Chapter 5: Episode 1 – The Game Will Begin (4)

Transparent messages hovered through the air, displaying lines of text that made the two women stop at their feet. 

Maria was frozen when she saw this. She glanced to her side to see Amelie standing still, pure curiosity was scribbled on her face. Maria couldn't believe it and looked back at the message, her eyes staring at it in disbelief.

Was she still dreaming?

Her gaze shifted to the two men who had just left the bathroom, seeing them also put on the same shocked and confused expressions as her.

Similar floating messages also appeared in front of them. Maria felt anxious but took a deep breath to calm herself. Her confusion soon dissipated as she read the message again.

[The Game will begin in 37 Hours!]

[The 48th Apocalypse will soon Arrive!]

[And the Time of Play has Come!]

[Players, Welcome to the Game of Survival!]

Game of Survival...? 

Amelie lifted her hand to touch the holographic text. Maria expected her hand to go through, but instead, it disappeared after coming into contact with it. Amelie was slightly startled at this, but soon calmed down and looked at the others. 

The three people replicated Amelie's actions and received the same result. It vanished from thin air with sparks following behind.

"Am I hallucinating?" Amelie asked, whipping her head around with uneasy eyes. "Or did you just see what I saw?" 

Maria stared into nothing, clearly confused as her.

"I..." She stopped and thought for a moment.

Did everyone receive the same message or was it just us?

"I don't know," Maria murmured, her brows furrowing. She looked behind and saw the two men snap from their daze.

Zack was the first to move before Nick followed. The two walked towards the two women while gulping. Both of them had spooked looks on their faces, but they tried to remain calm.

Once they appeared beside the two women, they all looked at each other in silence before turning to walk.

They were quiet as they walked into the empty hallway, wearing calm faces while acting as if nothing had happened. Maria wanted to deny what they saw, but looking at her friends' mixed reactions made her think otherwise.

Maria couldn't believe it. No one could. 

Why did those messages appear? Why did it look so familiar? Does it connect to those notifications she had received earlier? Maria was confused and felt her heart tremble slightly. 

Did she exactly read it right? The last message...

"No!" She immediately denied it through her head. "There were some similarities, sure, but it's impossible. Of course it was, there's no way."

And, how can she be so sure she wasn't hallucinating? Just seeing things? Or she was still dreaming? Floating messages that came out of nowhere were unreal! How can Maria be so sure she wasn't just tired and seeing things? 

There was denial in her thoughts the longer she ruminated. Questions rose from the depths of her mind that needed to be asked. She needed to consider other possibilities before jumping to conclusions. 

Right now, she had a question she wanted to ask her friends about.

Maria looked at the calm expressions of the three people again. Her mouth opened after finally collecting her thoughts, "This morning, did any of you encounter anything strange or something similar to that message?"

After all, holographic messages were usually sci-fi-related in movies. She also wanted to hear their thoughts.

No one spoke at first as they continued to walk inside the large hallway.

It was expected. No one wanted to answer, so she waited.

By the time they reached Amelie's class, Zack came to a stop and looked at them with a stern face. He pulled out a replica of the portable USB Maria also had, although it seems to be in a damaged condition while a yellow line had been drawn into the black casing.

"At first, I wasn't sure what to say." He said, looking at the three people with uneasy eyes. "But I've made up my mind. Someone around in their mid-thirties with a large scar gave me this USB. I don't know why though."

Nick's eyes widened when he saw the small drive. With frantic movements, he opened his bag and took out another USB. This time, it was in better shape compared to Zack's. It was drawn using a green marker, forming the capital letter 'G.'

"A young boy had thrown this to me." He said, looking a bit embarrassed. "He wished me good luck before wandering back into the city along with the people."

If those two had gotten the same USB, then does that mean Amelie also has one?

Maria turned to look at her best friend, waiting for her to speak. She looked back at them, her lips curved into a frown, and an unreadable expression displayed across her face. Amelie seemed to be thinking and looked at Maria with deep eyes.

The two men looked at Maria first. She didn't speak and pulled out the USB from her pocket, confirming their thoughts. They averted their attention to Amelie and noticed her expression.

Nick remained quiet while Zack queried, "Amelie, Do you also have one?"

"I don't have one," She quickly responded. "I didn't bump into anyone who gave me any USB when I was meeting up with Maria."

