2:51 am

Haruka was about to go back to sleep when she noticed something on the bottom of the screen. In small print was the words ‘player graveyard’. She raised her eyebrows knowing what it meant. She clicked on the link and sure enough, mass numbers of dead names flew across the screen. Haruka searched for Amara’s name and proceeded to read the info about her.

• Amara- FAZED
• North Korean
• 18 years of age- Female
• Died by knife wounds
• Killed by HEARTLESS
• Highest rank- 1292
• Final level- 2

Click to read stories about FAZED

Haruka decided to click on it. She wondered what had happened to Amara’s body. What had the Russians done with it? Were their stories about her after she died? Would she find out some things that Amara hadn’t told them? Would her real life be revealed?

‘FAZED was with fellow player RELUCTANT before being separated by death… FAZED was one of the only three in their group to live the first NIGHTMARE, along with HEARTLESS and INNOCENT… FAZED needed to be protected during her second trip to NIGHTMARE… was hit by a knife thrown by HEARTLESS during a fit of madness. FAZED died shortly after from blood loss and lung failure… They took her body with them for almost half an hour before returning home… her body was picked up by… she was delicious… Her family will be compensated by having none of her closely related blood relatives also being taken to NIGHTMARE…’

Haruka shut down the laptop quickly and climbed into her sheets. So the only way to leave NIGHTMARE was to be alive. Amara had been left there. Her body was taken away, and then someone ate her…

8:27 am

You stared at the wall, hoping it would distract you. You could have slept in more, it was the weekend, but you were having trouble sleeping. Anything that reminded you of the last nightmare was hard on you. There were times when you refused to open your eyes because your parents were in the room. Especially on the good days when they didn’t yell or argue. Those were the days that you were reminded of the nightmare the most. You had glanced at your brother once, and you could visualize his mask falling off like it was really happening. Sometimes you believed that you had never really woken up. It scared you to see.

The doorbell rang and you jumped off the couch you had been sitting on. While you rushed to the door you silently thought it was a good idea to awake after all. You put your hand on the doorknob, but before opening the door you closed your eyes. Of all the scary people you didn’t want to see, Jaejoong was the first. You were grateful that he was taking you to get your arm checked, but he was the biggest threat in that dream. Jaejoong being near you made you wish that you were blind and had amnesia. So you could forget all that pain. All those deaths. You wouldn’t have to see them, their faces. Taking a deep breath, you faced the outside world.

Jaejoong was smiling at you. He didn’t seem to notice that you were lacking in energy, that you were scared, that you weren’t looking at him. You invited him into the house but he declined. The two of you needed to leave soon. “Are you sure that your parents are okay with me taking you away?” You nodded. After Jaejoong had saved you from the first NIGHTMARE, your family had accepted him, even if the two of you never really saw each other much. “Great, then let’s go!” He grabbed your arm and pulled you out after him.

You didn’t know the exact place he was taking you until he bought the train tickets. You read over the name in reservation. “We are going to Gwangju? There is a specialist out in the country? That doesn’t seem right.” Jaejoong smiled again and lead you to the platform. Evidently he knew someone.

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I did a little bit of research after the fact, but Gwangju is actually a pretty big city. Oh well, it's a small town in this one. 

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