"What team would last and endure the agony of this amicable match?"
*bell rings*
We were all surprised by the sudden interruption. We glanced at the middle of the living area—exactly where we formed a circle to play truth or dare. A white screen hologram appeared. It must be Author. The girls stand on their feet while the boys stopped playing board games and gathered with us.
"Seem like you are enjoying your games. Pardon me for barging in." We all hear that enigmatic voice of Author again. Its gender, age, ethnicity, identity, are all unknown. We're not even sure whether we're talking to a living thing such as a person or an object like a robot.
"If you are playing games, then you should take it to another step and play a real game."
Just as I thought. We will play again.
"Welcome to wealth level stage 2!" It took me a while to absorb and identify that there's something wrong with Author's declaration.
"Wait, isn't it stage 3? " Seventh asked the question formed in my mind. "We're done with stage 2."
Thirtwen stooped in. "Yeah, right. It was the clone of yours that killed Fortwen!" I can feel his anger from the words that he said to Author. We play games for fun, but this fun is temporary because the guilt and grief are within us.
"Wealth level stage 2 has been carried out but not yet cleared." Everyone's faces became serious because apart from the fact that we will play again, we all expect it to be more difficult. "None of you was able to take the necklace on Forwen's neck which is the goal to clear the stage."
I recollect the events from that game. Author is correct. Fifth was about to grab the necklace from Fortwen when she grasped it and stabbed her neck repeatedly resulting in her death. It was a gruesome memory I wish to forget because it's too disturbing.
"To finally clear this stage, another chance is given upon you." Author said with a tone that we must be thankful for giving us a second chance to redo or complete stage 2 rather than giving up our lives.
Third asked Author. "What is it this time?"
"Proceed to the 5th floor," Author ordered us and the hologram went off.
We hurriedly ran and went up to the 5th floor. This is also the same place where we had our last game which is the fighting against the clones of Fortwen—the scene from which she and Twelf died. We were still gasping for breath when we reached the destination of the next game.
After a few seconds, it was like magic. I was amazed by what happened next. The relatively dark and empty space that looked like a parking area has transformed into something else. The ceiling and roof moved upwards increasing the ceiling's height of this floor. The whole area is well lighted, and the floor is shiny. There are benches on both sides, 2 basketball rings, and balls on either side. It became clear that the surroundings became an indoor-covered court. To an unknown method, the boys who had previously been in their school uniforms were altered into wearing jerseys and uniformly white-colored rubber shoes. Five boys wear silver jerseys and another five boys for gold jerseys. The number on the back of the jersey is their name or their number names. I checked myself and I'm still wearing the same uniform, as well as the other girls.
Author suddenly appeared in the middle of the court so our attention from being astounded by our new setting to curiosity about what's the game will be.
"First, the boys will play Ball of Rings. 10 boys, divided into two groups. The silver team and gold team. 5 players for each team." Ball of Rings? As to what I can see right now, they seem to be playing basketball.
"Yes! Time to show my skills!" Fifzen declared happily. I can see that he is in a high spirit. As the boys wore their sleeveless basketball jerseys and knee-high shorts with bulky white rubber shoes, Fifzen's biceps muscles became more evident. It's not that visible when he's wearing his regular student uniform. He must've been a sporty guy.
"This is not your typical basketball game." How can this be not an ordinary basketball game that we do on our planet when the place exactly looks the same as what we're used to? "Indeed, it is 5 versus 5. The goal is to shoot and score as much ball as possible to your opponent's ring before the time ran out. There are penalties given but no need to elaborate those because this game is lenient compared to your world's basketball."
How are they going to play orderly if Author won't explain all the details?
"15 minutes will be given before starting." After telling the simple mechanics, Author disappeared.
"Let's go!" Seventh exclaimed while holding his jersey.
I can see the boys' ordinal number names tattooed on the upper part of their arms. Others have faded black on the side and turned gold like mine. Author said that when you resist, the color of the tattoo changes, a hint that your life span is lengthening. Ninezen is almost half in gold. As for First, his left arm is almost 3/4 gold. Since the boys would play first, the girls in school uniforms stood aside and sat on the bleachers. There are pompoms and bottled water.
