𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐆𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐎𝐟 𝐀𝐜𝐞𝐬 || 𝘉𝘭𝘶𝘦 𝘓𝘰𝘤𝘬

CHAPTER 2

You stared out the window, heart racing as the weight of the silence pressed down on you. No cars, no people, no sound—just the empty streets of Tokyo, frozen in time like some bizarre painting.

"We should go outside," Isagi said, his voice low but firm. He took a step back, glancing between you and Bachira. "We need to figure out what's happening."

Bachira grinned, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "An adventure, huh?" His voice was playful, but you could hear the nervous edge beneath it. "Guess we can't just sit here and wait for someone to come explain everything."

You nodded, still gripping the edge of the windowsill. "Yeah, but... this doesn't feel right. Where could everyone have gone? An earthquake doesn't just... make people disappear."

Isagi bit his lip, his eyes flicking between you and the door. "We won't know unless we check."

Taking a deep breath, you tore your gaze away from the empty streets and turned toward the cafeteria door. It felt strange—surreal even—walking through the room that had been so full of life just minutes ago, now completely devoid of it. Your footsteps echoed unnervingly in the silence, the usual chatter replaced with nothing but your own breathing and the shuffle of your shoes on the floor.

As the three of you reached the door, you shared one last glance with Isagi and Bachira. They both nodded, and you pushed the door open, stepping out into the school hallway.

It was the same as the cafeteria. Empty. The rows of lockers were untouched, and everything looked as though it had been left in a hurry. There were no signs of chaos—no backpacks abandoned on the ground, no personal items scattered. It was like the world had simply... paused.

"I don't get it," Bachira muttered, scratching the back of his head. "Where's everyone hiding? It's too quiet."

"Maybe they evacuated," Isagi said, though even he sounded doubtful. "But... no alarms? No warnings? And why didn't we hear them leave?"

The further you walked down the hall, the more unsettling it became. Every classroom you passed was empty. No teachers, no students, nothing. Just the hollow sound of your footsteps following you through the corridors.

Your heart pounded harder with every step. The world felt wrong, like something fundamental had shifted, and you didn't belong here anymore. A part of you wanted to scream, to demand answers, but your throat felt too tight, and you knew—deep down—you wouldn't get any.

"Hey," Bachira's voice pulled you out of your spiraling thoughts. He was standing at the front entrance, looking back at you and Isagi with his usual grin—though his eyes betrayed his nervousness. "Should we check outside? Maybe the rest of the city's the same."

Isagi frowned, standing beside you. "We should, but let's stay close together. We don't know what's out there."

You swallowed the lump in your throat and nodded, stepping through the doors and out into the open air.

The moment you stepped outside, the emptiness of the world hit you even harder. Tokyo's streets, usually crowded and noisy, were deserted. The sky was an overcast gray, casting everything in a dull light. It was unnerving to see such a bustling place reduced to silence—no traffic, no pedestrians, no sound. Even the air felt heavier, like the world was holding its breath.

"This is messed up," Bachira muttered, hands stuffed in his pockets as he glanced around. His usual carefree attitude was slipping.

You couldn't help but agree. Everything about this was wrong.

"What do we do now?" you asked, voice trembling slightly.

Isagi scanned the horizon, his eyes narrowing in thought. "Let's head toward Shibuya. If anyone's still around, they'd be there."

Bachira nodded, a more serious expression on his face. "Good call. If the city's empty, we need to find out how far this goes."

With no other option, the three of you started walking, sticking close together as you moved down the empty streets. It was surreal, like walking through a ghost town, the only sound coming from your footsteps echoing off the abandoned buildings.

Every now and then, you would glance over at Isagi, who was deep in thought, his brow furrowed. Bachira, though usually the most light-hearted of the group, had grown quiet too. The silence of the world was starting to get to all of you.

Then, out of nowhere, you heard it.

A sharp, piercing sound that cut through the silence like a knife—a siren, blaring from somewhere in the distance. You froze, your heart skipping a beat as the sound echoed off the buildings.

"What the...?" Isagi muttered, his head snapping up toward the source of the noise.

The siren continued, a steady wail that sent chills down your spine. You exchanged glances with Bachira, who looked just as confused as you felt.

"Is it... a warning?" you asked, voice barely above a whisper.

Before anyone could respond, the air seemed to shift around you. A crackling sound, like static, filled the street, and the lights of the nearby electronic billboards flickered to life, flashing a series of strange symbols across the screens.

Then, a voice—a cold, mechanical voice—echoed through the deserted streets.

"Welcome to the game."

Your blood turned to ice.

Isagi's eyes widened. "What did it just say?"

Bachira tilted his head, his wild grin slowly returning. "Oh, this is going to be fun."

"Survive"

The voice repeated the word, its tone emotionless, almost robotic. It sent a shiver down your spine.

"Survive?" you whispered, taking a step back. "What the hell does that mean?"

Before anyone could answer, the ground beneath your feet rumbled again, but this time it wasn't an earthquake. The pavement cracked and splintered, and from the fissures, large black walls began to rise, boxing you in on all sides. The walls towered over you, massive and foreboding, until the street you were standing in had transformed into an enclosed arena.

"Shit," Isagi muttered under his breath, eyes scanning the walls. "We're trapped."

Bachira didn't seem fazed, his grin widening as his eyes sparkled with excitement. "I knew it! A game!"

"This isn't a game, Bachira," you snapped, panic rising in your chest. "This is—this is something else."

But before you could finish, the voice returned, colder and more menacing than before.

"Score a goal or be eliminated."

You froze, the weight of those words settling over you like a heavy blanket.

"Goal?" Isagi muttered, his face pale. "But... how? What are we supposed to—?"

Suddenly, a flash of light blinded you, and when it faded, a football appeared in the center of the arena, resting on the cracked pavement. You glanced at it, then at Isagi, who was staring at the ball with wide eyes.

"This is crazy," you whispered. "What the hell is happening?"

"We have to play," Isagi said, his voice trembling but determined. "We have to win."

Bachira's grin stretched even wider as he stepped forward, eyeing the ball with that wild, reckless glint in his eyes. "Then let's win."

To be continued...