Chapter Ten: Whispers Behind the Curtain

The sky above the twisted village pulsed again—not with thunder, but with tension. Dusk refused to settle completely, casting the landscape in eerie hues of violet and gray. The players below moved slowly, cautiously, their faces shadowed and taut with unease.

They had survived a night. But barely.

Above them, the **Spectator's Gallery** shimmered into being—unseen by those on the board. It was a construct of paradox: a throne room floating in nothing, walled with mirrors that showed possibilities rather than reflections. Floating lanterns bobbed in zero gravity. The air itself pulsed with energy.

**Wong** stepped forward, hands folded into his robes, eyes narrowed with thought.

"It's day one," he said, not to anyone in particular.

"Feels like day ten," muttered **Darcy Lewis**, reclining in a conjured hammock with popcorn floating beside her. "This is better than TV. And worse."

Beside them hovered the **Divergent**, eyes full of starlight, humming softly as she watched. A being made of multiverse stitching, her form fluctuated like bad reception.

Mobius stood silent with his clipboard, tapping notes, occasionally glancing at a swirling screen labeled "Timeline Influx: Field Variations – Unstable."

Another stepped forward—**Watcher Variant Vanta**, her silhouette crisp and her voice sharp. "This Field is more than a game. The Fieldmaster's tweaking something each round. The rules obey the structure, but the spirit? That's shifting."

Wong replied, "He's not cheating. But he is... adjusting. Reacting to their decisions."

Darcy threw popcorn at a floating screen showing **Nebula** staring out her cottage window, sharpening a blade. "Speaking of reactions—who's betting on her cracking first?"

Mobius frowned. "Don't underestimate Scott."

"Or Moon Knight," Wong added.

The camera of reality panned below.

**Village Square – Day One**

The players stood gathered again, in the exact formation as the morning before—but the energy had changed. They were no longer strangers to the Field. They'd heard the night whisper. They'd seen its cost.

No one had died. But one player had vanished—taken, perhaps, or hidden by the Fieldmaster's hand. An empty house stood like a question mark.

Shuri stepped forward first, arms crossed. "We need a system."

Yelena arched a brow. "A system in a system built to make us kill each other? Cute."

Scott raised his hand, voice uncertain. "No offense, but shouldn't we, like... talk? We don't know roles, right? Like… anyone could be mafia."

"Or worse," muttered Moon Knight—Steven, again. "He's watching. The Fieldmaster. This is all data to him."

A new prompt shimmered into view, just above the square:

**Discussion Phase: 15 Minutes – Accusations Permitted**

Nebula's arms were folded, her gaze scanning each of them like targets. "Talk fast, then. Someone's already playing the long game."

Yelena clicked her tongue. "Let's just say I'm a civilian. Totally innocent. You can all trust me."

Scott looked at her skeptically. "That's exactly what a mafia would say."

"Oh?" she grinned. "Then what are *you*, little ant-man?"

"Confused and slightly terrified?" he offered weakly.

Shuri activated her gauntlet, pulling up a holographic display. "I intercepted a local signal overnight. Someone was trying to scan the field's border."

Moon Knight's brow furrowed. "Trying to escape?"

"Or test the game," Shuri said.

Everyone looked at Mysterio.

He raised both hands, cloak swaying. "Illusionist, yes. Hacker? No. I've been playing fair."

Nebula growled. "There's no fair here."

**Above the Board**

Darcy leaned forward. "Okay. So, I don't trust Mysterio. Like, at all."

Wong nodded. "He's unpredictable."

The Divergent tilted her head. "But it's not about truth. It's about belief. If the others *believe* he's mafia, he's already lost."

Mobius jotted that down.

Vanta watched in silence. The game's mechanisms hummed with unseen gears. Votes weren't cast yet, but suspicions were seeds—and the Field loved to make flowers from chaos.

**Village Square**

Shuri pointed her gauntlet toward the sky. "We're in a simulation—but one designed to trick our instincts. I suggest we ignore personality. Focus on behavior."

"Agreed," said Steven. "If someone avoids voting? That's data. If someone pushes too hard? Also data."

Scott raised a hand again. "I'm gonna go out on a limb and say we *don't* vote on Day One. Just gather info."

Yelena snorted. "Coward move."

"No," Shuri countered. "Strategic. Every vote is a pattern. The Field records it."

A new message flashed in midair:

**Fieldmaster's Commentary Unlocked: 'Ooooh, someone's thinking like a player. I approve.'**

Moon Knight's jaw clenched. "He's watching everything."

The sky above pulsed.

**Voting Optional. Consensus Not Required. Majority Rules.**

The board flickered into place. Names listed.

**5 minutes left.**

The players exchanged glances. Silent calculations. Who to test. Who to spare.

Yelena tapped her chin. "Well, if no one's brave enough, I'll vote. But don't say I didn't warn you."

She stepped up, pressing a panel. A name lit up: **Mysterio**.

Mysterio chuckled, but it didn't reach his eyes. "Bold. But dangerous."

Nebula stepped up next. Also Mysterio.

Scott hesitated.

Shuri whispered, "Trust your instinct. But not your fear."

He voted: **Abstain**.

Moon Knight voted: **Abstain**.

Shuri voted last: **No Vote**.

The board shimmered.

**Majority Not Reached. No Elimination.**

The Field's fog curled in disappointment.

Mysterio clapped once. "Lovely. So I live to dance another day."

**Above**

Darcy: "Lame. I wanted blood."

Wong: "Wisdom, not violence, won today."

The Divergent sipped her tea again. "They're learning."

Mobius tapped his clipboard. "Tomorrow, they'll have fewer doubts."

Vanta stared silently at the glowing nameplates as they vanished.

And in the center of it all, hidden from both players and spectators, the Fieldmaster grinned behind his gold-trimmed veil.

"They've made their first move," he whispered. "Now the real game begins."

**Night Phase Initiated.**

Lights in the village dimmed. Doors closed. Silence took root.

Somewhere, someone moved in the dark.

And the fog began to whisper names.

**End of Chapter Ten**

**(Day One Complete)**