"What are we going to do here?" Sectwen asked irritably pointing at the bleacher and pompoms.
"What else but to cheer them on. Whooo!" Aeith's cheerful reply. She grabbed a pair of pompoms and shouted.
I sat on the bleacher so does the other girls
Gold versus Silver is the battle because that's the color of their jerseys.
I then realized that:
Gold team- Fifzen (15th), Sevenzen (17th), Ninezen (19th), Firstwen (21st), Thirtwen (23rd) came from private high schools
Silver team- First (1st), Third (3rd), Fifth (5th), Seventh (7th), Ninth (9th) came from public high schools
This game is not just boys versus boys but also private schools vs. public schools. From the several days that we stayed here, I managed to identify their identities even with just basic information because we still do not hold our full memories. Is this what the Author claims to be? That this is a different kind of game. I still can't get through Author's thoughts. This literally seems to be a simple basketball game often played by boys. The game hasn't started yet so some of the boys sat on the bleachers while others are warming their bodies up.
"Hey," Seventh and Ninezen approached us.
"No enemies here. Go away, go away!" Aeith's dismissal of Ninezen because he's from a gold team.
"You sure of this, Ninezen?" Seventh asked his friend while stretching his arms for warm-up.
"Don't you underestimate me, small fry," Ninezen scoffed. "Hmp, you are now facing a giant, kiddo." And they looked at each other. Thinking of themselves as enemies for now.
If Ninezen said that it means he's good at basketball or at least has experience with sports.
We noticed that the bleacher I was sitting on was only for the silver team and the other bleacher was for the gold team, so Ninezen was forced to leave the seat by Aeith. We sat on the left side bleacher painted in silver while the others sat on the opposite side painted with gold. Everyone figured out that this is a match between private and public schools, so we separated. The color of the bleachers corresponds to the color of the pompoms.
Before leaving, Ninezen stood up and spoke, "I'm going to win this, just watch," he smirked. He ran to move to the other side of the bleacher where his gold team was.
'I'? not 'We'? This will be a team game so he should say 'We'
"This is bad," I heard Third whisper to himself. He was sitting near my side.
"Why?" I asked him. He looks troubled.
"I-I don't play... basketball?"
"Pfft..." I chuckled.
"Okay, I know it's funny but I'm not capable of doing any kinds of sports. Not because I have poor health but because I am used to using my mind than body." He rolled his eyes at me.
"That's not what I'm laughing at. 'I don't play basketball?' Why ask? "Aren't you sure?"
"Shut up," I stopped poking fun at him just to make the mood lighter because he is tensed.
I noticed Ninth sitting alone in the corner and just looking around the court. I went close to him so I can motivate him to win the game.
"Hey," I poked him.
He frowned. He turned to his left and saw my face. "Why?"
"Are you good?" I asked checking out on him if he was feeling okay because he isolates himself from the rest of us.
"What do you want?" I sighed. He's good-looking, I admit it but he's arrogant. No wonder even the boys can't really approach him.
"Do you know how to play basketball?"
"Somehow," his short response to me.
"It's okay then," I brought my face close to his, enough for me to whisper to his ears. He was a little surprised and he jerked away but I insisted. "Because Third doesn't know how. Fifth and Seventh too, so that's good news for our team." And I raised my thumb as an okay sign.
I found out from Fourth that she remembered his twin brother was playing basketball. They are from different schools because his Fifth is a varsity player there so he can't leave his career. Fourth, on the other hand, cannot commute very far to catch up with her brother's school.
I went back to my original seat and talked to Third. I passed the information that I got from Ninth and he felt relieved that at least there is one who's a basketball expert and 2 who play occasionally.
"Do you really want us to win this game that badly?" he asked.
"Badly? As in desperate? I'm not sure. But of course, everyone wants to win, right?"
"By the way," he barely turned to me again looking at his side view and not looking directly at me.
"Hm?" I leaned my head a little closer. It's getting noisy here so I can't hear our conversation clearly.
"What about First? Does he know how to play?"
I paused for a moment. I turned to my left and saw First on the far side of the bleacher, alone. He didn't even come up and talk to me.
"I don't know," That's all I answered.
