, looking as if a bunch of arrows shot up from behind the rising sun.
Huh, I've never seen that kind of symbol... Is it a new brand?
Before Maria could even think to ask, the woman quickly stood up and said hastily, "I'm sorry, but I have to go."
"Ah, sure..." Maria didn't think much about her behavior and felt relieved when she heard this. She was chased by two men and needed to leave.
There was no point in biding the woman's time since Maria didn't know what the two men's intentions were.
Gathering her things, Maria stood up from the concrete sidewalk with a relieved face. She told her goodbyes to the woman and felt a vibration from her pocket. Maria pulled out her phone and a relieved smile appeared on her face. It was Amelie and she had finally replied.
Maria needed to meet up with her quickly.
However, the moment Maria took a step forward, a strong wind blew in front of her, causing her to lurch back. The strong wind caused specks of dust and stone powder to fly in her way, making her cough.
Once the unexpected gale had calmed down, Maria opened her eyes to see the woman was gone. She felt a small, hard object placed inside her closed fist. There was something tucked inside of her hand.
When she opened her hand, she was surprised to see a USB drive resting on her palm.
"A USB drive?"
Maria took a good look at the small object.
It didn't look anything strange or damaged. It was in perfect condition and was something one could typically see in computer or office rooms.
A dark shade of purple line was drawn on the case. It seemed to be forming a letter, but the color had lost its opacity and only a long line drawn vertically across its case was left behind.
Where did the woman go? Where did the USB come from?
Maria's face was dark. She was still in the empty, secluded neighborhood and needed to find Amelie. It made her feel as if she was in a ghost town and had interacted with a ghost that had given her a mysterious USB. What if the USB was haunted?!
Maria looked at the USB and muttered. "I have to go find Millie now... Surely she'll like this."
☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★
Maria finally left the neighborhood through a small alleyway and was back in the crowded city. As Maria walked along the sidewalk, she felt relieved amidst the chatter and clamor of the crowd.
Adults, children, and the elderly were all gathered together and walking buzzingly in the streets of Quezon. The smell of pollution and car smoke pervaded the air, making Maria cover her nose.
It's suffocating, to say the least, but at least it isn't creepy.
"The convenience store should be around here somewhere..."
Her head rotated in different directions, trying to look for the store. Many curious eyes gazed at her for a moment before looking away.
Not long after, she saw the store. There weren't many people inside the store since it was still early in the morning.
Maria's eyes narrowed when she saw two men buying inside the store. They sat at one of the tables inside, eating instant noodles along with energy drinks.
"So there's some people who do like drinking energy drinks at 9 in the morning?" Maria wondered. "Ah wait, is that—?"
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt a thin arm wrapped around her neck. Maria was slightly surprised but immediately knew who it was judging from the person's giggle.
"Did you miss me?" Amelie's voice was soft yet it had a teasing tone to it.
"You're the last person I'd miss," Maria retorted
"Weh? Weren't you scared after being alone in that neighborhood?"
Maria ignored her words and asked, "What did you even do? You just took off without saying anything."
Amelie's smile quickly faded at the question.
"You know me, I just saw something and wanted to take a look. But..." Amelie looked down, showing a trace of concern. "Shouldn't you be more worried about yourself? I left you alone and you came back injured..."
Maria followed her gaze and saw her right knee scraped, the fabric of her jeans was slightly tattered and blood had stained the torn fabric.
Before she returned to the city, Maria had tripped on a rock and fell on the sidewalk. She was so lost in her thoughts after the woman had mysteriously disappeared that she didn't check her surroundings.
"I tripped," replied Maria nonchalantly. "Besides, where did you even go?"
"It doesn't matter, I'm here and well. I'm not dead or injured anyways."
Maria went silent before muttering, "And you were the one who told me not to wander around in dangerous areas."
Amelie heard this and looked down awkwardly. Maria stared at her friend's expression for a moment before sighing. If she didn't want to answer, then it was fine. Maria didn't want to appear nosy and should leave her private matters alone.
"They told us to meet up at 10 right?" Maria suddenly asked, pulling out her phone to check the time. "It's already 9:50, and knowing those two, they might already be at the mall waiting for us."
Amelie was silent before asking with her head slightly hung down, "You... You're not going to ask anymore?"
Maria lifted her head from her phone to look at Amelie. She tilted her head and said calmly, "If you don't want to talk about it, then it's fine. As long as you're safe then I'm fine without knowing."
Amelie's expression became complicated, her mouth opening and closing repeatedly, seemingly trying to think of something to say but failing to find her words. Maria knew that a part of Amelie wanted to explain but couldn't for some reason.
