"Oh, of course! Don't we all have letters on our nape? What about yours?" Aeith asked them as she dug into hers and then pulled up her hair. "This is mine, M."
Second checked her nape. It was their newly tattooed mark. Aeith has the letter M.
"Here's mine," Fourth also turned around and parted her hair. She saw the letter R.
"What about you, Second?" they both asked.
Second just bent down, and they parted her long hair.
"Letter H," they mumbled.
She straightened her hair after showing it to them.
"What does this mean? We lost the numbers on our arms, but now we have an embedded tattoo on the back of our necks?" Fourth wondered.
"Hmmm... can't this be our new name? Because our names used to be numbers and ordinals, which are on our arms but are no longer there," Aeith pondered.
"Why does it need to be changed?" Second stated a question, but no one could answer.
"Second is right." Fourth agreed. "Besides, why do we need more letters when we already remember ourselves?"
"Ay, you're right! Speaking of what, what are your names?!" Aeith beamed, looking so happy and eager, like before when they were still in the castle. She was also very eager to know the names given to them by Author. She held out her hand to them for a handshake. "I'm Ms. Quevas, Myriana Quevas!" They shook hands with her.
"Hi, dear friends! My real name is Rochevel Javinendo. Nice meeting you all," she giggled. And they also shook hands with Fourth as if they had just met for the first time.
They looked and waited for Second.
She smiled at them sparingly before introducing herself with a real name. "Heavien Cyre Luvitos. Just call me Heavien."
It feels different calling them by these real names.
"Um, excuse me. We should cook. We need your help." Aeizen called out to them.
They went back to the tent and helped with the cooking. The boys gather wood and dried leaves for the bonfire. There is no sun so it will be difficult and tolerable for them to make fire.
Second thought that the letters on their napes meant the first letter of their names. She questioned the others about what letters were on their necks and what their names were, and she was right. There is a sense of relief and gladness that she now knows their real names.
***
When the meal was over, they went back to sleep. They still seem tired because of the game.
She stared at the ceiling of the tent and thought about what First had told her after they had eaten.
"What's your name?" She asked him as they finished eating and getting ready.
He turned to her. "Why?"
"Just curious. I knew everyone's except yours."
"Let's just say... Hmm, I don't have a name."
"Huh?" She frowned in confusion.
"Just call me L and I'll call you H," Then he left her with a mysterious smirk.
Why doesn't he even tell her? He won't tell others, either. He insisted he would just say it later. He has a letter L tattooed on his nape. Letter L is the first letter in his name. He can call her Heavien, but prefers to call her Second or H. He insisted that he won't call her by her real name to be fair to her, since she still doesn't know his. This is his way to be fair to her. People either keep a secret for good or for their own good. First, you are close to her, but you also feel so far. There is a lot of stuff she doesn't know about you. She closed her eyes because she was thinking too much about the mystery of First, the identity of L.
Heavien dreamed of something with the girl's voice again. She was stunned for a moment, then she remembered that her voice was the girl speaking in her dream. She understands that. She remembers that. She is narrating her own dreams. The comic she's making doesn't have a title yet, but the content of its chapters is what happens to her in the tri-games. From the moving up ceremony until the end of the game here on the nth planet made by Author. She doesn't know why she wrote and drew the comic, and why she knows what happened in the tri-games.
For some unknown reason, she knows that they will play the next level 2, stage 2. If she remembers the story of the comics she wrote correctly, Author will show up to them later to announce the next game. If she remembers correctly, the tri-games did not turn out well.
She laughed to herself because she looked paranoid. She slapped herself.
"Hey! Wake up, we're going to eat!" Someone's voice interrupted her sleep.
She came out of the tent after Aeith woke her. She was the last to wake up among the girls. They had a simple breakfast. They can only eat vegetables and fruits because their resources are limited. This reminded her of their initial situation when they first came to the nth planet.
***
The short meal was over and all when Author's presence came. She knew it. The ten of them gathered, and they surrounded Author's hologram outside the tent. They waited for it to announce the next expected game.
"The battle 10. For your next game, the Health Level: Stage 2, you will be playing again as a pair."
If Second's dream about the comics she wrote is correct, this is no longer a common game because...
"This game, unlike the game you played in virtual reality. It will get bloodier because it will be an actual fantasy."
Author mentioned it to be bloodier, which is more difficult, more challenging, and more dangerous. From virtual reality to actual fantasy, wow.
"An actual battle between the five pairs."
This is bad. The comic she wrote is correct. If she's lucky enough to just remember everything she wrote there, First and she has a chance to win. Not only can they find ways for the two of them, but they can find ways for all of them remaining ten to survive and make it out of this game. For some unclear reason, she seems to see future happenings and will use that to their advantage. She hopes to recall more of her memories and dreams.
"Each of you will randomly possess a unique and specific ability."
Heavien already knows what that is.
The five human senses!
"Your ordinary five senses will be enhanced, called the nth sense."
Bingo! She got it right. This is doing her good.
"The enticing sight, the alluring scent, the piercing sound, the acrid taste, and the eerie feeling."
It would have been nice if they were the ones to choose their nth sense, but it was not possible. If ever, she will choose 'the enticing sight'. She thinks you will be able to see your opponent from a distance, which is a great asset for this game.
"When you already possess your nth sense, the weapons will choose their rightful owner to hold and use them. Discover what your nth sense, then your weapon will increase its ability."
"How are we going to discover that?" Sectwen questioned with her arms crossed.
"That is for you to answer."
They don't choose their weapons either. What are they going to do? What if they can't afford to use their weapons? Every game seems to be more torturous as the levels and stages advance. In the virtual game, someone controls her. Here, even though First or L and she are still partners, they must be able to read the situation with collaboration.
"Unlike in the virtual game, where you only experienced 60% of the pain and suffering... This time, it's purely 100%."