Red Line || Chishiya Shuntarō ✓

twenty-two

Ren snapped the collar around her neck, getting flashbacks to the game where she met Himari and Sousuke. But this time, she didn't feel a needle that would stick into the side of their neck and kill them with a lethal injuction. Ren still got chills as the collar was snug around her throat. She followed Chishiya up the stairs, seeing who was already there for the game.

Ren and Chishiya walked off to the side. Chishiya glanced to Ren, seeing her fidget with the collar. "Stop playing with it."

"I'm just checking to make sure there isn't a needle." Chishiya gave her a look. "My second game... there was a collar like this with a small needle in it, if you made a sound louder than a whisper, you got a lethal injeuction." Ren cleared her throat, crossing her arms.

Chishiya pulled the hood over his head as the others arrived to the game. Ren fell silent as she stood next to Chishiya, waiting for the last of the players to arrive. Ren did count the collars before she made it up the stairs and then counted how many players were already there. It looked like a player limit of 20. They were just waiting on the last player to come to the prison so they could play the game.

After what felt like forever, the final player arrived. He took his time to look at the everyone who was waiting around.

"Difficulty level: Jack of Hearts." Ren turned her head to the screen above the doorway. "Game: Solitary Confinement. Rules: Guess the card suit that appears on the back of your collar. However, you may not look at the symbol yourself."

"I can't see anything."

Ren rolled her eyes at the older woman's complaint, clearly ignoring the rule.

"The time limit is one hour per round. In the final five minutes, enter your cell and disclose your symbol. If you do not answer with the correct symbol, it is game over." Ren nodded, impressed with the rules and the style of game. "The collar will explode, and you will die." Ren looked at the screen, realizing she had to remind that there was always a fucking catch.

"I'd rather the lethal injection." Chishiya looked to the side, shaking his head. His lip flicked upward in a slight smile at Ren's comment, but he didn't let her see it.

"Additionally, when the time limit reaches zero, the symbol on the collar will rest and change for each round."

"Wait a sec." Ren glanced over to the guy that was near her and Chishiya. "So that means we just have to ask each other what our symbols are." He turned to Ren and Chishiya. "That's easy, huh?"

"I'm not sure. They haven't told us what the conditions to win are yet." Chishiya commented.

"The Solitary Confinement game is about how much you can trust your fellow players. Be aware that your opponent, the Jack of Hearts, has already been placed among you."

"Oh, that's good." Ren had to agree with Chishiya on that one. That was a good twist to the game, that meant they had to make sure they killed Jack in order to clear the game. Ren glanced around at the players, deciding who could be Jack, there were 18 possibilities.

"So one of us is the Jack of Hearts?"

"How to win: Rounds repeat every hour. You win the game when the Jack of Hearts dies. Looking at your symbol with a reflective surface is cheating. Players may not use weapons or violence to kill fellow players."

"This means that the only way this game will ever end is if the Jack gives the wrong answer. So basically, no one here is getting out alive, unless they lie to the Jack." Chishiya state.

"There is no limit to the number of rounds."

"There's no limit?"

"Enough food has been provided."