A New Game (EDITING)

Chapter 8

Neku...

Neku

Neku!

Neku, wake up!

I was violently slapped back into reality, a blast of cold, musty oxygen instantly filling my lungs. I instinctively began desperately gasping for air. My eyelids snapped wide open. Every muscle in my body tensed up. Taking a series of rapid breaths in and out, my fingers twitched with every exhale.

"Neku, are you alright?"

I tilted my head in the direction of the voice. It was Joshua. His hand was gripped on my shoulder, shaking, his deep lavender eyes filled with what looked like genuine concern.

"What...What happened?" I managed to grunt out, barely conscious. I brought a hand up to my forehead, carefully trying to think back. Everything soon came back to me, shooting through my mind like a bullet.

"Wait, Where are they!?" I jolted off the wall, stumbling as I ran and slammed my shoulder into the dressing room door frame. My eyes darted around the store's darkened room, seeing no trace of them. Only a door that had been ripped off the hinges.

"I'm not sure, they were gone when I woke up." Joshua joined me in the doorway. "Unfortunately, that's the least of our worries, Look" Joshua raised his right hand and showed me his palm. What I saw sent painful flashbacks racing through my mind like a freight train headed straight for hell. Across Joshua's pale palm, was a timer. A red crimson timer.

No. This can't be happening. This...this can't be happening! No, not again...

We both stared at the glowing red timer for what felt like an eternity before a beep came from my pocket. I quickly grabbed my cell phone from my pocket and flipped it open.

! NEW MESSAGE FROM: Blocked Number !

Blocked Number: Welcome to a new game, Neku Sakuraba! You've been entered in my game. Here's the basic rundown of the rules: For the next few weeks, You'll be working in a team of 7 pre-selected people. Every day You'll have a mission you'll have to work with your team to do. No mission today, consider today orientation. Lucky you! At the end of the week, you'll have a challenge. 

Here are your teammates:

Neku Sakuraba

Yoshiya Kiryu

Shiki Misaki

Daisukenojo Bito

Raimu Bito

V

Akane

Now, this ISN'T the reaper's game. This is a completely new game. Also, you're not exactly dead, but you're not really alive either. You're all really in this realm of in-between. You can still see Noise and all that stuff, but normal people can see you and you can interact with them. But don't worry, normal people can't see you when you go into battle. We've selected your team to meet up at the mural in the Udagawa back streets. Hope you enjoy this game. Or don't, we really don't care. Missions start tomorrow.
PS: Pretty please don't tell the Higher Ups about this! Thanks!

"V? Akane? Who the hell are they?" I muttered out loud.

"I don't know..." Joshua said with uncertainty.

We just stood there, dead silent for a moment, letting everything settle in. We were basically fighting for our lives once again. We had another possibility of dying. We might lose our friends in the fight. It really is all happening again

"It says to meet in Udagawa" Joshua broke the silence.

"Yeah..."

"We should head over there"

"Mhmm."

It was hard getting past all the police cars and ambulances outside, but luckily we made it past without anyone noticing us. Before we knew it, we stood in front of the mural. As we leaned against the wall, it hit me. This was where I first met Joshua. I, however, I would really like to forget that. That day when I-

"NEKU!"

A familiar voice broke my train of thought. It was Shiki, Beat, and Rhyme all walking up the steps. Shiki quickly ran up to me and gave me a tight hug. Instinctively, I hugged her back. She pulled back, grabbing my shoulders.

"Good thing we're all on the same team."

"Yeah..."

"Yo, Joshua! Long time no see!" Beat yelled.

"The one and only" Joshua sashayed over to us.

"Ok, so like, who the hell are V and Akane?" Beat asked with clear confusion on his face.

"Beats me, I've never heard of anyone with those names..." I sighed out, sliding my hands into my pockets. But out of the corner of my eye, I saw black, all black. A boy in all black. A black hoodie, baggy jeans, and a mask with a skull that covered his face. He was talking to the girl with red eyes. Are they together? Do they work together? Then, without warning, the boy in the mask turned his head, almost as if he was looking at me.

"Hey you!" He brought himself off the wall and walked towards me. I was soon filled with panic as he quickly made his way towards me.

"You Neku Sakuraba?" His voice was heavily distorted, I was barely able to make out the words.

"I, um, Yeah..." I forced out, trying not to sound intimidated

"Oh." He pulled out a cell phone and pressed a few buttons.

"And I assume the people behind you are the rest?"

"The rest? What the hell are you goin' on about-" Beat yelled defensively.

"If I may intrude." Joshua interrupted.

"I assume you two are V and Akane, Am I wrong?"

"Nope?...Spot on." There was clear confusion in his tone.

"Fantastic. Allow me to introduce myself, My name is Yoshiya Kiryu, But everyone Just calls me Joshua, And this here is Nek-"

"Neku Sakuraba, I know."

Joshua looks slightly offended at the boy interrupting him.

"Name's V." He spoke in a deadpan matter as he made a 'V' sign with his hands.

"And my name is Akane." The red-eyed girl spoke with a monotone yet sweet sounding voice.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Rhyme, This is my brother Beat."

"And I'm Shiki."

I wasn't about to ask Akane why she was stalking me earlier today or what V was doing with Bates and Penny last night. We continued to talk about the texts we received and agreed to meet up at The Wild-Kat Cafè every day for the missions. After a while, we all went home. That night, laying down in my bed, I watched the glowing red timer on my hand tick down until it reached 0. When it did, it glowed a bright red, then changed to read '23:59:59'. Right as that happened, my phone went off. The notification read

! NEW MESSAGE FROM: Blocked Number !

This is it. It's begun.