The rules of Game

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Chapter Three: The Rules of the Game

The announcement sent a chill down Alex’s spine.

“Phase One Complete. Next Round Begins in 30 Minutes.”

The mechanical voice seemed to echo from everywhere and nowhere at once, vibrating through the walls. The tension in the air was suffocating.

Ethan was the first to break the silence. “Next round?” His voice wavered. “What does that mean? What even was the first round?”

Alex stared at the lifeless bodies scattered across their floor—the zombies that had burst through their door moments ago. If this was just Phase One, then whatever came next would be even worse.

“We need to figure out what’s going on,” Alex said, his mind racing.

Ethan hesitated, then nodded. “Yeah. Agreed. But first…” He gestured toward the bodies. “What do we do about these?”

Alex had no answer.

Instead, he took a deep breath and stepped toward the open doorway. The hallway outside was eerily quiet. The once lively dorm, filled with students moving in just hours ago, was now a horror scene.

The walls were scratched. Blood smeared the floor. Some doors were wide open, revealing dark, empty rooms. Others were shut tight, as if their occupants were still hiding inside.

Alex’s stomach twisted. How many people had made it?

A rustling noise made him freeze.

Ethan grabbed his shoulder. “Did you hear that?”

They turned toward the end of the hallway. A figure emerged from the shadows, moving cautiously. Alex tensed—ready to fight if needed.

But as the figure stepped into the dim light, relief washed over him.

It was a girl.

She looked about their age, dressed in an oversized hoodie and sweatpants. Her dark hair was pulled into a messy bun, and she held a fire extinguisher in both hands like a makeshift weapon.

Her eyes locked onto them, filled with the same fear and confusion they felt. “You’re alive,” she breathed.

Alex nodded. “You too.”

She lowered the extinguisher slightly but didn’t relax completely. “Did you hear the announcement? About the ‘next round’?”

Ethan ran a hand through his hair. “Yeah. No clue what it means, though. But considering the first round had—” he gestured at the corpses, “—zombies, I’m not feeling great about round two.”

The girl frowned. “Same.” She glanced around before stepping closer. “I’m Rachel. My roommate’s… gone.” Her voice caught on the last word.

Alex didn’t ask for details. He could guess.

“I’m Alex. This is Ethan,” he introduced.

Rachel nodded, gripping the extinguisher tighter. “Do either of you know what’s going on?”

Alex hesitated before answering. “Not exactly. But… something came out of our wardrobe. A shadowy figure. It stopped the zombies and told us to ‘survive until dawn.’”

Rachel’s eyes widened. “Your wardrobe?”

Ethan nodded. “Yeah. It turned into some kind of portal, and this thing came out.” He shuddered. “It wasn’t human.”

Rachel’s face paled. “Then it’s not just you.”

Alex’s blood ran cold. “What do you mean?”

She gestured toward the hallway. “I saw something similar in my room. My wardrobe started glowing, and then I heard whispering. I didn’t stick around long enough to see what came out.”

Ethan groaned. “Great. So we’ve got zombie attacks and haunted furniture. Love that for us.”

Alex ignored him. He turned back toward their room, staring at the wardrobe. If this was happening in multiple rooms, then…

He clenched his fists.

“This isn’t random,” he said. “It’s a game. That announcement said ‘Phase One Complete.’ That means this is structured. There are rules.”

Rachel swallowed hard. “Then we need to figure out what those rules are. Fast.”

A loud click echoed through the dorm.

All three of them turned toward the sound.

The lights in the hallway flickered. The air felt heavier.

And then—

A new message played.

“Phase Two: Initiating. Survive the Night. New Conditions Have Been Added.”

A pause.