Ace || 𝑠. 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑦𝑎

Two

I looked up at the building in front of me. There probably wasn't a single child in Tokyo and the surrounding area that hadn't been here on a school trip before, science being a main subject in every school. The glass enclosure was known as one of the biggest butterfly gardens in Japan, the inside filled with trees and beautiful flowers, as well as some of the most tropical looking insects you could imagine. 

"The game will start without you if you don't move"

Dragging my eyes away from the glass entrance, I focused on the woman talking to me from inside the dome. She seemed to know much more about what was going on than I did. 

"What will happen if I don't play?" 

A light frown crept on to the woman's face, but I couldn't make much else out of her expression as she was sporting big sunglasses on the bridge of her nose, even though it was night. 

"Survive the game first, ask questions later"

I furrowed my brows at her reply, but followed her in nonetheless as she disappeared into the building. I had no reason to trust the stranger and she had no reason to wait for me. However, she seemed to have answers, and I wanted them. 

If there was one thing I had learnt in my short life, that was how to get what I wanted, even if it meant ignoring the fact the woman had just told me to 'survive' a game and not just win it. 

Registration has closed

THE [GAME] WILL NOW COMMENCE

Game: Simon Says

Difficulty: 4 ♤

The information was written on a display in the middle of the inside garden, hanging from the ceiling with thick wires. Everything else was dark, adding another layer of mystery to the already very confusing situation. 

I could count seven other people around me, all crowded around a pearl white table with eight metallic collars on top of it. Neither of them spoke anymore, eyes fixed on the screen just above our heads. 

Rule: Each player participating must wear one of the given collars throughout the whole game.

Rule: At the start of each round, you will be given a task to complete within a 5 minute time limit. 

It's GAME CLEAR if at least one player finishes all given tasks.

It's GAME OVER if you don't complete a task within the time limit.

It's GAME OVER if you remove your collar before the game ends.

Time limit: 20 minutes

Moving towards the table, I picked up one of the collars. It was cold, to an uncomfortable degree, and the silvery glow it emitted wasn't inviting at all. I pulled it around my neck, the two latches on it snapping together automatically and letting out an unsettling beeping noise. 

I glanced around at the other 'players'. The group of four I recognised from outside put their collars on shortly after, their bodies huddled together as they moved towards the table in sync whispering things to each other. They all seemed pretty young, probably close to my age, just like the woman with the sunglasses and what looked to be her partner. He was tall with curly, black hair, his upper body completely exposed, the light from the screen gently reflecting off of his skin.