CHAPTER 6: Level 1: Selfish world

"Drink your water as much as you can…. Because we are never gonna waste a single second hereafter…." Danny shouted, his voice urgent and determined.

All players gulped their water to be hydrated. Xavier straightened his posture, his leg placed near the inside of the circle, he took a deep breath before turning back to them, and nodded to giving a silent signal to follow him. 

As everyone nodded confidently and their eyes fixed on his shoulder, their bodies tensed, ready to run. They inhale and exhale to keep their body focused.

The countdown timer, glowing ominously in the air before them, ticked relentlessly. It displayed 28:00 each second, disappearing with an audible beep. 

"Follow me…." Xavier shouted, his mind calculating his every row, and his legs ran as fast as he could, his eyes calculating every step square as when passed each square. At first, everyone took their step slowly because of the low probability. The players rushed as they bumped each other, placing a leg in the same place. 

As safer squares were identified, the players' speed increased, spreading out to find clearer paths.

At the back players, the older people were struggling to run to catch the younger; the youngest and the oldest people had a few meters distance between them, but they tried with all their might, their faces grim.

Heat waves are increasing every second, the sun is at peak, making their throat dry, and everyone gasped for air, their throat burning for water.

"I hate this game!!!" A woman with a black hoodie, exhausted, gasped hard to breath.

"This game was fucking amazing…."Dean screamed, a joy on his face etched at the center of the line.

In that struggling crowd, Marina, an old, wrinkled woman, fell on the sand within a few steps, "Stop, stop…" she screamed, but no one listened; they crossed past her, no one was willing to help her.

Yumiko stopped after hearing a sound. Without any hesitation, she turned back and returned to the square near Marina. "Grandma… Are you okay? Wait, I can help you," she murmured and, half-sitting, grabbed her hands to support her to stand.

"No… I can't… "Marina screamed in unbearable pain. "I think my leg sprained… " She struggled in pain, and she couldn't move her leg. "Please go, sweetheart… I am okay with this ending.... I know I am going to die.... I just wanna try hard until my death was my goal in my life...."Marina said with a genuine, caring smile, her voice concerned.

Remove Yumiko's hands from her. "You go….. You don't have enough time…. "

"No… I can't leave someone like this…." Yumiko nodded her head refused to go, tears welling in her eyes in guilt of thinking about previous old man sucked into land.

"Are you okay?" A sudden voice from behind murmured. She turned back nervously and looked at the voice.

"Danny," Yumiko called out softly, with a tear-strained face, and looked with guilt and hope in her eyes.

Danny watched Marina's sprained leg. Without hesitation, he pulled her into his shoulder like a fireman's carry. "We have to go… We have 20 minutes left," Danny confidently muttered, his gaze fixed forward, and ran as much as he could.

Three of them ran, within a few steps, and Danny seemed to lag because of the weight on his back.

"Come fast...." Yumiko called out as she ran slowly as her gaze drifting between the front player to Danny.

Marina noticed the other players were running using their full strength and speed. Then her gaze shifted to Danny, who struggled to lift her heavy body. Her glance shifted to the timer, 16:02. A happy smile appeared on her lips at Danny's humanitarian nature. You are too kind, my son, but I can't have your life in the desert... It makes me sin, and I have lived my life fully adventurous and enjoyable. This is the time to get more adventure, she remembered her last moments as she tapped his shoulder gently, waving him to stop.

"Why, Mrs. Marina, do you need any help?" Danny asked, his jaw locked, teeth grinding together still, his gaze fixed forward and focused as he kept running

"My dear son…. I want to stop here. I know you are a kind human being, but I can't kill you both to save my life. I can't die with this guilt. "Marina assured with a smile, her voice soft but resolute.

Danny stopped, and Marina stepped out of his grip as Yumiko helped her to sit properly on the sand. Marina her gaze shifted between both. "Please, children... I've lived a very beautiful life. But you two haven't even started. It's okay." Marina's voice held a profound peace as she released her hold on Danny. "You go..."

Danny stood, bowed to show respect for an old lady. "I am sorry…." he apologized with his heart, and he nodded in his head to accept Marina's concerned words, which made him strong as his hand hugged Yumiko's hand.

