A sweltering heat coated me. That was the first finger I noticed. The second was the suffocating smell of smoke. Hazily, I attempted to open my swollen eyes. It came with a bit of a struggle, but I eventually managed to open them and look around the smoke-filled room. I inhaled as I pushed myself up, the smoke burning my lungs. I coughed roughly, the burning only getting worse, as I pushed myself out of bed.
I fell to the floor as I continued to cough, gagging from the aggression. Fuck. What happened? Last I remembered, the Ten of Hearts game was going on and Niragi told me to meet him here, then... Haruka... I looked at the end of the bed at Haruka's body, his head and face nothing but mush. Another gag left me but not from coughing, and I looked away quickly.
I pulled myself out of the room, crawling on the carpet into the hallway. Bodies littered the floor, blood soaked into the carpet. God, I hoped Niragi was okay. I stood into a squatting position and ran down the stairs, trying to shield my eyes from the smoke. It hurt to move fast and breathing heavily didn't help, the burning in my lungs growing worse.
It felt like ages before I finally reached the main floor, my legs weak beneath me. I felt lightheaded, struggling to get proper breaths. Blindly, I stumbled out of the doors and into the fresh air, gasping roughly. The clean air touching my ashened lungs caused a tight, scorching sensation to flood my body. Blood came up with every few coughs, splattering onto the pavement in front of me. Goddammit.
Struggling to stand under my wobbling legs, I pulled myself down the front stairs, coughing every few steps. I didn't know how I was going to get away; I didn't know where to go. My fingernails dug into the concrete stairs and pulled me down until I reached the last few steps, my body rolling down them until I hit the parking lot. I don't know if the collision caused some of the ash to knock loose in my lungs, but I gasped and felt less of a burning sensation.
Still, I continued to cough as I forced myself to stand. I let out a strangled breath once both of my feet were firm beneath me. I looked behind me at the ablaze Beach, the fire bright and simmering against my face. Turning back, I faced the rest of Tokyo.
Where would I even go? Niragi could be anywhere, and Kyo, Rin, and Sakiko had been gone since the game first started. A feeling of abandonment washed through me and I let out a sigh, followed by a few more coughs, before I began walking toward town.
There was only one place that came to mind. It might've been stupid to want to return, to seek shelter there, but I had already set my mind on it.
Walking with the struggle I had mixed with my new breathing issues made the walk ten times longer than it usually was. It was dark out, and without the fire from The Beach surrounding me, I struggled to see. The looming apartment buildings blocked out any possible moonlight, leaving me near blind as I dragged myself down the sidewalk.
When I finally reached my apartment, I let out a thankful breath. Sluggishly, I walked into the front doors and towards the staircases. I had never been more thankful to live on a lower level, but my legs still burned when I reached my floor.
The door was unlocked and I tiredly entered, shutting and locking the door behind me. There was a lot I needed to do — change, clean the ash and blood off of me, find something to eat — but all I could do was sit on the couch with a heavy landing. The entire walk and cough-session since I left the beach wore me horribly, the lightheaded sensation replaced with a tiredness.
Sleep engulfed me after a few minutes, only letting me go when the sun was pouring through the window in the kitchen. My crusted eyes, once again, struggled to open when I sat up, and I had to use my fingers to open them.
Pushing myself off the couch, I treaded to my bedroom. I stood in front of the mirror, staring at myself. My black and brown hair was matted with blood, sweat and ash. Red and purple bruising covered my cheeks and forehead, with sections of my skin split open. Below my eyes was a deep blue and purple color and my bottom lip had a gash in it. My shirt was sticking to me and I could feel the build up of sweat coating my body.
I wished I could shower.
Sighing, I pulled off my clothes and swimsuit and went to the bathroom. My mom always kept baby wipes in the bathroom, and I grabbed the container and pulled s few out, thankful they weren't completely dried out. I have my body a quick rub down before putting the wipes away, switching it out with a few alcohol swabs. Wiping my face down stung and I cursed, using my hand to fan the lashes dry. I couldn't do much about my hair without water, so pulled it into a crunchy ponytail. Going to my dresser, I pulled out a black t-shirt and a pair of black shorts to pull over my undergarments.
It was nice wearing my actual clothes again.
I stepped out my room a minute later, going into the kitchen to find something to eat. Rummaging through the cabinets, I pulled out a few canned items and jammed the can opener into them, my stomach growling. It had been over a day since I had last eaten anything and hadn't realized how hungry I was till that moment, eating random bits of fruits and sides until I felt full.
I left my apartment an hour later. Was it foolish to say I had grown bored sitting there alone, given the current situation? Maybe is Sakiko or Kyo or Rin were around, it'd be different. If Niragi was here — I couldn't stop thinking about if he made it out alive or not — things would be different. But I was alone, and it was a boredom I had never experienced.
Outside held a new eerie air. Either the tension from The Beach's downfall followed me, or if it came from the expansive shadow falling over the street and my apartment building. I looked up and stared at a metallic-sheened blimp, below it a large image of the Queen of Diamonds. I couldn't help but stare with my mouth agape.
