The door slammed shut behind them.
A metallic echo spread across the room — cold, final.
For a moment, no one moved.
Then the screen flickered to life.
"Level 3: Truth or Death."
A low mechanical hum followed, as if the room itself had awakened.
The space was unnaturally clean — white walls, no windows, no visible exits.
In the center stood six metal chairs, each marked with a number.
Six.
The ayan eyes narrowed.
"…There are seven of us."
Silence.
That realization spread like poison.
"W-what does that mean?" Ayesha whispered,
her voice already shaking.
No one answered.
The screen glitched once… then displayed the rules.
Rule 1: In each round, one player will be designated as the 'liar'.
Rule 2: If the liar is correctly identified, the liar will be eliminated.
Rule 3: If the group makes an incorrect choice… someone else will die.
Raghav scoffed. "That's it? This is just a guessing game?"
"No…" the ayan muttered under his breath.
Something felt off.
Too simple.
Too… incomplete.
"Rules like this don't exist without a trap."
"Everyone sit," a mechanical voice ordered.
The chairs screeched slightly as they pulled themselves outward.
No one wanted to move first.
But the floor beneath them vibrated — a warning.
One by one, they sat.
Six chairs.
Seven people.
"…Who's standing?" someone asked.
No one volunteered.
In the end, Imran remained on his feet.
He didn't argue. Didn't react.
He just stood there… quietly.
The screen blinked again.
"Round 1 — Liar exists."
A countdown appeared.
30 seconds.
Panic exploded instantly.
"What do we even base this on?!"
"This is insane!"
"They want us to kill someone randomly!"
Ayesha's breathing turned uneven. "I'm not the liar… I swear, I'm not…"
Raghav pointed at her immediately. "You're already acting suspicious."
"I'm scared!" she snapped. "Of course I am!"
"Everyone is scared," he shot back.
Voices overlapped. Accusations. Denials.
Noise.
Too much noise.
The ayan stayed silent.
Watching.
Listening.
"There's no information… no questions… nothing to analyze."
That was the problem.
This wasn't deduction.
This was pressure.
Forced choice.
"They're pushing us to act without thinking."
The timer dropped.
10 seconds.
"Just pick someone!" Raghav shouted.
"No—wait—!" someone tried to stop him.
Too late.
He slammed his vote.
One by one, panic took over logic.
Votes locked in.
Result: Ayesha — Majority Selected
The room went silent.
Ayesha froze.
Her lips trembled as she looked around.
"Please… I told you… I'm not—"
5 seconds.
No one spoke.
No one moved.
4… 3… 2…
The sound came suddenly.
A sharp, unnatural crack.
Her body jerked.
Her neck twisted violently to the side — far beyond what it should.
And then…
Nothing.
She collapsed.
Dead.
No scream.
No warning.
Just silence.
Heavy. Suffocating silence.
Someone dropped to their knees.
"No… no, no…"
Raghav staggered back. "T-this… this isn't real…"
But it was.
The ayan didn't look away.
His eyes stayed fixed on the screen.
"Too clean."
Too perfect.
No hesitation from the system.
No delay.
Which meant—
"The game already knew the answer."
The screen flickered again.
"Round 1 Complete."
The ayan 's gaze sharpened.
Something was wrong.
Deeply wrong.
He replayed the rules in his head.
"If the liar is correctly identified…"
"If the group makes an incorrect choice…"
He exhaled slowly.
"…That's strange."
"What?" Imran's voice came from behind him — calm, steady.
Too calm.
The ayan didn't turn.
"If we were wrong… the rule says someone
else would die."
A pause.
Raghav blinked. "What are you saying?"
The ayan finally looked up at the screen.
"…She died exactly as expected."
Silence.
Understanding crept in — slow,
uncomfortable.
"Which means…"
His voice dropped.
"…either she really was the liar…"
A beat.
"…or this game doesn't follow its own rules."
The screen glitched.
For a split second—
Something flashed.
A line.
Gone before anyone could fully read it.
But the ayan saw enough.
A faint smile touched his lips.
Not relief.
Not happiness.
Recognition.
"There it is…"
The real game.
The screen stabilized.
"Prepare for Round 2."
The lights dimmed slightly.
And for the first time—
The ayan felt it clearly.
Not fear.
Not confusion.
But certainty.
"We're not playing to find the liar."
His eyes darkened.
"We're playing to survive the rules… that are lying to us."
End of Chapter 8