Nick was skeptical and asked again, "Are you sure? You're not trying to hide anything from us?"

She remained indifferent and tilted her head. There was no trace of lie or anxiety on her face and she really did seem to be telling the truth.

Amelie walked towards the door of her room and stared at it, a sigh escaping from her nostrils.

Maria knew Amelie wasn't the type to lie but was she really empty-handed? Did something happen when entering the alley? Maria looked at Amelie with doubt. 

"Let's talk about this later," She said, looking at the clock hanging from the hallway. "I have no idea what those messages mean or why we received them, but my class starts in ten minutes."

With a glimpse, Maria saw her cold eyes staring intently at her. It might've been unintentional that she gave her such a cold gaze, but Maria couldn't help but feel goosebumps over her body.

Amelie enters the room with a 'good morning' and closes the door behind her, leaving the three in silence. They all looked at each other nervously before the two men had their eyes pinned on Maria.

"What's wrong with her today?" Nick wondered, scratching his nape. "It's not like her to lie, especially if it's something this serious and weird."

Zack bit his lips and asked, "Why would you think she's lying? She looks serious to me."

"You think she isn't? Come on, it was clearly obvious she was. She has one, I just know it." Nick stated firmly and asked. "Maria, you also think she's lying too, right?"

Maria was quiet as the two men looked at her. Her only response was a shrug.

Does she really have one? Or is there something else she found closely related to the USB?

✦ ✧ ✦ ✧ ✦

Maria walked in the crowded streets of the city, being bumped and crammed by people as cars drove through the roads. She stood near the road where the traffic light was hanging from the wires, flashing bright red.

After the conversation they just had, Maria soon left the college with a bitter taste in her mouth.

Remembering her friend's sudden glare, it felt like hundreds of ice cubes were placed behind her back.

She couldn't help but blurt out, "It's always the nice ones that are really scary..." 

A few nosy people stared at her when they heard her mumbling, but they quickly looked away.

Cars were driving around the roads and thick smoke was permeating the air. Maria was standing in the middle of the crowd, patiently waiting for the red light to change.

Each second passed and more and more people started gathering around her. Most of them were office workers while some were students wearing casual outfits.

While it was Saturday, it was still a busy day in Quezon City. Adults were continuously working hard to earn money, young people were enjoying their youth, and some were just strolling around in their free time, enjoying the rare sun.

The red lights slowly went from orange to green in an instant. Cars stopped and citizens began walking.

Maria walked near in front while she held tightly onto her smartphone. She was browsing through a fantasy novel she had been reading since her first year of college when she heard chattering among the people she was walking with.

"I heard about that news as well," A young woman said, her purse swaying from her shoulders.

"Poor child. I can't believe the man had done that." Another woman who looked fairly older with wrinkles added.

"It was said that the father began robbing at the age of seventeen to support his family." She continued speaking. "Now that he's thirty years old... he continued to steal anyways. Cars, food, money, and even jewelry."

Maria had also heard that news last night while watching TV with Amelie. It was about a robber who had been wanted for the past decade finally being caught. A father with a 19-year-old son. It was said that the son ran away after his father got caught.

"The son must be devastated. He only had his father and now that he's arrested..." The old lady didn't continue, but the young woman resumed speaking.

"He would likely be adopted. Would he still be adopted though? He's already in college, it's most likely he wouldn't. People prefer adopting younger children."

It was normal to hear people gossip, but hearing their words made Maria furrow her brows.

Shouldn't they mind their own business?

Then, just as her thoughts had been heard, someone spoke from behind them.

"Excuse me?"

Maria glanced back and saw a man standing next to the two ladies. The two women turned and saw the man looking at them.

"You know it's very rude to talk about someone behind their backs, right? Especially in a public place."

The two women's faces turned red with embarrassment at his comment.

People looked at them silently, agreeing with the man through mumbles and hums. The two women whispered to each other before quickening their pace, hoping to get away from the crowd as soon as possible. 

People curiously looked at the glasses man. He only smiled and continued to walk. Maria was walking in front of him and felt a little better now that those two women left.

Maria entered the lane and looked at her surroundings.

There were tall buildings with over seven floors on both sides of the street, a few stores selling clothes and shoes on one side, and famous restaurants full of people on the other.

