---

I had always known there was something more to life, something beyond the streets I roamed, the cramped hotel room I called home. So when I heard about the prestigious high school—the one that wasn't just for academic elites but for something else, something secret—I knew exactly what I was getting into. They told us, after all. The man who visited said it straight: "This school is a facility, a training ground for Japan's future spies."

I applied without hesitation.

That night, they told me they'd come for me. Midnight. I waited, my thoughts a mix of excitement and unease. At exactly twelve, a black van pulled up outside the hotel where I was staying. My eyes narrowed. It was time.

I stepped out of the hotel, cold air biting at my skin. A man in a black suit greeted me with a smile that felt too practiced. "Hello, Taro," he said, patting me on the head like I was a lost kid. I didn’t appreciate that. I smacked his hand away.

"You're very silent for a 14-year-old boy," he remarked, but I didn’t bother answering. Words seemed unnecessary. I knew what this was.

I climbed into the van, and as I scanned the seats, I noticed something strange. There were other kids, maybe my age, maybe younger, all sleeping. Peaceful, but almost unnaturally so. It unsettled me. “It must’ve been a long ride for them,” I thought, but something wasn’t right.

I took a seat at the back, my senses on edge. That’s when I noticed the man in the suit and the driver. Both of them suddenly covered their noses. My eyes flicked to the front. The driver pressed a button on the dashboard, and the air conditioning hummed to life.

My chest tightened.

Poison.

A cold wave of realization hit me before the gas did. I couldn’t fight it. My vision blurred, my body went limp, and then—darkness.

I woke with a start, gasping for air. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried to make sense of where I was. The room... white. Blinding white. I looked down at myself. White clothes, too. Sterile, cold.

What the hell was this place?

Before I could stand, a monitor flickered on. The voice from the van—it was him.

"Hello, children," the voice greeted. "As you can see, you're in a white room right now. For the next month, you'll all be stuck here."

My eyes darted around, searching for a way out, but there was none. Just four walls and a single red button on my left.

"That button," the voice continued, "is your only escape. Press it, and you can leave anytime. But if you do, your rank in this school will drop significantly."

I clenched my fists. *Rank*? I hadn’t even stepped foot in the school, and they were already testing me. Trapping me.

The voice droned on. "Don’t worry, you'll be provided with three meals a day. After this part of the entrance exam, I'll explain our ranking system."

I stared at the red button. Escape was right there. So easy. But at what cost?

My rank.

This was a game. A twisted, psychological test. How long could I last? How long would the others last?

I wasn’t going to be the first to break.

This place wasn’t going to win against me....

---

Three weeks. Three endless, mind-numbing weeks, and I was still holding on. Still here, in this suffocating white room, with nothing but my own thoughts for company. Every hour felt like a lifetime, but I refused to give in. I wasn’t going to press that button.

Not yet.

The intercom crackled to life, snapping me out of my thoughts. His voice again—the man from before.

"Hello again, children," he said, his tone almost cheerful. It made my skin crawl. "Most of you have already pressed the button by now... We started with 3,000 of you, and more than 2,500 have already given up."

I clenched my fists. *2,500?* That meant less than 500 of us were still in this twisted game.

"The first 1,850 students who pressed the button have failed the entrance exam," the man continued, almost too casually, "and aren’t enrolled in the prestigious high school."

I could practically hear the sneer in his voice. I imagined those kids, thinking they’d escaped, only to find out it was all for nothing. They’d lost the moment they pressed that button.

"But those who pressed the button afterward... well, they’re still in," he added, his voice taking on a brighter tone. "Of course, their rank..."

I tuned out his voice for a moment, thinking hard. *Rank...* The way he kept talking about it, it had to be important. Something told me this entire system revolved around ranks, and those who pressed the button had already fallen behind.

"But let’s not worry about that right now," he said, his voice shifting, a sinister edge creeping in. "I want to play a little social experiment with the remaining few who haven’t pressed the button."

A chill ran down my spine. I could *feel* the malice dripping from his words. He was enjoying this. Every second of it.

