Chapter 6: Others

The safe zone's barrier shimmered faintly behind them, its hum fading into silence as Zack, Jake, and Arya stepped into the unknown. The weight of what they'd just witnessed clung to them like a shadow. Those who hadn't made it to safety, their lives snuffed out in an instant. The image of exploding heads lingered in their minds, a grotesque reminder that hesitation meant death.

The corridor ahead opened into a vast metallic hall, eerily quiet except for the faint echo of footsteps. Then, movement, three figures emerged from the shadows, tense and alert.

Jake's grip tightened around the jagged piece of metal he still carried, his body coiled like a spring. Zack raised a hand cautiously, his voice steady. "We're not enemies."

The strangers hesitated, their eyes darting between Zack, Jake, and Arya. After a tense moment, they stepped into the dim light. Two men and one woman. Each bearing the same haunted, wary look that Zack's group wore like a second skin.

The first to speak was a lean man with sharp eyes and a scar on his cheek. His voice was low, edged with suspicion. "We saw what happened back there. You made it. Barely."

Jake exhaled sharply, lowering his makeshift weapon. "Yeah. Barely."

The woman, blonde and wiry with tension, studied them briefly before nodding. "I'm Ellie. This is Carter," she gestured to the scarred man, "and Mark." The third man, broad-shouldered with dark, hollow eyes, gave a curt nod but said nothing.

Arya frowned, her gaze flickering between them. "There were more of you."

Silence.

Ellie looked away, her jaw tightening, while Carter's expression hardened. It was Mark who finally spoke, his voice low and heavy. "There were five of us."

Zack exchanged a glance with Jake before asking, "What happened?"

Ellie took a slow breath, her fingers curling into fists. "We ran, just like you. One of us...uhm...James, he was right behind us, but he didn't make it in time."

Jake didn't need to ask what had happened to James. He already knew.

"But the fifth one?" Arya pressed, sensing there was more to the story.

Mark's face darkened, his eyes dropping to the floor. "Her name was Sadie. She…" He trailed off as if the words were too heavy to say aloud.

Carter finished for him, his voice flat and emotionless. "She lost hope." His fists clenched at his sides, betraying the coldness in his tone. "She tried to end it herself."

The group fell silent. Suicide was a grim but understandable response to their nightmare. Yet Zack noticed something in Carter's tone that didn't sit right. "Tried?"

Ellie's expression twisted, a mix of grief and horror. "She didn't even get the chance. The moment she tried, before she could do it herself, her body just… burst."

Arya's breath caught. "The System killed her?"

Carter nodded, his jaw tight. "Not just her head. Her whole body. Like it wanted to make a statement."

A cold chill ran down Zack's spine. The System wasn't just enforcing its rules but actively preventing any way out. The only options were to survive… or to be slaughtered by its hand.

Jake let out a bitter laugh, shaking his head. "So we can't even choose how we die. This just keeps getting better."

The six of them started walking, not knowing where to go. Carter, Mark, and Ellie were walking ahead of them. Zack, Jake, and Arya were behind them. 

Arya looked around, her eyes scanning the unfamiliar yet hauntingly familiar landscape. They were still in Northwood, but it wasn't the Northwood she remembered. The streets were eerily silent, the buildings cloaked in shadows, and the air felt heavy, as if the town was holding its breath. It was as though darkness had swallowed everything she once knew.

"This place… it's like a ghost town," Arya murmured, her voice barely above a whisper. "But it's not the Northwood I grew up in. It's like… a twisted version of it."

Jake, meanwhile, was frantically patting his pockets, his heart sinking as he realized the one thing keeping him grounded was missing. The photo of his family. His movements grew more frantic, his frustration mounting.

"Where the hell is it?" He started to get frustrated while checking his pockets. 

"What's wrong?" Zack asked him calmly. 

"I swear it was just in my right pocket," he said. Then, he found it in his back pocket, which was strange since he doesn't usually put it there. But he just brushed it off. 

He let out a sigh of relief when he found their family picture. He brushes his thumb on his daughter's face.

Zack glanced over, his curiosity piqued, "Who's that?" he asked softly.

"It's my family. My wife, Isabella ,and my daughter, Emma, who I left behind when I left for the army," his voice cracked as if fighting his tears. "They're the reason I'm still fighting. The reason I have to survive this."

"They're beautiful," Arya smiled. 

Jake nodded, his gaze lingering on the photo. "I'm lucky to have them. I can't wait for this to be over; I will do my best to survive… for them," he said with a bitter smile as if he knew the odds were stacked against him. 

"What about you? Arya's smile faded, her eyes distant as she looked away. Jake asked, his tone softer now. "You got anyone waiting for you?"

For a moment, Arya didn't answer. She stared at the ground, her fingers tracing the edge of her sleeve. "Not really," she said finally, her voice quiet. "It's just me and my brother, Daniel. He's… all I've got left."

Zack, who had been quietly listening, tilted his head. "What happened to your parents?"

Arya's expression darkened, and she shook her head. "They died when I was young. Car accident. Daniel raised me after that. He's always been there for me, even when I didn't make it easy for him." 

She let out a small, bitter laugh. "I've been so focused on my game project that I didn't even realize how much I was pushing him away. Now… I don't even know if I'll ever see him again."

Jake's gaze softened, and he nodded slowly. "Sounds like he's a good guy. You'll see him again. We'll make sure of it."

Arya looked up at him, a flicker of hope in her eyes. "You really think so?"

"Yeah," Jake said firmly. "We're not dying here. Not today."

Before Arya could respond, Zack interrupted, his voice calm but urgent. "We need to find a place to stay for the night. It's getting darker, and we don't know what's out there. We can't risk being caught in the open."

Jake glanced around, his eyes narrowing as he took in the deepening shadows. "He's right. This place gives me the creeps. We need somewhere secure to regroup and figure out our next move."

Arya nodded, though her unease was evident. "Any ideas?"

Zack scanned the area, his gaze settling on a nearby building, a small, weathered structure that looked like it might have once been a diner. "That place over there. It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing. We can barricade the doors and windows, at least."

Jake nodded in agreement. "Let's check it out. But stay sharp. We don't know what or who might already be inside."

The group moved cautiously toward the building, their footsteps echoing in the eerie silence. The air grew colder as the sun dipped below the horizon, casting long shadows across the deserted streets. Arya couldn't shake the feeling that they were being watched, but there was nothing there every time she glanced over her shoulder. Just the empty, darkened town that no longer felt like home.

As they reached the diner, Zack tested the door, which creaked open with a groan. The interior was dim, the air thick with dust and the faint smell of decay. Tables and chairs were overturned, and the remnants of shattered glass littered the floor.

"Looks like it's been abandoned for a while," Arya said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Good," Jake replied, his tone grim. "That means we're less likely to run into trouble."

Zack stepped inside, eyes scanning the room for any signs of danger. "Let's clear the place first. Then we can barricade the doors and figure out our next steps."

"Hey! There's food here!" Ellie excitedly exclaimed while she dug into the cabinets.

"Great! I'm starving!" Carter said. 

Suddenly, the group froze at the sound of the frantic knock. 

Someone else was out there. 

Apparently, they were not alone.