Trigger Warning:
This chapter contains scenes of coercion, psychological manipulation, obsession, and non-consensual physical contact. It explores intense emotional distress and controlling behavior. Please proceed with care.
———
They say the first Game was supposed to stop the war… or maybe it was meant to punish the ones who caused it. No one really knows anymore. All that's left are whispers—about a curse, about people who vanished, and about something that still waits in the dark. Some say it chooses you. Others say you're born already playing.
———
Scar's POV
I forced myself to play a game with no guarantee of survival.
I knew what I was getting into when I entered—so there was no turning back. I couldn't just stand by while my friends and schoolmates started disappearing one by one. And I could barely make sense of what was really going on.
But I never thought things would end up like this.
Everything happened so fast. Students disappeared one after another until the academy was shut down. Everything became too mysterious, too overwhelming.
That's when I decided to uncover the truth. My suspicions grew, especially since the last place any of the missing students were seen was the academy itself. My search for answers led me to something far worse than I ever expected.
"Where are you taking him?!" I shouted while holding my friend's hand. I didn't want them to take him too, because I didn't know where they were bringing people.
What if they were killing them wherever they were taking them?
Someone grabbed me, trying to pull me away. I clung even harder to him.
"NO! Let go of me!" I shouted, but then something struck the back of my head—hard. My strength drained in an instant.
"No..." I whispered, my fingers slipping from his hand. "Kiel..." I breathed, as he vanished before my eyes.
Darkness crept in, but I kept resisting.
I thrashed against the people holding my arms on both sides.
"L-let go... Let go of me!"
I slipped and collapsed. One of them lost grip on me from my struggling.
"Let her go," a calm male voice said.
I knew that voice.
He was one of the people behind all of this.
I couldn't make out his face clearly. My vision was blurred and I was nearly out of strength.
"Who are you again? Scar? Yes... you're Scar," he said. I could feel him standing right in front of me. "I didn't even notice you during the whole game," he added.
My heart raced. What if he figured out I wasn't really a player?
He lifted my chin easily—my body was too weak to resist.
Now our faces were inches apart.
Even through the blur, I could see his smile.
"You weren't one of the chosen players. Not yet."
What did he mean by that?
Suddenly, my vision cleared just enough to see him locking eyes with me.
I couldn't do anything but look back, and soon, someone grabbed the back of my neck—and I felt something enter my skin.
I gasped.
What did they just put in me?
Then suddenly, my head exploded with pain.
Something's wrong. It's inside me. What is this thing doing?
I kept staring at the guy as his brow furrowed.
The pain sharpened, like needles driving through my skull. I clenched my teeth to stop myself from screaming, even though it was unbearable, even though the longer it went on, the worse it got.
What is happening?
I couldn't breathe anymore because it felt like my heart was being squeezed.
Then I felt a warm liquid come out of my nose, and I started coughing because something blocked my throat.
A hot liquid spilled from my nose—blood. I coughed, and more blood splattered across his hand.
He smiled wider.
"Scar. Just give in," he whispered.
I couldn't take it anymore. My body collapsed. My vision faded—but his smile stayed.
---
'Scar. Just give in..'
'Scar. Just give in..'
'Scar. Just give in..'
.
.
"NO!" I jolted awake.
That damn guy.
Then realization hit me—where am I?
The air was cold and metallic, thick with the sterile scent of antiseptic. The light above flickered faintly, casting long shadows that danced across the concrete walls.
I pushed myself up slightly and winced—my back pressed against something rough, like old wool or worn-out padding.
The silence in the room was eerie, broken only by the distant hum of electricity and the occasional drip of water.
Is this where they brought me after I passed out?
Why didn't they kill me?
Suddenly, I looked at the door as it opened.
"You're awake," he said.
"Scar," he said.
I flinched—even though he only said my name.
I heard him laugh, as if he was amused by my fear of him.
"You're not ordinary," he said, walking closer. "I thought what happened yesterday was just a fluke. But no. I can't control you—not even with the device."
"What?" I whispered.
"So now, I'm personally inviting you to the final round."
The game. What happened while I was unconscious? Kiel and the others. What happened to them?
"I will kill you," I said instinctively, and his smile vanished.
