Chapter 1

At night, Super City 19 was still glowing with bright lights. Neon signs spilled over the tall metal buildings, making the whole city feel like a grand celebration. But just a few dozen kilometers away, in the quarantine zone, darkness pressed heavily against the ground. Not a single light could be seen, as if the whole place had been forgotten by the world.

At the edge of the forest, the night and silence blended into an eerie scene. Two dark figures stood still, facing each other. It felt like time had frozen. A gentle breeze rustled through the bushes, but even that soft sound couldn't ease the heavy feeling of smoke and damp earth in the air.

Earnest's forehead glistened with sweat, not the sexy kind either. The kind that says, you've just legged it from a biolab horror show and now you've possibly stepped on a landmine. His legs felt like two planks of regret.(ref The City In The Shadows-Nightmare at Dawn 2)

Taking a deep breath, Earnest whispered urgently to Dr. Chan beside him,"You... go. I think there's a landmine under my foot."

"You can't be serious! That's not funny!" Dr. Chan adjusted his glasses, studying Earnest's expression, which showed no hint of humor.

"You… go," Earnest whispered, barely moving."I think I stepped on a mine."

Dr. Chan blinked."You're joking."

"Deadly."

Earnest didn't even turn his head."I heard the click. Pressure plate, maybe dual trigger. If I lift my foot, I'm confetti."

Chan opened his mouth to protest—then froze.

A voice cut in behind them. Low. Precise. Cold.

"He's right. It's a Bonecracker."

They turned slowly. A young man emerged from the trees like a ghost, light on his feet, death in his eyes.

"Model BX-9," he said casually."Fresh from Shield Corp. Dual trigger. Pressure and magnetic. And when it goes off—oh, it jumps! Right to chest height. Boom. Sprays metal like a blender full of nails. Very efficient. Very red."

He paused to lick his lips, as if remembering a particularly good explosion."Even with grade-three anti-blast boots, you'll be leaving with fewer limbs than you arrived with. Hopping home like a drunk Easter bunny in rush hour."

Chan took an involuntary step back—only for Earl's gun to drift lazily in his direction. That little twitch of the barrel said more than any threat ever could.

Earnest, doing his best to keep his internal screaming internal, muttered,"Who are you?"

Earl tilted his head."Shouldn't I be asking you that?"

Chan, ever the embodiment of nerves wrapped in a lab coat, stammered,"W-we're just lost! We didn't mean to—"

"Lost volunteers?" Earl's brow arched like he was watching a particularly rubbish soap opera.

Earnest cursed silently as he caught sight of the VOLUNTEER badge still pinned to Chan's chest. The poor man had thrown it on during their escape and forgotten it like a name tag at a funeral.

He glanced at Earl again. The traps. The tech. The gleeful knowledge of weapon specs. This guy wasn't just another psycho with a gun—he was connected. Possibly lab security. Possibly worse.

"We..." he started, trying to think fast.

Too slow. Earl stepped forward, smooth as a cat on polished tiles, raising his gun level with Chan's face.

"You escaped from inside, didn't you?" His tone was still casual, like they were chatting over coffee and not imminent doom.

Chan blurted,"Yes! We didn't know they were experimenting on live people—we swear!"

Earl's smile soured into something darker."Oh? And now you know?"

Earnest's heart dropped straight through his stomach and dug itself a bunker. Earl knew. Of course he did.

"We're just new volunteers..." he lied, trying to steer them back to safer waters.

Earl's gaze turned icy."Don't care. You're my prey now. I just need to decide..."

He let the sentence dangle like a noose.

The forest fell quiet again.

And the Bonecracker waited beneath Earnest's foot, patient as death.

These people aren't just random killers. They're clearly working together. But why? Are they helping the bio-lab catch escapees? Paid to hunt us down? Or maybe… maybe it's just a game to them. Like rich villains in old stories who hunt people for fun.

Earnest studied the hunter again. Young—early twenties, tops. Still had a boyish face, but his eyes were cold, excited in a way that made Earnest's stomach twist. Like this was all just fun for him.

Earnest liked to think of himself as calm under pressure. He'd faced danger before, even laughed in its face. But now? His legs were shaking—and it wasn't from fear.

It was anger. Quiet and steady, like a fuse waiting to burn down.

He kept his voice steady, eyes fixed on Earl.

His gaze dropped to the man's gear. The suit was sleek, dark, built for speed and protection. It wasn't something you picked up at the local shop.

"Sable Mk," Earnest said under his breath."Shield Corp light exo-suit. Yours custom?"

Earl's eyebrows lifted."Mk II," he said with a small smile."Prototype. You've got a good eye."

Earnest gave a little grin."Not many folks get one of those—unless they've got connections. Or way too much money and nothing better to do."

Earl laughed."Guilty as charged."

"And that rifle," Earnest added, nodding at the weapon,"looks like a Forrest M70. With smart tech. Recoil control under the grip. Not cheap."

"Bro," Earl said, clearly enjoying himself,"you know your gear."

"Just a hobby," Earnest replied."That's all this is, right? Just a hobby. Just a game."

Earl tilted his head slightly."Maybe. Or maybe this is the only place I feel like myself."

They stood there a moment. The mine still sat under Earnest's foot, silent and deadly—but for now, Earl's gun wasn't aimed at him.

"Name?" Earl asked, voice casual but watching carefully.

"Earnest," he said."Earnest Less. And I'm well behaved man, when I'm not being hunted."

Earl chuckled."Earnest Less. Sounds like the name of someone who reads too many books and gets eaten in chapter two."

"That's me."

"Well then," Earl said,"you live."

His eyes moved to Dr. Chan, a smirk forming. But there was something odd in his expression too—like he was hearing something no one else could.

"But he doesn't."

"Wait," Earnest stepped forward quickly. His voice was calm, but firm."Why? What's the point?"

Earl shrugged."You're going to die anyway. No harm in telling you." He tilted his head again, as if checking something only he could hear. Then nodded slowly.

"I get a point for every person I kill. Get to ten, and I win."

Dr. Chan's face went pale."Points? What is this, a video game? We're real people!"

"Spare you?" Earl said, laughing coldly. He looked off into the dark, speaking like he wasn't really talking to them anymore."You think I have a choice?"

"You're killing for rewards," Chan snapped, his voice shaking with anger."For power. And you're acting like it's okay?"

Something twitched in Earl's face. His fingers trembled as he grabbed his wrist, holding it tightly. He muttered something under his breath—low, fast, and strange.

Earnest couldn't hear the words, but he could feel the tension.

Then Earl suddenly shouted, like he was trying to shut out a voice only he could hear.

"You think you get to judge me? You're all the same. Rabbits, foxes… You run, you die. That's how it works."

His voice was loud, wild for a second. Then it faded. His eyes turned cold again, like none of it had happened.

Earnest took a slow breath, locking his fear away. He wasn't ready to die here. Not yet. Not before he found out what really happened to his father. That's why he came here in the first place.

He didn't ask for this game. But now he was in it.

And sometimes, fate doesn't ask you what you want.

Sometimes it just throws you into the dark… and dares you to survive.