The New Members.

Chun and Zhang had been together since high school, their love strong but tested by differences. Chun was a realist, grounded and logical, always thinking ahead. Zhang was a dreamer, drawn to destiny and the unknown. Their personalities often clashed, yet they always found their way back to each other.

The Night Everything Changed

It was a rainy evening in Shanghai. The city lights reflected off the wet pavement as Chun and Zhang wandered into an antique shop tucked away in a forgotten alley. The store smelled of old books and incense, and behind the counter sat an old man with piercing eyes.

"You two... your fates are bound together," he murmured.

Zhang's eyes lit up. "Really? Like soulmates?"

The old man chuckled and pulled out a deck of tarot cards, shuffling them with precision. As he spread them across the counter, one card glowed faintly—the Lovers card.

"You are chosen," the old man said. "But fate is not always kind."

Before they could react, the card's glow engulfed them. The world twisted, and darkness swallowed them whole.

Arrival in Fatal Existence

When Chun and Zhang awoke, they were no longer in the city. Instead, they found themselves in an unfamiliar land, the air thick with an eerie silence. In their hands, the Lovers tarot card pulsed with power.

Confused and afraid, they realized that their bond, once a simple love story, had become something much more dangerous. They had been chosen—not by fortune, but by something far greater.

As they wandered through the eerie landscape, a cold wind swept through the air. The land was desolate, filled with ruins of structures that seemed ancient and long forgotten. Zhang held Chun's hand tightly, his usual excitement dimmed by the unsettling stillness around them.

"We need to find someone," Chun whispered. "Anyone who can tell us what this place is."

They continued walking until they saw figures in the distance. A group of people, all clad in unfamiliar clothing, moving with purpose. Chun and Zhang exchanged glances before cautiously approaching.

It was Ryuta and his companions.

As the two newcomers stepped forward, the group turned to face them. Eyes filled with both curiosity and suspicion met theirs. Chun swallowed her fear, gripping Zhang's hand even tighter.

"Who are you?" Ryuta asked, his voice firm.

Chun took a deep breath and replied, "We don't know how we got here. But if you know what this place is… please, help us."

Ryuta studied Chun and Zhang carefully. Their clothes, their expressions—everything about them screamed confusion and desperation. He exchanged a quick glance with Alexia, who gave a slight nod.

"You're in a place called Fatal Existence," Ryuta said, his tone serious. "It's not like any world you've known before. And if you don't learn to survive quickly… you won't last long."

Zhang swallowed hard, gripping Chun's hand. "That's not exactly reassuring."

Roy crossed his arms. "It wasn't meant to be. This place doesn't care if you're ready or not."

Chun squared her shoulders, determination flashing in her eyes. "Then teach us. If we're stuck here, we need to know how to fight, how to survive. We won't just sit around waiting to die."

Ryuta's lips curled into a small smile. "Good. That's the first step to making it here."

Before he could say more, a distant, eerie laughter echoed through the ruined landscape. Everyone tensed, hands moving to their weapons.

Joker.

"Well, well! New faces, I see," the voice teased, dripping with amusement. "How delightful! More players in our little game!"

Zhang stiffened. "Who was that?"

Ryuta tightened his grip on his sword. "The worst person you could run into on your first day."

The sky darkened, and the shadows around them began to shift unnaturally.

The game had already begun.

A gust of cold wind swept through the ruins, carrying with it the unsettling echo of Joker's laughter. The shadows twisted unnaturally, stretching across the broken ground like living creatures.

Chun instinctively stepped closer to Zhang, her heart pounding. "What… what kind of game is this?"

Ryuta didn't answer immediately. His grip on his sword tightened as he scanned the surroundings. "A deadly one," he muttered. "Stay close. Don't let the shadows touch you."

Zhang's eyes darted around as the darkness slithered toward them like grasping hands. "What happens if they do?"

Joker's voice rang out again, a singsong whisper that sent chills down their spines. "Oh, you'll find out soon enough."