The man’s voice grew darker, more threatening. "If ten of you don’t press the button in the next 30 seconds... there will be no food for the rest of the week. No exceptions. Let’s see who our *heroes* will be." His laugh echoed through the room, a twisted, maniacal sound that sent a jolt of panic through me.

My heart pounded in my chest. "No food for a week?" I thought. "That’s... *impossible*."

My stomach twisted as I heard the distant screams of other kids, their panic flooding the air. I could hear their fear, their desperation, and it echoed my own.

“NO! THAT'S NOT FUCKING FAIR!” I shouted, slamming my fist into the cold, white wall. "That would be starving and imprisoning us! We’re just kids!"

But my voice was drowned out by the chaos. I heard crying, yelling—voices breaking down under the weight of it all.

The man started counting down. "Thirty... twenty-nine..."

Panic surged through me. I had to press it. I *had* to press the button. There was no other choice.

But then—*STOP!* A voice, deep in the back of my mind. It wasn’t my own, but it felt like a part of me. *Don’t do it. We must win. Let the others take the fall.*

I hesitated, my hand frozen inches from the button. My breathing was ragged, my heart racing. Was this really the way? Letting others suffer while I survived?

"Ten... nine..."

*No, this isn’t right,* I thought. *But...*

"Three... two..."

My hand trembled, hovering over the button.

"One."

Nothing. The intercom crackled with the sound of the man’s laughter—loud, sharp, and cruel. "Not one of you pressed the button," he said, almost in disbelief. "More than 400 of you left, and not a single one of you pressed it. How... ridiculous. Well, I guess no food for you kids. Good luck." His laughter echoed through the room, then cut off, leaving only silence.

I collapsed back onto the cold floor, staring up at the ceiling. The weight of his words sank in, heavier than anything I’d felt before.

None of us had pressed it. Not a single one.

"Is the world really this cruel?" I muttered to myself. "Not one of us sacrificed for the greater good..."

I closed my eyes, the white walls closing in around me. This wasn’t just a test. It was hell. And I was stuck in it, just trying to survive this hell..(two days later)

---

Two days. I hadn’t eaten in two days, and every second felt like it was dragging me closer to the edge. My body was shutting down, and I knew it. I could barely move—each breath felt like it took all the strength I had left.

"I... n-need w-water..." I croaked, my voice barely a whisper. My throat was dry and raw. I hadn’t drunk anything since the food stopped. Not a single drop. My head throbbed, my vision blurred.

*I can’t keep going like this...*

I stared at the red button on the wall. The thought had crossed my mind more than once—just press it. Give in. End this nightmare. I had nothing left.

"I must..." I breathed, my hand trembling as I reached out toward it. "I must press the button..."

Just then, the room flickered. The white walls dimmed, and suddenly everything went black.

I froze. My body stiffened as cold dread washed over me. Something was behind me. I could *feel* it. I didn’t dare turn around, but I could hear it—whispers, creeping up closer and closer.

*Taro...*

No. No, it wasn’t real. But it felt so real.

*Taro... remember his name...*

A shiver ran down my spine.

*Your parents’ killer...*

I gasped, whipping around to find nothing but empty space. My heart pounded in my chest as the words rang in my ears. The memories. The voices. They clawed at my mind, pulling me into the past. The blood. The terror.

I screamed myself awake, clutching my head as pain shot through my skull. "No... my head... it hurts..."

Just then, the intercom buzzed to life. His voice. *That* voice.

The man laughed, the sound twisted, like he was feeding off our suffering. "I’ve been watching you all very closely through the room cameras," he said, sounding almost amused. "And I’ve noticed three things."

I glared at the ceiling, hating him with every ounce of energy I had left. I didn’t want to hear it. But I had no choice. He kept talking.

"First," he began, "you’ve all run out of the bottles to relieve yourselves, and we’re not giving any more. Most of you are down to your last four cups of water." He chuckled as if it was some kind of sick joke.

I felt bile rise in my throat. I had nothing left to drink, and they weren’t going to help us. We were like animals in a cage, just waiting to see who’d break first.

