The mask that separated us | Chishiya x Reader

Chapter 7 - Alone in the Game: Unexpected Encounters

A loud noise coming from the building's speakers wakes me from my deep sleep. My gaze automatically shifts to the clock, even if my eyes aren't even fully open. I didn't sleep more than 3 hours because I played with Elentya last night without Lyria knowing. I hope she slept better than me.
And today is game day.

Whenever it's gameday, the speakers located throughout The Night's building make a noise for approximately 5-10 minutes to wake up all the players. The sound is a kind of beeping, so loud that I feel my eardrums vibrating.

I slowly get up. Suddenly I see black dots which then enlarge so that my vision is restricted, I feel dizzy, whereupon I quickly sit on the edge of the bed.

I let out a sigh of relief when the noise finally stops and my eardrums can recover. I get up again and this time it's working better, the dizziness subsided. But what hasn't subsided is the severe pain in my legs from the last game. I swallow and try to ignore the pain, which is even more difficult as I walk towards my closet.

My uniform is still lying on the floor in front of my closet. I think I could wear them again today before I wash them. I slowly pick it up, slip it on and pull up the zipper. The uniform feels cold on me like a second skin. The feeling always fascinates me, even if it's not new. I go into the bathroom, the first thing I see is my face. Dark circles under my eyes and the blood on my temple will probably become a scar. I tie my hair, which is still slightly damp from yesterday's shower, together and let two strands fall out at the front. I lean over the sink, turn on the water tap and let the cold water run over my face, which immediately makes me feel more awake.
I then dry my face gently. Then I want to brush my teeth, and as I take the toothbrush, put some toothpaste on it and hold it over the water again, I think about how Lyria managed to get enough hygiene products for all of us.
When I first came here to Borderland, all I remember is going through all the stores and I never found anything like deodorant, shampoo, or toothbrushes.

Just as I'm about to leave the room, I see small blood stains on my uniform in the mirror. They are small but still visible. If Lyria sees this before the next game, she will know that I played last night because she gave me the clean uniform before.

I quickly take the towel, moisten it with a little water and rub it over the blood drops until they fade. I leave the bathroom, put on black boots, make sure my Dagger is in my side pocket on my waist, leave the room and make my way to the hall.

„Good morning players. As you know, today is game day."

Lyria has a radiant aura as she speaks in her gorgeous voice and looks down at us all. Every now and then I look for Elentya in the crowd, but I haven't been able to see her yet and I try to continue listening to Lyria "attentively".

"The principle of every game is the same. Each of you gets a small piece of paper in front of the entrance. There is a number on it showing which car you go to. These cars have a navigation system that shows you the way to the corresponding games."

It's the same every time. She explains it every time, even though everyone already knows. I look through the crowd again, and this time blonde, almost white hair catches my eyes and looks very familiar. A faint smile appears on my lips as I see Elentya in the crowd, who also looks like she's looking for someone. When she sees me and makes eye contact with me, the same smile appears on her lips, only wider and brighter.

„Hey Leah. Did you actually sleep much last night?"

„No. Not really. I can't describe how tired I am."

I move a little closer to her so that not everyone can hear.

"If neither of us had played yesterday, we would have saved ourselves a lot of pain and gotten a lot more sleep."