Alice in Borderland: The Cycle Continues

12) Three of Hearts [2] ✮

===Benkei Furetchā==

Forty five more minutes passed, the entire duration filled with a stuffy, tense, silence.

No one spoke; no one dared to even move. What was there to say or do?

'This obviously isn't good. No one is going to end up doing anything for the duration of this game, and we'll run out of time.' I ran my hand through my hair—a perpetual nervous habit.

I turned my head towards everyone else. Miyara had begun eyeing the drop capsule several times, each no longer than just a flash. But it was noticeable.

Five more minutes had passed, before the speaker announced a message.

"One hour remaining."

The quiet tension in the room amplified; somehow, the air got stuffier.

"I'll go into one next." Two voices said at the same time.

I perked up. It was Miyara and Okino. They both eyed the drop capsule. With a start, both dashed forward towards the button. Miyara slammed her fist into the button, getting as far as gripping the door as it opened, before being elbowed in the chest by Okino.

She was pushed back by the force, and Okino closed the door behind him. She got up, cursing, and slammed on the door.

"Of all times to finally spin the wheel, why choose the exact second I want to?" She screamed, her face scratched from the fall.

Okino bristled. "My odds aren't going to get any better, so I might as well get it done. Like the young man said, it'll also clear my name." With that, he spun the wheel. The colors blurred, separating again as the wheel slowed. My breathing paused. The wheel landed on red.

Okino's eyes widened, and sighed. "Only those who deserve to live die..." He chuckled, his eyes glistening with a flash of regret. He dropped a deck of cards from his hand, the sheer number of cards fluttering around him.

"This was my 64th day here... It's all come crumbling down..." The man lowered his head, as mechanical whirring erupted from the capsule.

"Goodbye, Borderlands."

The floor beneath him opened up, and his figure was a brief flash, before disappearing into the dark void. His scream ripped through the air, like a hot knife. I shielded my eyes, gasping, quiet enough so that it was only audible to me.

'His 64th day here?' I needed to leave. Right now.

With quivering hands, I put my hands back down. Miyara and Judumai had congregated around the chamber, so I did too. There wasn't much to see; it was just an eternal void.

"For a man that was about to die, he sure was calm." Miyara noted.

"I guess that's just a side effect of having to face it everyday." Judumai said, a grim expression cast across his face. "You become immune to it."

"This is only my 12th day here." Miyara said, fiddling with the button on her shirt collar. "I would've already considered myself pretty seasoned, but I know there's people who've been here for literally months–like Okino. No matter what...

"There's no place for hope in this land."

I shuddered.

She looked towards me. "You're in a tough spot, getting a Hearts on just your first day. The cruelest suit..."

"Height wheel cleared. Three wheels remaining, the odds will now update."

The wheels turned off, then on again. Now, there were ten red and ten green.