Kai’s POV

There are few things I love more than shooting hoops with my friends after school. The sun was shining, the court was buzzing, and the air was filled with the sound of sneakers squeaking on the pavement. Huang Tae was being his usual flashy self, dribbling like he was some kind of NBA superstar, while Mark was doing his best to trash-talk everyone.

"Bro, you're going down," Mark said with a grin, trying to psych me out as I lined up a three-pointer.

"Save the smack talk for when you actually win," I shot back, sending the ball swishing through the hoop. "That's another three for me."

Tae threw his hands up dramatically. "Okay, Kai, we get it. You're good at basketball. You don’t have to rub it in our faces."

"Just admit that I’m better than you," I teased, tossing the ball to him.

As we continued playing, I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I ignored it at first—no way was I letting a text ruin my game. But then it buzzed again. And again. And again.

"Popular guy," Mark said, raising an eyebrow as he noticed. "Who's blowing up your phone?"

"Probably one of his many girlfriends," Tae chimed in with a smirk.

I rolled my eyes and pulled out my phone. The screen showed a notification from an app I didn’t recognize. That damn smiley face icon again. Game of Horrors. I frowned. The app from last night... I thought it had disappeared.

Curiosity got the best of me, and I opened it. The screen flashed a message:

> "Good morning, Kai! Ready to start your day with some fun?"

"Task 1: Steal Tae’s headband and wear it like a bandana. You have 2 minutes."

[TIMER STARTS: 01:59]

I nearly laughed out loud. "What the hell?" I muttered.

"What's so funny?" Tae asked, noticing my grin.

"Uh, nothing," I said, trying to keep a straight face. This was way too good to pass up. I darted over to him, snatching his red headband right off his head.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Tae yelped, reaching for it.

"Just trying out a new look," I said, quickly tying it around my head like a bandana. I struck a pose, puffing out my chest and giving him a cheesy grin.

"You look like an idiot," Mark laughed. "But also like you belong in some old-school kung fu movie."

"More like a reject from a boy band," Tae retorted, reaching for his headband again.

I danced around him, dodging his grabs. "Come on, you know this looks good on me!"

The phone buzzed again, and I peeked at the screen.

> "Task complete! Well done, Kai. Let’s keep the fun going."

"Next up: Convince Mark that Tae is secretly in love with his sister. You have 3 minutes."

I snorted. This app was ridiculous. But hey, a task's a task. I turned to Mark with the most serious expression I could muster.

"Hey, Mark, I don't know how to tell you this, but Tae... he's got a thing for your sister."

Tae’s eyes went wide. "Wait, what?!"

Mark's expression turned from amused to horrified in seconds. "Tae, is this true? Bro, she's like... 14!"

Tae threw his hands up. "What?! No! Kai's making stuff up!"

I doubled over, laughing at the sheer chaos. This app was crazy, but it was giving me the best laughs I’d had in ages.

"Relax, I'm just messing with you," I said, clapping Mark on the shoulder. "You should've seen your face!"

Mark shot me a look. "You’re such a jerk."

Tae shook his head, trying to get back at me by shooting a basketball straight at my gut. I caught it easily, still grinning. "All right, all right, my bad," I said.

But before I could get back into the game, my phone buzzed again.

> "Great job, Kai! Ready for Level 2?"

"Task 3: Dump a bottle of water over your own head in the middle of the cafeteria. Timer: 5 minutes."

I groaned, but the humor of it wasn’t lost on me. This app was like a prankster’s paradise. I could practically hear the smiley face snickering. I glanced at the cafeteria doors, which were just a short walk from the court. Might as well go for it, I thought.

"Where are you going?" Tae called as I jogged off.

"Just gotta do something real quick," I shouted back.

The cafeteria was packed. Perfect. I grabbed a bottle of water from my bag, took a deep breath, and twisted the cap off. This was going to be hilarious.

Without hesitation, I stood on a chair, held the bottle above my head, and let the water pour down. The freezing liquid soaked my hair and dripped down my face, instantly silencing the noisy room.

"Is he having a mental breakdown?" someone whispered.

"That's Parker for you," another voice snickered.

I hopped off the chair, dripping wet and grinning like a maniac. My phone buzzed again.

> "You are on fire, Kai! Level 2 complete!"

"Let’s turn up the heat. Ready for Level 3?"

But before I could see what the next task was, the bell rang. Saved by the bell. I stuffed my phone into my pocket and made my way back to the court, my hair still wet and clinging to my forehead.

"What did you do this time?" Tae asked, eyeing me suspiciously.

"Let’s just say I’m staying hydrated," I quipped, wiping my face with my shirt.

