"I hope you all had time to rest~" Connie's voice came from the energy waves above them. Keng's eyes fluttered open. The cosmic screen was still up and most of his friends had fallen asleep. "While the loser's are fighting for their lives out there, you guys will be starting the Winner's Game!"
"Hey." Manny shook Liz and Olivia awake. "It's time."
"Huh?" Liz asked groggily.
"Our two hours are up." Manny replied. He moved over to Evan and shook him awake. The group yawned and rubbed their faces. Keng pulled the screen away, revealing a bloodied gym.
"Some of you couldn't keep still and tried to kill each other." Connie continued. "So the Winner's Game will be less than anticipated. It isn't anything to be proud of but I thought Biohumans stick together… Guess I was wrong. Anyways, the Winner's Game is…"
There was a loud clicking noise as a holographic screen showed up. It was a board with an arrow pointing to a blurry array of choices. It rotated for quite awhile until it stopped on 'Hide N Seek.'
"Oooo!" Connie geeked out. "Lucky you guys! You get to play hide and seek! The rules are as follows: find a place to hide. If you can't, you'll be eaten! Since this place is too nasty, I will be moving you to the Fourth Year Academy building! We've taken the liberty of closing some sections off. Game time is 20 hours. If you can stay hidden for that long, you'll win another prize. Good luck!"
Before anyone could say anything, the gym lit up. Keng disappears and reappears in a classroom alone. He quickly stood up and headed for the door.
"Let the games… begin!" Connie said as a horn blared. Keng listened as something sinister blossomed into life. Every bone in his body shook as he held his breath. He listened to the litter patter of the sinister thing as it started to run away from him.
'Is it gone?' Keng wondered. His hand shook as he tried to reach for the door. He grabbed his shaking hand and lowered it. 'Calm down. That thing didn't see you for now… Just a moment…' Keng closed his eyes and breathed in and out a couple of times.
"I need to find the others…" Keng whispered. He reached for the door and slowly opened it. He listened until he was sure whatever scared him wasn't around. He pulled out of the classroom and walked the opposite direction of the creature. The Fourth Year Academy building looked less bloody and ransacked. Keng assumed not many people had come this far.
Keng turned the corner and instantly felt something odd. He was too busy cowering in fear to notice the strange heaviness in the air. It felt like something was trying to squeeze him. It was as if something else was entirely in play here. He played with his bracelet, activating it as he walked the halls.
'Hello?' Manny's voice came through the comms. 'Are you guys there? Hell— What was that?'
'Manny?' Keng responded back. He stopped and took a look around. The halls all looked the same to him. He wondered where he was even going. 'Where are you? Are you in the Fourth Year building?'
'Something like that. Do you know where the others are?'
'No. Where are you? Maybe I can find you.'
'You don't really know the halls well.' Manny sighed. 'Well, tell me where you are currently and I'll go to you.' A howl echoed through the halls, drawing Keng's attention upwards. It was distant but it was definitely from that creature.
'Uh…' Keng gulped. He forced himself to turn to the nearest room. '1486.'
'Damn, you're all the way on the other side…' Manny sighed.
'Yeah, uh… I should warn you before it's too late… I felt the seeker earlier… I heard it just now, too. Be careful.'
'The seeker? Are we actually playing hide and seek? What does it look like?'
'I, uh… Didn't get a good look at it. It's kinda… fear inducing.'
'What does that mean?'
'I'll be in 1486 for the time being.' Keng shuffled towards the door, opening it. He quickly stepped inside and closed the door. As he turned a finger gun was pointed at his head.
"Stop right there." A gruff male voice spoke. "If you have any sense of respect, you'll leave my hiding spot and go elsewhere." Keng lifted his hands and tried to turn. "Don't turn. Leave!"
"H-hey, man… Yo-you heard that thing scream earlier right? A-as long as we both aren't found—" Keng began to speak when the man pushed his fingers into Keng's head.
