[Nicole's Point of View]
No, this can't be happening.
There were still sobs and shouts varied with fear. Sierra now has a gunshot wound and is no longer breathing.
Even though I'm trembling, I still tried to look around to find where the gunshot came from.
And from a distance, I saw a man holding a gun, a black cloth is being wrapped all over his body and he is wearing a mask. Seconds after, he runs away.
He was the man in the picture. I tried calming myself. I can feel that my hands are still trembling, but I need to be strong enough to have the courage to pick my cell phone from my pocket.
It's obvious that someone is watching us, I have to be careful.
"Now that it's game over for her..." I stopped what I was doing when someone talked again from the mini speaker. "Maybe you'll follow everything I say" he said and his scary laugh echoed.
Annoying, deafening. The loud cries and shouts of my friends became more prevalent.
"Who the hell are you?!" Clark shouted and I could see the anger from his clenched fist.
While everyone was focused on the mini speaker, I carefully continued what I was doing earlier.
"Now, it's time to surrender your cell phones, no gadgets allowed, throw all your cell phones outside" I was suddenly stunned when I heard that line.
We all looked at each other and felt what each other would do next.
I can't think straight because even I, I don't know what to do.
"In a count of 10 seconds and you haven't done what I ordered, I'll make sure there would be someone next to Sierra's corpse" he said and my whole body was almost numb.
It's too dangerous not to follow his command, Sierra is already dead and any moment, he would kill any of us just like what he did to Sierra.
"Hell no!" I heard Clark scold, even though that shout was full of anger and courage, I knew he was also starting to tremble with fear.
"10 ..."
"S-Shall we follow what he says?" Lexie asked tearfully.
I close my eyes tightly because my mind seems to be gradually becoming blank.
"9..."
"If we do what he wants, we won't be able to leave this place, we won't be able to ask for help!" Clark shouted again and pulled his own hair.
No one wants to talk, no one wants to take the next action.
"8..."
I let out a deep sigh and decided to approach Clark.
"7..."
Clark was about to take his cell phone out of his pocket, but I preceded him and threw it out of the gate.
I could see the shock registers on his face. "Why did you do that?!?" he scolded me, but I was firm enough not to be frightened of his death glare.
"6..."
"Let's follow what he says, take out your cell phones and throw them out" I calmly but firmly told them all.
"5..."
"Are you out of your mind??!!" Clark yelled at me again. "Never throw away your cell phones, I command you!" he added
"4…"
"Can't you see that Sierra is dead?? Whoever that person is, he is capable of killing all of us, and so we better follow his command" I empathically answered, but I know someone like Clark won't just give up.
"3 ..."
I turned to them all and they bent down to pull out their cell phones. I quickly approached them and grabbed the cell phones they were holding.
"What are you doing?!?"
"2…"
Just like what I did with Clark's cell phone earlier, I also threw their cell phones out of the gate one by one.
"1 ..."
After the countdown reached the very first number, we silently spent few moments and wait for the next word of the man in the speaker.
"Good. Now... proceed to the gymnasium area" the speaker created a disturbing noise and went out.
"H-How can we escape now? How long will we follow his commands?" Keisha asked so I turned to look at her. "As long as we haven't found a solution to get out of here" I replied.
"Do you even think we can still get out of here? We are trapped, and it's all your fucking fault!" Clark scolded me so I just bent down while taking a deep breath.
It's okay to put the blame in me, it's okay to be mad at me, if that means is saving their lives from danger.
I'll figure it out, there must be a way, because just like math problems, everything has its own equation.
"I thought you are the smartest person here, but it turns out that you're the dumbest" and then Clark walked to the gymnasium area
"I-I know we can't even get Sierra's body out here, but at least let's put it in a safe place" Dexter said trembling.
We carefully lifted it into the hallway just near the entrance gate. Kean took off his jacket and covered Sierra's face.
Although everyone was just quiet and still depressed about what happened to Sierra, they all still started to follow Clark and so did I.
Before finally leaving, I looked back at Sierra's body. I wiped away the liquid in my eyes that I didn't realize had escaped. I don't know if this is really happening or we are just in a big nightmare.
She died in front of us and we couldn't do anything to save her.
Even though I felt weak, I finally decided to walk and follow them all.
I have to be strong.
We have to be strong.
[Third Person's P.O.V]
Everyone walked quietly, and they proceeded to the gymnasium area.
They all seem to be gradually weakened by the situation. After seeing the lifeless body of their friend, they no longer know what else could possibly happen.