***
Maybe we had been waiting for about ten minutes sitting on the bleachers. Soon after the boys have warmed up, Author appeared again in the middle of the court. The ten players gathered at the court.
"10 players, 2 teams, 5 players each team. Jerseys, check. Basketball rings, check. Cheer dancers, check..."
Are we the cheer dancers Author is referring to? Geez.
"Everything, check!"
I noticed First that he is serious. Why didn't he approach us earlier? He never talked to any one of us.
"Before the game starts, I'll explain first the special mechanics of this extraordinary basketball game."
Mechanics? Author already explained earlier. Did it forget to say something? Why 'special' and 'extraordinary'?
"As you can see, this court looks like an ordinary basketball court that you often see in your ex-planet. But this game is not an ordinary basketball game. The ball that you are going to use is an extraordinary one. Neither made of rubber nor any other ordinary material…" the ball took my gaze which is at the side of a basketball ring. Quite a distance but I can see no difference from what we're used to. Orange in color with black lines and the texture looks rough and rubbery. "But it is made of human flesh."
My eyes widened but cannot grasp the whole meaning of it. W-What?!
"When touched, dribbled, or shoot, it feels like an ordinary ball. Inside of a ball contains an alive human organ and that organ is interconnected to each random player."
Does it mean that a ball contains human insides? But why?
"When the ball is shot by your opponent in your team's ring, the ball that contains an organ will affect one of your team members."
"What do you mean our teammates will be affected?" Thirtwen asked. He holds a grudge against Author not only because his three friends have passed away but also because of the Author's insult.
"Unlike in an ordinary game, you will be having 5 rounds to play and 5 minutes for each round, a total of 25 minutes. Only 1 minute will be the given time interval per round."
The Author has not yet answered Thirtwen's question which also bothers us all.
"The scoring will be based on what team would last and endure the agony of this amicable match... Good luck."
"Wait!" Thirtwen insisted.
Author's hologram disappeared from our sight. There are really times that Author answers our questions and other times that leave us with no answer.
"What does he mean?" Fourth asked in disbelief as she just stared at the pompoms she is holding.
I suddenly felt nervous. What kind of game is this?
"Players, proceed to the court. I repeat, proceed to the court." Someone or something suddenly spoke. It is a voice of a female, but Author's hologram is not here. We all heard that voice, so we looked at each other in confusion.
"Position, two teams at the center according to your assigned area."
Then we saw that the clock timer lit up at the height of each team's ring. The rings are a bit shorter about 2.5 meters in height only. The female voice that spoke seemed to be the timer. Instead of real people announcing the game, here we have a talking machine.
"Rules and regulations are lifted. When defied, a certain castigation will be given."
The middle part of the court opened in a circle the size of a ball's hole. The ball came out of there and the floor closed again. So, that's the ball Author was referring to, not to the balls displayed at stacked at the corner.
"The game will start in 3, 2,
Every player stared at each other seriously.
1, *whistle *"
The ball jumped voluntarily upwards, and the two teams scattered to catch the ball.
I wonder what the ball looks like. It looks like it has a dark blue water design in it, so it seems to be moving.
"W-wait, what's in there?" Aeith asked standing up to get a good look at the ball being passed around.
"Isn't that..." Fourth held her mouth and her eyes widened.
Because of their reaction, I squinted to see the ball clearly. I can't believe what I'm seeing.
What's inside the ball is an organ... a human liver? It looks real and it bounces when dribbles. As Author said earlier, the ball contains an organ. Is that what the liver is for?
Our team was the first to steal the ball led by Seventh. He is good. Aeith and Tenth continued to cheer our team. I watch every player, they are confused yet they try to focus. Fifth and Ninth are great too. Third, on the other hand, tries to do his part. First doesn't seem to mind.
I don't know how long and what the rules of basketball are on earth, but here, it seems weird. The playing time and rules are different.
Two minutes have passed and still, no one is able to shoot. Every member is determined that no one has scored yet. Speaking of scores, there is no scoreboard here but just a clock timer. How are we going to keep track of the scores correctly?
*whistle*
I wonder why someone whistled.
