I’m serious now.. C2 (Floor 1/2)

Episode 5: One of us

The bus rattled down the road, its engine humming in a steady rhythm. Gio leaned against the window, his forehead resting on the cool glass as he stared outside. Morning light filtered through the trees, casting fleeting shadows on his face.

He didn't know why he felt so tired. Maybe it was the monotony of the bus ride or the restless sleep he'd gotten the night before. Either way, he was too out of it to join the quiet chatter of the other kids around him.

The bus slowed, brakes screeching slightly, and Gio sat up. They were almost at school.

As the bus stopped, Kaden's voice cut through the low hum of conversation.

"Gio! What's up, man?" Kaden jogged up to him as they stepped off the bus, his hoodie slightly askew. "You seen Eli around? He's been MIA all week."

"Nah," Gio said, rubbing his eyes. "Didn't know he was missing."

Kaden frowned but shrugged it off. "Probably nothing. Let's head in."

The two walked into the school, parting ways once inside. Kaden headed to his class, throwing a quick wave over his shoulder, and Gio trudged toward his.

Gio's class was uneventful, as usual. The teacher droned on about something he couldn't bring himself to care about, and his eyelids grew heavier with each passing second.

Eventually, he gave in, resting his head on the desk.

When he woke up, the room was silent.

"Crap, did I sleep through the bell?" Gio muttered, sitting up.

But something was wrong. The classroom was empty—not just his desk, but every desk. 

The teacher's chair was vacant, the chalkboard blank.

"Hello?" Gio called out, his voice echoing unnaturally in the still air.

He stood and walked to the door, his steps loud in the eerie quiet. When he opened it, the hallway was bathed in a dim, flickering light.

The first thing he noticed was the TV mounted on the wall. It was on, the news playing softly. Stockton, California—his hometown—was mentioned in the report.

Gio's chest tightened as he walked closer, his eyes fixed on the screen.

The reporter was talking about crime rates. Stockton was no stranger to crime, but the reporter's tone was grim, almost desperate. Gio watched, unease growing in his stomach.

He glanced away from the TV, and his breath caught in his throat.

The hallways were covered in posters—thousands of them. Each one featured a missing child, their faces staring back at him with hollow smiles.

They were his age.

"What the hell…" Gio whispered, stepping closer to the walls. He scanned the posters, his fingers trembling as he brushed against one.

The news report caught his attention again, the reporter's voice sharpening.

"There has been an unprecedented influx of missing children in Stockton," the reporter said, their eyes seeming to bore into him through the screen.

Gio turned back to the TV, his heart pounding.

The reporter's expression shifted—just slightly, but enough to send a chill down his spine.

"You're next," they said, their voice cutting through the silence like a knife.

Gio stumbled back, his pulse racing. His vision blurred, and the room seemed to close in on him.

When he opened his eyes again, he was back on the bed of the truck, the noise of the engine filling the air.

He gasped, his hand gripping the edge of the bed.

"Yo, you good?" Neos asked, while driving the truck.

"Yeah," Gio muttered, though his voice wavered. "I'm fine."

But he wasn't fine.

Not at all.

Episode 6: Flesh EatersThe truck rattled across the barren desert, kicking up clouds of sand as the boys huddled in the back. Gio sat closest to the cab window, leaning in to shout over the roar of the engine.

"So, you've been here for days?!" Kaden asked, his voice a mix of disbelief and concern.

"Yeah," Gio replied, shrugging. "I mean, it's not like I had much of a choice. This place is... weird."

"Weird doesn't even cover it," Jylin muttered, glancing out at the endless dunes.

Neos, the driver, tapped the window separating the cab from the truck bed. "Weird? Try cursed. That's what y'all are now, thanks to that damn bus."

Kamari raised an eyebrow. "Cursed? N####, what do you mean cursed?"

Gio sighed, turning to face the group. "Okay, here's the deal. I didn't eat the sandwich. Not even a bite. Hell, I made that creepy guy take a bite of his own sandwich."

Kaden's eyes widened. "You made him?!"

"Yeah," Gio said with a sheepish grin. "He looked pissed, but what was he gonna do?"

"Neos?" Jylin asked, shifting his focus to the driver. "What about you?"

