The girl collapsed to her knees. Her fingers clenched into tight fists, and in hysterical rage, she slammed them against the cold stone floor.
"Damn it…" she hissed, trembling between tears and shame. "Fucking cheaters!! You sent me to this garbage game just to sacrifice me in the end?!"
The purple team watched in silence. None of them moved. Perhaps they didn't even know what to feel.
A certain expression crept across Louis's face… A smile.
"We did it…"
"You think you can erase me with this? Bastards…" she said, walking back toward the purple team. Her yellowish shirt was soaked in sweat, her flushed face full of frustration, blonde hair angrily swept aside.
"They think they can escape their fate this way?" Tazold muttered.
"Hmm… Is it really worth it for you all? Seems like the one who stayed in the background got the best deal…" Néznat thought to himself.
Above their heads, the hidden bell rang, signaling the start of the short break before the third round.
"James… we should talk to the purple team, if you're in. You could secure your victory with us," Saiyna whispered to him.
Louis slowly stood up as four people approached during the break: James, Saiyna, Dimeny, and Pekrin. The alliance now counted eight players, while Azorg, Tazold, Lillian, and Neznat were still trying to complete the trials on their own.
Eight players quietly followed Louis into a secluded corner, away from the tense gazes of the others. Louis spoke in a composed but strained voice, like a mind on the brink of mania.
"So... as you've all probably figured out by now, we can win the trials through our alliance of eight. Pekrin, James… even if this is just about survival… I thank you for your support either way. Now... here's the winning strategy: this round, we'll target Tazold from the reds. After that, we'll have to aim at Azorg. Since James and Lillian are both in our alliance, we'll have to pass the round to the blues, then take away their chance to retaliate again."
"And how exactly?" James asked.
"Most likely, if two players attack one target simultaneously, the majority wins…"
"And where are you getting that from?"
"The shepherd didn't answer when I asked him… and there have been hidden mechanics and rules already…"
"Maybe… But Azorg? He didn't do anything wrong... And… Tazold is a prick, sure, but do we really have the right to judge them? To send them to death?"
"We don't really know any of them well enough to decide that… But none of the options are better… Based on our experience and judgment so far, we felt… this was the lesser evil. Melin… the one we met first in this place… said we cannot show mercy. On the other hand… everyone is just trying to survive here…"
"I don't want to lose either… Probably if we lose all our points, we die, right? Our souls vanish into eternal darkness, leaving no trace behind... Or we end up in Hell…"
"We don't know for sure… but I'd rather not find out through experience. Let's survive… together…"
"So they can turn us against each other again afterward? You think this alliance will last, and all eight of us will go on to live in earthly power and eternal Paradise bliss?"
"If there's another option… we could target Neznat instead. Or… betray our current alliances. Think it through… This way we can survive… at least this game…"
Saiyna looked deep into Louis's eyes, then nodded and hugged him, resting her head against his chest, barely reaching it.
"Alright. Let's try it… I'm in, at least," Saiyna said.
"Me too," replied Dimeny, as Pekrin gave a thumbs up toward the sky, sipping from a flask hidden in his clothes.
"And you, James?" Louis asked.
"We don't really have a choice…Right now, our own survival outweighs the need to feel compassion for others. I'll go too… You can count on me.. for now…" James replied, standing with arms crossed, lost in thought before finally deciding to support the alliance and protect himself.
Then silence. For a while, only the aura of the lost souls' vibrations could be felt. As if the hearts of all players scattered through the space were sending messages to each other's subconscious like messenger pigeons…
---
Location: In the corner of a shadowy corridor:
Lillian leaned against the wall, arms crossed, watching Azorg, who sat silently beside her.
"You know, if we don't band together now… we're done for," she remarked, her voice ready for action.
"Hmm?... What do you mean?..." spoke a voice so deep it sounded as if his vocal cords were scorched by the flames of hell. From behind his iron mask, only his glowing red eyes could be seen.
"Saiyna and James are allied. Not just with each other… Dimeny, Pekrin, Kodella, Louis, Willy, Tony – they're all playing on the same side. Look at how they're positioned:
Dimeny and Pekrin from red, James and Saiyna on blue, and basically the whole purple team."
"Hm… Yeah?... So?.."
