Beatrice's heart thumped hard, her eyes locked on the glowing underscores hovering in the air.
The first game was exciting, however not without risk, and this one felt even more tension building.
She glanced at Dante, his violet eyes glinting with that same unreadable calm, a faint smirk on his lips like he was savoring the moment.
It was clear he enjoy these games, it made her wonder what kind of Negative emotions was strong enough to create a being like him.
"Alright." She said, her voice steady despite the knot in her chest. "Hangman. Simple enough. I guess a letter, right?"
Dante tilted his head, his shadow still unnaturally long, curling across the floor. "Yap. Just like that. You guess a letter, and if it is in the word, it'll show up. If not… He trailed off, his smirk widening. "Then it will be my turn, we continue like this until the word becomes apparent and clear."
Virgil's mechanical voice cut through the air, smooth and impartial, as he further explains the game in a more detail way.
[Letter guesses are limited. Six incorrect guesses, and the game ends. The word will be revealed, and the loser will be determined. A winner is decided when they have properly guess the word]
Beatrice's brow furrowed. "Six wrong guesses? That's it?" She had played Hangman as a kid with her mom and some school mates before, and it wasn't like this, doodling stick figures on paper with her siblings, laughing when someone lost an arm or a leg. But here, in this dreamlike realm with Dante's or D as she knows him, hosting the game, and Virgil who was imitating her voice being the secondary admin of this game and the weight of her existence on the line as a wager, the simplicity felt like a trap.
"Seems fair." Dante said, leaning back in his chair, one leg crossed lazily over the other. "You go first, Lady Beatrice. Pick a letter."
She hesitated, her mind racing. A six-letter word, that could many and anything within the confines of words six letters. The only good news here is the fact that the word in question is something both of them would know. But like before that could be anything, her world, his world, some shared fragment of memory. Her siblings faces flickered in her mind again, their smug grins, the way they would always mocked her for being the "ordinary" one as if normalization is a sin punishable by death.
In her case it was, but then and again with D appearing in her life the way he did, ironically it was game changer.
Beatrice's heart thudded, her eyes fixed on the glowing underscores hovering in the air as she prepare to speak. "Okay" She said, exhaling sharply. "Let us start with… S."
The underscores remained unchanged. No S. Virgil's mechanical voice hummed.
[Incorrect guess. Five incorrect guesses remain remain for Player Beatrice before she is eliminated]
A chill rippled through her heart,the, as Beatrice's stomach twisted, but she shook it off. "Alright." She muttered. "Your turn, D."
Dante chuckled, fingers tapping lazily against his chin. "Bold start. I'll go with… I."
And like Beatrice, the same thing happen to him.
_ _ _ _ _ _
[Incorrect guess. Five incorrect guesses remain remain for Player D, before he is eliminated]
"Tsk... Bummer." Dante said while scratching his head.
Beatrice's lips twitched upward, as she makes her next guess."I will go with Y on this one."
And finally the first letter on the board appeared.
_ _ _ _ _ Y
[Correct guess. The word is updated]
"YYYYY.... Really Y... that such a losing letter though, ahhh still nice one Beatrice." Dante said, his tone light but his gaze sharp, like a predator sizing her up. "My go. Let try… E."
The word updated further.
_ E _ _ _ Y
Virgil's voice hummed again.
[Correct guess. The word is updated]
Beatrice's pulse quickened. Two letters down. "Not bad." She said, her voice steadier. "You're keeping up, D."
His smirk widened. "Oh, I am just getting started, Lady Beatrice. Focus on the game, I don't know about you but I hate losing more than anything else."
She bit her lip, her fingers brushing the mark on her arm. Something we both know… ha.... hmmm Alright." she said, I will go with R."
[Incorrect guess. Four incorrect guesses remain]
The tension of the game grew heavier, the glowing underscores flickering as if mocking her
"Bummer... Fine Your move." She said, her tone defiant. Dante leaned forward, as he spoke. "Let's see how about N."
[Incorrect guess. Three incorrect guesses remain]
"Damittttttt.... She cried out.
"Patience." Dante replied, his eyes glinting. "It is all about timing, as soon as more than half the letters on the board you can more than make out the word."She glared at him, then turned back to the word _ E _ _ _ Y four letters left. 'Hmmm could it be!?' Beatrice said to herself, if that is the case then it must be that word. "My next word is P."
[Correct guess. The word is updated]
_ E P _ _ Y
Beatrice's eyes widened. Three letter left. The word was so close, and she already knew what it was.
However that also applied to Dante.
"Virgil." He said, his voice smooth but commanding. "Can I guess the full word?"
Virgil's voice hummed, calm and impartial.
[A full word guess is permitted. If correct, the game ends in the guessing player's favor. If incorrect, the guessing player is eliminated]
Beatrice's breath caught, her eyes narrowing. "You're that confident?"
Dante's smirk returned, a glint of certainty in his eyes. "No stop gaslighting me, I know you know it too, it is common sense at this poiy. I'm guessing… DEPUTY."
The underscores flared, letters filling in one by one, glowing stark white.
D E P U T Y
[The word is revealed: DEPUTY. Participant D has guessed the full word. Dante wins]
"..." Beatrice look scratching her head and said. "Man fuck the timing."