The Trials of Neo City [WINWIN • YUTA]

🖤 28. Orbits 🖤

TW: Mention of cannibalism, detailed depiction of a corpse (it's the Hunger Games, what did you expect?)

The building the Sicheng had retreated to only hours before began to shake violently during the night. It must have been the early hours of the morning and he must have dozed off because when he came to, it was still dark outside.

Last time, the building shaking was a fluke, but Sicheng had a feeling that this time wasn't a joke. It was much more violent in its shaking, support beams creaking in the silent night. Frantically, he searched for his bag in the darkness, slinging it over his shoulder and running out of the building before it collapsed.

He sprinted away and down the road, his boots hitting the pavement louder than he'd like. The stomps echoed through the empty streets as the building finally started to come down, rubble and dust following him and clouding his vision.

The ash and sawdust fell onto his hair, his jacket. It covered him and messed up his perception, but still he ran. He ran as fast as he could before he froze, realizing he'd stumbled into the wrong place at the absolute wrong time.

He was back near the building he and Mark stayed in. Near where he started this whole game, a clearing with a fountain in the middle. And here he was, staring in plain sight when the Career pack could be anywhere.

And it didn't take long to find them.

His heart beat erratically in his chest, making it the only thing he could hear. He ducked into an alley, climbing onto a windowsill and peering down. Sicheng wanted to survey the area and find the safest way out, looking around for a little while before realizing two things. 

There was light. The Careers were so overconfident that they decided to light a fire in the middle of the city at night. Smoke filled the air and his eyes traveled to where it disappeared in the sky above them.

The other thing he noticed is that where there was fire, something was cooking. A sickeningly sweet smell wafted into the air and invaded Sicheng's nose, making him sick to his stomach.

A mutilated body laid on the ground in front of them, ripped apart violently. Guts of all kind were strewn around and some sort of organ was suspended above the fire, charring and letting out a disgusting smell with it.

The face of the victim, though, was untouched. Forever frozen in an expression of terror and realization, greyed face and wide, dark eyes illuminated by the firelight.

Sicheng nearly vomited right then and there, faintly recognizing the corpse as Lee Taeyong, the boy from District Five who'd died yesterday. And here he was, being eaten and cooked by the Career pack- namely Ten.

The others seemed weary, at least. Yuta, Shotaro, and Chenle all sat far away, speaking to each other to take their minds off of what was going on at the fire.

The rest, however, picked at pieces of meat that surely must have come from the dead boy. Sicheng might have simply thought they were eating large rats if he hadn't already seen the mutilated tribute before him.

His backpack fell from his shoulders and onto the ground with a thud. He paused, frozen and unable to move or even look down at it. There was a noise from the Careers' camp and he gasped, losing his footing suddenly and sliding down the alley wall. Groaning, he sat up and tried to scurry away before the Careers heard, but it was too late.

Someone grabbed his leg, dragging him away from his backpack and away from the alley. A breath got caught in his chest. He wanted to scream, but all he could do is look on in horror as he was thrown into the center clearing, where Ten and the others looked much too excited to see him.