The Death's Game

42. Game of Keys

Because of the mounting tension and the apparently impending fight between Trevor and Kyle, Percy didn't even get a chance to look at the new level. For a moment, she felt great when all her wounds were healed, and her HP returned in full - moreover, she could finally speak normally. This joy didn't last too long, however, because as soon as everyone got to the next level, they could witness a fight between Millie's ex-boyfriends, who pounced on each other. Blake and Mark tried to stop them, but the boys preferred to continue pounding each other with their fists.
Only Millie's loud and screeching shout made them freeze in place, prepared to continue fighting, "Stop immediately, you fools!" She raked them with a furious look and added, "The one who strikes the next blow will be the one I will never speak to again, not even a word. You know I'm capable of scoring such a blow."
Apparently her argument appealed to them. They hesitated only a moment until Kyle let go of Trevor and Trevor lowered his hand. No one wanted to mess up with Millie and risk them being nothing but ghosts to her from now on.
Unfortunately, the damage had already been done, and for them, the new level didn't mean healing - or at least not long term, as Trevor ended up with a cut lip and Kyle with a bleeding nose. Nonetheless, Millie didn't step up to help either of them, furious that while their lives were at stake, their priority was the men's fight for her. She was not some toy they could beat each other up over and determine who would win.
Only when the situation calmed down did Percy get a chance to glimpse the new level, which did not impress her at all. They found themselves in a plain, small and wooden room without windows, which had a completely mismatched bright orange door. The room was lit by an equally old and ugly lamp. All the furniture was wooden; moreover, there were thousands of keys lying on all the furniture and the floor. They were everywhere.
Only after a while did Percy realize that the room itself was also shaped like a key.
"New level, new HP, but not new costumes," Millie commented, noting that she was still wearing the red and white suit from the Truth and Dare level. This worried her a bit and she freaked out as to whether they had definitely made it to the third level.
She was only reassured by the familiar sweet voice that seemed to reverberate throughout the room, "Dear Players, a maximum of two people can go through the door together. What awaits you on the other side depends on the key you choose. The door is one, but it leads to countless locations, depending on your key. Choose wisely."
Everyone began to look around at the thousands of keys that filled the room.
"How do we know which one will be the right one?" asked Mark.
"Every will be," Mint answered him. "It's like a lottery. You're either going to be the lucky one or the unlucky one."
"Should we pair up?" quietly asked Veronica, preferring not to draw attention to herself - although it looked like Kyle had momentarily forgotten his lust for revenge against her in his heated love moment with Millie and hatred for Trevor.
"I volunteer to be Millie's partner!" Kyle called out, rubbing his nose blood into his overalls.
"Fuck off," Trevor snapped back at him. "Millie herself can choose who she wants to be with, and spoiler, it will be with Percy."
Millie didn't even comment on that, but it was true nonetheless.
"And that green light above the door?" asked Percy, pointing to the lamp. "That means you can use the key now. So we should wait until the couple in front of us has completed their task, yes?"
"It looks like it," Millie answered her.
"Who's going to be with whom, and who wants to go first?" asked Mark, who quickly looked at all the players, paired them up in likely pairs, and finally turned to Trevor, "Duo?" He didn't want to be left alone, nor did he want to be assigned to Kyle, Mint or Veronica, so this seemed the best option for him.
Trevor didn't seem to mind. He shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head.
"I'll be with Percy." Millie stood closer to her friend.
Ryder squinted, looking at Mint. She noticed this, smiled and declared, "Ryder."
This stung Percy strangely, but she didn't comment on it or let it be known that she cared in any way.
Veronica was drenched in cold sweat when she realized that she could have been in the next level either alone, or worse, with Kyle. Knowing that Blake didn't have a pair yet, she turned to him, almost desperately. "Duet?"
She believed that Blake would reject her. No one wanted to be with her and no one would help her. She was surprised when he silently nodded his head. However, he didn't grace her with a word, simply agreed and left.
Kyle was left alone, but that didn't bother him. What's more, he volunteered.
"Let's get this over with, I'll gladly go first," he said.
Saying this, he glanced surreptitiously at Millie, as if he expected applause for his bravado. She, however, did not react to his miraculous volunteering. She dropped a cluster of keys on the floor and sat down in a chair, thoughtfully.
"Good luck!" exclaimed Mark, who decided it was worth it to have a reasonably good relationship with everyone, nevertheless, Kyle didn't respond to him.
He opened the door with a key of his choice and walked to the other side. As soon as Kyle passed the threshold, the door closed behind him, and the light above it turned red.