No...!" Yumiko screamed, realizing Danny's heartbreaking decision, her voice mixed with the sounds of footsteps, pleading with him not to go. "I can't leave that grandma like that..." she cried out. But Danny steeled his heart, gripping her wrist tightly, and dragged her forward.

While both were struggling to run towards the endpoint, the old man walked opposite direction towards the midpoint. Confusion flickered across Danny and Yumiko's faces, but they didn't stop.

"Marina! Where have you been? I thought you left first..." the old man called out, walking quickly towards Marina with a smile.

"Stop!" Xavier bellowed, his voice cutting through the air to reach the entire group. He stood at the front, hand spread horizontally, signaling the others to halt. He'd realized the land was shifting at the very end.

The whole crowd behind him stopped as his voice echoed back. Then Maximilian, a middle-aged man, understood the signal and yelled from the center of the line to relay it to the last person, "Stop!"

A land shifted with a sharp metallic sound, the entire place gets vibration, and their feet can feel the sensation. The sun was at its peak, causing heat waves strong and unbearable. Everyone's skin tanned and sweated profusely in the fear of a possible future event. A collective breath echoed throughout their nostrils and mouth, and as the sweat dripped down, people looked at the time by shielding their eyes with their hands. 

"Can we reach within this time?" the woman asked in doubt, struggling to speak in a dry mouth and swallowing hard.

A united gasp escaped their raw, swollen throats, wetting them just enough to speak. "We have no idea... We're just trusting that professor," another Asian man replied with hope on his face, as he struggled to stand in the same place.

The air hung heavy and warm, thick with the scent of dust and desperation. The players remained focused, and after settling all the dust, everyone's gaze shifted towards the timer, which displayed "15:30".

"OMG... We only have 15 minutes left, but we still need to cover half the distance," the players cried out in horror, their legs trembling with fear as they took another step forward.

A woman tied her hair tightly. "I need water..." she murmured, her words slurring in the thirst.

The wounded old man murmured, "We can do anything..." as he showed his broken hand to others. "Look... if I can do anything to survive, why can't you?" he motivated himself as he straightened his posture to run.

"Just 10 seconds, get ready guys.... Your life is in your hands...."Xavier interrupted their tense conversation; his voice cut through the tension, sharp and focused. He stood poised, a sand bottle clutched in his hand, ready to launch it towards the front square – a critical first move in this deadly game.

After his announcement, everyone was getting ready for their last-minute deadly challenge, frantic sounds of bodies adjusting, tightening their jacket, and women tying their hair tightly.

"5...4... 3... 2... 1" they counted the count.

The rotation settled with silence. The time on the hologram now displayed "14:59." Without delay, "Every second is important," Xavier whispered in a low voice. He checked the front square with a sand-filled bottle; it remained on the square. A relieved breath escaped his lips. He checked the nearby square too, and everything remained stable.

Confirming the path was safe, Xavier declared, "Everything was fine. Follow me!!!!" His voice was high-pitched and reached everyone behind him. At first, his movements were fast like a cheetah and determined as he calculated every square, and then everyone was running behind him. 

Now the players were striking each other with no more space. Suddenly, a man fell in the crowd, "Hey, wait...." he screamed for help, but no one listened to help. Everyone stepped on his face and stomach.

The man was bleeding from wounds on every inch of his body; His head sank into the sand, his mouth and nostrils filled, he was struggling to breathe his last breath, and he raised his hand to stop, but the dizziness overtook him, and the hand fell with a sharp thud on the ground.

Danny and Yumiko reached the same spot. Without any delay, Danny stopped, half sat as he tapped his shoulder gently to wake up, "Hey ... wake up!" he murmured as he tapped him harder this time.

But there was no response from the man.

"I think he fainted..... I have to carry him towards the endpoint...."Danny said, shrugging off his outer shirt and tying it tightly around his waist. And grabbed the wounded man and tried to lift him onto Danny's back. But the man's body fell, with no reaction on his body, and the bleeding from his nostrils flowed down.

Yumiko and Danny exchange confused glances on what to do next, as his mind immediately indicates first aid. "Heartbeat?" he whispered in a low voice. he quickly placed his hand on the wounded man's neck to check his pulse.

"What? Is he alive?" Yumiko asked, her eyes widening in curiosity, her voice reflecting hope.