Mark shook his head, laughing. "You’re so weird, man."

The rest of the day passed in a blur of classes and jokes, the weirdness of the app slowly fading from my mind. I figured it was some sort of prank game, something made to mess with people in a funny way. Maybe it was just a one-off thing, I thought. But then came gym class.

As we finished our laps and took a break, my phone buzzed again. I pulled it out, expecting another funny dare, but the screen looked different. The background was dark, almost shadowy, with the smiley face now twisted into a sinister grin.

> "Level 3: The real game begins now."

"Task 4: Trip the next person who runs past you."

"Timer: 1 minute."

I frowned. Trip someone? That wasn’t exactly funny—it was just mean. I hesitated, staring at the countdown.

"What's up?" Tae asked, jogging over. "You look like you saw a ghost."

"It’s this stupid app," I muttered, showing him the screen. "It’s giving me these weird tasks."

Tae raised an eyebrow. "What kind of tasks?"

"Like... tripping people," I said quietly.

Tae laughed. "Man, that’s kind of messed up. But it’s probably just a prank app. Don’t take it seriously."

"Yeah," I said, but I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling in my gut. The timer ticked down to 10 seconds. I took a deep breath and decided to ignore it. No way was I going to hurt someone for a stupid game.

The timer hits zero, and my phone vibrates violently, almost falling out of my hand. A new message popped up:

> "You failed the task, Kai. Don’t let it happen again."

"Or else."

"Or else what?" I muttered, feeling a chill creep up my spine. The smiley face seemed to stare at me, its grin now more sinister than ever. And for the first time, I felt something else behind that mocking smile.

This game was far from a joke.

Kai's POV

By the time I got home, the whole day felt like a fever dream. The tasks, the creepy smiley face on that app... I couldn’t decide if it was hilarious or just plain weird.

I kicked off my sneakers by the door, tossed my bag onto the couch, and collapsed onto my bed, staring at the ceiling. The glow-in-the-dark stickers I’d put up when I was a kid were still there—stars and planets that had long since lost their shine. My room was a bit of a mess, but it was my mess, and after today, I was too tired to care.

Just as I was about to drift off, my phone buzzed from the desk.

I groaned and rolled over, peeking at the screen. The app notification glowed bright against the dark screen:

> "Hey Kai! Miss me already? Ready for your next task?"

I let out a laugh. "Seriously? Even now?"

Ignoring it, I tossed my phone aside, pulling a pillow over my face. A little voice in the back of my mind was still uneasy, but I was determined not to let this silly game get to me. I let my mind wander to other things—school, basketball practice, and whether I should start watching that new anime everyone was talking about.

Just as I started to relax, my phone buzzed again. And again. And again. It was non-stop, like an angry bee trying to get my attention.

"Fine! You win!" I muttered, reaching for it. But before I could even glance at the screen, the room was plunged into darkness.

The power went out, leaving me in pitch-black silence.

I sat up quickly, my heart pounding. "Uh, that’s weird," I muttered. The streetlights outside were still on, which meant it wasn’t a blackout. Just my room.

I got up, fumbling my way to the light switch, flipping it on and off. Nothing happened. A shiver ran down my spine as my phone buzzed once more.

This time, the notification flashed across the screen in bold, glowing letters:

> "Ignoring me won’t make me go away, Kai."

My blood ran cold. I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. It was almost like the app was... watching me.

Then, as if nothing had happened, the lights flickered back on, humming softly. My room was normal again—no creepy shadows, no ominous silence.

I exhaled a breath I didn’t realize I was holding, shaking my head. "Okay, that was freaky," I admitted to myself.

Deciding I’d had enough for one night, I shut off my phone and plugged it in to charge, shoving it face down on my desk. If the app wanted attention, it could wait until morning.

The next day, I tried to put the weirdness behind me. The sun was shining, students filled the hallways, and everything seemed normal. I was actually looking forward to seeing my friends, just to feel grounded again.

When I spotted Tae and Mark by the lockers, I jogged over. "Morning, losers!" I greeted Mark lightly on the arm.

"You’re looking chipper," Mark said, giving me a sideways glance. "Got a date last night or something?"

"Please, like anyone would want to date this guy," Tae jokes, shaking his head.

"Actually," I said, leaning against the lockers with a grin, "I spent the night with my new favorite app. We’re in a very serious relationship now."

"That game thing again?" Tae asked, raising an eyebrow. "Dude, you need to get a life."

"Or better games," Mark added, laughing.

"Hey, you’re just jealous because I’m living on the edge," I said with a wink. But deep down, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this app was more than just a prank. It was like it had a mind of its own.

