Captured in a Dream [COMPLETED]

Breaking the Rules

AN: I have added an external link as I can highly recommend a certain soundtrack for the maximum of feels during this chapter. If the link doesn't work, you can as well search "Accidents of Chaos - Alice in Borderland Soundtrack" on YouTube or simply read it whatever way you prefer ~

__                      __                          __                     __

It is true that you'd die for Chishiya if it meant that he would live. And yet you wouldn't have thought that your chance to prove it would come so soon.

Tonight's game takes place inside a long abandoned factory building. The giant halls are filled with metal scaffoldings, shelves that are several meters high and machines as huge as whole living rooms. Everything's dim and parts of the ceiling have crashed down, and a creaking sound fills the air, sometimes interrupted by a loud noise when another part of the building collapses like a house of cards.

It would have been perfect for a Hide-and-Seek game, and you were surprised to find out that the game's mechanics work more like Capture-the-Flag, but the unstable construction doesn't make it less dangerous.

TEN MINUTES REMAINING.

You can hear the annoyingly happy voice through a monitor attached to the ceiling and take a deep breath. Half the time is already over, but at least you've found what you were searching for.

Object of the game is to be in possession of a yellow box that represents the flag when the timer runs out, while said object is guarded by four heavily armored people, two at each entrance of the main hall.

Their faces are hidden by black masks, but there's no doubt they're other players like you. Though you can't allow yourself to feel pity for them, because it's either them or you.

You carefully peak over the scaffolding's rim, watching the guards and the yellow box below. Chishiya is right next to you, and he barely makes a noise. While the building itself isn't exactly quiet, every suspicious noise coming from the metal scaffoldings could attract the guard's attention, and no one wants to risk endangering the plan.

On the other side of the hall, mostly hidden by one of those huge and strange-looking machines, you can see two other players from your team. You see the ray of a flashlight, barely visible even to you, and there's no way the guards could see it.

"There's the signal. The others are ready." You whisper while turning to Chishiya, but of course he has seen it too. Once you've found the object, the plan should be simple. Two teams would distract the guards, while another team would try to steal the box. Two more would remain at the safe spot to make sure some players were alive to protect it until the time ran out.

You are confident that this plan actually has a chance of succeeding, but there's a high risk of dying for many of you.

"Any idea of how we can lure them away from the box?"

Chishiya nods. "I do have a plan. But we need to distract them before I can put it into action."

With "we", he means "you", and you know it.

"See that burn mark on the ground?" He points towards a charred spot not too far from the guards, and you notice that the ceiling right over it is already cracked, as if it would crash down any moment now. Dangerous and risky, but it could work.

"Okay. I'll do it." You're surprised about how confident your own voice sounds even though you're internally shaking with fear. Those guards have shooting weapons and you don't even know how to fight, and yet you're supposed to get them to the spot without dying too soon.