The Trials of Neo City [WINWIN • YUTA]

🖤 32. Emperor's New Clothes 🖤

"Are you going to tell us why we're leaving camp?" Johnny asked impatiently, looking into the sky. It was past midday now and (if he could remember correctly) now the fourth day of the Hunger Games. There was the special anthem of an event earlier, which should have been further indication to try and hunker down and be on defense.

So why was Ten dragging them out into the city all of a sudden with nobody playing lookout over their territory?

Ten didn't say anything and the others seemed confused, staying quiet. But Chenle understood; they hadn't left camp until today and coincidentally, today was the day Yuta betrayed the pack.

And nobody betrays Ten.

"We're finding Yuta and Shotaro, aren't we? I thought we weren't gonna go after them." Chenle began, earning an icy glare from Ten.

"You don't question my authority and my decisions, Zhong! They couldn't have gotten far. And they'd be stupid to run to the riverbank, so where else could they be?" Ten's voice was laced with frustration as he walked the streets, occasionally kicking over anything he saw. The clanging sound of boots on metal made him smile.

"There's an event today. I just meant-" Chenle began to apologize, before being cut off by someone else.

"The fuck is that?" Lucas's voice was frantic. Ten rolled his eyes, about to tell him off for being afraid of a few little rats- but he stopped in his tracks.

In front of him was a blue haze that crept closer. It was translucent at first glance, but Ten realized it was much, much thicker than he thought. And it swept across the asphalt, crawling towards the from across the street.

It happened too fast; Ten's head became dizzy, he and Johnny covering their mouths and noses as the others coughed and sputtered. The blue haze licked at their clothes and their feet, practically begging the other two to ingest it, but they stood firm and watched as the others falling over in the street.

Their breathing shallowed and for a moment, Ten was hesitant. Was his alliance dead? Or dying? Were him and Johnny the last two left of their pack?

They stood still in the street, as the blue wave below them crept along the concrete and left them alone, with little remnants left.

The air was tense and still. Slow, labored breathing was the only thing heard. Johnny decided to kick at Yangyang, but the only response he got was slowed breaths and dialated pupils staring back.

They examined Lucas as well, who shook and seized. His limbs twitched where he laid on the ground. Ten's heart dropped, afraid that his only real defense was going to die. He didn't know if the movement was because of a seizure or the mist, the whole event had happened so quickly.

Chenle's breathing evened out to normal but as the others tried to examine Lucas, the boy had gotten up with shaky linbs and crawled forwards across the ground. He murmured to himself, a relieved smile on his features as he dragged himself forwards towards the boots of someone who wasn't supposed to be there.

Ten followed Chenle's eyes and finally saw him. In front of them was a boy with long, dark hair peeking from his hood, which shrouded his face in mystery. He held his hand out for Chenle as the hallucinating boy had crawled to him. Ten wondered how he hadn't seen him yet and how he'd avoided the hallucinogen.

Chenle grabbed onto the legs of the unknown tribute, chattering excitedly as if he wasn't dangerous. The tribute leaned down and held onto Chenle, whispering something gently before standing back up to face the other two.

Then -standing behind Chenle- he watched as Chenle grabbed his own small sword from the ground where it had fallen and pushed it into his own abdomen. He twisted it harshly and pulled the sword out with hands stained in blood, blood that soon fell onto the ground in a pool around him.

Blood flowed like water into the street. Chenle let go of the weapon, small hands flying to his wound. The light began to leave his eyes as Ten and Johnny could only watch in shock. For a split second, his eyes flickered with fear as if he'd realized what he'd done. And then they glassed over, his body going limp with shallowed and slow breaths once again.

There was a boom in the sky and Johnny paled at the sound.

Quickly, Johnny grabbed his only weapon left: a rather small spiked mace and ball that hung off of his belt. He gripped the weapon tighter, backing away from the boy, who took off his hood and stared forwards with dark, deep eyes that seemed to look through them.

"Son of a bitch." Ten muttered under his breath as he pulled his knives from his jacket, though he couldn't stop smiling ear to ear.

They finally found Hendery.