GARDEN ONE: COMMENCEMENT

Pain explodes across my back as the leather tears into my flesh. I bite my lip hard, tasting blood, but I refuse to make a sound. Dad's rage-filled grunts fill the room, punctuated by the sickening thwack of his belt. I'm used to this by now.

His shoes stomp around me like a menacing shadow.

"You worthless little..." he growls, punctuating his words with another lash. I can feel the welts rising on my back, but I stay still, kneeling and accepting the beating in silence.

His anger seems to feed on my silence, making him hit harder.

"You're useless!" he roars, kicking me in my side. I feel myself falling, consciousness starting to fade. I gasp quietly, inhaling the dust from the floor. He notices the slight intake of breath and kicks me again, harder this time.

Each kick drives the air from my lungs, but I refuse to cry out.

This...this is normal. This is my life. I return to my previous position, kneeling again, bracing myself. The belt comes down once more, each strike echoing through the empty house. The pain is overwhelming, but fortunately, I've learned to live with it.

Just as I stare blankly at the floor, the beating stops abruptly.

"Tch."

Dad's heavy footsteps retreat, leaving me alone in this dark, cold room that echoes his love for me — violence.

I stay still, not moving an inch of my body, trembling as warmth seeps into my shirt. The silence is almost as suffocating as the pain. There's no justice in this house.

"Karina! Karina, wake up!" a familiar voice cuts through the fog of my nightmare, shaking me back to reality.

I slowly lift my head and see my friend in front of me, a trace of nervousness on her face.

"Alyn?" I say confusely.

"Someone's looking for you." she glances to the side, pointing toward the classroom door. I look in that direction, but everything seems blurry, like the objects are out of focus.

I sit up abruptly, rubbing my eyes and scanning the room. That's when I see him — the man in a black suit and dark eyeglasses, standing in the doorway, his gaze fixed on me.

I straighten up and quickly use mouth spray before walking over to him.

"Are you Karina Navia Marquez?" his voice is calm, almost too calm, sending a wave of fear through me.

I nod, swallowing hard, unsure of what awaits me.

While waiting for his next move, I overhear my classmates gossiping about him.

Some comment on his height and figure, saying how attractive he is, even though his eyes are hidden by the glasses.

I shake my head at what I hear. Women.

While some praise him, others whisper that he looks kind of scary and suspicious, which is more accurate to me.

He reaches inside his coat and pulls out a small envelope, holding it out to me with a gloved hand.

"This is for you, Miss Marquez." his eyes flick to my friend, who watches with wide-eyed curiosity.

I take the envelope, feeling its weight in my hands.

As I look up at him again, he says, "Open it." His tone leaves no room for argument. I tear open the envelope and pull out a letter.

 As I unfold it, my heart races. It's an invitation letter.

"WELCOME TO THE GARDEN OF LAIR

You're invited to come and play"

Just a single letter, yet it sends a shiver down my spine. My heart pounds. This is the third week of class, and I'm already facing an impossible choice. The contract is clear: once the form is submitted, there's no escape. The date is set, and failure to comply would have dire consequences.

I can't risk it, especially with the rumors swirling around this game. It's supposed to be a harmless escape, but whispers of something sinister have begun to circulate.

I glance back at my classmates. Their faces show a mix of concern and intrigue, mirroring my own unease. The moment feels surreal, like stepping into a dark fantasy where the rules are about to change.

I meet their gaze, trying to convey my terror, my trembling body a silent plea for help. If I don't return, at least they'll know something is wrong. Maybe I can use this as an excuse not to fail.

Understanding the situation, I nod at him, indicating that I accept the invitation.

"I'll just get my things first." he doesn't bother to look at me, so I quickly gather my belongings.

I glance at Alyn, who remains silent, her face filled with worry and questions.

"I'll be fine. Don't worry." I say, trying to ease her concerns.

After collecting my things, I return to him.

"Follow me." he says, turning briskly on his heel without waiting for a response. His voice has an authoritative tone that makes it clear this is not a request, but an order.

As I quietly follow him, I couldn't help but notice his jet-black hair, perfectly style in a half mini bun look that frames his face, shining in the sunlight.

When we step out of the school and goes into the parking space, I spot a familiar figure in the distance, an overwhelming wave of relief washes over me. Just the sight of him felt like a soothing balm, allowing me to breathe freely once again.

There he is: tall, with dark wavy brown hair, wearing a cozy cardigan and black pants. It's Benjamin Ortiz, the famous child actor.

He seems to be having a heated conversation with another man, similarly dressed in black suit and dark eyeglasses. 

"You guys are so cruel! You've kept me waiting forever!" he complains dramatically, frowning at that man.

