The purpose of the trip was to get away from the chaos and discord of the city-not to return as its epicenter. After a fourteen hour layover, a dead pair of AirPods, and a spilled overpriced vanilla cream cold brew, Avery Gallo is desperate for two things: replenished coffee and the ever-comforting voice of her best friend, Noah Young. When a phone call takes a peculiar turn, Avery reaches out to her family for help, fearing the worst. The new problem? Everyone, including Noah's "parents", are convinced he never existed to begin with. Unfortunately, in her desperate search for answers, her family admits her to an asylum to get the help they believe she so desperately needs. But this asylum is not at all what it seems. Avery finds herself participating in a very dangerous game in what may very well be, Hell on Earth. This is Vermilion. *** Prompts Used 19. You come back from holiday and find your best friend missing. You search desperately, but no one has any recollection of your friend ever existing. Eventually, you're shipped off to an asylum, where you find your best friend, who claims the same thing happened to them but it was you that no one remembered. 49. "Master the rules of the game until you can play it better than they can." Michael Scott, "The Sorceress." 62. Hell is empty and all the devils are here. - William Shakespeare *** ONC 23 Round 1 Qualifier