Neos chuckled darkly, never taking his eyes off the road. "Jumped out before he could even offer it to me. Call it a gut feeling."

"Smart move," Kamari muttered.

"Yeah, well, y'all didn't exactly do yourselves any favors by eating it," Neos continued. "That's why anything that can go wrong for you will. And trust me, in a place like this, that's a death sentence."

The boys fell silent, the weight of his words sinking in.

Neos broke the silence after a few minutes. "By the way, y'all should know about the flesh eaters."

"The what?" Kaden asked, his voice rising slightly.

"Big-ass spiders," Neos said bluntly. "They're fast, they're mean, and they'll rip 

you apart if they catch you. 

Oh, and their venom doesn't kill you right away. It paralyzes you so they can eat you alive."

Kamari let out a low whistle. "Man, why you gotta ruin spiders like that?"

"I'm serious," Neos said, gripping the wheel tighter. "If you see one, you run. If you hear one, you hide."

Jylin's eyes narrowed. "What if they find us?"

Neos reached for something in the passenger seat and tossed it into the back—a sleek, black automatic rifle.

 "Then you shoot until it stops moving."

Before anyone could respond, the truck jolted as something massive landed behind them.

"What the hell was that?!" Kaden shouted, gripping the side of the truck bed.

Neos cursed under his breath, checking the rearview mirror. "Speak of the devil."

A giant spider, its legs as long as the truck itself, skittered into view. Its glossy, black body gleamed in the sunlight, and its multiple eyes glinted like polished onyx.

"It's a flesh eater!" Gio yelled.

"No shit!" Kamari snapped.

The spider let out an ear-piercing screech and surged forward, closing the gap between it and the truck in seconds.

"Hold on!" Neos barked, jerking the wheel. The truck swerved, sand spraying in every direction.

The boys clung to whatever they could as Neos grabbed the rifle and fired out the window.

Bullets tore through the air, striking the spider's legs and abdomen. The creature stumbled but didn't stop.

"Why isn't it going down?!" Jylin yelled.

"Because it's a tough son of a bitch!" Neos shouted back, unloading another clip.

Finally, the spider let out a high-pitched wail and collapsed, its legs curling inward.

"Got it!" Neos shouted, a hint of triumph in his voice.

But Jylin, who had been staring at the horizon, wasn't celebrating. "Uh... guys?"

Kaden followed his gaze and felt his stomach drop.

Far off in the distance, more spiders—enormous ones, as tall as skyscrapers—were making their way toward them.

"That was the baby," Jylin said quietly.

The others looked at him in disbelief.

"The what?!" Kamari shouted.

Neos slammed his foot on the gas. "Hold on, boys. This is gonna get rough."

The truck roared forward, the massive spiders closing in. Their sheer size made the ground shake with each step, and their screeches echoed like thunder.

One of the spiders reared back and spat a glob of green acid. The sizzling projectile hit the sand beside the truck, sending up a plume of smoke and fumes.

"Are they spitting acid?!" Kaden yelled.

"Yep," Neos replied, his voice tight.

The truck weaved through the desert, dodging more globs of acid. But one of the spiders aimed directly at them, forcing Neos to swerve hard. The truck hit a dune, flying through the sand before landing with a bone-jarring crash.

The boys tumbled around in the back as the truck skidded to a halt, its engine sputtering. The enormous spiders loomed closer, their shadows stretching over the broken vehicle.

"Move!" Neos shouted.

The boys scrambled to their feet, the sound of screeches closing in around them.

I think that the next level should be a combination of Gluttony and lust

Episode 7: I hate arachnids…

Gunfire echoed through the wasteland as Neos unloaded bullets into the towering spiders, their chitinous bodies barely slowing under the assault. Meanwhile, Kamari, Jylin, Kaden, and Gio sprinted toward a lone, out-of-place hotel in the distance.

A deafening screech rang out as one of the spiders launched a blob of acid toward them. The boys barely dodged in time, diving through the hotel's glass doors and landing in a heap in the lobby.

Behind the reception desk, a boy around their age, dressed in a neat suit, looked up in shock. "Are—are you guys okay?" he stammered.

Jylin didn't waste time on pleasantries. "You got weapons?" he asked urgently. "I need to go back out there and help Neos."