I glance at the guy who picked me up from the classroom, raising an eyebrow in curiosity. Is this their uniform?

While watching them, I see the man talking to Ben glance in my direction, probably puzzled by the sudden shift, Ben follows his gaze, his eyes widening. A slow grin spreads across his face as he hurries his way towards me.

"Karina! I thought I was going to be the only one playing! I was starting to panic!" he exclaims, clutching his chest in mock distress.

"I was worried too! I thought you guys had betrayed me!" I cross my arms and raise an eyebrow at him.

Just then, a soft voice breaks the tension.

"How long have you two been here?"

We turn to see a girl with short black curls, her hair moving as she tilts her head. She wears a plain black shirt and school pants. Standing in front of us, she reaches Ben's shoulder. She looks at us with a calm smile, accompanied by another man in a black suit. It's Brittany Jeane Toledo, who dreams of becoming a civil engineer.

"Long enough to start questioning your loyalties." I reply, still crossing my arms.

Her eyes sparkle with mischief as she leans closer and teases us, "You sure it's not just you two being dramatic? We all signed up for this, right? Don't tell me you're getting cold feet now?" 

I exchange glances with ben, whose eyebrow raises.

"Cold feet? Me? That would be the end of the world..." he looks at the guy he was arguing with earlier. "It's their fault for being too late! It's school day, and they're only doing this now?!" Ben taps his forehead to calm himself.

I glance at Brittany, who struggles to hold back her laughter.

While Ben and Brittany teases each other, I keep looking at the gate, waiting for our other two friends to show up. 

"Sy and Jerm haven't shown up yet." I say, still glancing around the gate as if they would spring up like a mushroom.

Ben chuckles, a mischievous glint in his eye. "I bet they're just planning their grand entrance." 

Brittany laughs. "How much will you bet? I'm sure it will be something dramatic."

As we laugh at the thought of Jeremiah and Sybiel's grand entrance, a chilling voice suddenly interrupts us.

"What and whose entrance are you talking about?"

We turn to see a figure in a black hoodie, a cap pulled down, and big sunglasses hiding her eyes. Her baggy pants make her look smaller. Just from her style, we know exactly who it is.

It's Slybiel Mei Vargas, always on her laptop and wearing thick glasses. I guess that's because she's an ICT student?

"Wow, Sy, are you that afraid of getting tan?" Ben laughs while teasing her. "At this rate, you might as well replace the vampires hiding from the sun."

Sy shoots him a quick glare, her head tilting slightly. "Well, if I do become a vampire, the sun will be afraid of me." she says confidently.

Just then, another voice chimes in, "Sy, I think your outfit is still lacking; I can still feel the snow."

We look for the owner of the voice. He has black hair styled in a curtain, wearing a white long-sleeve polo shirt tucked into black slacks, paired with a black trench coat. It's Jeremiah Angeles, the heir of a wealthy company.

"And it really came from you," Sy says, looking at Jeremiah's face and then down at his feet, as if judging him. Her tone drips with sarcasm.

Jeremiah takes off her cap, revealing shiny, straight black hair that nearly reaches his waist. Accepting her fate, she removes her glasses, showing her beautiful brown eyes. We can't help but make fun of her style.

Suddenly, a deep voice calls out to me, saying it's time for us to leave. I turn to see who it is — it's the guy who escorted me here.

I look at my friends, and they're all smiling like crazy. We exchange glances again.

"So, I guess this is another thrill for our group?" Sy says, smirking at us. We look back at her and nod, smiles spreading across our faces.

It's been months since we filled out the forms. Just how lucky we are that the game starts just now. If we can't graduate, it's the game administrators fault.

Before we get into the waiting vehicles, we all whisper, "Let the thrill unveil." though our voices are quiet.

This is going to be another day filled with excitement.

But every thrill we experience always comes from Ben's so-called invitations, and those invitations always get us into trouble. Not once have his invitations led us to something normal; it's always T.R.O.U.B.L.E!

I shut the van door, feeling uneasy. The vehicle is empty, and I glance around, noticing there's no one else here. As I sit behind the man who escorted me, he put something on and starts driving. Suddenly, a strange fog fills the van. My heart races as I realize what it is, but it's too late.

I feel my body growing weak. I try to open the door, but it won't budge. I kick and pound on the windows, but the fog takes over fast. My limbs feel heavy, and my vision starts to blur.

"No..." I whisper weakly, but darkness takes me, and I slump against the van's seats.

"Player secured," I hear a voice say, echoing in my mind as everything goes black.

As I drift into the unknown, I realize this is not just another game. This is a whole new level of danger. Our friendship will face its biggest test yet, and I can only hope we are strong enough to survive whatever comes next.

***