While walking, Maria felt a hand pull her back. She turned her head to see the same man with glasses from earlier.

"Hello," The man said, his glasses revealing his deep, black eyes.

"Uhm... Hi?" Maria responded back, confused.

The glasses man looked at her with a smile. "Do you still remember me, Maria?"

Huh? He knows my name?

Maria thought for about a minute while staring at his face. He looked fairly older than Maria and had a mole under his left cheek. Maria squinted her eyes and a name popped up.

"Liam! Liam Veloso!"

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That's right! No wonder he looked familiar!

Liam Veloso. He was an upperclassman from Maria's school whom she became friends with. He was an upperclassman Maria had always looked up to.

Seeing him now, he had changed quite a bit. He had smooth black hair that was cut short. He had slightly tanner skin and a sharper jawline.

"I'm glad you remembered me," He flashed a smile.

"Wow, how long has it been?"

He had grown quite tall since the last time they met up. She remembered how he was only an inch tall compared to Maria. Now he was about maybe two heads taller than her.

"I'm guessing... probably eight years?"

Maria was only 27 while he was already 34 years old.

They walked together on the crowded sidewalks, the silence wrapping around them like a snake. It had been way too long since they had last talked, so they didn't know what to say.

Watching her surroundings, Maria had finally reached a McDonald's Fast Food Restaurant. Just across it was a Jollibee Restaurant.

"It's been a while since I last saw you by the way," He said, trying to dissolve the awkward silence surrounding them. "The last time I saw you was when you still had long hair!"

"Yeah, it felt a little too hot to grow my hair out," She said, putting away her phone. "You seem to be doing well."

It's also been five years since he graduated from college. Judging by his neat suit, he must've been working at an office.

They strolled past a few people and went inside McDonald's.

"How are you doing these days? I heard you worked as a teacher at a high school before suddenly quitting." Liam waited for Maria while she was placing her order.

"Yes, teaching and managing kids was fun, but I decided to quit and switch to other jobs." 

Maria ordered a piece of chicken with spaghetti along with coke. After handing her money to the cashier, she turned to look at her senior. He seemed to be focused on his phone while making a sour face.

Once he saw her looking at him, he quickly hid his phone and gave her a weak smile.

"Good for you, if only I could quit my job that easily," He let out a deep sigh. "If I could quit my job, I'd probably look for a job as a bartender!"

"A bartender?"

Serving cocktails and drinks for people? Usually, a bar would be full of people and parties. Maria couldn't imagine working in an environment like that, let alone Liam himself. But he was her senior and they weren't that close back in school, so she really didn't know much about him.

Liam asked with triumph in his tone, "Yeah! What about you, Maria? What dream job do you have?"

"I don't think I have a dream job to begin with." It was a bit sad but true. Maria just wanted to make a living and have no regrets in life. 

Maria was already working in a café shop. Even though it wasn't too special to be proud of, it was still fun working at a café and the atmosphere was very relaxing. Should she tell him about that?

"Looks like your order is up," Liam pointed out. 

A waiter came to their table and handed Maria her order as well as her spare change. Maria thanked the worker and picked up her paper bag, the scent of chicken wafting on her nose. After picking up her order, the two immediately left the restaurant and strolled around the crowded streets.

"How are you doing these days?" Liam asked curiously. 

"Fine, nothing bad at least."

She tried to forget about the strange occurrences that happened to her this morning to get on with her day. Even though it was possible, she had to remain optimistic, even if she didn't want to.

Liam pointed his finger toward a jeep that recently stopped in front of a retail store. He looked at his watch before letting out a deep sigh, explaining to her that he was an hour late.

Without waiting for Maria to speak, he began explaining why he was an hour late. Though she didn't ask, she listened to him anyway. 

He had to ride two jeeps to get to work, calculating the time he had, he had to travel for an hour or more before arriving at his workplace. He was now on his way to ride his second jeep and felt tired.

"Troubling," Maria replied and looked at her phone. "Oh, I need to go. I also have work today."

Liam seemed surprised as he asked, "What? You also have work?"

Didn't she mention that she switched jobs? 

"Forget about it," Maria told him. She needed to hurry to work or else she'll get scolded by her boss again. 

Liam didn't seem all that curious anyway and began complaining about his boss. Maria took in a deep breath while forcing herself to smile.

