The Death's Game

55. Game of Death

"Why, when I got into the game, did I not remember anything? Why do I still have gaps in my memory? No one else is affected by this phenomenon. Only me," Percy started the conversation after a few minutes of sneaking around the building and looking for her friends.

On one of the old racks, she saw dusty, abandoned pallets and crumbling cardboard boxes. The goods that once lay here seemed to be just a memory now. There was an odorous mixture of dust and moisture in the air.

They didn't want to draw attention to themselves, so they moved quietly and slowly, taking each step on the floorboards with a clatter. For some reason Ryder was furious that the game was out of his control, that he had no way to influence it.

"When you remember, you'll understand. And then I'll explain to you, too."

"It all comes down to the fact that I have to keep reminding myself. Why can't you just tell me?" She faced him. "I know that what I remember is not the end of the story. It's not even the beginning of it. What happened between us, and why can't you just tell me?"

Ryder dared to look into her eyes. "Because then you'd hate me completely," he honestly replied and walked past her.

She didn't understand what else he could have done to make her hate him. She loved him rather than hated him, although her feelings were currently very unstable.

"You never loved me for starters," she chuckled resentfully, as all the sadness from the broken heart returned along with the memories.

Ryder paused and glanced at her, dimly. "That's not how it was."

He didn't elaborate on his thought, however. The place they were in resembled a large, abandoned warehouse. So far they hadn't encountered any more enemies, but Percy could sense Ryder's nervousness, noticing every change, even the smallest one, that shouldn't have happened.

"Why are you and Mint playing too? I understand that she wants to kill me, you want to protect me from it, but all in all I have no idea why you're both here at all."

This game would probably be easier if they weren't here.

And if she had her memories.

"Mint made a deal with Death. In exchange for the opportunity to play the game, she will give him the information he wants to know."

"On the subject?"

"It's complicated."

Sunlight coming through broken windows illuminated the interior of the warehouse, creating ominous shadows on the ground. Rusted pipes filled the ceiling, creating an intricate maze of metal wiring. Their creaking and creaking introduced the impression that the place was like a long-forgotten mechanism just waiting for an impulse to come to life.

"Everything with you is complicated," snorted Percy.

"But you loved it nonetheless." Ryder smiled at her, and for a moment she felt warm.

"I know I ended up in this game not by accident. I know my friends ended up in this game not by accident. I know it's all because of me."

Percy opened the rusty gate, which creaked and resisted, as if trying to defy her presence. In the distance, she heard the echoes of her footsteps and the sound of distant splashing water.

"It's not because of you," Ryder said firmly. "But it's true, you ended up here not by accident." Percy fixed her gaze on him, hoping for more answers. "The game hasn't been organized for years. It's outdated. It's not held anymore."

"Then why are we participating?"

Ryder looked at her, as if he expected her to find the answer to that question herself. She, however, was unaware of her own past, and how much it meant. "Because exceptions must come to an end at some point. Veronica murdered you. You all died in that accident. The game was the only way to give you a second chance."