Percy approached Blake, who was looking at his dagger, which didn't even have a mark left on it after Kyle killed Angelica.
"Hey, Blake," she began, unsure of what she could say to him. She would have liked to just let it go, but she couldn't.
"Hey, Percy," he replied, glancing at her obliquely. "At least you got a better pair than I did. Don't you want to switch?" he joked, making Percy think that perhaps he was feeling better already.
"Unfortunately, there is no such chance."
"Too bad. I'd rather be with you." He let go of her eyes, surprising her doubly. Until recently he had completely ignored her, and now he was friendly again. She didn't understand men.
"I wouldn't have guessed," she quietly replied.
He understood her hint, and sighed heavily. "Listen, I apologize for my earlier behavior. Seeing Bianca again, hearing her voice, remembering what happened, it all shook me. Before my eyes I still have her death. It is said that time heals wounds, but it doesn't make anything easier, though."
Percy nodded her head. She understood that, nevertheless it pained her that Blake was still in love with a girl who was no longer there and would not return. It's like being stopped forever in time. In one place. In his despair.
"Nevertheless, cutting myself off from everyone and everything was not a good idea," he admitted, realizing how little he was involved in actively winning a gem at the Underwater Kingdom, and how little he was focused on Truth and Dare at all.
"It wasn't good, but it was understandable."
Blake poked Percy lightly. "Well, now you have, you all have, my undivided attention," he said.
"Including Veronica."
Blake rolled his eyes. "Don't remind me. I'd rather go alone. Veronca would sooner throw me into an abyss than help me."
"You'd better watch out for her, really."
In theory, to Blake Veronica had nothing. He was just an accidental victim in her plan to murder Millie and Trevor, and apparently Percy.
"I can handle it. I at least have something to defend myself with." He raised his dagger to the air. "You guys be careful, too. I have no idea what might be waiting for us behind the door, but I can see that for you this game can be exceptionally difficult."
"Apparently Mint isn't the only one who hates me," she added.
Percy alluded to Angelica's attack. Out of all the players, she chose her. Why?
"Well, on the other side, I adore you." Percy's cheeks reddened, hearing such words from his mouth. "You don't adore me?" he asked, waiting for her answer.
She smiled mysteriously. "I'm still thinking."
Blake laughed. "Fair."
"Do you already know what key you're going to take?"
Blake looked around. Each key was different. A key with a skull. A key with a sun. A key with an hourglass. A key with a lion. A plain key. A decorated key. A golden key. A silver key. A small key. A big key. Each had its own meaning.
"Too many of them to choose. Do you want to help me look for one?"
"And do you want to be next?"
Blake thought for a moment. "Maybe yes. I want to get it over with. And see if I'll be more intimidated by what's behind the door or by Veronica's company."
Totally amused, Percy countered, "I'll help you look."
From the number of keys Percy saw, it made her head hurt. Each one was different, and all of them could herald something good, or something awful. Blake also seemed completely confused about which key to choose. In the end, he decided on a key with a large flower because what could be bad about flowers?
A short time later, the green light came on over the door, but Kyle did not return through them. This caused almost everyone to panic a little bit, waiting to see what would happen next and if Kyle might not come through after all.
"Does that mean that he...?" Millie was unable to ask if he had died.
"Unless, after defeating whatever is behind the door, we don't return to this room," Percy stated, thinking about it. "Why would we come back here? There is no other door here. No other way out. Probably defeating what awaits us there takes us to the fourth level, or I don't know, to some kind of waiting room."
"That's just speculation," Mark stated.
"It makes sense," insisted Percy.
"Do you think we will still meet in the same lineup? What if every level is separate from now on?"
Ryder interjected into the conversation. "It's not. After all, that's what we're in this game for, to either work together or kill each other until only one of us wins."
Percy rolled her eyes. Typical him.
"Which means Kyle is probably waiting for the rest of us," she said.
"Or dead," replied Mint, who was apparently amused by this.
"Or not," Blake stated firmly. "In that case, it's time for us to go." He looked reluctantly at Veronica. "Does this key suit you?"
She shrugged her shoulders silently. She didn't protest, or even want to choose. Percy thought Veronica was acting very strangely, but she didn't consider it any further.
"See you soon, Percy." Blake turned to her with a warm smile. "And se you soon to all the rest," he added with a laugh.
"You're clearly in a good mood," Percy replied.
"Just a little." Blake put the key in the door and turned the lock, ready to step into the unknown.
Veronica, much less sure and definitely terrified, took one last look at her coin she flipped earlier.
It was an unlucky face.