THE GREAT WAR

ii.

ACT 1 — SCENE 2
' Big Bad Wolf '

LYING HAD NEVER BEEN RIKO'S STRONGEST SUIT. Of course, she wouldn't have gotten this far in life had it not been for some white lies and a few exaggerated statements, but purposely twisting the truth isn't something she could do without difficulty. It's not that she couldn't make things up, but because of her short temperament and determination to see things to their end, she has a tendency to spew out even more lies when questioned about the validity of her claims, those of which would be less believable than the previous ones. Though she managed to keep her emotions in check during court trials, she doesn't think that the same could be said in other high-risk situations, so she'd much rather remain silent or reply with vague answers.

Unfortunately for her, the circumstances don't seem to allow it. Had she feigned ignorance, she would've easily been caught and had to face whatever punishment there is for losing.

"You," The man's previous friendly disposition now turned antagonistic as he turned to her. "What's your role?"

"Little red riding hood," Riko responds quickly, changing the topic before he could interrogate her further. "But wait, about what you said earlier, that this is a death game. What do you mean? What exactly will happen if we lose?"

He stares at her for a moment, choosing the right words to say.

"You'll die."

Riko looks at him incredulously, while the two young girls are quick to believe him—after all, it isn't that unlikely, given that being transported in an empty Tokyo is already an impossible thing to happen. For all they know, anything could be possible.

One of them takes a few steps back, her breathing ragged as she pleads, "Please, let's just leave. . ."

Too terrified to do so much as move a muscle, she takes the initiative and pulls her friend to the exit. However, she doesn't get very far, getting shot by some kind of laser and dropping dead on the floor before the former could even step out.

The wind howls, as if to mourn, while crimson slowly seeps into the grass and a pair of lifeless eyes stare into the sky. For a few fleeting moments, everything comes to a standstill, and an unnerving silence fills the suffocating air. That is until the horror finally sinks in, and a series of deafening screams spread throughout the park.

"Someone, please help!"

"Stop screaming!"

"Oi, it's you, isn't it?!"

The consequences of betrayal and mischief quickly arrive as Riko watches multiple bodies drop one after the other. In a blink, the majority of the players had already gone hostile, with the strong forcing the weak to say names that they believe to be their saving grace, only to be killed in an instant. She doesn't stick around to witness their descent into madness, though, running away as soon as she breaks from her trance and taking the poor traumatized girl with her—she learns her name to be Mina, upon catching a glimpse of her nametag.

She leads her into a nearby café and towards the back of a counter, almost yelping upon seeing another person already there. It's the same man who she had seen when she first arrived, but before she can dwell on that thought, she swiftly covers Mina's mouth, preventing her from making any more noises due to shock.

"I'm not the big bad wolf," He assures them, gaze fixed on the various coffee machines in front of them. "If I were, I wouldn't be hiding here."

"That's precisely why the wolf would hide here. To let others do the work for them, while they sit here and wait for the time to run out." Riko states, sitting down and pulling her legs to her chest in an attempt to mask her erratic heartbeat. Having to keep quiet to save her skin leaves a bitter taste on her tongue, and she almost lets the truth run free, had it not been for her will to live. She didn't want to die, not in that way, and certainly not when she had a lot to leave behind. She knows that a life at the expense of others isn't a life worth living, yet at the same time, she couldn't bring herself to face death.