00:09:12
The timer didn't just tick.
It pressed.
Like every second was pushing against my skull.
Five people stood in front of me.
No ropes. No weapons. No visible threat.
Just… silence.
Too clean.
Too controlled.
I forced my breathing to slow.
"Okay," I said,
voice rough but steady. "If one of you is the traitor, standing quietly won't help. Talk."
No response.
Not even a twitch.
Yeah. Figures.
Either they were terrified…
or they were playing along.
I stepped forward.
"Names," I said. "Start with you."
A boy. Maybe my age. Hoodie, messy hair.
He hesitated.
"Rohan."
Too quick.
Too ready.
I shifted my gaze.
A girl. Glasses. Arms crossed tight like she was holding herself together.
"…Aisha."
Her voice cracked.
Fear. Real.
Next.
Tall guy. Broad shoulders. Calm eyes.
"Vikram."
No hesitation.
Too confident.
Then—
A kid.
Younger than the rest.
"…Sameer."
Barely audible.
Last.
The one who smiled.
She tilted her head again, like earlier.
"Does it matter?" she said softly.
My jaw tightened.
"Yeah," I replied. "It does."
She smiled wider.
"Then call me whatever helps you sleep."
Great.
One psycho.
One scared kid.
One nervous girl.
One calm tank.
One too-perfect answer guy.
And one of them is a traitor.
Or…
My eyes flicked to the screen again.
"Among the five players in front of you…"
Five.
Not six.
Good.
At least I wasn't losing count.
I walked slowly across the line.
Watching.
Waiting.
Looking for something off.
No blood.
No marks.
No clues.
Too clean.
"Alright," I said. "Let's make this simple."
I stopped in front of them.
"If you're not the traitor… you want to survive, right?"
Silence.
"But if you are the traitor…"
I paused.
"Then you already know what happens if I guess wrong."
A flicker.
Just one.
In the tall guy's eyes.
Fear?
No.
Calculation.
Interesting.
The girl—Aisha—looked like she was about to cry.
The kid—Sameer—was shaking.
Rohan kept glancing sideways.
The smiling girl?
Still locked on me.
Unblinking.
"…You're enjoying this," I muttered.
She didn't deny it.
Of course not.
Fine.
Then play.
I stepped back.
"Everyone, raise your right hand."
No one moved.
I smiled slightly.
"Yeah. That's what I thought."
They don't trust me.
Good.
Because I don't trust them either.
I pointed at the screen.
"Ten minutes. No hints. No tools. Just us."
I looked at each of them again.
"Which means this isn't about finding evidence."
I tapped my temple.
"It's about breaking someone."
Silence thickened.
Then—
I made my move.
I grabbed Sameer's collar and yanked him forward.
He gasped.
"S-sir—!"
"Relax," I said coldly. "If you're innocent, you'll live."
His eyes filled with tears.
Too fast.
Too real.
I leaned closer.
"Look at me."
He did.
Terrified.
Not hiding it.
Not controlling it.
No layers.
No mask.
I let him go.
He collapsed back, shaking.
Not him.
Too obvious.
Too clean.
I turned—
straight to Rohan.
"You're next."
He stiffened.
"W-what? Why me?"
"There it is," I said quietly.
"Too reactive."
He shook his head. "No, I just—this is crazy!"
"Exactly," I replied.
"You're acting like someone who wants to look normal."
His breathing got uneven.
Sweat forming.
Cracking.
But…
still something off.
I leaned in closer.
"Tell me something," I whispered.
"If you're not the traitor… who do you think is?"
He froze.
Everyone did.
The question hung in the air like a blade.
Because now—
they had to point at each other.
Break trust.
Or stay silent.
Rohan swallowed hard.
His eyes shifted.
Left.
Right.
Then—
he pointed.
Not at the smiling girl.
Not at Vikram.
Not at Aisha.
At the kid.
"...Him."
Sameer.
The room went still.
Sameer's face went pale.
"I—I didn't do anything!"
I stepped back slowly.
Watching.
Analyzing.
Rohan exhaled like he just made the smartest move of his life.
But all I saw was—
a mistake.
A big one.
Because accusing the weakest player?
Too easy.
Too safe.
Too… convenient.
Which means—
either he's desperate…
or he's hiding something.
The timer flashed.
00:04:21
Half time gone.
No clear answer.
No proof.
Just lies.
And fear.
And then—
the smiling girl finally spoke again.
Soft.
Calm.
Cutting through everything.
"You're looking in the wrong direction."
My eyes snapped to her.
She took a step forward.
First one to move.
"Go on," I said. "Enlighten me."
Her smile didn't fade.
"If there's one traitor…"
She tapped her chin lightly.
"…who says it's one of us?"
Silence.
My brain paused.
Just for a second.
And in that second—
something clicked.
Something I missed.
I slowly turned…
toward the screen.
"Among the five players in front of you…"
Five.
In front of me.
Not including—
Me.
My pulse dropped.
Cold realization spreading like poison.
I looked back at them.
Five people.
Watching.
Waiting.
Not attacking.
Not panicking.
Because maybe—
they weren't the ones being tested.
I was.
The voice returned.
Right on cue.
"Final answer?"
The timer hit:
00:00:30
Thirty seconds.
Five faces.
One truth.
And a question that suddenly felt…
a lot more personal.
My throat went dry.
"…What if," I whispered,
"…the traitor…"
I looked down at my own hands.
Shaking.
"…is me?"
The screen flickered.
The smile widened.
And the system answered.
"Correct."