I still couldn't believe what was happening. Karen and Dominic were gone, and everything had turned upside down in a matter of hours. We were stuck in a nightmare, and there was no waking up. The note, the blood, the fact that we were being forced to play this sick game—it was all too much.
Tahimik ang buong paligid at walang gustong magsalita, but the tension in the room was unbearable. The weight of what had just happened was sinking in, and it felt like we were all in a fog. My mind kept replaying the image of Karen's lifeless body, her pale face frozen in an expression I could never unsee. Hindi ko pa rin matanggap. I couldn't even bring myself to look at the others. It felt like they were strangers now—people I couldn't trust.
"Reese, are you okay?" Eliza's voice broke through my thoughts, and nakita ko siyang nakatingin sakin with wide, worried eyes.
I forced a smile, but it was weak.
"Yeah... just... trying to process everything."
She didn't seem convinced.
"This is crazy. How could this happen? Why would someone do this to us?" Her voice trembled, and I could see the fear in her eyes. Her grip on my arm was tight, but I didn't pull away. We were in this together, whether I liked it or not.
Zion was pacing back and forth again, his hands running through his hair like he was about to lose it.
"I swear, this is a joke. This is all some sick joke. It can't be real. Hindi ito totoo."
"Do you think this is some prank?" Hans asked, his voice low and uncertain.
"Because if it is, then the joke's gone way too far. Karen's dead."
A shiver ran down my spine at the thought. None of this made sense. It didn't feel real, but the blood on Karen's body, the note on the table, and the way the air in the room seemed to grow thicker with every passing second—this wasn't some twisted prank. This was real. Too real.
"We need to stick together," Leo said, his voice firm, trying to ground everyone.
"No one goes off alone. Whoever did this is still out there. Kaya dapat sama-sama tayo."
I wanted to agree, but something inside me was screaming to run, to find a way off the island and away from all of this. Pero saan kami pupunta? We couldn't trust anyone. We couldn't even trust the people we came here with.
Kai's voice cut through the silence again.
"We're not going anywhere, Reese. You heard the rules. Whoever's doing this wants us to play. If we don't, we'll be next. Dapat tapusin natin ang laro."
I closed my eyes, trying to block out the horror. I didn't want to play. I didn't want to be a part of this game. But what other choice did we have? If we didn't play, if we didn't follow the rules... Dominic... Karen wouldn't be the last one.
"Kai's right," Zion said, breaking the silence again.
"This isn't just a game anymore. It's real. We can't just pretend everything's fine. We have to figure out who the Mafia is before anyone else dies."
I nodded slowly. As much as I hated it, he was right. We had to play, had to follow the rules. But it didn't mean I had to like it.
"So, what now?" Hans asked, his eyes scanning the room.
"How do we even start?"
Kai looked at him, his expression still unreadable.
"We play like we always do. We guess. We vote. But this time, there's more at stake."
"And if we guess wrong?" Guia's voice was barely a whisper, but it hung in the air like a threat.
Kai didn't answer right away. He just stared at her, the same cold look in his eyes.
"Then someone else dies."
The words were chilling, and the gravity of the situation hit me all over again. This wasn't a game. It was a fight for survival.
Zion slammed his fist against the wall in frustration.
"I can't do this. I can't keep pretending this is just a game when people are dying."
"We don't have a choice, Zion," Leo said, his voice low.
"We do what we have to do, or mamamatay tayo. That's it."
I glanced at the others, at their faces full of fear and disbelief, and I knew they were all thinking the same thing I was. None of us had signed up for this. But now, we had no choice but to play.
"Let's just do it," I said, my voice shaky.
"Let's vote. We'll figure it out, somehow. Together."
Everyone nodded, though there was no real conviction in their eyes. We were all scared. No one wanted to lose anyone else. But I knew we had to do this. We had to find the Mafia before they found us.
We all gathered in the middle of the room, the air thick with tension. No one spoke. No one moved. The weight of Karen's and Dominic's deaths were suffocating, but we had no choice. The rules were clear. We had to play.
I glanced around the room, taking in the faces of the people I thought I knew so well. I had to wonder—who could I trust? Who among us was the Mafia? And who was lying about who they were?
Kai spoke again, his voice low and commanding.
"Now, let's vote who we think is the Mafia."
I nodded, my heart racing. This was it. The game had started, and we had no idea where it would end.
Everyone looked around, their eyes scanning each other, trying to find the smallest hint of guilt or deception. But no one moved. No one spoke. Everyone was playing their part, pretending to be calm, pretending to know what to do.
But inside, we were all panicking. Inside, we were all terrified.
I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but it didn't help. The fear was still there, gnawing at me, clawing its way into my thoughts. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest as the realization hit me.
This wasn't just a game anymore. It was a deadly race against time.
And the clock was ticking.