The ground beneath them trembled. From the depths of the shifting darkness, figures began to rise—warped, grotesque shapes with glowing red eyes and jagged, unnatural grins. They didn't move like normal creatures. They twitched, their limbs bending in ways that defied logic, their laughter blending with Joker's own.

Merlin drew his staff, his voice sharp. "Wraiths."

Roy cracked his knuckles. "Tch. Just what we needed."

Chun and Zhang exchanged glances. They had no weapons, no powers, no understanding of the nightmare they had stumbled into. And yet, as the creatures closed in, a single thought burned in Chun's mind.

We have to survive.

Ryuta raised his sword. "Get ready."

The wraiths lunged.

Chun barely had time to react before one of the wraiths lunged at her. Its twisted fingers, sharp like jagged glass, slashed through the air. She ducked instinctively, feeling the cold rush of death graze past her cheek. Zhang yanked her back, his breathing heavy.

"Stay close!" he shouted, pulling her behind him.

Ryuta was already in motion. His sword carved through the first wraith with precision, but instead of falling, the creature dissipated into mist, reforming just a few feet away. His eyes narrowed. "They regenerate."

Merlin slammed his staff against the ground, sending a pulse of light rippling outward. The wraiths recoiled, screeching, their forms flickering like candle flames in a storm.

"They don't like light!" Merlin called out.

Roy grinned, cracking his knuckles. "Then let's make things a little brighter." His fists ignited with energy, and with a powerful swing, he punched a wraith straight in the chest. It exploded into wisps of shadow, but the moment his attack ended, the darkness slithered back together, reconstructing the creature in an instant.

"They're not just regenerating," Zhang muttered, eyes darting around. "They're feeding off this place."

Chun swallowed hard. "Then how do we stop them?"

Joker's laughter echoed from the shadows. "Oh, you don't," he whispered. "You play."

The world around them distorted again. The ruins flickered like a mirage, shifting between reality and something else—something darker. A thick fog coiled around them, obscuring their vision.

Suddenly, the ground beneath Chun and Zhang gave way.

They fell.

Falling through empty space, through an abyss with no end, the last thing Chun saw was the glimmer of Joker's grin, wide and gleeful.

And then—darkness.

Chun's body twisted as she fell through the endless void, her heart hammering in her chest. The air was thick and cold, pressing against her skin like invisible hands trying to smother her. Zhang was beside her, reaching out, but the moment their fingers almost touched, a force yanked them apart.

Chun hit the ground with a sharp gasp, the impact jarring her bones. The world spun around her, a sickening mix of black and red hues. She groaned, pushing herself up on trembling arms, trying to make sense of her surroundings.

She was no longer in the ruins.

The sky above was a swirling vortex of shadows, and the ground beneath her was slick, almost reflective, as if she was standing on the surface of a darkened lake. Jagged structures jutted out in the distance, their shapes shifting like living things. A soft whisper drifted through the air, unintelligible yet unsettling.

"Zhang?" Chun called out, her voice barely above a whisper.

Silence.

She clenched her fists. She had just been with him. They had fallen together. Where was he?

A slow, deliberate clap echoed through the empty space.

She whirled around.

Joker stood a few feet away, his grin stretching unnaturally wide. "Welcome to the next stage," he said, his voice laced with amusement. "I must say, you're quite entertaining."

Chun narrowed her eyes. "Where are the others ?"

Joker tilted his head. "Scattered. Lost. Fighting their own little nightmares. But don't worry," he chuckled. "You'll see them again—if you survive."

A shiver ran down Chun's spine, but she forced herself to stand tall. "I don't play games with monsters."

Joker's laughter rang out, high and wild. "Oh, my dear, you are the game."

The ground beneath her feet trembled. The darkness around them thickened, twisting into grotesque shapes. From the shadows, figures began to emerge—distorted reflections of herself, their faces blank, their movements jerky and unnatural.

Chun's breath hitched.

They were copies.

But something was wrong.

One of them smiled.

And then they attacked.