The boy hesitated. "I think we just ran out of firearms... but I can check the storage in the back." Without another word, he rushed into the storage room.

Kaden exhaled sharply. "Jylin, I get that you want to help Neos, but we don't even know what's out there. We can't all throw ourselves into this just to be heroes."

Kamari scoffed. "Man, forget all that—I'm going out there to kill those things. I hate spiders." His fists clenched. "They messed with the wrong N#### today."

Before anyone could stop him, Gio bolted for the exit.

"Gio! Get back here!" Kaden shouted, but the younger boy was already outside, weaving through the chaos to reach Neos.

Jylin frowned, glancing toward the storage room. "What the hell is taking that dude so long?"

As if on cue, the door swung open, and the suited boy emerged—dragging a comically large mini-gun nearly his size. Without hesitation, he pushed past the dumbfounded group and marched outside, setting up his weapon like it was just another Tuesday.

The ground shook as the first burst of bullets tore through the air, tearing into the spiders. The thunderous roar of the gun drowned out everything else as Neos and Gio turned and sprinted back toward the hotel.

As soon as Neos and Gio made it inside, the suited boy wasted no time. "Help me barricade the entrances!"

Without question, the group sprang into action. They rushed back into the storage room, grabbing whatever they could—tables, chairs, metal bars—anything to reinforce the doors and windows. The creatures outside screeched and slammed against the barricades, their weight rattling the walls.

Once the last makeshift barrier was in place, the suited boy returned to the desk. He reached beneath it and pressed a hidden button. The hotel trembled.

Jylin wiped sweat from his forehead. "What now?"

The boy turned, his voice eerily calm. "We're going to the Second Level."

The others exchanged uneasy glances as he walked toward a large panel on the wall with two buttons: one arrow pointing up, the other down. Without hesitation, he pressed down.

A deep, mechanical groan rumbled through the building. The floor lurched, and suddenly everything began to float.

Tables, chairs, weapons—anything not bolted to the ground lifted into the air as though gravity had vanished. The boys scrambled for something to hold onto as the entire hotel plummeted downward.

"WHAT THE HELL?!" Kamari shouted, gripping onto a floating chair.

"It's like we're falling—" Kaden started, before flipping midair.

Jylin's mind raced as he reached for the wall, trying to orient himself. The lights flickered wildly, and outside the windows, the world disappeared into blackness.

The last thing they heard before everything turned silent was the suited boy's voice, unnervingly calm.

"Hold on tight."

Then, the hotel vanished into the unknown.

Episode 8: The Wind

Kamari woke to muffled voices and groggily sat up, finding everyone else gathered and deep in conversation. Rubbing his eyes, he asked, "What's going on?"

The suited boy turned, looking worried. "The hotel's lost power. We're stranded on Level Two. If we want to move to any other levels, we need fuel—but it's far too dangerous outside."

"Dangerous? How?" Kamari pressed.

Neos answered calmly, "Extreme winds and heavy snowfall. The gusts are so powerful they'll lift a person right off their feet and throw them wherever the wind decides."

Jylin nodded gravely, adding, "Even if someone went out, we only have enough gear for one person, and the rest of us need to stay back and fix other systems in the hotel."

Gio interjected thoughtfully, "Still, maybe one of us could at least try to scout around for fuel. We can't see much with the windows boarded up."

Immediately, Kaden shook his head firmly. "No way. It's a suicide mission."

"I'll do it," Kamari said decisively, causing the group to fall silent and stare at him. "I'm probably the strongest here. If anyone can handle it, it should be me."

The suited boy shook his head reluctantly. "Kamari, listen—the winds are brutal. There's only a small chance you'll survive even a few minutes out there."

"Where's the gear?" Kamari repeated stubbornly.

With a resigned sigh, the boy showed him to the storage room. Once Kamari disappeared into the back, Kaden turned anxiously to the group. "We're really letting him go out there alone?"

Gio looked solemnly at Kaden. "You got a better idea?"

Before Kaden could respond, Kamari re-emerged fully geared up—a thick winter coat, army pants, gloves, heavy boots, a visor, and a sturdy backpack. "I'll see y'all soon," he said with surprising confidence.

"Kamari, you don't have to do this," Kaden said sharply, stepping forward.

