Process of Elimination

Chapter 5: Part 1 (What is Trust?)

Solid black. A barren expanse completely void of any presence. There is a lack of sound, light, and air. Absolute silence permeated the surroundings. A small light emerges in the front but swiftly vanishes. The light that was shining in the vacant area happened to be the illumination emanating from a hospital. My gaze wandered through the plain, white room. I was enclosed by a curtain that was difficult for me to see through. Was the occurrence of the game where individuals lost their lives merely a product of my imagination while I slept? Could it be possible that I was in a year-long unconscious state, where I imagined myself inside that game? Were those dreadful memories simply figments of imagination?

It's dawning on me that the life I'm leading right now might not actually be real. The atmosphere in the room is peaceful and quiet. There was a bed adjacent to mine. Xavion was lying there. There were a few minor burns and a small cut on his nose. That's right. The immense explosion. We were all ensnared in a massive blast that inflicted burns and lacerations upon us. I sat up from the bed and got out of it. I decided to take a walk outside and see where I was. "There's no use." Xavion said. I turned around, not even realizing he was awake. "It's locked from the inside. Only someone from outside the room can open the door." he explained. "Huh? Are we...?" I paused. "No, we're not dead; if that is what you were gonna say. But, we are still in the game. Considering that we're meant to die here, the host does have nurses." Xavion continues.

"Is the game still going on?" I asked him. "Unfortunately. Apologies for the incident that took place a few weeks ago." he bowed his head at me. "A few weeks ago? What are you trying to say?" I asked. "Can you not remember? I decided that you should be voted out." he explained to me. "That.. was a few weeks ago!?" my face grew with shock. "It has been approximately 2 to 3 weeks since we've been in that explosion. I knew you would become alarmed." Xavion sighed. "Yeah. Uhm, you requested that I go to your room for a specific reason. Can you clarify what that was?" I asked. "Yes, I am certain about the card you have picked." he looked at me with the most serious eyes. "You do?" I pondered. "There is a strong possibility that you ended up picking the card marked as "Live".There's a chance that I, too, carried out that action. All the occurrences can be easily associated with the selected cards, upon closer examination. Does this strike you as unusual?"

"Yes. Yes it does." I gasped. "You have achieved significant progress in the game, and when it came to voting, you successfully remained in the game. The cards serve as manuals for us for playing this game. This clever individual; the mastermind manipulates us like marionettes, as we play our roles as actors.Have you ever considered the notion that everything we are saying and doing has been preplanned by someone with a predetermined script?" he asked. "If that is true, do you think we aren't actually like this? We aren't real. We're just characters made by the mastermind?" I asked him. "One of us is the mastermind. It could be anyone. Don't trust anyone, got it?" I asserted dominance in his voice. "Yeah--" I paused right before I heard a loud slamming noise. Céleste burst open the door and greeted me with a hug. "Oh my god! Leo, I'm so glad you're okay!" she squealed. "Huh? Oh, yeah. Where did you come from?" I asked her. "Well, I just walked out of the room I was in and looked for you. I asked the host and he said you were right here, so I ran as fast as I could." she was panting from how fast she was talking.

"Are you alright?" I asked her. "Yeah, I'm fine. We're gonna have to leave soon anyways. I'll see you in the next game!" she left back to her room. "She's lying to you." Xavion said. "Huh?" I turn around. "She concealed the truth. How did she escape her room if all the rooms were secured from the outside? She immediately came here moments after leaving her room." he explained. "She could've yelled through the door to be let out." I told him. "These rooms are uniquely designed. Unless you are in close proximity to the door, it is impossible to hear anything from the inside. The walls possess a significant thickness. The sounds from the other side are inaudible. Out of the blue, she showed up while we were in the midst of discussing the game and its components. Does it qualify as a fortuitous incident? I do not believe that to be the case. She is actively pursuing a position. It is possible that she is the individual responsible for devising and coordinating the games? The purpose behind her actions was to prevent us from discovering the truth." he explained.

"Now that I think about it. You might be right. But, you're Xavion. You're too difficult to trust." I said. "Well then. So be it." he walked away and sat on his bed. "When the next game starts, you're on your own. Like you've always been."