Just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out, and sure enough, it was Game of Horrors again.

> "Good morning, Kai! Let’s start the day off right with some fun. Task 1: Sneak into the teacher’s lounge and leave a random banana on the principal’s desk. Timer: 5 minutes."

I blinked. A banana? I couldn’t help but laugh. "This game is ridiculous," I muttered.

"What’s the dare this time?" Tae asked, peering over my shoulder.

I showed him the screen, and he burst out laughing. "Oh my God, that’s actually hilarious. Do it, I dare you!"

"How is this game coming up with this stuff?" Mark wondered, shaking his head.

"Beats me," I said, but I was already heading toward the teacher’s lounge. If I was going to play this game, I might as well have fun with it.

I slipped down the hall, doing my best spy impression as I peeked around the corner. The lounge door was slightly ajar. I could see the principal’s desk from where I stood. I reached into my backpack and pulled out the banana I’d packed for lunch.

"Showtime," I whispered to myself, sneaking inside. I tiptoed over to the desk, placed the banana right on top of a stack of papers, and snapped a quick picture for good measure.

As I darted back out, my phone buzzed:

> "Well done, Kai! A+ for creativity. Ready for the next one?"

I grinned, half expecting the next task to involve putting googly eyes on the science skeleton or something equally stupid. I headed back to my friends, feeling like a mischievous kid who just got away with a prank.

"So, did you do it?" Mark asked, his eyes wide with excitement.

"Of course I did," I said, showing him the picture.

"You’re a madman," Tae laughed. "What’s next? Hijacking the school announcements?"

"Wouldn’t be surprised," I said, glancing at my phone as it buzzed again.

> "Task 2: High-five every person you meet in the next 5 minutes. Let’s spread some joy, Kai!"

[TIMER STARTS: 05:00]

This app was something else. I shrugged. "Guess I’m on a high-five mission."

I spent the next few minutes sprinting through the halls, slapping high-fives with everyone from freshmen to seniors. Some people looked at me like I was insane, others laughed and high-fived me back. By the time the timer ran out, my hand was stinging, but I was grinning like an idiot.

Mark and Tae were cracking up by the time I got back to them. "You’re like the school’s personal hype man now," Tae said, still laughing.

"It’s kind of fun," I admitted, still riding the high of the ridiculous task.

But just as I was enjoying myself, my phone buzzed again. I pulled it out, expecting another silly dare. Instead, the screen went dark, and a new message popped up:

> "Level 4: Time for a little fear, don’t you think?"

"Task 3: Head to the old storage room alone. Don’t tell anyone."

The smiley face looked different this time—it's grin was sharper, almost sinister. The lighthearted tone from before was gone, replaced by a dark, unsettling vibe.

"Uh, Kai?" Tae’s voice snapped me back to reality. "What’s up? You look like you saw a ghost."

I forced a smile, shoving the phone back into my pocket. "Nah, just the app being weird again."

Mark frowned. "Weird how?"

"It wants me to go to the old storage room," I said, trying to sound casual.

Tae’s face twisted in confusion. "Isn’t that place locked up?"

"Yeah, but maybe it’s just trying to freak me out," I said, shrugging. "Whatever. I’m not doing it."

But as I said the words, I couldn’t shake the feeling that this was only the beginning, and that smiley face had more than just jokes in store for me.

Kai's POV

I thought I was in the clear. I ignored the creepy storage room task yesterday and decided to spend the rest of the evening trying to forget about it. But of course, life never goes as planned.

The next morning, I strolled into school, yawning as I made my way down the hall. I was still half-asleep, replaying the weirdness from yesterday in my head. As I rounded the corner, I spotted my friends—Tae, Mark, Marianne, and Rubin—huddled together, their heads bent down, staring at their phones.

"Yo! What’s got you all so serious this early in the morning?" I called out, slipping my hands into my pockets as I approached them.

Tae looked up at me, his expression a mix of confusion and irritation. "Kai, did you send us a link to that creepy game of yours?"

I blinked, taken aback. "What? No, why would I do that?"

Marianne, who was usually the most level-headed of us, held up her phone, showing me the all-too-familiar smiley face icon glowing on her screen. "Well, explain how we all have this weird app on our phones then," she said, her voice tinged with annoyance.

I grabbed her phone, scrolling through the app store. "You guys installed it?"

"No!" Rubin exclaimed, crossing his arms. "It just appeared. One minute I’m watching cat videos, and the next, this creepy app is staring at me. And it’s not like I can delete it. Believe me, I tried."

Mark nodded, holding up his phone as well. "Same here, man. I swear I didn’t install this. It’s like it just… showed up."

