Hide and Seek

As the last of them stepped through the threshold, a bitter chill swept over them. The transition was instant—the sterile interior of the trial room replaced by a vast, artificial snowfield. Harsh winds howled through the air, sending a flurry of snowflakes dancing across the landscape. The temperature had plummeted to well below zero, their breath now visible in the freezing air.

"Tch… they really don't want to make this easy," Rik muttered, pulling his coat tighter around himself.

Rebecca shivered, rubbing her hands together. "Survival isn't just about avoiding the seeker anymore. If we don't find shelter soon, the cold alone might take us out."

The snowy expanse stretched far into the distance, lined with jagged ice formations and patches of thick forest. Scattered buildings, worn and half-buried beneath layers of frost, hinted at possible hiding places—but also potential traps.

Emily scanned the horizon, her voice tense. "We need to move. Standing here makes us easy targets."

Mira smirked, eyes glinting. "Oh? Are you scared already?"

"I'm being realistic," Emily shot back. "And you should be too. We don't even know who's hunting us."

A deep, eerie silence followed her words. The weight of the unknown pressed on them all.

Away from the others, Rizman, Sarah, and Hakim trudged through the thick snow, their bodies already feeling the strain of the freezing temperatures.

Hakim exhaled, watching as his breath curled into the air. He tightened his grip on his emblem, feeling the cold metal against his palm. "Then let's make a plan before it's too late."

"So what's the plan you wanted to talk about?" Sarah asked, pulling her scarf tighter around her face.

"We can't just sit around and hide the whole time," Rizman said, his breath fogging up in the frigid air. "If we do that, we're just waiting to be picked off."

Hakim nodded. "We need an advantage. The rules mentioned sub-objectives—if we can find one, it might increase our chances of survival."

Sarah frowned. "But we have no clue where to start looking. This place is massive."

"True," Rizman admitted, scanning the icy landscape. "But staying put isn't an option. We move quickly, search for any clues, and if we're lucky, we might get something that helps us."

Hakim tightened his gloves and glanced toward the distant structures. "Then let's not waste time. The longer we wait, the closer the seeker gets."

With that, the three of them pushed forward, disappearing into the snowstorm in search of their only hope—an edge in a game designed for them to fail.

About half an hour had passed since the three of them began moving through the snowstorm.

"How much longer until we reach the sub-objective?" Sarah asked.

"I'm not sure, but I think there's something ahead of us," Hakim said, pointing at a small cabin with light glowing from inside.

"Huh? A cabin? And it's lit?" Rizman said. "Does that mean someone is inside?"

"Hmm… maybe. How about we go check it out?" Sarah suggested.

Without hesitation, the three of them quickly moved toward the cabin. Snow crunched beneath their boots as Hakim, Rizman, and Sarah pushed through the storm, their movements slow but determined. The flickering light from the cabin's window was like a beacon amidst the relentless whiteout, promising warmth—or danger.

As they neared the wooden structure, Rizman hesitated. "If someone's already inside, does that mean they got here first? What if they're not friendly?"

Sarah exhaled, rubbing her arms. "We don't have much choice. We need shelter, and standing out here is a death sentence."

Hakim nodded, stepping forward. "Let's at least see who's inside."

With cautious steps, they approached the door. Rizman reached for the handle, exchanging glances with the others before slowly pushing it open. Inside, the warm glow of lanterns cast long shadows against the wooden walls. The heat from a small fireplace spread through the space, thawing the icy stiffness in their limbs.

And then, they saw them. Rebecca, Rik, Emily, Yao, and Mira were already there, their expressions shifting between relief and suspicion as the newcomers entered.

"Finally," Rebecca said, arms crossed. "We were starting to wonder if anyone else would show up.

"Rik leaned against the wall, his eyes sharp. "How long have you been wandering out there?"

"Too long," Hakim muttered, shutting the door behind him. He glanced at the others, then at the cabin itself. "You guys found this place fast."

