Forest

1222-08-28

Shin Utsuho:

The field—the same familiar field that stretched for miles—lay next to the forest, offering a strange sense of comfort. I could run; I could leave. But where would I go? The people here had become a family to me. Riku and Keenan were constants in my life now. Their presence woven into my days.

The air felt heavy. We stood before T. His expression was unreadable. There was something about the way he looked at us. It was like he was dissecting each one of us. In his hand was that same notebook he always carried. Its edges are worn. 

I wonder what he was writing there. Notes about us? Strategies? Judgments? He already knew what would happen to each of us. Who'd succeed. Who'd fail. Who'd survive.

He flipped a page. The sound is oddly loud in the silence. I could feel my pulse. I felt my fists tighten. What is he thinking? I wondered. Was it approval? Disappointment?

T finally raised his gaze. His eyes met mine. I felt like I was being pulled apart. He could see every doubt, every weakness, every thought I tried to bury.

"Utsuho," he said, his voice calm. "What are you waiting for?"

I blinked, caught off guard

"That's not how you move forward."

I opened my mouth to reply. The words caught in my throat. I wasn't afraid. Was I?

Finally, after a long moment, he looked up, closing the worn book with a snap.

"The game ends in a month," T announced, his tone calm but firm. "Before the next arrival, we'll decide the winner of this trial. Today, we begin by practicing assassinations, and for the next few days, you'll live in the forest. Consider it your battlefield."

I exchanged glances with the others. A mix of excitement and unease reflected in their faces. The idea of living in the forest wasn't new to us. We'd done survival training before. This time it felt different.

"What kind of game is this?" Keenan asked, crossing his arms.

T's lips curled into a faint smile. "Simple. Each of you will start with 10 Var."

He reached into a pouch at his side. He pulled out a small object. It gleamed in the sunlight, a small coin etched with a star symbol on one side. The gold shimmered against his fingers. He held it up, I noticed the intricate detail—a flowing script engraved around the edges and the faint outline of a figure with long hair.

"Var looks like this," T continued, flipping the token between his fingers. "Think of it as both currency and a target. Your goal is to collect as much Var as possible by the end of the month."

He tossed the token to Riku, who caught it with ease and inspected it.

"Rules," T said, raising a finger. "There are three key rules you must follow.

"First, teams are allowed. However, your total Var at the end of the game will be divided by the number of members in your team, then halved. So, if you team with two others, your total is divided by three, then halved again. Choose wisely."

A murmur spread through the group. The rule was clear—teamwork came at a cost.

"Second," he continued, "you're free to return to the base at any time. However, doing so forfeits all your Var, which will then be distributed across the forest. Return only if you're ready to give up."

My chest tightened at that. Losing all your Var just by retreating? It added weight to every decision we'd make out there.

"And third," T said, his voice growing sharper, "Var isn't only gained through fighting. The forest contains hidden caches of Var for those unwilling—or unable—to engage directly," he added with a smirk.

"This event will last for three days"

He let that sink in, his eyes scanning us one by one. "The rules are simple, but the game is not. You'll have twenty minutes to plan before the trumpet signals. After that, you're on your own."

He stepped back, arms crossed, watching as we absorbed the information.

Moments later, the others brought out pouches, each filled with ten of the same tokens.

Adrian Kundra. The name flickered in my mind. I stared at the token in my pouch. It felt familiar. I couldn't place it. 

"Twenty minutes," T repeated, then gestured toward the trees. "Use them well."

The group broke into small clusters, hushed conversations filling the air. I stayed where I was, watching the others move and talk. Teams, alliances, betrayal—it was all starting now.

I clenched my fists. A month in the forest, hunting, hiding, surviving. This wasn't just about winning a game. It is work.

Assassination. 

When the trumpet blew, I'd be ready.

I approached Keenan and Riku as they stood by the tree line. Keenan was stretching lazily.Riku leaned against the trunk. She twirls a strand of her hair.

"Want to team up?" I asked, keeping my tone light but serious.

Keenan's laughter came first, low and rolling like thunder. Riku followed, her laugh sharp and teasing. 

"Team up with you?" she repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Why would I?"

"Because it makes sense."

Keenan tilted his head. He considered my offer for a moment before grinning.

"Tempting, but nah. See, here's the thing: teaming up is only smart if you're on equal footing with the other members."

"And we're not," Riku added bluntly, her smirk widening.

"Really?" I asked, deadpan.

Keenan grabbed my shoulder. " I'd just end up carrying you the whole time."

"And I'd probably end up betraying you," Riku added with a shrug.

 "It's just simpler this way. Clean. I'd never get the chance to fight you."

"You'll lose" I shot back, but they were already laughing again.

It was obvious they both wanted to win—both determined to be the ones with the most var by the end. Neither of them would even consider teaming up. They were too focused on outdoing each other. On outing each other.

"Good luck, Utsuho," Keenan said. 

"I don't believe in luck." I smirked

"You're going to need it."

I left them to their laughter. I looked at Kaede, Ren, Sora, and Tatsuya. They stood in a loose group. 

Sora stood silent. Her gaze fixed on the horizon. Tatsuya leaned against a boulder. His calm mask firmly in place.

"Mind if I join you?" I asked as I approached.

Kaede turned her sharp gaze on me, studying me for a moment before giving a short nod. "Fine by me. What do you all think?"

Ren shrugged, though his movements were jittery. "Strength in numbers, right? Makes sense to me."

Sora tilted her head, considering. "It's not a bad idea, but the rules make alliances tricky. We'd have to be careful about how we split the spoils."

"It's risky," Tatsuya said, his voice even but thoughtful. "But so is going it alone. I'd rather risk a partnership than isolation."

I glanced around at their faces, trying to read them. "Are you nervous?"

"Nervous? It's a lot."

Ren let out a nervous laugh. "Yeah, 'a lot' is putting it lightly. I mean we're actually going to be hunting each other down." 

He looked at me, his eyes wide. "Exciting, though, right? A chance to prove what we're made of?"

Sora smiled faintly, her voice quieter than the others. "I am not excited."

"What about you, Tatsuya?" I asked.

He shrugged, his face as unreadable as ever. "We've trained for this. We'll handle it."

I nodded, letting their words sink in. "Have any of you done this before?"

"This is new territory."

"Better than training all day," I laugh. "I might actually get to rest."

Ren laughed nervously again. "Feels like they just threw us in the deep end, huh?"

"That's how we learn," Sora said softly.

Tatsuya leaned forward. 

The first trumpet blared. It breaks the silence like a crack of lightning.

Kaede glanced at me. "Let's stick together. We can figure out a plan once we're deeper in."

We sprinted into the forest. The trees quickly swallowed us. The clearing disappeared behind us as the underbrush scratched at our legs. Twigs snapped beneath our feet.