"Player Fifzen, rule number 3, defied. Castigation will begin at any moment."
We were all puzzled when the game suddenly stopped, and the timer spoke. I looked at the timer and round 1 - 04:06 minutes is down and round 1 was about to end.
"Aawww!" We stood in shock when we heard Fifzen and saw him lying in the middle of the court holding his left leg. He was squinting and writhing in pain. We approached him.
"What happened to you?" Sevenzen asked and supported him.
It took him a couple of breaths before he responded. "My leg is sprained. Ah!"
"Come on, let's lift him up," Sevenzen ordered, and they helped Fifzen walk to the side near the bleachers.
"Anyone has a towel?" Firstwen asked everyone.
"Here," Sixth handed her a white towel that was on the edge of the bleachers.
Towels were used to wrap Fivzen's sprained leg. He was just lying down to rest.
"Now what? We're short on a player," Ninezen worried. He glanced at the timer. "The one-minute break is over."
"No idea. The game would probably pause," Thirtwen commented and grabbed a bottle of water.
Fifzen got up from lying down.
"Rest first. You can play after you've recovered," Sevenzen suggested to him, and he forced him to lie down first.
Insistently, Fifzen sat up and lifted his leg.
"Are you okay?" Aeith asked.
"I don't know, but I don't feel any pain anymore." He even stood up and jumped to prove that he's now okay.
"You really good? You looked like you have diarrhea in pain." Ninezen mixed his question with humor.
Fifzen ran to court and claimed, "I can run!"
"Round two will start in 10, 9," The timer machine started its countdown.
"Hey, it's the second round."
"Go back!"
"Get in here"
The boys went ahead and ran in the middle for reposition.
"8, 7, 6, 5"
As the countdown progresses, I notice the gold team muttering. Probably telling their members of their strategies.
"4, 3, 2, 1, *whistle*"
And round 2 has begun. I don't know what the difference this game has compared to a regular basketball game, other than the odd ball with an organ, so I don't understand what rule Fifzen broke so his name was called earlier by the timer.
"Here, here!"
"Go, Silver team! Go!"
"Here we go, gold team!"
Combination of squeaky noise from the boys' rubber shoes, random yell from both teams, the loud thud of their footsteps, and the cheer of the girls filled the whole basketball court.
I noticed the ball. It changes in color this time. Now, it's silver and its inside... intestines?
"The gold team got it." My gaze went back to the players when Aeith said that.
Has anyone scored yet?
"Boys!" The gold team applauded each other. They have already scored.
"Ahhh!" someone shouted at it's Seventh. What happened?
"Hey, what's gotten into you?" Ninezen asked his friend, Seventh.
He sat on the court's floor and lied down. He grabbed Ninezen's right foot. "H-Help. My stomach hurts, Ahhh!"
Other players came closer to Seventh.
"Leg sprain?"
"I-I don't know," Seventh sweats and is crying in pain. He wasn't aware of why it happened to him.
"Come on, let's help him," Forzen offered help to the team. The girls of the gold team supported him to the side and gave him water to drink if it would help but he was still writhing in pain.
"Players, back to the game. You already consumed one minute. I repeat, back to the game. Your ached teammate can go back to the game any moment after fully recovered." The machine stated. I looked at the timer and it was 2:10.
"How can we continue playing when one of the players is hurt?" Ninezen asked.
"At the count of 10, players must be back to the game or else the pompoms that ladies are holding will explode. 10, 9,"
W-what?! The pompoms we hold have a bomb and it explodes.
Some girls went back to the bleacher and dropped their pompoms. I saw something shining on its handle. If there's really a bomb on it, it must be small to be discreet.
"I'm okay guys, you can do it. I put my trust in you," Seventh made a hand gesture that he was okay, and the players returned to the court immediately.
"Come on, let's go back!"
"8, 7, 6, 5"
"Get well!"
"4, 3, 2, 1 *whistle *"
They are back in play. Forzen, Sixzen, and Twentieth continued to assist Seventh on his recovery. It has been 03:10 and round 2 is over.
"I think… I'm good" Seventh tried to sit down. He moved his arms and legs.
"Are you sure? You were so much in pain." Sixzen reassured us that we can't believe the speed of Seventh's recovery.