Emily nodded. "We got lucky. Stumbled across it early on and decided it was our best shot at survival."

Sarah removed her gloves and sighed. "And? Any sign of the seeker?" A tense silence followed. Mira smirked from where she was seated on a crate. "No. But that doesn't mean we're safe."

Yao, who had been unusually quiet, finally spoke. "The question is… do we stay together or split up? Because if the seeker finds us all in one place, it'll be game over."

Hakim's jaw tightened. He knew Yao was right. Hiding together meant warmth and security—but also risk. And then there was the unspoken thought hanging in the air.

A thick tension hung in the air, heavier than the cold outside. The crackling fire did little to ease the creeping unease settling into the group.

"What if the seeker was already in the cabin with us?" Sarah's voice cut through the silence, her sharp gaze sweeping over the others.

"Let's not think about that right now," Hakim interjected, his tone firm. "If the seeker is one of us, they won't dare make a move while we're together."

"Are you sure about that?" Rik scoffed, adjusting his scarf. "Because that sounds like wishful thinking to me."

Rebecca leaned forward, arms crossed. "If we start doubting each other now, we'll just make it easier for the seeker to pick us off."

"That's assuming they plan to play it slow," Yao muttered, eyes narrowed. "If I were the seeker, I'd strike fast while no one expects it. "A shiver ran down Emily's spine, though she wasn't sure if it was from the cold or the paranoia creeping in. She took a slow breath, steadying herself. "Wait a second… aren't we missing someone?"

The group exchanged glances. Sarah furrowed her brow. "Yeah. There should be nine of us. But I only count eight. "

A beat of silence. Emily's head snapped up, scanning the room. "Where's Eliza?"

Mira, who had been sitting casually on a crate, smirked. "Relax. She just went to the toilet before you guys got here."

Another wave of silence followed. "Alone?" Rik asked, his voice unreadable.

Mira simply shrugged. "Obviously. You want me to hold her hand?"

Rebecca exhaled, rubbing her temples. "Alright, let's not panic. She probably just needed a moment alone. But until she gets back, we can't afford to drop our guard."

Sarah shifted uncomfortably. "So what do we do now?"

Hakim took a deep breath. "How about we keep ourselves awake. We can't afford to lose to the seeker."

"It's not effective that way. Some of us can rotate the turn of awake. We need everyone to rest. Because tomorrow is going to be the harsh day." Mira said. Hakim hesitated, considering Mira's words. The logic made sense—exhaustion would only make them vulnerable. But something about the idea of sleeping, even in shifts, felt dangerous.

"She has a point," Rebecca agreed, adjusting her posture. "If we stay up all night, we'll be sluggish tomorrow. We need to be sharp."

Rizman crossed his arms, still unconvinced. "And what if the seeker strikes while we sleep?"

Mira smirked. "Then we'll just have to trust each other, won't we?" A heavy silence followed.

"Fine," Yao finally said, rubbing his temples. "But we set up a system. Two people awake at all times, switching every few hours."

"I'll take first watch," Rik offered, stretching his arms. "Not tired anyway."

"I'll stay up too," Sarah said quickly. "I don't think I could sleep right now even if I wanted to."

Hakim glanced toward the fire, watching the flames flicker. "Alright. The rest of us will sleep in shifts, but let's be smart about it. If anyone hears or sees something off, wake everyone immediately."

The group murmured in agreement. Emily pulled her coat tighter around her. "We should also stick close to one another. If the seeker tries to sneak up on us, at least we won't be alone."

Mira raised an eyebrow, amused. "What, afraid of the dark?"

Emily shot her a glare. "No. I just don't want to wake up and find out someone disappeared."

The wind outside howled louder, making the wooden cabin groan. Rik sighed and leaned against the wall near the window. "Alright then. Everyone get some rest. We'll need it."

One by one, the others settled into their places. Some stretched out on the rough wooden floor, while others propped themselves against the walls. Despite the supposed safety of the cabin, the tension never fully left the air.

