The Game Location is kept secret. They must work in pairs. There will only be one type of weapon. Everything else they must figure out on their own.

They know none of this, only to trust no one, not even their teammate.

The teams are assigned at random. There will be four rescue teams entering at three different locations. The other four will be hostages, stationed at different places within the Game Location. The rescue teams must free the hostages. There is no time limit, there are no rules.

“Kibum, Sungmin, and Donghee will not be present.”

They cannot help but worry.

“Kasumi, Willow, Bear Dome.”

“Heechul, Jungsoo, Shark Sanctuary.”

“Emikochie, Kiana, Bear Dome.”

“Jongwoon, Suzuki, Snake Pit.”

Kiana? Suzuki? Who?

But it is much too late to even wonder. They are each hustled into separate rooms, blindfolded, drugged, and whatever else happens next is lost.

In their intoxicated states, each of them has a dream yet again.

For Leeteuk and Heechul, it is abandonment by the sea, a heavy door rumbling shut behind.

For Yesung and Suzuki, it is emergence from underground.

For Willow, Kasumi, Emikochie, and Kiana, it is a flash of light, of a door opening before them.

As they wake and the visions fade, they find themselves in tiny, blank white rooms.

Preparation Rooms.

One army cot, one table, one glass of water.

One drab outfit on one chair.

One locked iron door.

One fluorescent light.

One piece of paper.

He scrambles for the table, snatching the paper and downing the water.

“Once in the Maze, you must obey all rules dictated by the P.A. If you do not, there will be severe consequences.”

He scoffs. He’s already here, isn’t he? Might as well break a few more rules.

Suddenly, a voice crackles on through a seemingly invisible device in his ear.

“Player number two, please get dressed.”

His eyebrows rise slightly, but otherwise, he makes no movement.

“Player number two, please get dressed.”

The last word has an impatient emphasis on it, which only reminds him of Kibum, and he refuses to move. He will not obey these people, who took his friends away.

“Player number two,” the voice starts angrily, but he cannot hear the rest over the crackles of electricity running through his body.

“Please get dressed.”

And so, breathlessly, after his body ceases to convulse, he does.

There is no more from his earpiece, but he thinks that the silence is smug with satisfaction.

What else could there be? How much more pain is to come?

And, just as suddenly, the door opens.

A familiar figure enters.

He upstarts.

“Han Geng!!”

The latter shows no sign of recognition, looking at him through dead eyes.

“I’m Heechul! I-I’m your best friend, we did so much together with the others, remember? You, you used to follow me around and I would always yell at you but you knew th-”

“Player number two, come with me,” the thing that used to be Han Geng deadpans. Heechul freezes, face blanking.

Blindly, he lets himself be led onto a rotting ship. He does not acknowledge Leeteuk, and Leeteuk does not acknowledge him.

They are both thinking the same thing.

Who else have they turned against us? Who else will they turn against us?

Han Geng starts the ship, and slowly, they disappear into the pearl sapphire blue ocean.