"Yeah, seriously," Jylin added, his voice quiet with concern.

"I know I don't," Kamari replied with an uncharacteristically gentle smile. "But I wanna help. I feel like I haven't done enough compared to everyone else. I'll see you guys later, alright?" He waved, opening the heavy door.

"Good luck," the suited boy called softly, joining the others in a worried chorus of goodbyes.

Kamari stepped into the freezing storm, instantly feeling the piercing chill despite his gear. It was a white wasteland, filled with abandoned buildings crumbling into skeletal remains. In the distance, he saw a faint light flickering—a fire.

Curiosity and hope spurred him on. Exhausted from trudging through deep snow, Kamari finally approached the small campfire surrounded by bundled-up strangers.

Panting, Kamari asked, "What are y'all doing out here?"

One of them shrugged calmly. "Just our job."

He stepped closer, glancing at the derelict buildings. "What's with these buildings?"

Another responded softly, "Nobody knows. Nobody's lived long enough to remember."

Kamari gratefully collapsed by the fire, letting warmth seep into his numb limbs. "Is there anyone else around?"

A man pointed toward the distance. "Sure. They're all in the bunker just over there."

Kamari squinted, barely making out a lantern marking the bunker entrance far ahead. He thanked them, rose with renewed determination, and began trudging towards the distant bunker.

"Be careful!" someone called after him. "The winds are coming soon!"

"I will," Kamari shouted back, his voice swallowed by the storm.

After a mile, as he continued toward the bunker, a sudden, ominous, icy gust slammed into him. In one heart-stopping moment, the wind grabbed him like a ragdoll and launched him upward—flinging him nearly 25 stories high. Time seemed to slow as he soared, the towering building's façade rushing up to meet him amidst a maelstrom of swirling, biting snow.

With a sickening impact, Kamari smashed into a shattered window, shards of glass ripping across his skin, before being violently hurled against the concrete of an upper floor. The force drove his body hard into the jagged, unforgiving architecture, sending searing pain through his limbs. His left wrist shattered on impact, and deep bruises spread rapidly across his body. For agonizing seconds, Kamari hovered in a dazed suspension before gravity reclaimed him, and he plummeted down, crashing onto a heap of snow and debris. The brutal impact left him barely conscious as his vision darkened and he lost all sense of time.

Hours—or minutes—later, Kamari vaguely felt himself being gently lifted. Consciousness flickered in and out until he awoke fully in a warm room, lying in a soft bed. His left arm was neatly casted. Groggy but curious, he stood and exited into a bustling area filled with busy people. Approaching someone lounging near an indoor furnace, he asked cautiously, "Where am I?"

"Sector C bunker," the man replied simply. "You new here?"

"Yeah, thanks," Kamari muttered, wandering away, his mind swirling with confusion and curiosity. Lost in thought, he accidentally collided with another boy his age, knocking him to the ground.

"My bad," Kamari apologized quickly, offering his good hand to help him up.

The boy, blond with turquoise eyes, smiled warmly. "It's alright, thanks."

Kamari hesitated, then blurted, "Hey, you wouldn't know where to find some fuel, would you?"

The boy raised an eyebrow. "What type of fuel?"

Kamari realized he'd left too hastily to get specifics. "Uh, all kinds, I guess?"

Chuckling, the boy guided Kamari into a nearby storage room filled with wood, fire starters, and gasoline canisters. "That's all we have," he said cheerfully.

"Thanks," Kamari replied gratefully, packing some supplies into his backpack.

Eyeing Kamari's broken visor and cast, the boy asked gently, "What happened?"

Kamari sighed, "The wind threw me into a building—blasted me up nearly 25 stories high. I don't remember much after that, just know I need this fuel for my friends at the hotel."

"Well, good luck," the boy said earnestly as Kamari turned toward the bunker exit.

Kamari gave a determined nod and stepped back into the icy unknown once more.

Meanwhile, back at the hotel, everyone was busy. Neos and the suited boy worked furiously to repair the hotel's motor, quietly discussing how the building had crash-landed due to a mechanical failure that ruptured its fuel tank. Nearby, Jylin, Kaden, and Gio struggled unsuccessfully to mend the damaged fuel tank.