A burning Passion (1): Into the Abyss

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"What the... Where am I?" June stumbled to her feet and looked around cautiously. The sun was just barely beginning to dip below the horizon, creating a colorful mixture of blue and pale orange sky above her. "How did I end up here?" she said. She staggered to her feet and coughed, realizing she was in front of her apartment. The ground and lobby were coated in a thick layer of dust, and vines grew from the cracked and broken building. June cautiously began walking around, calling out to any potential other people: "Hello? Is anyone there?" But the streets were all eerily empty, and just as silent.

June began wandering around and calling out as she searched for other people while the sun sank, but couldn't find anyone else. With not a single other person in sight, June was beginning to get worried, and with no supplies for the night, she began looking for a place to stay. Once the sky darkened, June noticed a building she recognized as the Plaza Hotel. Unlike every other building she'd found so far, the hotel's electricity seemed to be working, and the lights were very noticeable in the dimness of the night sky. "I'm sure no one will mind if I stay here for the night. Might as well go there and see if I can find others..." June thought to herself as she entered the hotel.

Inside the grand lobby, there were already a number of people chatting with each other, including a man with wild brown hair in the corner, silently watching, as well as a friendly-looking French man with chocolate brown hair, a Chinese man, a nervous-looking girl about June's age, and a young Japanese man with jet black hair. As June walked in, the Japanese man, noticing her confused expression, said "Another newcomer, huh?" "N...newcomer?" June said nervously. "Well, we'll explain later." the French man interrupted. "For now, bonjour." He smiled. "My name's Pier. Yours?" "I'm June." June replied carefully. "Do you know why we're all he-" Suddenly, she was cut off by the sound of a bell chiming and an intercom system crackling to life.

"All Players, please make your way to Room 605. The game will commence shortly." A metallic, robotic-sounding voice droned from the speakers. Obediently, all of the other people got up and began to leave the lobby. "Wait!" June called after them. "What does it mean, game? Why are we here?" she asked desperately. Pier turned around to look at her. "We're all playing in a game right now. We have to win these games to survive. If we don't win..." "We die." the Japanese man said bluntly. June was shocked. "D...die?" She stammered as her mind reeled. "What the hell have I gotten myself into?" she thought to herself, as she turned to leave. "No!" The other girl lunged forward and grabbed June. "A...apparently, you...you die if you try to leave. I heard it from him." She pointed towards the Japanese man, who was now walking over and pulling something out of his pockets. "Watch." he said, before throwing a key at the doorway. Suddenly, the key was shot out of the air by a laser, a hole burning through it.

June's eyes widened, and she scrambled back from the door. "T...thanks. By the way, what are your names?" she asked as they began taking the elevator up to the 6th floor. "I'm Rayna." The girl said. "Name's Teineji. Teineji Tahata." Said the Japanese man. "You?" "I'm June." June replied as the doors opened with a ding. Inside Room 605, which was a luxurious and fairly spacious room, all the other players were waiting. As soon as June, the last person to enter, stepped into the room, the door locked behind her. "Here we go..." Rayna breathed, clearly just as nervous as June, as the television screen in the living room lit up, displaying the word "GAME". "The game you will be playing today is Musical Chairs." The disembodied speakers announced.

"Difficulty: Seven of Hearts."

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