It was around 4:00 a.m.
Before they left we exchange phone number to communicate through our phones when need
As they got out the dim, ghostly glow of the lamps filtered through the cracks in the blinds as Kara and the reporter quietly slipped out of the room. No words were exchanged—just the kind of eye contact that carried gratitude, and trust.
The hallway was still. Only the faint clicks of their footsteps broke the silence as they returned to their rooms without incident. No one saw them. At least, they hoped.
8:00 a.m. Came.
The usual tone of the announcer announcing the call out
"Good morning, players. Please gather in the central. Discussion begins in ten minutes."
I arrived just before most others. A few familiar faces got in slowly some with groggy expressions, some too alert.
Kara slipped in not long after, avoiding my eyes as a precaution. The reporter followed with a neutral, practiced smile. If you hadn't known what happened last night, you'd never guess she'd nearly broken down in my room just hours ago.
By 8:10 a.m., everyone had arrived.
The circle formed like clockwork.
But something was off.
Tension pulsed in the air like static before a storm. Whispers. Uneasy glances.
Then, a voice broke through it all.
"I nominate Calla Myrrin to be voted out."
Gasps.
All eyes turned toward the source—an older man with sharp cheekbones and an even sharper tongue. Nobody knew him. A quiet player up until now, barely noticed in the first few days.
Calla the Lover that I saw on the first day before the game started.
She blinked, confused. "What…?"
"No offense," he said, his tone anything but polite. "But you've been too quiet. Always sticking close to him," he pointed to the boy sitting beside her—Elias Thorn, her partner. "And we all know that the Lover pair is more dangerous than they seem. You're playing for each other. Not for the town."
I didn't noticed at first but that's when I realized how is he sure that it's a lover card when in fact none of us are sure what are all the cards roles are. That made me think.
Is he trying to divert something?
Is he a mafia team?
Is his card an Informant type like the reporter?
My mind flood with too much question regarding on what is the real question. Too much misleading information can cause a drastic change of the perspective of myself and even others. That's why I need to be sure.
"That's not true!" Elias shot back, voice cracking slightly. "We're not Mafia—we're not killers! We're just… just trying to survive together!"
"You're playing for your own survival," he snapped. "And that makes you a liability. If one of you gets voted out, the other dies anyway. That's how the Lover card works, right? You've got no loyalty to us—only each other."
How is he sure that the other one dies?
The more I confront of the situation the more I'm getting lost with too much thought.
"That doesn't mean we're enemies!" Elias's fists clenched. "That doesn't mean we're Mafia!"
The room murmured. Suspicion, and it was spreading quickly.
A girl from the side whispered, "He's right, though… They've never contributed much to the discussion. Just sit quietly together."
"That's not a crime," Calla said softly, trying to stay calm. "We're not threats. We're just… trying not to die."
He took a step forward. "Exactly. You're not trying to help. That makes you easy shields for the Mafia—or worse, part of their plan."
Elias's voice rose again. "You don't get it! You think I haven't had nightmares every night thinking if I die, she dies too?"
Calla placed a hand on his arm. He was shaking.
"We're not your enemy," she said, looking around the circle. "If anything… we're the most honest pair here. Unlike the ones hiding knives behind smiles."
That silenced some. Others looked away.
But he wasn't done.
"I don't care how poetic that sounds," he sneered. "This isn't about feelings. This is war. And in war, you cut away the liabilities."
"I'm not a liability!" Elias shouted, his voice suddenly sharp. "You want someone to blame, fine! But if you get me and Calla killed, you'll lose two innocents. And the Mafia? They'll cheer you on while doing it!"
His words echoed.
Silence fell.
For a moment, no one spoke. The weight of decisions—of lives—rested heavily in the room.
I didn't speak either.
I was watching. Learning. And I realized something…
He started the blame on both of them, out of nowhere… This could be part of the plan to create chaos… As if they are watching us carefully on what to do…
The room fell into a tense silence.
Eyes flicked between the Lovers—Calla and Elias—and him, the one who stirred the storm.
He stood tall even in the face of everyone's stares. He wasn't afraid. Not exactly arrogant either—just confident. As if convinced that he had done the right thing.
But suspicion is louder than reason.
When the time came, the votes were cast.
One by one.
No whispers now. Just decisive clicks, quiet nods, and cold calculation.
