Chapter 18
*Cue suspenseful music*
THE SUN HAD SET. Night time had approached and darkness quickly fell upon the Beach. Aguni stood solemnly in his room, staring outside his window with no expression more or so just at his blank reflection. Kuina was stationed right outside his door keeping an eye out in case the man would leave, her back pressed against a pillar. Chishiyas voice broke through the walk-in talkie, bringing the woman back to her thoughts.
"How are things going over there, Kuina?"
"Alright, I suppose. Aguni is still in his room." She replied then added, "I'm dying of boredom over here."
"Let's go ahead with our plan then." Ignoring her last sentence completely.
Chishiya walked inside Hatter's empty room followed by a curious Koichi who poked and prodded at random things on the tables. "I have no clue if Arisu is smart or stupid." Chishiya asked Kuina through the device.
Koichi raised a brow and shrugged even if the blonde couldn't see him.
"There's no way they'd keep the cards in an ordinary safe." Chishiya spoke to the girl. "Where do you think the real safe is then?" She questioned and the blonde continued to explain.
"I'm not sure, but when Arisu found the fake safe, Aguni who half the time has a good poker face, was glancing towards something else."
Koichi licked his lips and pocketed his hands, going over next to Chishiya and tilting his head at a certain item hanging on the wall. "I think that whatever was in that envelope, isn't a code or some blank letter." He paused, and Koichi had the liberty to finish his sentence.
"But a drawing." Koichi delcared and the pair eyed the deer painting.
They approached the wall, Chishiya carefully placed his hands on the sides and lifted it off gracefully, putting it down and whispering into the walk-in talkie to Kuina.
"Sly assholes." Koichi grinned at the sight of the safe embedded into the wall. It was smart, truly. But nothing got past Chishiya.
"So this is why you sacrificed them?" Kuina asked quietly.
"Yeah, well you gotta give something to get something." Chishiya replied whole heartedly. "They were pawns, that's all. Shit happens."
"You're a bastard, you know that?" Koichi grumbled, making Chishiya roll his eyes.
"—I sure as hell wouldn't want to be your enemy." Kuina admitted lightly.
Koichi leaned against the wall, watching Chishiya with careful eyes as he mumbled a few words to the girl then tapped in the code to the safe. It opened with a click and the pair looked inside to see a brown box.
Pulling it out and opening it, Chishiya examined the cards before taking them all out and pocketing them with a grin. Koichi reached out and shut the safe door.
"Just the Ten of Hearts, yeah?" He trailed off, looking down at the blonde who turned to face him.
"Supposedly. If what they all say will happen then it's all worth the risk in getting these." Holding up the deck of unfinished cards but his response didn't ease any nervousness Koichi had gained in the past few minutes at all.
Chishiya turned around and started walking towards the exit, waiting to hear Koichi's footsteps behind him but stopped when he heard nothing. He stood there quietly until the sound of his shoes hitting the carpet at a slow pace entered his ears.
Not expecting it, Chishiya sucked in a breath at feeling arms wrap around his shoulders, Koichi's hit breath fanning against his neck.
"Do you really think we'll escape? Get out of here?" Koichi voiced his thoughts quietly, his eyebrows furrowing together at the thought of being stuck here forever. It's not like this place was awful but imagining never getting back home started to creep up at him.
Chishiya raised his arms and placed them on top of Koichi's, not responding straight away. His attention turned to the blue bracelet secured around Koichi's wrist and without any thought, he started to undo it. They wouldn't need them soon anyway.
"I truly have no idea." Koichi frowned at the response but then perked up when the blonde kept talking.
"But, there has to be a way out of here. That would be cruel if there wasn't so.." He turned his head slightly to face Koichi, their noses practically touching.
"Just trust me. I'll get us out of here." Finding himself giving the ravenette a small smile in small reassurance.
Koichi stared into Chishiyas eyes with doubt and sighed quietly but nodded. "Alright. I believe you."
He did, truly. But he has no idea why he's putting his trust into someone he hadn't known for very long. He was a cautious person on the inside especially to strangers so why did he feel so comfortable, like he should trust Chishiya with his whole life even if he couldn't trust himself with it.
He wasn't able to think for very long because Chishiya pulled away, his stray bracelet in hand, as he moved towards the exit, this time followed by Koichi.
The pair found themselves outside of the building and Koichi perked at the sight of Kuina leaning against a pole. "Guess I don't need this anymore." Chishiya held both their brackets in hand as they walked next to the girl.
"Don't you feel sorry for him? Arisu I mean." Kuina questioned, suddenly pausing Chishiya in his footsteps.
"Sorry for him?" He repeated with a blank tone.
"Hm. I know I do." The girl mumbled to the boys, having this look of slight sadness wash over her features.
Koichi frowned and bit his lip while Chishiya faced Kuina. "Sometimes we have to do things in order to survive." He explained like it was a dumb question but Kuina didn't respond and Koichi eyed Chishiyas look of mischief as he continued talking.
"If you're so worried about him, then you should help him."
She frowned and looked at the ground once more, sucking on the unlit cigar. Chishiya went to walk forward again but abruptly stopped and appeared as if he was looking at something. Kuina scoffed silently and went to walk past the blonde but he halted her.
"Wait!" She froze and looked at him, Koichi raising a brow and taking a few steps so he stood directly behind them. "What's wrong?" he asked the blonde. Chishiya didn't respond, instead he threw the two brackets in front of them, all three watching as lasers cut holes through them. Koichi gaped and touched Chishiyas shoulder passing him, carefully looking at the sides seeing the red lasers appear.
"You're joking." He whispered.
"Seriously?" Kuina said with disbelief, the three looking behind them slowly.
*cue the ominous music >:)*
A few bells chimed and then a voice started speaking over the PA.
"We would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank you for staying at Seaside Paradise, Tokyo.
As a token of our appreciation, we will now commence a game with all 58 participants in the venue."
"Difficulty, Ten of Hearts."
"You're fucking kidding me." Koichi placed a hand over his forehead with a grimace, not liking the sound of a game being held right where they were staying. And the Ten of Hearts? A bloody heart game with all of them? Koichi felt like killing himself then and there.
"All participants must assemble in the lobby immediately. The rules of the game will then be explained. I repeat. All participants must assemble in the lobby immediately."
The three all looked at each other, all having different thoughts then collectively made their way to the lobby where everyone else was going. Koichi observed everyone in a panic, a few shouting it was ten of hearts but soon crowding around the front area. Chishiya lifted his hood up and the three made their way into the crowd soon seeing what had everyone's attention.
"Momoka!" A girl yelled in distress, running from the crowd and kneeling down. Lying there with a knife in her chest, was a girl dead. The girl sobbed at seeing her friend when all their phones chimed.
"Game, "Witch Hunt"." The murderous witch who killed this girl is hiding amongst you in plain sight. The witch role is not limited to women. To clear the game, you must find the witch and burn him or her in the Fire of Judgment."
"Time limit, two hours."
Right as the women finished, a bright glow emitted through the windows catching everyone's attention. A fire burning outside, the Fire of Judgement. Koichi gulped at the sight of the fire.
If there's a few things the boy is scared of; it's cars and fire. That fucking big thing of flames caused Koichi to take a hesitant step back and behind Chishiya who glanced at him.
This game was gonna be hard. Murderous even.
And Koichi didn't feel like he was prepared at all.
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I know it's short and dry but writing has been difficult cause I feel like everything I write is plain or dull so Bare with me -_-
On another note, thank you everyone who's read this!
I appreciate your lovely comments and the votes it makes my day truly. I'll try to get back into a writing frenzy so I can get to writing season two soon :)