*Cafeteria*
Miles, Renny, and Renzo sat slouched at a worn-out table, snacks scattered between them. The atmosphere was heavy with tension, though they tried to mask it with casual chatter.
Renzo broke the silence, breaking a piece of his cookie.
"What do you think about this whole commotion?" he asked, glancing between Miles and Renny.
Miles shrugged, unbothered.
"Just some dumbahh prank. People overthinking." His voice was careless, but there was a hint of unease beneath it.
Renny, munching on his chips, shook his head.
"Yeah, but Aster died though… for real." His tone was more serious, the reality hitting harder now.
Renzo crossed his arms, his eyes narrowing.
"Not my problem." He leaned back, indifferent.
Renny glanced around before lowering his voice.
"How about Raya though? Haven't seen her since Joel died."
Miles snorted with a smirk.
"Probably sucking off his dead d**k." His words were crude, making Renzo quickly grab a lollipop and throw it at him.
"Ew, bruh, the fuck?" Renzo muttered, swatting the candy off his shoulder.
Renzo stood, grabbing his bag. He shot a smirk at both.
"Ha. Either way, you two better keep your votes safe for me." He paused at the door, turning back."Would also vote for the two of you." With that, he stepped out, leaving a bitter silence behind.
---
*Hallway*
Kelly paced back and forth, nervously biting her lip.
"Why can't we just try to leave?" she asked, frustration thick in her voice.
Lucas, leaning against the wall, shook his head.
"Only when the game starts can we not leave floor three. Otherwise... I believe we can try."
"Yeah, let's try that," Lucas said, determination creeping into his voice.
"But what if it doesn't work?" Mao's voice was hesitant as she walked in, joining them.
Kelly turned to Mao, voice softening.
"Mao..."
"We'd never know if we don't try," Lucas replied firmly.
Mao nodded reluctantly.
"It's risky. We've tried everything_phones, services, no signal anywhere. If it's that bad, how do you think_"
Before she could finish, someone suddenly shoved past Mao.
Kelly stumbled, losing her balance as she tumbled backward, falling down the stairs,leaving floor 3.
*Gasps filled the air.*
"RAYA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!" someone screamed.
Kelly hit the ground hard, a sickening crack echoing as her arm bent unnaturally.
"Ouch… fuck," she groaned, pain flooding her voice.
No one dared rush to her. Fear gripped them, frozen by what might happen if they got involved.Kelly's head snapped up, her eyes wide but strange_bleeding from the corners, as if struggling with something inside her. Her neck twisted sharply with a loud snap.
The hallway fell silent, except for Lucas, who collapsed to the floor, shaking.
"I... agreed... to join her before," he stammered, voice barely audible.
One voice whispered in horror,
"Raya is a monster."
Another questioned,
"Is she an emperor?"
Raya's cold gaze met Mao's surprised one before she turned and walked away without a word.
Kelly lay still—dead.
*The studio room was dim, a soft hum from the dusty equipment the only sound, broken by the sudden shrill of a phone ringing.*
Sal flinched, her heart leaping. She stared at the old rotary phone fixed to the corner of the wall_where no one had seen it working in years.
It kept ringing.
Ken stepped back from the disconnected console. "That's not possible."
Sal hesitated, then stepped forward and slowly picked up the receiver.
"Hello?" she said.
"Hello? Who is this?"
Only static replied—crackling, distorted, like something trying to speak from underwater. Then came a soft, breathy wheeze, almost like someone exhaling through broken lungs. Her blood ran cold.
"Hello—?!"
*Click.*
The line went dead.
Ken turned the console over. The wire was clearly *cut.*
"Sal…" he said, showing it to her. "That phone isn't connected to anything."
Sal dropped the receiver. Her face had gone pale. "Then… how did it ring?"
Suddenly, the speakers above them crackled to life again.
*"Kelly has died. Kelly was a villager."*
Both of them jerked at the announcement. Then, the door slammed open.
"Sal! Ken!" Jesse burst into the room, panting. "Raya—Raya pushed Kelly! She just shoved her down the stairs!"
"What?!" Ken was already moving toward the door. Jesse caught his arm.
"She just *walked away* after. No remorse. Nothing. Kelly… she—she didn't even scream when she hit the ground. Just went quiet."
Sal's eyes widened in horror. "Where is she now?"
"She left. No one knows where."
Ken didn't wait. "Let's go."
**
*Scene: Stairwell – Hallway*
The hallway was tense and overcrowded, students lining the walls, muttering in fear. A few were crying softly. At the base of the stairwell, someone had draped a school blazer over Kelly's body. Blood stained the floor in dark patches. Her broken wrist was still visible, twisted unnaturally.
Mao stood near the railing, his expression distant, arms crossed over his chest.
Lucas was seated against the wall, his face pale, hands trembling as he rocked slightly.
Ken pushed through the students. "Where is she?!"
"She left," someone said quickly. "She just walked away."
Sal stopped at the top of the stairs, frozen by the sight. "This… this is getting worse."
"She didn't even blink," a student whispered. "No hesitation."
Mao finally spoke, his voice flat. "It wasn't random. Kelly wanted to try leaving the building. I warned her."
"She just...she pushed Kelly! And now her neck is_god…" Jesse shuddered, pressing her palms to her face as the memory replayed.
"Where is Raya?" Ken asked.
"Gone," Mao replied softly. "Walked off after Kelly dropped… like nothing happened."
Ken clenched his fists. "Then she's likely one of the emperors. We have to vote her out tonight."
"Do we even have enough votes?" Sal asked. "People are scared. No one wants to be next."
Ken looked around the hallway. "Then we rally those who still have some sense. We expose her before she gets another kill in."
Meanwhile, at the *other end of the building*, Raya stood in the music room, fingers gently playing a soft piano note, alone.
"That should be enough..for me to join my Joel"
She whispered, tears dropped.