A face card? I hazily remembered Kyo talking about the face cards and how no one had ever found one. Staring up at it, watching the blimp float gently to the left of my apartment, it felt off putting to watch. The card shifted gently in the breeze, the Queens elegant face disappearing for a moment.
I considered it for a moment. Did I really want to go to a face card game alone? Considering the number cards were ranked my difficulty, that would put Queen at the second to hardest. My lips pursed in thought. I had only played three games, all of which I had passed by myself — even if Seeker and Witch Hunt had other people with me. No matter what game I went to, I would be alone. Niragi was gone, much like Kyo, Sakiko, and Rin. Even if I went to the game and other players were there, I, still, would be alone.
I began my pace to follow the card.
The blimp hovered over a school, and I stopped just outside. There was no table with a phone or bracelet. There was nothing but a door slightly ajar. Cautiously, I entered.
I walked through the silent hall until I found another ajar door. Pulling it open, I stepped into a classroom that had only one table in the center, two chairs across from each other, and one person sitting in the chair. Her short hair was parted down the middle and fell just by her cheekbones, getting long enough in the back touch her collar when she looked up.
The door shut behind me and I stared back at the woman. "Welcome, welcome. Have a seat — the games about to begin." She smiled at me gently through her small glasses. I looked behind me at the door, then at the seat. It was just us? "Don't waste time, come on."
I looked back up at her and furrowed my brow. "It's just us?" I asked, walking up to the chair timidly. Her eyes scanned me and I looked down at the black board, realizing it was a screen.
"It is!" She sat up straighter, looking me in the eye. "I've been waiting for someone, but no one seemed to of had the courage to play against Queen of Diamonds. Perhaps they felt too incompetent. But you walked right on in. Very good. We're playing Sudoko," she said monotonously, leaning forward to look at the board. "Have you ever played, or do I need to give you the rundown?"
Her tone had a condescending effect and I couldn't help but glare at her. She looked like an old teacher, probably a mathematics or science one by the looks of her. "I've played." I used to play it a lot in school, using it to distract myself when the lesson was boring. In my opinion, I was relatively good at it. In Niragi's opinion, I played like a complete menace, or maniac. Understandably... my technique was odd at minimum. She grinned.
"Very well. Let's begin."
Game: Sudoku. Difficulty: Queen of Diamonds. Rule: Fill the chart in correctly. Press your button when you place your number. If the number turns red, it is incorrect and must be fixed. If it turned black, it is correct. Three incorrect answers will lead to a player's elimination. If the game is completed without three incorrect answers from either player, the player with the most correct answers will win. Time limit: One hour.
The screen on the table lit up, displaying a scarcely filled Sudoku board. Only 22 spots were filled, and, despite it being upside down, giving the Queen of Diamonds first play, I took notice of the four sevens; I just needed five more and they'd be knocked out, and that would be one less number to worry about. Across from me, I watched her place a nine and press her button. The grey number turned black and the screen flipped, facing me. Even though sevens were the most repeated number, they gave no clues on the other five locations. The nine she had placed was the most obvious one, next to a six I easily placed. I pressed my button, watching it turn black.
That was the only move I was completely certain of.
"Difficult, isn't it?" I looked away from the board at her words, though her eyes remained staring. "Even I'm having trouble." I looked back down at the board, staring at the ones. Sevens were out of the question now, as were a lot of numbers. Starting at the beginning might've been stupid, but it made the most sense to me.
There was a one in the top left, bottom middle, and middle right squares. My focus shifted to the top right square, which held a four numbers, none a one. But, with the placements of the one in the top left square and middle right square, I knew a one could only go in the top left or middle spaces in the square top right square.
It made as much sense as it did not.
Using that idiotic logic, I mentally placed all of the possibilities for ones. They were all fifty-fifty chances, chances I didn't dare risk to take, but it helped me map out my decisions. Across from me, the Queen of Diamonds seemed to be struggling just as much as I was. Six minutes had passed, I noticed before I went back to mapping out my number possibilities.
The far right column had an eight, one, seven, and six. As well, I already planned out the top spot having a four or five in it. Fifty percent chance. Though, the fours percentage dropped down to a thirty-three when it could've also went in below the one or six. Everything — everything was a fifty percent chance, and I'm sure she, across from me, knew that as well.
Jesus fucking Christ. All the numbers and percentages and chances were making my head fucking spin. This is why Niragi hated when I played Sudoku with him.
It applied for the middle right square; four with a thirty-three percent and six with a twenty-five. I was biting the skin behind my lip horribly, my leg shaking beneath the table. Niragi was much better at Sudoku than me, probably because he didn't speak in numbers. By now, he probably would've placed five numbers without second guess. Yet again, he wasn't under the pressure of death if he made one wrong move.
The Queen of Diamonds inhaled cautiously, her hands pressed together and pushed against her lips as she thought. As if a light clicked, I watched her place an eight, press the button, and the number change to black. She exhaled proudly and the screen rotated to me.
I was completely unsure of what moves to make next. I still held my chances with none of them being certain. Back in the top right square, where most of my possibilities lied, I stared with pursed lips. I just needed a one, or a six, and it would help me tremendously. Three chances didn't seem enough when I had no fucking idea what I should do.