When the last vote was in, the screen above flickered.
[Voting Results]
Total Players: 24
Total Votes Cast: 21
Player with Majority Votes: Thorne Delven
Role: Lawyer – Civilian Team
Gasps filled the room. Even I was stunned.
A Lawyer?
That role had barely been discussed. Most of us didn't even know how it worked. Some whispered that a Lawyer could redirect suspicion.
But it didn't matter now.
The screen pulsed again.
"Due to the Lawyer's card ability, he cannot be voted out directly."
Murmurs rose. Eyes widened. Elias leaned forward.
"What the hell…?"
A brief pause—then the screen shifted again.
"However… This round, his card ability has been blocked."
"Voting result: Thorne Delven has been eliminated."
The silence was suffocating.
A low mechanical wire echoed from beneath his seat. Locks clicked around the legs of the chair. The floor hummed like something was charging up.
He didn't resist. He didn't even flinch.
Just muttered under his breath, "FUCK! This shouldn't supposed to happen."
Then lights came off.
A deafening BANG! Cracked through the pitch-black.
When the lights returned—
The chair was empty.
No body.
Only blood.
Just an unsettling stillness hanging in the air.
Someone whispered, "W-Where did he go…?"
Another backed away slowly, clutching their chest.
And me?
I watched the vacant chair and felt a chill crawl up my spine. Whoever blocked his ability… it was part of the plan to get him killed.
The more I deduce the information the more I realize its common sense an ability to block abilities should be the hostess.
I pulled out my phone and typed quickly.
To: Kara
"Meet me beside the Japanese restaurant. Urgent. Don't let anyone see you."
To: Selene
"Private meeting. 3 of us. Japanese restaurant. Back area."
Both replied within seconds.
Kara:"On my way."
Selene:"Copy. I'll slip out now."
Ten minutes later, beneath the flickering red lanterns of the worn-down Japanese place near the east wing, we quietly slipped into a narrow side hall. At the very end was a door, half-hidden behind a bamboo curtain. I slid it open to reveal a private karaoke room—dim, cramped, just enough space for three or four people. The lights inside were low and tinted with a hazy violet glow. Perfect.
Kara leaned against the far wall, silent, analytical.
Selene flopped onto the cushioned bench, her hood still over her head, eyes sharp.
I didn't waste time.
"I think I know who blocked Thorne's card ability."
Selene sat up straighter. Kara shifted slightly.
"Who?" Selene asked, voice tight.
I locked eyes with them both.
"The Hostess."
Kara's eyes narrowed. Selene blinked, confused.
"Think about it," I said. "She tried to seduce me. Out of nowhere. It wasn't subtle—no lead-up, no games. That's when it hit me: seduction isn't just a distraction. It's an ability. A second card skill."
Kara folded her arms. "Like a trigger. If her seduction works, she disables your card."
"Exactly," I nodded. "And if Thorne's card was the Lawyer someone who couldn't be voted out—then the only way to bypass that immunity is to disable it."
"That would explain everything," Selene murmured. "She acts so openly. Like she has nothing to fear."
"She's not just a flirt," I added. "She's a calculated operator. Weaponizing intimacy as a strategic block. Anyone who lets their guard down becomes exposed. It's quite broken don't you think to have 2 skill in 1 card."
They both agreed.
Kara's jaw clenched. "And if her seduction works every time, she could silence any civilian skill."
"She's a scalpel," I said. "Precise. Quiet. But lethal."
Selene leaned forward, her tone hard. "And we can't afford to let her near anyone else. Not with her freely roaming around."
I nodded. "We're fighting an information war. They have a structure and she's one of their key pieces. The moment Thorne was neutralized, we lost one of our few people and even probably it was all the seduction skill to manipulate him to make a false blame on the lovers."
"And no one even noticed," Kara added coldly.
Selene looked between us. "We need to flip the board before they do. If the Hostess is seducing people to block their skills, while also gathering intel then we need to know who her next target is."
I paused. "And we need to keep her away from both of you."
Selene tilted her head. "You said she tried to seduce you. Did it… work?"
I met her eyes. "No. It didn't I was able to resist it. I don't know how but probably it was due to my mental fortitude"
Kara gave a small smirk. "Lucky us."
The three of us sat there in silence for a beat.
We just had to stay one move ahead.