Seventh ran to the center and ran around as if nothing had happened. The timer said earlier that he can return any moment when he has fully recovered. Others were also surprised because Seventh had returned to normal.
It caught my attention again that the ball changed. It's still silver in case the flesh inside is different... lungs.
Round 2 ended exactly. The gold team scored again. I can't focus well on the game but am deeply disturbed by the two consecutive mishaps that happened to the two players who were in pain then suddenly felt better.
"When are we going to score..." Tenth sighed sadly. I see, gold team has scored twice already.
Fifth who looks weary sat down at the court holding his chest. Fourth ran from the bleacher and went to her twin brother.
"Brother!"
Fifth took a deep breath as if he was running out of breath.
"Water. Give him some water!" Third commanded.
He seemed to be suffocating and could hardly breathe. We were all confused.
"Does he have asthma?" I asked Fourth since she is his sister. She might've known something.
"No, my brother is a varsity student at his school so it's impossible for him to have asthma," Fourth replied. Indeed, a sporty guy like Fifth, not to mention a varsity player, does not simply do a sport when he has an ailment.
"You two, are you okay?" I asked Fifzen and Seventh, the first two to writhe in pain.
"Yeah, my leg is a bit sore, but I can still run." Fifzen answered.
"The pain in my stomach disappeared before, but now, it seems to have a side effect, I don't know but I can play." Seventh responded.
"One minute break is over. Players, back to the game. I repeat, players back to the game. Round 3 will start in 10, 9,"
"I'll take care of him," Fourth said while holding her brother's arms.
We couldn't do something significant. The payers went back, even though they are worried about their friends they need to continue the game. I sensed that something wrong with this game. I already have a suspicion, and if I'm right, this incident will happen again.
04:35 and then the gold team scored again.
"Nice shot, Ninezen!"
"Go! Go! Go!"
The cheer of the girl's gold team is audible. They've scored three times now.
"What the! Argghhh!" someone shouted again. This time, it's Ninth. He rubbed his face.
"What's this again?"
"It's killing me! It's pricking my eyes, ears, and nose!" He was still rubbing the part of his face that hurt. It's not bleeding, but why? It might be some sort of internal bleeding.
In the remaining seconds, no players played. They just waited to pass the time before the fourth round. The one-minute break for every round is not enough to aid the players. When the round ends, one player is hurt for an unknown reason. This is getting bad.
"I'm just wondering, huh. Why is it that only the player on the silver team is like this?" Seventh muttered.
"Then every time someone shoots a physical pain attack a player of the enemy team," Fifth added his realization. He looks okay now and that's good news.
"When the ball is shot by the opponent in the team's ring, the ball that contains an organ will affect one of your members." Third is holding his chin after saying it as if he had found an answer to our questions. "Just as I thought, Author's right."
"What does that mean?" Forzen asked incredulously.
I was surprised to who spoke next. "When the opponent shoots the ball, your member's body will be affected depending on what organ is inside the ball held by the opponent." It was First.
Finally, he spoke. Before the game started, I never heard his voice nor interacted with anyone. Maybe he found out something strange that he also wanted to let others know what he knew because we are the only ones who will work together to solve such riddles behind this game.
"I-Isn't that hologram really a joke? I thought we were just going to play a simple game but, someone will get hurt..." Twentieth said in a sad tone
"What are we going to do? Round 4 is about to start," Fifzen alerted us about the incoming round.
I looked at the timer. They only have 20 seconds to get back into the game.
"Why don't we try that?" Firstwen talks about an initial plan.
The boys gathered except for Ninth who is not yet fully recovered. Everyone is wondering how they can play without getting hurt.
"All right, that looks like a good plan," Thirtwen agreed. The others nodded and agreed.
"Argh, the pain is still there!" Ninth twitched.
"Drink some water and take a rest first," Firstwen suggested.
"Players, back to the game. I repeat, players back to the game. Round 4 will start in 10, 9, 8,"
Each team is positioned where they should be. They become more serious than before.
"7, 6, 5, 4,"
I just hope their plan would work.
"3, 2, 1,"
I know what they are planning.
"*whistle*"