"That’s what happened to me too," I muttered, feeling a shiver run down my spine. "I thought it was some sort of prank or virus."

Tae, ever the skeptic, narrowed his eyes. "And you didn’t think to tell us about this?"

I raised my hands in defense. "Hey, I thought it was just messing with me! I had no idea it would spread to you guys."

Before any of us could say anything else, all our phones buzzed at once. We exchanged uneasy glances, then hesitantly looked at our screens.

> "Good morning, players! Ready to level up? Today's challenge: Skip school and complete as many dares as you can. Get creative!"

I groaned. "You’ve got to be kidding me."

Marianne’s eyes widened. "Skip school? We’re all going to get detention!"

"Or worse, suspended," Rubin added, looking genuinely worried.

Mark, on the other hand, grinned. "You know, skipping school doesn’t sound half bad. I mean, we never do anything fun around here anyway."

Tae rolled his eyes. "Of course, you’d think that, Mark."

I looked at my friends, a weird mix of excitement and dread bubbling up inside me. The tasks yesterday were harmless enough pranks and jokes. But this felt different. More dangerous. And yet, a part of me was curious. What could happen if we actually played along?

"Okay," I said, making a decision. "We play along, but we stick together. No wandering off alone. Agreed?"

They all nodded, albeit reluctantly.

"So, what’s the first dare?" Marianne asked, unlocking her phone. "Because if we’re doing this, we might as well do it right."

We sneaked out of the school through the back gate, trying to look as inconspicuous as possible. We made our way to the park a few blocks away, laughing nervously. I couldn't believe we were actually doing this—skipping school because of some weird app. It was stupid and reckless. But there was a thrill to it, too.

As we regrouped under a tree, our phones buzzed with a new notification:

> "Task 1: Play dead in the middle of the park for 2 minutes. No moving! The first to break loses."

Tae burst out laughing. "Oh, this is going to be good."

Mark grinned, already lying down on the grass, arms crossed over his chest. "I’m not losing this one," he said confidently.

Marianne gave me a look. "You’re the one who got us into this, Kai. You first."

I rolled my eyes but laid down on the ground, staring up at the sky. One by one, the others joined in, and soon we were all sprawled out on the grass, looking like a bunch of idiots playing dead.

People passing by gave us strange looks, and a dog came over, sniffing at Rubin's face. He tried not to laugh as the dog licked his cheek. "Dude, I’m going to lose it," Rubin whispered, stifling his laughter.

"Don’t you dare," Marianne warned through gritted teeth. "We’re almost done."

Finally, the timer on our phones dinged, signaling the end of the task. We all sat up, grinning and brushing grass off our clothes.

"Okay, that was hilarious," Mark admitted, wiping tears from his eyes. "What’s next?"

Before we could check our phones, a new notification popped up:

> "Task 2: Prank call the principal. Make it good!"

We all exchanged a look. "Oh no," Rubin said, shaking his head. "There’s no way I’m doing that."

Mark smirked. "I’ll do it. I’ve always wanted to mess with the principal."

He grabbed Marianne’s phone, dialing the school’s number. We huddled around him, barely able to contain our laughter as he put the call on speaker.

"Hello?" The principal’s gruff voice answered.

Mark cleared his throat, putting on his best serious voice. "Hello, sir. This is Officer Daniels from the local police department. We’ve received reports of an escaped llama on school premises."

There was a pause. "A llama?" the principal repeated, sounding utterly baffled.

"Yes, sir. A very aggressive llama. It’s been known to spit at students and teachers alike. We advise you to evacuate the premises immediately."

Marianne covered her mouth, trying not to laugh out loud. The principal was silent for a moment, then spoke again. "Is this some kind of joke?"

Mark hung up before he could answer, and we all burst into laughter.

"That was amazing," Tae said, still laughing. "I can’t believe you actually did that!"

"Neither can I," I said, shaking my head. "But I have to admit, it felt pretty good."

Just then, another notification buzzed on our phones:

> "Task 3: Steal the janitor’s mop and start a dance-off in the school hallway."

We all froze, staring at the message. "They can’t be serious," Rubin said, looking pale.

"Well," Marianne said with a grin, "we wanted a challenge, didn’t we?"

Tae rubbed his hands together. "Let’s do it."

As we made our way back to the school, a part of me couldn’t help but feel that this was only the beginning. The tasks were still funny, still pranks. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that something darker was lurking beneath the surface, just waiting for the right moment to strike.

For now, though, we were all in it together, laughing like we hadn’t in ages. And as we prepared for our ridiculous mop dance-off, I couldn’t help but smile, wondering just how far this crazy game was going to take us.