I didn't go home.
Even after everything returned to normal…
I couldn't.
My legs were moving, but my mind was somewhere else.
That voice.
That mark.
Her words.
"Only one survives."
It kept repeating in my head.
"…This is crazy."
I muttered.
But deep down—
I didn't believe that anymore.
Because the mark was still there.
Still faintly glowing.
Still real.
"…You're still thinking about it."
Her voice.
I stopped.
Turned slightly.
She was walking beside me.
Quiet.
Like she had always been there.
"…Why are you following me?"
I asked.
"I'm not."
She said calmly.
"I just don't want to be alone."
Silence.
I didn't know what to say to that.
"…Fair enough."
We kept walking.
Side by side.
Strangers.
But not really.
"…Have you seen anyone else?"
I asked after a while.
She nodded slowly.
"…Two."
My chest tightened.
"And?"
She hesitated.
"…They didn't talk."
A pause.
"They attacked."
I stopped walking.
"…Attacked?"
She looked at me.
"…The moment they saw each other."
A cold feeling spread through my body.
"So this really is…"
"A survival game."
She finished.
Silence.
"…I'm not fighting anyone."
I said.
"Then you'll die."
She didn't sugarcoat it.
Didn't soften it.
Just the truth.
"…You say that like it's easy."
"I didn't say that."
We walked again.
"…I'm just saying it's real."
The street was getting quieter.
Less people.
Less noise.
The sun was starting to go down.
Everything felt… heavier.
"…What if we don't fight each other?"
I asked suddenly.
She looked at me.
"…What do you mean?"
"We work together."
A pause.
"Survive longer."
Silence.
"…And then?"
I didn't answer.
Because we both knew.
There was no "then".
Only one remains.
"…You're naive."
She said softly.
"Maybe."
"But I'd rather try than kill someone for no reason."
She didn't reply.
But she didn't disagree either.
That was enough.
We reached a quiet street.
Empty.
Too empty.
"…Something's wrong."
She whispered.
I felt it too.
That same strange feeling.
Like before.
The air changed.
Then—
Everything stopped.
Again.
Cars.
People.
Sound.
Gone.
Only us.
And—
"…We're not alone."
I turned.
Someone was standing at the end of the street.
A guy.
Around our age.
Looking straight at us.
His hand—
Marked.
Glowing brighter than ours.
"…He found us."
She whispered.
My heart started beating faster.
"…What do we do?"
She didn't answer.
Because we both knew.
He started walking toward us.
Slow.
Confident.
Like he already decided something.
"…Stay behind me."
I said.
"What?"
"Just do it."
She hesitated.
Then moved slightly behind me.
"…You're not ready."
She whispered.
"Neither are you."
The guy stopped a few meters away.
Smiled slightly.
"…So it's true."
His voice was calm.
Too calm.
"They always appear in pairs at the start."
My chest tightened.
"…What?"
"You didn't know?"
He tilted his head.
"…First phase is simple."
Silence.
"Find someone."
A step forward.
"Kill them."
Everything inside me froze.
"…I'm not doing that."
He laughed.
"…You don't get a choice."
His mark glowed brighter.
Suddenly—
He moved.
Fast.
Too fast.
I barely reacted.
He was already in front of me.
His fist coming straight at my face—
I blocked it—
But the impact—
"—!"
It sent me back.
Hard.
I hit the ground.
Pain shot through my arm.
"…You're weak."
He said calmly.
I forced myself up.
"…Shut up."
He rushed again.
This time—
I moved.
Barely dodged.
"…Too slow."
He grabbed my shirt—
Pulled me closer—
And—
Stopped.
His eyes shifted.
Behind me.
"…Oh?"
I turned slightly.
She was there.
Standing.
Her hand raised.
Her mark—
Glowing.
Brighter than before.
"…Don't touch him."
She said.
Her voice wasn't soft anymore.
It was sharp.
Cold.
Different.
The guy smiled.
"…Now that's interesting."
The air changed again.
He let go of me.
Stepped back.
"…Maybe I'll enjoy this more than I thought."
My breathing was heavy.
Fast.
But something inside me shifted.
This wasn't a joke.
This wasn't something I could ignore.
This was real.
And if I didn't move—
I would die.
I clenched my fist.
"…We're not dying here."
She glanced at me.
Just for a second.
Then nodded.
"…Yeah."
The marks on our hands—
Started glowing.
At the same time.
First fight… first blood…
In this game, hesitation means death.
Will they survive their first battle? 👀🔥