Dong.
Bang.
Dong.
Bang.
The rhythmic sound echoed throughout the labyrinth hideout.
From the sky, something began to fall—thick droplets of black liquid, like rain soaked in shadow. Each drop struck the ground with a dull thud, spreading an unnatural cold through the air. The substance pooled, then surged upward, rapidly shaping itself into an adult silhouette.
It kept growing.
Eight feet tall.
Its surface bubbled violently, as if something inside was forcing its way out. Wet, gurgling sounds filled the air. Then—slowly—a face emerged.
White. Hollow. Empty.
The creature bent forward. Its elongated arms stretched, fingers unnaturally long as they tapped against the floor while it crouched low, its face hovering inches above the ground.
It was sensing.
Searching.
Tasting the fear of children.
---
Dotta tore his gaze away from the sky and turned to the elder brother.
"What's your name?" he asked warmly.
The boy swallowed. "Mali. My brother—"
Dotta raised a finger. "Your brother can speak for himself."
He looked down.
"M-my name is Bon," the younger boy stammered.
Dotta nodded approvingly. "Good. I'm Dotta. Behind me are—"
"Zeke."
"Victor."
Dotta turned to Glory and waved casually. His smile was gentle—too gentle.
"Glory?"
She straightened. "Glory."
Mali exhaled. At least she wasn't attacking.
"So," Dotta continued, crouching to help Bon up and brushing dirt from his clothes, "tell me more about this Lewis."
"I don't know everything," Mali said carefully. "Before each game, I receive fragments—visions of how things will unfold. That's how I've survived this long."
"You're avoiding the question," Dotta said lightly.
Mali shivered. "It isn't human. Not even an adult. It's… a mistake. A devil-like entity. If it finds a child, it swallows them whole."
Victor frowned. "So we fight it?"
Mali shook his head immediately. "That's suicide. We're not equipped. Not experienced. Escape isn't even guaranteed."
"So it's really hide and seek now," Zeke muttered.
"Yes," Mali said. "We hide until the day ends."
Dotta nodded. "An unknown enemy is the most dangerous kind."
"Charging it would be idiotic," Glory added flatly.
"So we find a hiding spot. Fast," Dotta concluded.
Zeke hesitated. "Colors haven't changed. We're still enemies. Is it safe to move together?"
"It's coming," Mali said.
Instantly, their clothing darkened—textures fading into black.
Bon released a shaky breath.
"Relax," Victor warned him quietly. "Even without colors, she can still kill you."
"No more talking," Mali said, grabbing Bon's hand. "We move."
They left.
---
"WAIT—!"
A dagger pierced the boy's eye mid-scream.
He dropped instantly.
"Damn it," Coal muttered, pulling the blade free. "Was that really necessary?"
A pink-haired girl adjusted her ponytail, lips curling slightly.
"He thought being older meant he could touch me."
Coal sighed. "Pidgey. What now?"
Pidgey stared at the sky, eyes narrowed.
"We distance ourselves from that thing. Avoid others. No noise."
The group nodded.
"Split into twos or threes," Coal added. "Hand signals only."
They scattered.
---
Brian wandered alone, disoriented. His head throbbed violently.
He heard screaming.
"What…?" He leaned against a wall, forcing himself forward, and reached an intersection—
Thud.
"Oof—!"
He nearly fell as another body collided with him.
A girl.
One eye was crystalline black. It stared into his.
Time paused.
"Are you alright?" Brian asked, steadying himself.
Blood coated his clothes. His appearance alone made him a threat.
The girl recoiled.
Then she looked past him.
Brian followed her gaze.
A group of children sprinted into view—five, maybe six.
A black hand burst from the wall.
One boy's leg was seized.
He was dragged screaming back into the darkness.
Silence followed.
Brian's blood turned to ice.
He grabbed the girl's wrist and pulled her away.
"Let go!" she shouted.
"Shut up!" Brian hissed. "Do you want us caught?"
She froze.
Brian dragged her back to his previous hiding place.
She stopped dead.
A mound of corpses.
Within it, a girl lay barely breathing—unconscious.
Brian shoved her into the pile.
"What are you doing?!" she whispered.
"Hide. Don't move," Brian said, already turning away.
She stared after him, confused.
---
Brian emerged into another intersection.
Children ran past him in blind panic.
Then he saw it.
Eight feet tall.
Covered in black.
Its fingers were long, sharp, wrapped around a struggling child.
Slowly—methodically—it pulled the child into itself.
Bones crushed.
The silhouette expanded briefly.
Then it turned.
Its hollow white face twisted into a smile.
"Found you."
The voice echoed directly inside their minds.
Melodic.
Cold.
Final.