In an instant, he was in front of me. My back was pressed to the wall, his hand clamped around my neck.
"How dare you threaten me," he growled.
The pleasant smile was gone. His eyes were cold—deadly and it felt like I was facing a completely different person now.
"I will kill all of you," I said, breathless.
He dropped me. I fell to the floor, gasping and coughing.
He knelt in front of me, gently touching my cheek.
"I'll kill you first," he whispered with rage.
"You really think you can?" I said, grabbing his collar and pulling his face close.
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK
"Shut up!" he shouted each word at me.
He stood up and turned away, walking off. I clutched my neck—it had really hurt from his grip.
But I froze when I heard his soft laughter, which grew louder and louder.
'What's with him?'
"I like you," he said, turning to face me again, his calm and smiling aura returning.
I frowned and suddenly felt nervous.
"You're so interesting, Scar," he said. "Your eyes are so attractive. Oh, not just your eyes. The whole you, Scar." I was stunned by what he said.
D-don't tell me...
"While I was cleaning you earlier, I saw your true form. I saw your unique beauty. Scar. Even your name is beautiful," he said, and I was too shocked to move. "I want you to be mine. But it would be better if you joined the final round of the game. And I'll make sure that after the game, you'll do everything I want," he added.
What kind of person is he? Why is he doing this to me?
"I'm obsessed with what's mine. And even though you're not mine yet... I'll make sure you will be. And I won't let you go."
He walked toward me. I couldn't move. I was terrified, paralyzed.
When he reached me, he smiled—a dark, twisted smile.
Tears fell from my eyes.
Unexpectedly, tears rolled down my cheeks.
"Shh…" he said as he wiped my tears. "Don't be too afraid, Scar," he added, and brought his face close enough that I could feel his breath in my ear.
"I don't know who you really are," he whispered, voice low and almost reverent, "but I know your weaknesses. Just be mine, and everything will be fine," he whispered, then I felt it—his lips against the curve of my neck.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Possessive.
Not a kiss of affection, but of claiming.
My breath caught. My body froze.
I wanted to scream, to shove him away, but my limbs wouldn't respond. Tears slipped down my cheeks, silent and helpless.
His breath deepened against my skin, like he was breathing me in—memorizing me.
"I could tear the world apart for you, Scar," he murmured, lips still grazing my skin. "But I'll tear you apart first if you run."
He paused. I felt his jaw tense against my neck, as though something primal held him back.
Then, just as suddenly, the contact vanished. The air hit the place where his lips had been, cold and stinging.
He pulled away, his eyes dark and unreadable.
He then smiled faintly. "Look what you've done to me… and you don't even realize it, Scar?" he said, gently touching my chin. "You are now sealed, and there's nothing you can do about it," he added.
He stared at me for a few minutes before standing and walking away, while I sat there frozen.
"See you in the final round," he said as he opened the door.
The world grew noisy again, but I just stayed there, stunned, his words echoing in my mind.
Even my tears betrayed me—falling for the monster who smiled like a savior.
"You are now sealed, and there's nothing you can do."
---
"Scar? Come on, we need to get ready."
Haven's voice pulled me back to reality. I met her eyes, but everything felt distant—warped.
There was too much running through my head.
The devices… Do they all have one? Is that how they're being controlled? Forced to play?
If that's true, then how do I stop this?
My thoughts were a tangle of panic and memory—especially the memory of that room, of Lux's words.
Lux.
That's his name.
"No..." I whispered, the word slipping out before I could stop it.
"Scar?" Haven's voice sharpened. "I'll kill myself if you don't come with me," she said suddenly, her tone light and teasing—but it chilled me to the bone.
She smiled.
Just like he did.
'No... don't tell me. Is the device controlling her too?'
"Scar?" she called again, more gently. "Are you okay?"
I bit my lip, trying to steady my voice. "Uhm, yeah. Let's go."
She smiled again and took my hand.
We stepped out of the room together.
But my chest tightened. Something was wrong. I could feel it. Especially now that I knew who the final round players were.
Then we stopped.
Because there he was.
Lux.
Standing just outside the dormitory, calm and smiling like nothing had ever happened.
I froze, eyes locked on him.
"What is he doing here?"
He looked right at me, and his voice slid through the air like silk.
"My love," he said.
---