But I couldn't keep dwelling. It was now ten minutes in, and I wasn't making any progress. Moving down to the second square on the right, I placed a six in the upper right corner. "Confident, are we?" I glared up and saw her eyes on me, cheekily. If my six was correct, it would put the top right squares sixes back to a fifty percent instead of thirty-three, which left me one step closer to getting a fifty-fifty spot for my three; the board had no threes. I looked away from her and pressed my button.
The number turned black.
Relief washed over me tremendously, and I heard a sigh across from me. "Truly a lucky guess." The board rotated back to her, and I stared. My next move might not be as lucky, and I knew better than to continue pressing my chances.
Even with the six giving one of my squares an easier path to success, it was fours that caught me up now. They remained at a thirty-three percent in both the top right square and the far right column, both with the five open spots. Now I was confusing the hell out of myself. Basically, it was the fucking fours I needed now; I needed all of the numbers, if I was being realistic, but I needed a fucking four. All I could hope for was the Queen to place one somewhere near to allow me to calculate better.
But her turn was the same as before: dwelling on what to do. Certainly, I understand, but I was so unsure that I was taking risks. I needed her to take a risk. Her hand hovered over the screen, seeming to deliberate. Jesus, come the fuck on. She moved to the bottom middle square, placing a four — thank God — in one of the two spots I had mapped out for it. She pressed her button.
Red.
An awe gasp left me and she threw her head back in exasperation. That was the key. The board rotated and I moved her four down one spot, then filled in all but two spots with fours. Seeing them all turn black after I pressed my button caused me to smile widely. I had never been more grateful for my horrible thought process; Niragi used to tell me it made no sense whatsoever.
If only he could see me now. I think he'd be proud.
"Another Sudoku expert, it seems," the Queen mumbled across from me. She placed a nine timidly, then placed a five and a three. One row was completed, the numbers turning black after she pressed her button.
The screen rotated, and I stared. With her row completed, I was able to fill out the top right square, dropping the percentages for the middle and bottom right ones. I placed two fives before I went to place a third one, hesitating. And this was where Niragi was right in my confusing through process: I placed a five in the middle of the bottom left square, pressing the button.
It flashed red. It needed to go in the spot above it, and I should've known better than to take a shot with only fifty percent accuracy. "Son of a bitch," I mumbled under my breath. The Queen smiled and moved my five up one.
"You know better than you get cocky in this game." She flashed me a sly smile before looking back down at the board. Comically, she placed a one with a huge amount of confidence, only for it to turn red with the press of her button.
I couldn't help myself. "You were saying?" I gave her back the same smile before looking back down at the board. I moved her one to the spot above it and moved down to the bottom row. There were three numbers missing before it was completed. A three, which now only one sat on the board, a seven, and a two. A two could go in all three spots, much like a three. It was seven where my luck drew in. I placed it in one of the spots and filled out two more locations for sevens based off of my original one, then pressed the button, seeing them change to black.
She went silent after that, seeming uninterested after my comment. It wasn't anything that bothered me; we were reaching the thirty minute mark before I could feel something click as I looked at the board. She placed a nine and pressed the button, failing to realize how utterly important that nine was. Not only did it give away the locations of the rest of the nines, but for the rest of the numbers.
It was her final move that allowed me to complete the rest of the board.
When I pressed the button, seeing every single grey number I had just typed in turn black, I couldn't help but smile. I actually fucking did it. I let out a small sigh and I looked up, facing her weary eyes. "A smart one, you are. I should've paid more attention to that nine."
"It's been a pleasure playing with you," I offered, looking down. I had been too focused on saving my life that I hadn't realized I was killing someone else. The sweet feeling of victory quickly dissolved, guilt replacing it somberly.
"As for you. Do not feel guilty for winning. You earned it." I looked back up, and she offered me a earnest smile. "I've never played a more interesting game of Sudoku. I would love to play with you again." There was a tightening in my chest.
As if out of nowhere, a red laser went through the Queen's head. I watched the life drain from her eyes before the laser disappeared, her body slumping forward against the table, the screen black. I couldn't bring myself to move. All I could do was sit and stare at her limp body.
How was my life more important than hers? It wasn't.
How was it fair for her to die so I could live? It wasn't.
Numbly, I pushed myself into a stance, the legs of the chair scraping against the floor. I knew I shouldn't think that way in this world, knowing the consequences of every game could be death. Yet every game I had played never was one on one, it never had been only one victor. Deaths had never been on my hands — until now.
My legs were weak once again as I dragged myself out if the school. Overheard, the blimp exploded into fiery flames, and I looked up at it as another explosion went off. A part of me felt that maybe standing underneath it to accept death would be better than continuing; not only had I killed someone, but Niragi was gone. Dead or dying, I didn't know. I just knew I was alone with nothing but my own thoughts and feelings, a dangerous thing.
But there was a nagging voice in my head, one that sounded awfully like Niragi, telling me to return to my apartment. If I felt the same way I did tomorrow as I did now, then I'd deal with it then. For now, listening to his nagging voice, I drug myself back to my apartment complex.