Betrayal and Sacrifice

The air inside the glass-walled arena was suffocating, thick with the scent of sweat and fear. The game had whittled the players down to only five, and the next round was nothing short of a death trap. Gi-hun stood still, his fists clenched, his heart hammering in his chest as he glanced at Player 001—no, Front Man.

By now, he knew who he was. Hwang In-ho, the mastermind behind the games. The man who had once orchestrated mass murder was now standing beside him as a player, stripped of his power but still unreadable, still enigmatic.

Yet, Gi-hun couldn't deny it anymore—he had fallen for the devil himself.

It disgusted him at first. The realization that his body craved the same man whose voice once ordered death. But it wasn't just lust. It was something deeper. Something raw. Every stolen glance, every whispered conversation, every heated moment between them had led to this.

And now, that connection was going to be tested in the most brutal way possible.

The Game of Betrayal

A towering masked figure stood at the center of the room, explaining the next challenge. It was a test of trust. A prisoner’s dilemma.

Each remaining player was given two choices: Betray your partner or sacrifice yourself.

If both betrayed each other, they would face brutal punishment.

If one betrayed and the other remained loyal, the betrayer would advance while the other faced elimination.

If both chose loyalty, they would both move forward, but at great cost—one would be forced into a near-death situation before moving ahead.

The players were escorted into individual soundproof glass rooms, unable to communicate. The timer began ticking.

Gi-hun sat on the cold steel chair, staring at the two buttons before him. Betray or Trust. His hand trembled over the latter.

Could he really trust In-ho?

Everything in him screamed that it was foolish. This was the Front Man! The man who had once watched him suffer! The man who hid behind a mask and pulled the strings!

And yet… he had seen the cracks in that armor. The regret in his eyes. The way he shielded Gi-hun in the previous rounds, even if it meant risking exposure.

The way he kissed him like he was the only thing keeping him alive.

His mind replayed their last night together. The desperate way In-ho had clung to him, the way their bodies had tangled in feverish passion, the way he had whispered, "I don't deserve this, but I want you anyway."

Could a man like that really betray him now?

The timer beeped. Ten seconds left.

Gi-hun made his choice.

The Ultimate Deception

The doors unlocked. The masked guards led each player back into the arena. The tension was unbearable.

One by one, the results were revealed. Three betrayals.

A woman collapsed, screaming, as a gunshot echoed in the room. Her partner had sold her out. The betrayal had been fatal.

Then, it was Gi-hun and In-ho’s turn.

The screen flickered. One betrayal. One trust.

The guards surrounded them.

Gi-hun’s breath hitched. Who had betrayed whom?

And then… the voice spoke. "Player 456, you have chosen to trust. Player 001, you have chosen to betray."

Gi-hun froze.

His body went cold. His vision blurred. The world spun around him.

He turned to In-ho, his mouth dry, his heart shattering. “You… chose betrayal?”

In-ho’s expression was unreadable. His lips parted slightly, but he said nothing.

Before Gi-hun could react, the guards grabbed him and dragged him toward the opposite end of the arena. A brutal punishment awaited those who trusted blindly.

They strapped him to a contraption that looked like a twisted electric chair. Panic clawed at Gi-hun’s throat. They wouldn’t actually kill him, right?

Right?

The countdown began. His body tensed. A shockwave of pain surged through him as electricity jolted his muscles. He screamed, his back arching, vision flashing white. The pain was unbearable.

Through the haze, he barely registered the sound of footsteps. A voice—**In-ho’s voice—**roaring over the speakers.

"STOP IT!"

The electricity cut off. The guards hesitated.

Gi-hun slumped forward, gasping, shaking.

And then, he saw In-ho move.

The man ripped off his player uniform, exposing his Front Man suit underneath. Gasps echoed through the arena. The remaining players looked on in shock.

He had revealed himself. He had thrown away his disguise.

Gi-hun barely had time to process it before strong arms wrapped around him, lifting him up. In-ho was pulling him into his chest, shielding him. Holding him like he was something precious.

“I had to,” In-ho whispered against his ear. “It was the only way to get you out of that seat alive.”

Gi-hun coughed, pain wracking his body. “You… betrayed me…”

In-ho pulled back, his gaze stormy with emotion. “I betrayed you to save you. If we both trusted, they would have made you go through something even worse. I couldn’t let that happen.”

Gi-hun’s head spun. Had he really… planned this? Had he risked everything just to protect him?

The guards hesitated, unsure of what to do. The power dynamic had shifted. The Front Man was no longer just another player.

A moment passed. Then, In-ho grabbed Gi-hun’s wrist and ran.

Gunshots rang out behind them. Chaos erupted. The remaining players scattered.

They were escaping. Together.

Somewhere in the dimly lit tunnels beneath the arena, they stopped. Panting. Trembling. Alive

Gi-hun looked up at In-ho, his emotions a tangled mess. Hate. Relief. Confusion. Want.

In-ho cupped his face, thumbs brushing over his bruised skin. “I never wanted you in this game again. But since you’re here… I’ll do whatever it takes to make sure you leave it alive.”

A lump formed in Gi-hun’s throat. “And what about you?”

Silence.

Then, a soft, bitter chuckle. “I never planned on leaving.”

Gi-hun’s chest tightened. He didn’t know whether to scream, cry, or kiss him. Maybe all three.

Instead, he pulled In-ho closer, their lips inches apart. “We’re both leaving. Together.”

The promise hung between them like a dangerous spark.

The game wasn’t over. But their fight had just begun.

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To be continued in Chapter 9…

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