Alice in Borderland ~ Chishiya

37 - ♥10

'We're too late.'

Chishiya pronounces the words as if it were an ordinary statement, as if he didn't feel much about it. I look at him to check that. For a moment he stares blankly at the laser beams, before I can detect any annoyance. Is he mad at me, because thanks to me, it took so long before we could leave? Or is he mad at himself, for having made the decision to wait? If he hadn't, he wouldn't have had to participate in this game.

I repeat the words the computer voice had spoken in my head. "Difficulty: ten of hearts."

'The only missing card,' I hear Kuina mumble, 'outside all three face cards.'

I can still see again how I let those three players die to win myself. I see the collars of that one Suit and that of the girl explode again. I see how Aki is pushed away by the boy, who tries to make sure he doesn't clear the game and would die as a result. This can't be true. I can't play another hearts game, one with a difficulty of ten.

'Are you OK?' Raiden steps up to me and wants to take my arm, but at the last moment he changes his mind, because he knows I normally don't like that. I can see the concern in his eyes. It doesn't matter what happened between us, he still wants to support me. I put my hand on his arm and hold on to him.

He hasn't forgotten that I told him I had three hearts cards in my possession. How could he? Niragi searched my cards and spoke it out loud in the room. Raiden's concerned. Not for his own skin, as if he doesn't trust me and is afraid I'll betray him. No, he's concerned about my well-being.

'I..' I mumble in response, but I don't get much further. I see Kuina and Chishiya looking at us, but I fail to look back.

'We're now explaining the rules of the game,' the voice echoes further across the courtyard. 'All players gather in the lobby.'

Now I'm shaken up. The Beach is an arena and we're forced to participate in this game, or we'll die. But we can also die during the game. There are so many people here, how likely are many of them will die? What are the chances that we will? I look at Raiden, then at Kuina and finally at Chishiya, who looks at the Beach with a hardened face. 'Let's go, then,' he mumbles indifferently, as if he doesn't really care. He has behaved like that in every game, but it takes me a moment to make the switch from his concern to the cold, hard look in his eyes as we move ourselves into the lobby.

As soon as we enter, my eyes glide directly to the table on which dozens of phones are lying. Many have already been taken, but not everyone has registered yet. 'Shuntarō, Chishiya,' I hear next to me. I look to the side to see that Chishiya has already grabbed a phone and completed the facial recognition. Many poker card images appear on the screen. He doesn't look at it and puts the thing in his pocket. Kuina's next to pick up a phone, but I can't bring myself to it. Raiden takes one for himself and hands me mine. I take it without saying anything. After my facial recognition is completed, I take a look at the cards I've already collected.

Now is not the time to collapse. Until now, I have used people and let them be used. I killed people and had to let them be killed. And I will have to do that again. There's no room for doubt and fear. Where I can help my friends, I will, and where our paths must part, I will walk my own way. Otherwise, I will not live.

It feels like a syringe of anaesthetic is being put into my body, because all pressing feelings disappear and I decide to focus on the game and how to clear it.

I'm surprised to hear astonished and indignant cries. I put my phone in my pocket and decide to investigate it. My three associates follow me, to which we arrive in the middle of the lobby, where a girl lies motionless on the floor with a knife in her chest.