Everyone calmed down, but the unease, tension, and stress still lingered in the room. Alice stayed close to Ethan, while Samuel and Nathan stood beside him. The rest of the group huddled together, as if afraid of being left behind.
Nathan finally broke the silence. "What now...?"
Victor chuckled. "What else is left to do?" A wicked smile spread across his face. Ethan and the others tried their best to ignore him.
Alice shifted uncomfortably, her eyes darting around the surroundings. She wanted to say something but hesitated—she knew Ethan wouldn't like it. She didn't want to hurt him or add to his burden. But she spoke anyway.
"Maybe... we should try doing Phase 0 again...? Since Ethan, you already know everything about Phase 0. It's the best thing—we complete the phase and escape from here."
Victor's eye twitched. Alice was talking about leaving the place again.
His voice cut through the room, loud and aggressive. "Shut up, woman... keep your mouth shut. Everyone has finally agreed on completing this."
Alice's eyes furrowed. She was about to respond when Ethan spoke instead.
"Victor, act abnormal once more, and the next thing you know is that your nose is not the only thing that's bleeding."
Victor was taken aback by Ethan's words but quickly played it off as sarcasm.
Milo wanted to make a joke about Ethan's line—"Ooo, crazy dialogue..."—but stopped midway.
He didn't feel motivated to joke anymore.
Ethan then turned to Alice. "You're right... but the problem is... there is one confirmed death in Phase 0. That's April's death."
The group exchanged glances, confused."Who's April?" someone asked.
Ethan explained, "April was one of our team members who died in Phase 0. That's the only confirmed death. We don't even know how many others might have died... but I think none did. Karlos and I were already engaging with Unguibus and Gravibus before they could kill anyone else."
Everyone realized what Ethan was trying to highlight.
If they attempted Phase 0 again, it meant one thing—every single one of them would have to experience April's death.
At first, some thought it might not be that bad. Maybe she had a quick, painless death. Maybe it was over in an instant, like falling asleep. But then came the worst-case scenario—what if her death had been brutal? Gruesome? Slow?
A deep, unsettling silence filled the room. No one knew how death felt like. They had seen it, heard about it, lost people to it. But feeling it themselves? That was something no one could truly comprehend.
The mere thought of it sent a cold, suffocating weight pressing down on their chests. Even those who tried to convince themselves it wouldn't be that bad couldn't shake the fear gnawing at the back of their minds.
The feeling of dying.
Losing control of your body.
The pain.
The helplessness.
The final moment.
It was too terrifying.
No one wanted to admit it, but the truth was clear—they didn't want to do this.
But what other choice did they have?
Toby finally spoke up, his voice calm yet firm.
"Look, guys. We all know we need to complete a phase. And yeah, no one wants to experience that... death thing. So the best course of action would be going into a phase no one has entered yet. Right?"
Ivy crossed her arms, skeptical. "And how exactly do we know no one has entered these phases before?"
Toby didn't even hesitate. "There are 9,999 phases, and if I remember correctly, the total number of participants was 2,500. Even if we assume at least 50 people have died, that's 2,500 minus 50."
He paused, glancing at the group. "Now, considering those numbers, the probability of us stepping into a phase where someone has died is only around 0.5%."
A few heads turned at that number.
"That's an extremely low chance," Toby continued. "It means, for now, it's highly unlikely we'll enter a phase where someone has already died. But the longer we wait, the more people will die... and that probability will only increase."
His expression turned serious. "So if we're going to complete a phase, we should do it sooner rather than later. Before the risk gets worse. Am I wrong?"
The group fell silent, digesting what he had just said.
Ethan blinked, taken aback. He hadn't expected Toby of all people to break things down like that. It was rational, logical, and—impressive. The others seemed just as stunned.
Ivy hesitated but eventually sighed, nodding. "...That actually makes sense."
No one could argue with Toby's reasoning.
The weight of the decision felt a little lighter after Toby's explanation. His logic, while not eliminating the risk, at least gave them a sense of control.
Alice was the first to speak. "So… we just have to avoid the phases where we're already confirmed that a death happened. Like Phase 0 and Phase 1."
Ethan's body tensed. Phase 1. His mind immediately flashed back to Karlos's death.
He clenched his jaw and shook the memory off. Now wasn't the time to dwell on it.
Kacey added, "Phase 15 too. I'm definitely sure Jason has killed at least one person there."
With that, the group had at least three phases to avoid. But now came the real problem—where should they go?