"Get out!" The man screamed. The two men listened as a howl echoed through the halls. The man looked at the door while Keng quickly blinked out of the way. He reappeared fifteen feet away from the door as the sounds of hands hitting the ground grew closer.
'I don't even wanna know how many hands that thing has.' Keng thought as he looked around the room. It was a typical lecture set up. Keng scrambled over to the back and found someone hiding there. It was a little boy, shaking in fear.
"Ah!" The boy squealed. "Please don't kill me!" Keng looked over at the man, who was frozen in fear. The seeker was getting closer and this man was going to die.
'Don't come to me! The seeker's coming!' Keng warned Manny and the others.
'I hear it too!' Liz responded. 'Oh god, what the hell is the ungodly noise?!?'
"Daddy…!" The boy cried. Keng looked at the boy. He could smell piss coming from the boy. "Daddy…! Hel-help…!" Keng gulped and lifted his hand to the supposed father. He pulled him towards the kid and pointed at the spot next to the kid. The man flew through the air and sat with the kid.
"You stay with the kid." Keng whispered. He moved to hide in the other corner as the man's teeth chattered.
"D-daddy… the scary noises…" The boy whispered. The father snapped out of it and comforted his son while glancing at Keng.
"I-it's okay… Daddy's here… We gotta be quiet now, ok-okay?" The father tried to sound not scared in front of his son, but Keng knew it was too forced. Keng listened as the seeker came closer. Keng silently counted the hands as the fear-inducing aura exploded everywhere.
'Se-seven…' Keng stopped counting. The fear permeated the entire room as the door flew open. The kid began to cry as the man covered his son's face.
"Ahhh…" The seeker slowly pulled itself in. Four arms moved into the room, pulling itself in. Stringy white hair fell across its wrinkled head and face. It had no eyes and nose. Only a mouth that showed razor teeth. It pulled half of its large body into the room. The walls groaned as it began to crack. Even the reinforced walls were having a hard time holding the seeker.
The boy's face streamed with tears as the father kept his hand over the boy's mouth. They weren't going to last much longer. The seeker turned his head towards the right and growled.
'It's blind and can't smell. That must mean it can hear, right?' Keng thought. He was trying to force himself to think this through. If he didn't, he would've succumbed to the fear inducing aura the monster was putting off.
[Neutralizing Fear…]
Keng could feel his breathing ease. He could feel every muscle release its tensed hold. The monster turned its head towards the corner as the father let out a whimper.
"Rahh!" The monster busted the walls as its large body was pulled forward by seven arms. Five more arms pushed from behind.
"Ahhh!" The boy screamed. Keng gritted his teeth and flashed forward.
"Resonance Art: Luminous Fury Wave!" Hydrosphere appeared in Keng's hands as he swung in the air. Burning light flew outwards towards the seeker, instantly catching the seeker's attention as a hand flew up to block. The light wave severed the monster's arm, cauterizing the wound as Keng screamed and swung more attacks.
Hydrosphere grew bright white as the strikes missed the monster. The seeker turned and rushed at Keng. Three arms flew out of its back, releasing green beams out of its hands. Keng blinked, dodging the three beams. He reappeared next to the monster, stabbing the monster with Hydrosphere.
"GRAAHHH!" The monster's shriek was pushing fear back into Keng. The boy and father succumbed to the fear, screaming their heads off. The monster shook Keng off of him, pushing him away and shooting a green web at him. Keng grunted as slammed against the wall. He tried to pull out of it but the green webs held him in place.
The monster rushed Keng. It was moving as if on instinct. The father raised his hand and shot a energy bullet out of his fingers. It hit the monster, forcing it to turn its attention onto him.
"No!" Keng shouted. He tried to pull himself out of the webs, but his arms and legs were stuck. "Dammit, are you stupid!" The father whimpered as he pushed himself up and shot out that monster. The monster rushed at the father, grabbing him and raising him up into the air. It screamed at the man before crushing his body. Blood rained down onto the monster as it raised its wrinkly head up to devour the man.
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