Sarah and Rik kept their eyes on the room, watching, waiting. And as the fire crackled, the shadows on the walls seemed to shift ever so slightly. The night was coming and the shift started. They all agreed on a watch rotation, but even that didn't stop the inevitable. The cabin's dim lighting flickered slightly, casting long shadows across the wooden floor.

Outside, the storm had eased, leaving behind an eerie stillness. No one truly slept. They only pretended, keeping one hand on their emblems at all times. The watch rotation was set, and for the first shift, Rik and Sarah sat by the entrance, barely speaking, just listening. Waiting. Then, a sound. A faint creak from the other side of the cabin.

Sarah tensed. "Did you hear that?"

Rik's grip tightened on his weapon (a wooden stick). "Yeah." They turned their heads toward the sleeping area, scanning the room. At first, everything seemed normal. The others were bundled in blankets, barely visible in the dim light.

But then Sarah counted. One, two, three, four…Her breath caught in her throat. There were only seven of them. Sarah grabbed Rik's arm. "Wake them up. Now."

Rik didn't hesitate. He rushed to the center of the cabin, grabbing a lantern and holding it high. "Wake up! Everyone, get up!" Groggy murmurs filled the space as the others stirred.

Mira rubbed her eyes. "What the hell—"

Hakim sat up, instantly alert. "What happened?"

Sarah's voice was sharp. "Count!" Confused, they all looked around. One by one, their expressions shifted from confusion to horror.

Rebecca whispered first. "Wait… where's Eliza?"

That's when Yao's voice broke through, filled with panic. "Where's Rizman?" A terrible silence fell over them.

Emily scrambled toward the empty spaces where Rizman and Eliza had been. "The blankets were still neatly in place, as if they had never even been touched. But where their bodies should have been… There were only two emblems. Lying perfectly still. Untouched."

The room felt impossibly cold. "They were taken," Mira whispered. No one had heard them struggle. No one had heard them leave. No doors had opened. No footprints led outside. They had just… disappeared. Hakim clenched his fists. "That means the seeker is one of us."

"Wait. Wait. Wait." Mira's voice cut through the tension. Her eyes darted between the two untouched emblems on the floor. "How could it be one of us? The rules said the seeker needs to take the emblem, right? Then how the hell did Rizman and Eliza disappear without losing theirs?"

The group stood frozen, the weight of her words pressing down on them like the cold air around them.

Rebecca exhaled sharply, her fingers tightening around her own emblem. "Maybe that's the point."

Mira turned to her, eyes narrowing. "What do you mean?"

Rebecca hesitated before speaking. "Think about it. If the seeker didn't take their emblems, maybe it was intentional—a message. A way to show us that they're already here." A sharp silence followed.

Mira scoffed, crossing her arms. "So, what? The seeker thinks it's fun to mess with us? To make us second-guess everything?" Her jaw clenched. "Tch. I hate games like this."

Sarah swallowed hard. "Does that mean… we all have to stay up? If they can take people without making a sound, then sleeping makes us sitting targets."

Mira's expression darkened. "It's not just about staying up. This is a duel now."

Hakim studied her for a moment, something clicking in his mind. 'So this is Mira when she's leading… This is why she refused to team up with me.'

Emily rubbed her arms, trying to shake off the chill—whether from the cold or the fear, no one could tell. "Then what's the plan? We can't just sit around and wait for the seeker to pick us off one by one."

Mira's lips curled into a smirk. "We play a game."

Hakim raised an eyebrow. "A game?"

She nodded. "If the seeker is one of us, then we force them to reveal themselves. We play a game to see who cracks under the pressure."

Emily's eyes gleamed with interest. "I like the sound of that."

Rebecca frowned. "And what kind of game do you suggest?"

Mira's smirk didn't waver. "Simple." She stepped forward, looking at each of them carefully. "A game of trust and deception."The fire in the cabin crackled softly, but the air between them was colder than the snowstorm outside.

The real game had begun.