A Man for Himself (Norton X Eli) [Identity V] *UNEDITED*

Chapter 1 - A Foul Player

A man for himself. That was Norton Campbell's belief. If he hadn't decided to stick to that idea, he would have been dead by now. He wouldn't have survived the tragedy that happened back in the mine and come out in one piece. But, most of all, he wouldn't have had the chance to participate in the game.

Norton looked to his right, dark eyes scanning the faces of the three people in the waiting room with him. A seat apart from his, there's a nurse sitting calmly with her eyes closed. Or, at least, she tried to look calm. Her hands were clasped together on the table as though she was praying, but Norton could tell that she wasn't as inexperienced as she seemed to appear.

Next to the nurse was a male wearing a faded green hoodie and a pair of elbow pads. His face was obscured by his hood, but Norton had a hunch that his expression wasn't exactly welcoming. He made a mental note to be careful around him.

And last but not the least, sitting at the head of the table, was a man in a hooded blue robe. What made him stand out from the rest of them, aside from his choice of clothing, was the presence of a cloth around his eyes. The guy was wearing a blindfold that had a symbol drawn on it, which made Norton wonder how he could see. It didn't seem like a thin piece of cloth. On top of that, there was an owl perched on his shoulder. These were enough to intrigue the prospector.

What kind of gimmick is that?

Normally, Norton would raise a brow at such peculiarity; but he decided to keep his curiosity to himself. He didn't know these people. He didn't know their names nor the reason why they were there. As for him, the only reason he joined the game was to get the treasure in the manor. He had to succeed this time. He didn't want to waste his effort; and definitely, he didn't want things to turn out like the mine accident.

But it couldn't be helped.

In order for him to win, he would need to work with these people. He would need to play it safe.

"Good luck, everyone!" said the blindfolded man with an encouraging smile on his face. "Let's all escape."

That voice made Norton's head turn; and much to his surprise, it seemed as though the owner of that voice was looking straight at him. As if he's speaking directly to him. But then again, he couldn't really tell since the man had a blindfold on. Nevertheless, Norton smiled back.

"Let's all escape." He nodded. Play it safe.

All of a sudden, the signal horn blasted through the speakers in the room; and it wasn't long before a gate opened at the end of the hallway, filling the dimly lit chamber with light.

It was time to go.

Taking a deep breath, Norton stood up and followed the three to the gate. Every step he took felt heavy. It's like he's entering the depths of the excavation again. He would be lying if he would say that he's not nervous. After all, this was his first match. For all he knew, they had to decode cipher machines to get the password and escape. But, of course, it wouldn't be easy. The hunters would never make it easy for them.

Norton stepped into the field. Looking around, he figured they were at an abandoned church. Empty pews. Dilapidated walls. Everything was lifeless and faded. The place was dead. It was a perfect place to conduct a game of survival.

Everyone separated ways as soon as they're inside the arena. Norton himself went on his own and immediately started decoding the first cipher machine that he spotted outside the church near the gate. Being on his own, he couldn't help but notice the eerie silence that's dominating the place. Aside from the eventual rustling of fallen leaves, the only other sound that he could hear was the tapping of the keys. It made him too wary of his surroundings.