Clark who was still not losing his temper with Nicole continued to lead the walk. He sighed deeply as he was trying to find a way to get out of that school.
Meanwhile, Nicole is still confused. She couldn't quite figure out who was behind it all, what were the reasons for it and why it was all happening.
Alexis was still sobbing because she still couldn't imagine that Sierra was dead. Keisha and Shane were patting her back, to somehow ease the heaviness she feels.
Sierra's memories with them were not good, but that still wasn't really enough reason not to be sad and mourn for what has happened to her.
When they all reached the gymnasium area, a deafening silence formed all around. All they could hear was their deep breaths.
Moments later, a few speakers created a sound that surrounded the entire hall, it was barely large compared to the one that they've seen at the entrance gate.
They all feel that their hearts beating faster as if something was running fast inside their chest because of the uneasiness and fear they were feeling. Those gurgles were the sound they had heard before so they couldn't help but worry.
"W-What else is he going to say?" Lexie asked anxiously. "I don't want to be here anymore, maybe he'll ask us to do something else" Alliyah added.
"R-Right now, we can't help but follow what he says" Clay stated as he was unable to hide the fear he feels because his knees are constantly trembling. "W-We can still find another way out, right?" Xander asked trying to calm himself down.
After a few seconds, the speaker creates an unusual noise again.
"I'm glad to see everybody in this hall, I have gathered you all to remind and explain what will happen in the next few days" he began with a serious tone of speech, as if he is definitely sure of the next lines he will be saying.
"It was not an accident nor coincidence why you're here, we had terms and conditions agreement, we didn't force anyone to be in this game, remember? You all have agreed to it"
Kean was devastated by what he heard. He didn't know anything about what he was saying, but he remembered that there were terms and conditions agreement there, but he was not aware about its content. Such thing as terms and conditions agreement is considered common in any online games that are being played.
"W-what do the terms and conditions agreement of the game have to do with what's happening to us right now?!?" Even though he was scared, Kean still tried to be brave.
"I guess, no one even tried to read the content of the game Eliminate the Deceiver Game"
Kean couldn't help but shudder at what he heard. He had no idea what was in there. He is also beginning to think that it is his fault why they are in such a situation now.
"To make things clear, let me read the Terms and Conditions Agreement of the game"
"That doesn't make any sense! That's so unfair, how could we even know that you're telling us the truth!" Kean shrieked but his voice cracked down due to the extreme emotion he was feeling.
"I, the player of Eliminate the Deceiver game, will voluntarily participate in the real life game. I will follow all the rules and regulations, there is no other goal to achieve but to win. I have to continue playing the game and it will eventually stop when the goal have achieved already"
"S-stop it!" Kean shrieked again and clenched his palms restraining himself in anger.
"W-what is he really talking about? I-it's just an online game, isn't it? What else is real life?" Brix asked confusedly.
Even though the owner of the voice had a lot to say to that speaker, it was still not really enough to answer all the questions that were playing in their minds.
"Now, here are the rules and regulations. Within 14 days, you will play and your life is at stake. Just like in the online game, you need to find out who the deceiver is. And the thrilling part is ..." They almost stopped and waited for what he would say next.
"There is a deceiver among the thirteen of you. That person is the one who is capable of deceiving everybody, that means there is a traitor among you"
With that being said, they only got more confused.
What does he mean? Deceiver? Among them?
"This game is pretty simple and easy to understand. As long as you haven't found out who the deceiver is, every day someone's life will be taken. But of course, for more thrill, I will alternately give a clue about the deceiver"
"Each day, once you hear the bell rings, that's the sign. That time is the time when someone will sacrifice his life, you will all be separated with each other, you can run, hide and fight for your life, but when the time is over and you're the one we found, you'll be surely dead with our bare hands"
There are too many explanations, but all of them are still terrible to believe. But what can they do? They can no longer feel their own bodies because of the numbness caused by what they hear.
"And of course, you can tell me who should be killed, if you already have an idea who the deceiver is among your group, that's even better"
"Our game supposed to officially start tomorrow, but since Sierra is already dead, we would start on Tuesday instead, tomorrow will be your rest day" he continued with a teasing voice.
"Fuck you! Fuck you with your nonsense bullshits!" Kean shouted and raised his middle finger against the speaker.
Out of those countless explanation they heard, none of them even sink in, none of them even wanted to believe. There's just too much to process that they cannot understand a single thing. They are not glad with the information they got to know that day by day, one of them will be surely dead.
"Good luck players! You all got to think and eliminate the deceiver or else, the deceiver will eliminate you"