"What do you mean 'so'? We're not part of their group… There are four outsiders: You, me, Tazold, and Neznat.
If we don't move now, if we don't join forces – you and me – then Saiyna and James will target us in the next round."
"Maybe…" he shrugged, tilting his head toward the sky, resting his elbow on his bent knee.
"They won't miss this opportunity!
If we stay alone, they'll take us down easily. One by one. And they'll take away our chance to strike back too."
"Hmm… I get it…"
"Huh, what are you two talking about? What's all this?" Tazold appeared behind them, as if sneaking up in the shadows.
"Nothing… Don't worry, I don't bother with dead players anyway…"
"Dead? Haha, and why would that be?.."
"You're not exactly a thinker, are you?"
Tazold paused for a moment in thought.
"What's there to think about? I've got three points!" he grinned smugly.
"You idiot… They're allied against us… Do the math… Figure out how the rounds will go, and who will target whom… And you didn't even consider the current hidden rule, did you?"
"Hidden rule?? They told us the rules… Why the hell would they keep things from us?"
He paused again… About to speak… but his words faltered… he raised a finger to his lips… and tried to push through the dam in his mind again…
"Whatever… Since your team has too many people now… you're done for. Now leave us to talk…"
"Screw you… You're the biggest idiots in the world… We'll see what happens… All you can do is talk smart, even though you have no idea what comes next…" he waved dismissively and walked away from Lillian and Azorg, who continued their conversation.
"Listen: if we don't resist now, they'll target Tazold from red. Minus one point, and since he won't be able to strike back, I'm next.
Once I'm knocked out, they'll target Tazold again.
Finally, you – since you're the only non-allied blue.
Then the one-point Tazold is eliminated too. Now only you remain—with your single point—destined to become the third victim.
In the end, only Néznat is left. Alone. He's the only one who can survive like this…"
"Hm… If they want to stand against me, let them. I won't hold it against them for seizing the opportunity. But in this game, it's not only the majority that decides…
Sure, it can give you an advantage. But if you pass the trials, even a lone wolf has a chance…" said Azorg with a bitter drop in his voice. His wheezing lungs hissed between sentences.
"Ahh… You rotten, fucking bastard… You're not even giving this a chance?!…"
Location: by the gate of the basilica
"Hey, Neznat…" Tazold hissed toward him.
"Tazold? What do you want?" he asked, sitting frozen in the chair atop the arena.
"Let's team up… So we can strike back… Otherwise, I'm done for…"
"Hah… So you finally figured it out, genius…"
"Please… I've got no other chance… I'll be the second one to go if what these bastards are saying is true…"
"And why would I team up with you? I'd become a target right away…
This way, I'll be the only one from our team to survive without lifting a finger… if things go well.
Besides, I don't ally with racist assholes. Sorry."
Neznat spat, then turned his head away.
"Tch… You fucking piece of shit!" Tazold cursed as he stepped closer, raising a hand—
But the shepherd glanced at him, turning the tip of his staff in his direction.
"Hands off! We play fair here. No violence."
"Ahhh… Aahhh… What is this…? I… I can't move…"
"Ahhh… Everything hurts! What are you doing to me, you bastard?!"
"You're under a Hex of Pain while paralyzed. Now I hope you learned something from this."
The pain faded. Tazold slinked back to his spot in despair.
"Time is up. Let the third round begin.
Blue Team! Issue your attacks!"
Three voices rose from the blue team:
"I attack Tony, in the Body category!"
"I attack Tazold, in the Body category!"
"I attack Tazold, in the Body category!"
The shepherd spoke:
"You've uncovered… this hidden pattern, I see… Congratulations…
You're starting to grasp it now…
You know, everyone in our contest runs—but only a few will receive the reward.
So run in such a way that you may win it…
Endure the trials like one whose goal is certain—and strike not like one who beats the air…"
The shepherd's gaze swept across the faces—exhaustion, anger, resignation, bitterness…
He felt a subtle pull in his spirit to offer them a fragment of guidance…
"The choice is: two against one. So, an attack against Tazold in the Body category.
Now decide—between the two of you—who will make the attack."
"I'll go… Is that all right with you, James?" Saiyna asked firmly.
"It's all right…"
The Wheel of Fortune rises once again… from the depths…