"Second," he continued, his voice dripping with fake sympathy, "you all seem to be hallucinating. That has nothing to do with us, of course. You children have just been through so much." His tone was mocking, like he found our suffering entertaining.

Hallucinations. I gritted my teeth. So it wasn’t just me. The voices, the shadows—they weren’t real, but they felt so real. I wasn’t the only one losing my mind in here.

"Third," the man said, almost laughing, "you’ve only been getting four or five hours of sleep in here. No wonder you’re all breaking down. You kids really are an interesting bunch."

*Interesting*? Was this all just a game to him? Watching us fall apart, watching us lose ourselves in this hellhole. My hands shook with anger. I knew I wasn’t going to last much longer. My body was giving up, and my mind was cracking.

The man’s voice turned serious. "There are only 50 of you left now," he said. "Since there are so few of you, if you press the button now, not only will you be guaranteed entry into the prestigious high school, but your rank won’t be too affected."

My eyes widened. *50 left?* We had started with 3,000, and now there were only 50 of us still standing.

"So what will it be, children?" the man taunted. "Will you hold on... or press the button? I must say, some of you have been very amusing to watch. For example... Taro. And Rai."

My heart stopped. He had been watching *me*—this entire time, I had been under his eye. They had been watching *all* of us, but for some reason, I stood out. And someone else, a kid named Rai.

I felt exposed. Vulnerable. My every move had been monitored, my every struggle laid bare.

The man laughed again, his voice echoing in the white void that felt more like a prison cell than ever.

I was trapped, and I knew it. There was no escape.

But I wasn’t going to let him win. Not yet...

(Rai perspective)

---

The door opened, and I saw him. The kid they’d been talking about. Taro.

He stumbled in, his clothes disheveled, his eyes wide with shock and fury. He looked like he had just woken up from a nightmare, but I knew that expression all too well. We’d all been there. Hell, most of us still were.

The other kids in the lounge stared at him, curiosity mixed with a kind of nervous energy. He was the last one to arrive here—one of the final fifty, just like me and the others. But something about him was different. I could feel it.

"Okay, guys, no need to look at him like he’s a weirdo," I said, breaking the silence. I could see him trying to get his bearings, but he was still off, like he wasn’t fully present yet. I walked over to him, extending my hand. "Hello. Your name must be Taro, right? My name’s Rai."

He looked at me, but there was no recognition in his eyes, no sense of camaraderie. Just raw, unfiltered rage. Before I could even blink, he slapped my hand away, hard.

"I don’t have time for you," he spat, his voice low and dangerous. "Where is the man?"

I frowned, trying to keep my voice calm. "Do you need some rest?" I asked. I wasn’t sure if he even understood where he was yet.

"No," he snapped. His eyes burned with an intensity that sent a chill down my spine. "Where is the man?"

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "He’s at the main panel of this building," I said, still keeping my distance. "Also, sorry for not asking permission, but... one of the girls noticed you were thirsty, so she fed you some water while you were sleeping."

Taro didn’t even react to that. He just stared at the floor, his fists clenched at his sides. His whole body was tense, like a spring ready to snap.

"Just leave... me... alone," he muttered, his voice barely audible, but there was no mistaking the edge of pain in it.

I took a step back, raising my hands. "Alright. Whatever you need, man."

He didn’t acknowledge me. He just walked to the back of the lounge, away from everyone, like he wanted to disappear into the walls. The other kids went back to what they were doing, though I could still feel their eyes glancing over at Taro every now and then.

I started to walk away, giving him space, but then I remembered something. I turned back to him, my voice light but casual. "Oh, and one more thing... There are three parts to this entrance exam. A little birdie told me that the next part has something to do with critical thinking."

Taro didn’t even look at me. "I don’t care," he muttered.

I shrugged. "Fair enough."

But as I walked away, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this kid—Taro—was different from the rest of us. There was something in his eyes, something darker. Like he wasn’t just here to survive this hell like the rest of us.

No. Taro had a different goal. Something personal. Something dangerous.