Nathan crossed his arms. "Alright. We avoid Phase 0, Phase 1, and Phase 15. That still leaves us with 9,996 possible phases. How the hell do we choose?"
Samuel tapped his fingers against his arm, thinking. "Maybe we should pick something... neutral? A phase that doesn't sound too dangerous?"
Lena scoffed lightly. "Yeah, because 'neutral' is totally a thing in this place."
Milo sighed. "For all we know, there could be a phase full of, I don't know, puppies and cupcakes, or a phase that turns us into mashed potatoes the second we enter."
Derek exhaled sharply. "Well, standing here isn't gonna do shit. We need to pick something. What about Phase 10? Nice round number, sounds stable."
Victor chuckled darkly. "Ah, yes. Because numbers totally decide how much a phase wants to tear us apart. Brilliant strategy, Derek."
Derek shot him a glare. "You got a better idea, psycho?"
Victor grinned. "Oh, I don't know. Maybe we just go to a phase where people have already died. That way, we know what to expect."
Alice shivered. "Why would we willingly go through a death memory?"
Victor tilted his head, his smile stretching unnaturally."Because it'd be fun."
A heavy silence fell over the group. No one laughed.
Ethan finally spoke, his voice low. "Yeah? And what if it's a slow, agonizing death? You still having fun then?"
Victor's smile twitched, but he didn't reply.
Nathan sighed. "Okay, ignore him. Back to the point—how do we pick?"
Samuel thought for a moment before snapping his fingers. "What if we pick a higher number? Maybe people tend to enter lower-numbered phases first, so the higher ones might be less explored."
Lena nodded. "That actually makes sense. Like, people might have a psychological bias toward lower numbers."
Milo perked up. "So, what, we pick something like Phase 3,000?"
Alice hesitated. "Or... do we pick something in the middle? Maybe Phase 4,500 or 5,000? Not too high, not too low?"
Kacey shrugged. "We have no real way of knowing. It's all guessing."
Derek rolled his shoulders. "Then let's stop overthinking and just vote. Pick a phase and go. Simple."
Ethan rubbed his temples, then looked up. "Fine. Everyone pick a number. We'll see which one gets the most votes."
The group fell into thought, knowing that their next choice could determine whether they lived or suffered.
Before the group could start picking numbers, Ivy suddenly spoke up, stopping them.
"Wait. Voting doesn't make sense."
Everyone turned to her, confused.
"What do you mean?" Nathan asked, frowning.
Ivy crossed her arms, her mind working through the logic. "Think about it. The phases aren't chosen by us. The numbers are assigned randomly when people get sent in. If Phase 0's speech was telling the truth, then participants have been sent to all sorts of phases—low numbers, high numbers, anything."
Ethan's eyes widened slightly. He had forgotten about that. He had been so caught up in trying to find a safe phase that he didn't even stop to consider that there was never a pattern to begin with.
Toby nodded slowly, catching on. "She's right. The numbers don't mean anything in terms of safety. Just because a phase has a high number doesn't mean no one has been there before."
Milo groaned. "So we're back to square one?"
Alice sighed. "Not exactly. We still know which phases to avoid. That's something."
Derek clenched his fists. "Then how do we pick?"
Ivy exhaled. "We don't overcomplicate it. We just pick and hope for the best."
A heavy silence fell over the group once again. No one liked that answer. But they all knew—it was the only one they had.
Toby exhaled, his mind racing through the numbers. "The probability that we enter a phase where no one has gone before is actually pretty high… around 77.88%… maybe."
Ivy stared at him, blinking. "Are you just making up random numbers now?"
Toby smirked. "No, I've always been good at math."
The group didn't continue the conversation further—not because they didn't care, but because they were too confused to decide which phase to pick.
A heavy silence settled over the group.
Despite everything Toby had explained, despite all the logic they tried to apply, they were stuck.
Which phase should they enter?
Nathan rubbed his face, exhaling slowly. "This is ridiculous. No matter how we look at it, it's just luck. We're trying to calculate something that can't be calculated."
Samuel muttered, mostly to himself, "There has to be some pattern… some way to choose the safest option."
Alice tapped her fingers anxiously against her arm, deep in thought. "Even if there was a pattern, how would we know? No one has left behind any records. No maps. No guides."
Milo let out a long sigh and sank down onto the floor, resting his head against his knees. "Yeah. And even if someone did leave behind notes, how do we know if they're even still alive?"
Ivy remained quiet, her mind running in circles, trying to find something—anything—to help them make a decision. But no matter how many scenarios she played out, the conclusion was the same.