So, in an attempt to comfort Amelie, Maria softly patted her friend's head while speaking. "Besides, this isn't the first time you ditched me to go to some unknown place. It's fine if you can't tell me, just make sure to take care of yourself."
Her gentle pat and assuring words were enough to calm Amelie down, even making Amelie giggle a bit. Amelie's stiff face relaxed as she smiled lightly at Maria.
"Thanks... I'll tell you when I have the chance," Amelie said while holding Maria's shoulder. "For now, let's go meet up with those two. I don't want to earn another scolding from them."
Maria laughed a bit and nodded, resuming their walk as they headed for the mall.
☆ ★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★
The two finally arrived at the mall on foot. Maria opened her phone to check the time to see it was already 10:18 A.M. She was worried that the two were already waiting for them and immediately opened their group chat.
[We're here, where are you guys?]
[Zack: We're on our way!]
[Amelie: Eh? Didn't you guys leave first before us?]
[Nick: It's not my fault this idiot ate like a snail😒]
[Zack: Oi! I was savoring the noodles!]
I knew it, they're the ones I saw from the convenience store earlier.
Maria sighed and tucked her phone in her pocket.
"Since they aren't here yet, I told them to meet us at Potato Corner," Amelie said, grabbing Maria's arm. "Let's go, it's too hot waiting here."
The two hurriedly entered the mall after being inspected by security guards.
Inside the mall, there were only a few people since it was still early in the morning. It was better to shop now than later since it was a Saturday and the mall would most likely be crowded around noon.
The two went up to the escalator and reached the third floor. They walked past restaurants and arcade shops before reaching the designated place. There was only one person inside eating a small cup of fries.
Amelie's eyes were on the menu as she asked, "Do you wanna eat fries while waiting for them?"
"I'm not that hungry, but you can buy some if you want."
Amelie thought for a moment and tilted her head. "Never mind, I'll need to save my stomach for later."
After waiting for a few minutes, Maria heard someone shouting and turned to see the two men waving at them.
It was Zack and Nick, one of their closest male friends during junior high.
Zack was a tall and fit young man with thin black hair and tanned skin. He had a satchel bag and wore a black windbreaker. The man following behind him was Nick. However, Nick was rather the opposite of Zack.
Nick's facial features involved having a thin face with olive skin. His hair was dyed ash blond and he had a slender physique. Wearing a blue sweater and jeans, Nick's entire aura reminded Maria of a few models because of his good sense of fashion.
Maria envied his smooth skin...
Once the two men arrived by their side, Nick began to playfully pet Amelie's head aggressively with his usual taunting smirk.
"You guys still haven't grown an inch, huh?"
Amelie grumbled and stumbled slightly from his petting, causing her to push Nick away with force and glare at the man. "We're quite tall by female standards you know?"
Then, fixing her messy hair, she asked, "Anyways, where should we start?"
"I was thinking we could start at the cinema," Zack suggested. "There's a new movie I want to check out."
Since the cinema was also on the third floor, they didn't need to walk that much and agreed with Zack's suggestion.
They were ready to leave the fast food chain until―
Bzzt!
Maria's phone rang with a notification. She pulled out her device and prayed it wasn't from her relatives.
To her somewhat luck, the notification she was reading now was the same message she had seen from earlier, only this time a few lines were changed. It went from [The Game is about to Begin] to [Choose your Guide Now].
Maria's eyes narrowed at the new notification and turned to click on the exit. Her lips pursed to a frown while looking at her screen. Even though her finger rested on the 'X' icon, the message wouldn't disappear.
One tap, two taps, three taps, nothing.
Not only did the exit button do nothing, but the message also continued to invade her phone. The message multiplied and her phone kept vibrating uncontrollably. This caused Maria to look surprised, irritated, and a bit worried by what was happening.
"Is my phone getting hacked? Maybe if I try resetting my phone would it then go away?"
Panic took over and Maria immediately tried to turn off her phone.
The off button wouldn't work. Maria was immediately worried and tried to press the off button again, adding more force to her finger in hopes that it would work.
Damn it, I thought this would happen, but I didn't think it would actually happen.
As they walked through the third floor, noises suddenly rang in their ears and a dazzling light appeared before their eyes.
Maria came to a halt as well as the three, their eyes flickering in confusion and surprise at the floating squares in front of them. Words began to form within the transparent boxes and the four began reading them silently.
Slowly, Maria's expression became disoriented upon reading the messages.
...What?
『The Main Game will Begin in 37 Hours!』
『The 36th Apocalypse will soon commence!』
『And the Time of Play has come!』
『Players, Welcome to Game of Survival!』