And I had a feeling it had something to do with that man he kept asking about.Taro had slinked to the back of the room, silent and withdrawn, like a wounded animal licking its wounds. He didn’t want anyone near him, that much was clear. But I knew better than to approach again—at least, for now.

I leaned against the wall, watching him from a distance. Naoki, the girl who had fed him water, wandered over to where I stood, her eyes tracking Taro with a mixture of curiosity and concern.

"Is that kid okay?" she asked, her voice low but full of wonder. "He’s got the eyes of a psychopath..."

I glanced at her, smirking. "Don’t toy with him. He’s more of a weirdo than you, Naoki."

She rolled her eyes at me but didn’t lose the grin. "Well, maybe he needs healing," she said, flipping her hair over her shoulder like she had some grand plan.

My smirk dropped. "Don’t tell me you’re thinking of going over there..." I warned, but the second I opened my mouth, she was already gone. Just like that—*poof*. Naoki had this way of disappearing and reappearing wherever she wanted, and this time, she decided to pop up right next to Taro.

I cursed under my breath, rubbing my temples. "Oh no... this will be bad..."

From where I stood, I could see her now—standing next to him, her arms crossed, a playful look on her face like she was about to tease him or something. Taro, on the other hand, was still. Too still. Like he was trying to pretend she wasn’t even there.

Naoki, being Naoki, didn’t care about awkward silences. She was relentless. She leaned forward, her voice just loud enough for me to catch.

"Hey, Taro, right?" she said, with that trademark cheerfulness of hers. "I’m Naoki. I gave you water earlier while you were out cold. You looked like you needed it."

No response.

Taro didn’t even twitch. He just kept staring at the floor, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. His eyes were dark, distant, like he was stuck somewhere else entirely.

Naoki, undeterred, plopped down on the couch next to him, crossing her legs. "So, I guess we’re stuck here together for the next few days. Fun, huh? Any chance you wanna talk about... well, anything?"

I wanted to yell at her to stop, but I didn’t move. She was already in deep, and now all I could do was watch this trainwreck unfold. Naoki had a habit of poking around in people’s business, and usually, it ended up okay. But Taro? He wasn’t like the rest of us. That much was obvious.

Taro’s fingers twitched, but he didn’t lift his head. He didn’t speak. The silence between them was thick, tense.

Naoki, still smiling, tried again. "You know, everyone’s been through a lot during this entrance exam. You’re not the only one who’s seen some crazy stuff. If you ever need someone to talk to, I’m pretty good at listening."

Finally, Taro moved. His eyes shifted just slightly, flicking over to her, but the look on his face was... unsettling. His expression didn’t change—still stone-cold—but the way his eyes bore into Naoki’s, it was like he was reading her every intention, every word she’d said.

"I don’t need anyone," Taro finally muttered, his voice low and hollow. "Especially not you."

Naoki blinked, surprised but not offended. "Well, okay. But everyone needs someone at some point," she said, still trying to keep it light. "Just thought I’d offer."

Taro turned his head, locking eyes with her now, and for the first time, I saw it—something dark, something dangerous flickering behind his gaze. His voice was ice-cold when he spoke again.

"Leave me alone," he said, each word dripping with a quiet fury. "You don’t know anything about me. You couldn’t possibly understand."

Naoki hesitated, the playful smile slipping just a little. But before she could say anything else, Taro stood up, his movements sharp, almost violent. He stepped away from her, heading toward the farthest corner of the room, like he wanted to put as much distance between himself and everyone else as possible.

I let out a slow breath, shaking my head. Naoki looked over at me, her usual bravado slightly shaken.

"Rai, what’s *with* that guy?" she whispered, frowning.

I shrugged. "I told you not to mess with him. He’s... got some issues. You can see it in his eyes. Whatever he’s been through, it’s not like what we’ve faced."

Naoki didn’t respond. She just watched Taro, her expression serious for once.

But I could tell she wasn’t going to back down. Not yet. She had gotten a glimpse of something in him, something raw, and Naoki had never been the type to walk away from someone broken.

I just hoped that, for her sake, she wouldn’t push him too far.