In the previous chapter, we see how Reith leaves and spares the masked individuals.
Now, we see Reith standing in front of a dark metal door, surrounded by red walls, indicating he is in an alley. Reith inhales and exhales before kicking the door down and entering.
/Scene change/
6 years earlier
We see a child with half-and-half colored hair standing in front of a cloak, focusing on Victor.
• Victor: Well, kid, since you've mastered your power and mine, I've signed you up for a survival tournament.
• Reith: What is that?
• Victor: Why spoil the surprise, kid? Just remember: "Dying is not an option."
• Reith: What?..
With his speed, Victor moves behind Reith and knocks him out by hitting the back of his neck.
/ 4 hours later /
Reith starts to open his eyes and finds himself in a very small blue room, the only light coming from the outside through black bars.
• Reith: What is this? What did the old man mean by "dying is not an option"?
Reith notices he's wearing a bracelet displaying some sort of counter, showing 32 out of 32, and a clock that reads 10:32 AM.
/ In another location /
A bar-like place is filled with people wearing hoods or masks, and there are 32 screens, each focusing on children locked in blue rooms with black bars.
A person in a jester mask grabs everyone's attention with a microphone.
• Jester: My dear gamblers, the betting is now open. The survival tournament starts at 11:00 AM, so place your bets wisely.
The hooded figures rush to the booths in the area.
/ 10:50 AM /
Reith is sitting in the room, holding a rope and a square metal bar that he seems to have found in the room. Suddenly, he is startled by a voice that echoes in the room.
• Room Radio: Hello, dear participants. I want to welcome you to the survival tournament, where 32 people will fight, and the last survivor is the one who gets to leave. So good luck, because for you, "Dying is not an option."
Reith's eyes widen as he comprehends Victor's words. Fear creeps in, and his body begins to tremble. The bracelet starts vibrating as the clock strikes 11:00 AM.
We see the bars in the room rise. Terrified, Reith grips the rope and metal bar tightly as he steps outside.
/ Unknown location /
The 32 screens display the children, with a drone following each one. But there's a particular screen being watched by a lone figure.
Screen Number 12
A hooded figure with a red strand of hair watches it. The screen shows the child with black-and-white hair.
Reith steps outside and sees green, as if he's in a natural field. He looks back at the room he was in and sees the number 12 above it. The boy inhales and exhales before venturing into the field before him. He quickly moves through the forest, hearing nothing but silence, which only heightens the tension. He finds an open sandy field and moves toward it to get his bearings. Suddenly, in the blink of an eye, a punch strikes his face, sending him flying to the right. He looks up and sees a nervous child with a clenched fist.
• Reith: Hey, calm down, we don't have to do this. You can let me…
The child lunges at Reith, trying to strike again, but Reith dodges to the side.
• Reith: We don't have to…
Another punch sends him to the ground. This time, the child who attacked him straddles him and begins to rain down punches.
Blood covers Reith's face.
• Reith: Let me talk… (Another punch to the face)
• Child: Let me kill you, and I can get out of here! (A crazed smile spreads across the child's face)
At that moment, Reith realizes this isn't a game, and Victor's words echo in his mind ("Dying is not an option"). The half-and-half-haired boy surveys his surroundings and spots the metal bar beside him, having dropped it earlier. With all his strength, he grabs it and slams it into the child's head, knocking him to the side. Quickly, Reith grabs the rope, and before the dazed child can recover, Reith is behind him, choking the life out of him with the rope.
The other child kicks and begins to cry as the air and life are taken from him. Reith, in shock, watches with tears streaming down his face, repeating in his mind:
Reith (thoughts): I won't fail you, Mom, Dad.
(The hooded figure watching Reith on the screen grins.)
/ Unknown year /
We see a small boy with red hair locked in a blue cell with black bars.
• Radio: Hello, kids. As you can see, you are part of our little experiment. To summarize, you must survive by killing each other. The last one standing gets to leave. So, here's a tip for you: "DYING IS NOT AN OPTION."
/ Scene change /
We see the red-haired boy from behind, choking another child to death.
• Red-haired boy: Dying is not an option, dying is not an option, dying is not an option. His eyes are wide with shock as he watches the life drain from the other child's eyes.
/ Scene change /
We see the red-haired boy, covered in blood, walking with cold eyes toward a tunnel.
• Radio: And the winner of the first edition of the survival games is Victor!
/ Present Time /
Reith vomits as he cries, staring at the lifeless body of the boy in front of him.
• Radio: The first contestant has been killed. Candidate number 12 has eliminated number 28.
Throughout the tournament, whenever Reith encountered someone, he would paralyze them with gravity and strike their head with the metal bar. He killed a total of five people. When he reached the end, his expression was one of total sadness. He saw what looked like a tunnel, and the bars blocking his path to it were rising. With a sad smile, he walked toward it.
/ 2 years later /
• Victor: Alright, kid, give me five more push-ups!
We see Reith, now 12 years old, doing push-ups.
• Reith: I can't… kgkg
• Victor: Yes, you can!
Reith does one more with all his strength, gritting his teeth, then collapses in exhaustion.
/ End of flashback /
Reith is now inside a Bar, where finely dressed people in suits and hats are stunned. Next to Reith is the now-destroyed door.
• Reith: Hello, gentlemen. Sorry to interrupt your drinks, but I'm here to collect some money that the owners owe me.