The Draw Begins

"You should choose first."

I turned to Kohata, watching his breath hitch as my words sank in. His face drained of colour, his body stiff as if the wrong move might shatter him.

He pointed at himself, fingers trembling. "M-Me?"

"Yes." I extended my hand, revealing two sticks one red, one blue. "Come. Choose."

I barely had to turn. The clone behind him nodded once, then dispersed into smoke.

The sudden poof echoed in the silent room, and Kohata flinched. But in that moment, his eyes cleared. He understood.

He was the test subject.

He could run, but he wouldn't get far. He'd seen how fast the clones moved. A single blur of motion, and his head would roll across the bloodstained floor.

He swallowed hard. His feet shifted.

Gulping, he stepped forward, each movement slow, like wading through quicksand.

All eyes followed him, tension thick enough to strangle. His breathing grew uneven.

Still not picking?

"Choose," I said, my voice smooth, patient almost amused. "Or should I choose for you?"

His fingers twitched. The sticks gleamed in the dim light.

I tilted my head.

To make things fair, I widened the gap between us. A silent invitation.

Run, and I will kill you.

A prayer must have passed through his mind before he finally reached out, his hand trembling like a leaf in a storm.

Silence.

Then—

"Red… it's red." His voice cracked, disbelief in every syllable.

His eyes darted between me, the stick, and the others. He held it up as if it were some holy relic.

A collective exhale from the group.

Relief.

"Congratulations." I smiled, voice light, almost mocking. "You will live."

"Live… I will live…" He let out a choked laugh. It spiraled into something desperate, breaking into coughs. His body trembled, the weight of survival crushing him more than the fear of death ever had.

"You should leave," I said simply.

His breath caught. He looked up, uncertain.

"I told you I'd let you live," I continued, expression unreadable. "So leave. Before I change my mind."

"I… I…" His gaze flickered toward Saya, searching for something permission, maybe hope.

Just hours ago, they had all chosen to survive together. Now, he was being forced to walk away alone.

Saeko cut through his hesitation with cold finality. "Go."

"Kohata-kun, you don't have to feel bad," Shizuka added, voice unnaturally light, as if pretending this wasn't a death sentence in another form.

Saya nodded. "Yes. Leave. Now."

Even Rei and Takashi, though hesitant, spoke up.

"Go."

"Now."

The room held its breath.

Kohata's fingers curled around the red stick, gripping it so tightly his knuckles turned white.

Then, finally, he moved.

Step by step.

Walking out of this place.

At the entrance, he hesitated for just a second, then turned back, his voice cracking as he shouted—

"Sorry!"

Then, he was gone

I turned my gaze to Saya.

"Next is your turn."

Her breath hitched.

Her fingers trembled like kohato as she reached for a stick, hesitation flickering in her eyes.

She knew what would happen if she chose wrong.

Her breath was shallow, almost shaky, but she forced herself to move. No point in delaying.

She pulled the stick free.

Blue.

Her face went pale.

The room was silent, the air thick with tension as everyone stared at the result.

Saya's lips parted, but no words came. Her mind was moving too fast, yet not fast enough.

"I see," I said, tilting my head slightly. "Unlucky."

Her body stiffened. The others reacted instantly.

"Wait!" Takashi took a step forward. "You don't have to do this!"

Rei clenched her fists. "It's just a game, right? You wouldn't actually—"

I raised a hand, stopping them. Their voices were nothing more than background noise.

Clones already held them so they couldn't move.

Saya's eyes darted around the room, looking for an answer, an escape.

There wasn't one.

She swallowed hard. "You… you're really going to kill me over this?"

I smiled. "Rules are rules."

Saya took a step back, only to find a clone already behind her.

Her breath hitched.

"You can't—"

The kunai was at her throat before she could finish.

Fear. Desperation. It poured from her in waves.

The others tensed, but they knew better than to move.

Saya squeezed her eyes shut, her body trembling. "I... I don't want to die."

I exhaled, then—

Flick.

The kunai barely grazed her skin as I pulled it back, my expression unreadable.

Saya gasped, eyes snapping open in shock.

"Relax," I murmured. "I changed my mind."

She staggered forward, her legs almost giving out, gasping, her entire body trembling as she stared at me, her mind scrambling to process what had just happened.

Just seconds ago, she had been on the brink of death.

Her breathing came in ragged bursts, her pupils blown wide. She was still caught in that moment, hovering between life and death, unable to step away.

"Why?" she whispered, her voice hoarse, barely more than a breath.

I tilted my head slightly, letting a small smile tug at my lips.

"Just giving you a few minutes of entertainment."

Saya's lips parted, but nothing came out. Her mind was racing too fast, her body still frozen from the shock.

I leaned in, just enough for my words to settle deep in her bones.

"I've decided…" I said smoothly, "anyone who chooses blue will die last."

A sharp intake of breath.

A wave of unease rolled through the room, thick and suffocating.

Saya flinched. Her fingers twitched around the stick the cursed colour.

The others looked at her, then at me. No one spoke.

She wasn't safe.

None of them were.

She had just been sentenced.

Not to die first.

But to watch as the others fell before her.