They had no way of knowing.
Derek clenched his fists. "Then what? Do we just keep standing here like idiots?" His voice was laced with frustration, but no one responded. Because deep down, they were all thinking the same thing.
Kacey glanced at the door leading out of the phase, her fingers fidgeting at her sides. "We have to pick eventually…"
Ethan remained silent, his arms crossed, staring at the floor. His mind wasn't blank—it was overloaded. Too many thoughts, too many possibilities, too many risks.
He hated this.
He hated the uncertainty.
Victor, meanwhile, stood off to the side, watching. Unlike the others, he didn't seem stressed or frustrated. If anything, he was enjoying this.
The indecision.
The fear.
The hesitation.
It was proof that none of them were ready.
And he found that hilarious.
As the silence stretched on, Ethan felt it creeping in. That familiar, gut-wrenching sense of deja vu.
This had happened before.
Phase 1.
He could still see it—Karlos standing there, paralyzed by indecision. Trapped between fear and logic, caught in the uncertainty of what to do next. He hesitated too long… and then he died.
Ethan's fingers clenched into a fist.
I was the same back then.
I didn't make a decision.
I wasn't capable enough to lead.
And Karlos died because of it.
He exhaled sharply, his heart hammering against his ribs.
I won't be a coward again.
He didn't care if he was afraid. He didn't care if the others doubted him.
He would choose.
He would act.
Because if they stood here any longer, frozen in fear, they'd die just like Karlos.
His thoughts burned with a newfound determination.
I will not be scared to make a decision anymore.
I will survive.
And while surviving, I will save everyone.
I will lead them.
But then—a whisper in the back of his mind.
What if your decisions are what kill them?
The thought sliced through his resolve like a knife. His chest tightened.
What if, by trying to lead them… you lead them straight to their deaths?
He tried to ignore it. Tried to push it away. But it clung to him like a shadow, twisting and digging deeper.
What if Karlos didn't die because you hesitated…
What if he died because you were there at all?
His breathing slowed.
No.
No, he couldn't let that doubt consume him. He had to decide. He had to act.
Ethan hesitated—just for a moment. That fear, that hesitation—it clawed at his mind, desperate to drag him down.
But then he forced himself to push past it.
And finally, he spoke.
The room had been thick with hesitation, suffocating in uncertainty. But when Ethan spoke, the air shifted.
Something about him felt different this time.
Alice, Nathan, Samuel, and Milo all noticed it instantly.
There was no doubt, no fear in his voice. It wasn't the hesitant, uncertain Ethan they had come to know in this place. This Ethan had made a decision. And he wasn't waiting for anyone to agree with him.
Alice's lips curved into a small, knowing smile. She had been watching Ethan closely, waiting, sensing something was building inside him.
And the moment he finally spoke, she gently patted his back, her touch light but reassuring.
Her gaze softened, warm and unwavering. She didn't take her eyes off of him—not even for a second.
Then Ethan spoke.
"Let's not think. Let's act."
His voice cut through the silence, firm and unwavering.
"Let's go to Phase 5. Let's start from there. And from now on, we'll keep it simple—only choosing phases that are divisible by 5. Nothing too complex. Just simple and basic."
His words carried weight. Not just logic—but a sense of direction.
"And if we run into trouble… then let's just accept it. Let's tell ourselves that there was no way to avoid it, that it was just part of our fate. But at least—"
He paused for a second, his voice growing stronger.
"At least we won't lose without doing anything."
A spark of something dangerous flickered in his eyes—not recklessness, but purpose. A refusal to be paralyzed by fear.
A refusal to watch people die because of hesitation.
His voice was no longer just a statement—it was a push.
A command.
A call to move forward.
He wasn't just speaking. He was leading.
The group absorbed his words in silence. Some shifted uncomfortably, others pondered, but they all felt it—Ethan was trying to motivate them.
Trying to pull them out of their endless cycle of doubt.
And Victor?
Victor's grin stretched wider, his wicked amusement deepening as he watched Ethan. His tongue ran over his teeth as if savoring the moment.
"Well, well," he muttered under his breath, barely audible. "Look at you… finally growing some teeth."
His gaze darkened, his eyes locked onto Ethan like a predator watching prey evolve into a worthy opponent.
But he wasn't angry.
No—he was entertained.
Victor had been waiting for this.
For the moment Ethan would stop hesitating.
For the moment he would stop being afraid to lead.
For the moment he would step forward.
And now that it had happened?
Victor's smile widened even more.
"This just got interesting."