Alice in Borderland

Chapter 89

"In what way? Were the people you wanted to see no longer there?" she asks and I open my eyes to see her interested expression.

"The rules of the games have changed"

"From the games?" she furrows her eyebrows and I nod in confirmation, "In your how many games did you die in a dream?"

"In the first one," I admit, lowering my gaze. Normally, in my experience, the games are designed so that at least one dies but also at least one survives. But the game I was in in the dream had no rules that were transparent to me. I was helpless and somehow it makes me afraid of the next game.

"I've been here a long time," Ann snaps me out of my mental flashback, "The rules of the game don't change that quickly. And you're smart. Not as smart as me, but it should be easy enough"

With a puzzled look I look to her and recognize her proud grin. It may seem a little stuck up to some, but all I can do is start giggling. She may be a few years older than me, but I don't think she's lost a spark of her sense of humor and it's just too classy. The nature of her pride and intent to cheer me up I think really worked.

"The Hatter has issued new regulations," she introduces the new topic, "You can no longer count on playing only after your last days off the visa have expired. He knows you're good and wants to collect more and more cards. You will have to play more often than usual. Not to mention that the lives of ordinary beach members have no value."

"Did you know that some people think I'm like a familiar person to him," I say Arisu's comment out loud, grinning.

"I don't care what the small minds think. But I've picked up on that too. The Hatter likes you and sees your potential, but he hasn't been seeing you as a-"

"A card-carrying player," I complete her sentence. "How was your game with Arisu," I deflect from the topic slightly, feeling inwardly relieved to talk to someone about my dream.

"Like you said yesterday, he's not completely on the ball," she replies and I just snort with a smile.

"I said he I smart," I correct her.

"Didn't I just say that," she replies closing her eyes and leaning her head back on the flowing wall. I do the same, but my curiosity creeps up on me again. She seems to notice my glance in a brief moment as she opens her eyes again, "Three switches A B C, one light bulb and only one way to open the door to it when you flip a switch. What's the solution?"

Excitedly, I think about it a bit and inwardly I also know that the answer is on the tip of my tongue. But the images of my dream-game failure burn themselves into my head and in a certain way they seem to block me.

Out of sorts, I just imperceptibly shake my head and the muffled feeling in my chest seems to make itself known again. Strange. Ann seems to have taken notice, and while I overhear this incidentally, the word light bulb repeats itself in my mind.

"Energy generates heat," Ann helps me out and I conclude how the riddle is solved. "You're being affected by your dream. It's okay, just don't let it happen when you're in a game."

Nodding my thanks just slightly I feel uncomfortable. Ann is a good conversationalist and I get along with her, but showing such weakness in front of one of the leadership members is unusual. Well, the last game was like that too, I mean I instinctively held a gun on a man in the waiting room. All these close successive coincidences, possibly I have an inkling of what is coming soon. Maybe it's some kind of forewarning.

"I'll try," is all I can bring myself to say and look back to the woman across from me. I have just been unable to solve the not very challenging riddle that made up Ann and Arisu's last game. Another bad omen. Never must I be so thoughtless in a game, for it means my death.