Well, this isn't anything new anyways.

It had always been like this. Maria often listened to people's problems, she was someone you'd call a listener.

During her school days, people would find her not because they wanted to be friends, but because they wanted someone to listen to them. Even if Maria wasn't good at giving advice, she enjoyed listening to others. It gave her a sense of responsibility. The idea of being trusted enough to talk about one's personal problems, it made Maria happy. 

But soon, Maria grew tired of it. She listened to others but no one did the same for her. Nobody listened whenever she had problems. It was always about them, not her. Eventually, Maria got used to it. Up until now, she continued to listen to Liam's ramble about his boss.

She was that one friend that's always there to listen, but also that friend who has no one to listen to them.

Even if she had her friends, Maria had doubts about their friendship.

I remember Millie and the others telling me that it was fine to rant to them when I need to... but I wonder if they're just pitying me after returning from the hospital. 

Maria let out a deep sigh.

No, they aren't like that, especially Millie and Angela. 

She pushed back her negative thoughts and continued to listen to Liam. It was enough to distract her from what happened this morning. 

After talking for a while, the two parted ways and bid their goodbyes. The road Maria walked on was less busy and her eyes were fixated on her phone. The same notification lingered around the corner of her screen, waiting to be opened. Just seeing the notification made it impossible for Maria to forget the sudden messages that appeared before.

It was obvious that it was related to the strange notification from her phone as well as the mysterious woman that gave her the USB.

While walking along the road, Maria spotted a line of tricycles parked from the side of the street. It was common seeing tricycles parked on some of these roads. It was to ride a tricycle since she was alone, a jeep might've been cheaper but around this time, it would've been full of people by now. And Maria didn't like crowded spaces. 

Thus, Maria made her way toward the parked tricycles and saw the drivers sulking near a food stall. She was about to call out for one when she felt a throbbing pain coming from her head.

It was a pain that felt familiar yet it couldn't be tolerated. Like a mix of headache, migraine, tension, and cluster as Maria felt hazy.

Her eyes blurred and her legs felt numb. 

Thud!

Maria's body fell forward to the sidewalk, her stomach laying down on the concrete pavement. She looked around to see people walking past her walking around as if they couldn't see her.

She rolled her body to lie on her back, but her expression stiffened when looking up at her surroundings. 

The sky became dark, black clouds covered the atmosphere. It wasn't the sky that made Maria scared stiff, it was the people that passed by. The people that walked by didn't have a face, not a single facial feature could be seen, they were just... faceless. These weren't humans.

Maria didn't know what was happening. She opened her mouth to shout or scream, but...

"...!"

She tried to shout, but her mouth couldn't utter a single word. She felt her heart beating fast, faster than it should have.

Maria counted the rate of her heartbeat, a glacial feeling tingling throughout her lying body, making her even more terrified and anxious.

"!!!"

Thump! Thump! Thump!

Her heart rate was beating 200 beats per minute!

Fuck!

She grunted with pain.

Throb!

Her head suddenly felt as if it was hit by a frying pan!

The throbbing along with a sharp pain made her extremely dizzy. There was endless ringing in her ears and Maria felt her fingers tremble.

She tried getting up from the dirty sidewalk she was laying on, but her entire body couldn't even be lifted, like gravity was holding onto her, preventing her from leaving the concrete ground.

Faceless people continued to walk past her, some even went through her, as if she was nothing but formed atoms. The cold, tingling sensation of being walked through made Maria shiver. It was like a ghost had walked through her.

Ping! Ping!

[You have been Selected to Participate in an Event!]

[The Main Event (Player Selection) will now Commence!]

[Currently Selecting Black Tower...]

An Event? Player Selection...?

Her vision slowly went dark, a rush of pain running through her limbs as she felt the strength quickly leave her body. Maria's mind was spinning and she felt her heart rate slowing down every second.

It felt like death for a moment.

Please, let this all be a dream and that I'll wake up soon...

Then, closing her eyes, her conscience soon drifted away.

[Black Tower Selected!] 

[The Black Tower (No.3) has Now Opened up for the Selected Players!]

[Currently Processing Data...] 

[Data Entered Successfully!]

[Now Entering the Tower...]

[You have Entered the Black Tower of Nightmares!]

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