"We definitely shouldn't fight him," I said firmly and everyone looked at me. I faltered for a moment before regaining my confidence. "Prism could snap his fingers and kill someone. Prison should be able to do the same and you'll just waste your chance." 

 

"What are you suggesting?" Minhyun asked worriedly while holding my wrist. 

 

"I'll fight... A foe. For everyone here to be granted safe passage away." 

 

"And why would I do that?" Prison asked, tilting his head. 

 

"Because..." 

 

"If you kill your foe, maybe I'll allow that." 

 

"W-wh-" I was taken aback by him, feeling like I screwed myself over but this wasn't the time to back down now. I clenched my fists and took a step forward. "I will not kill anyone." 

 

"Then there's nothing to be offered or requested here." 

 

As if the conversation had ended right there and then, Prison turned around, presumably to leave but Wonho tackled him onto the ground. The others started to help him too. 

 

"That's not good," Minhyun muttered. 

 

"We have to help." 

 

"How? Join in the chaos?" 

 

"Aha!" Wonho yelled as he stood upright with the cube in his hands. All of us were stunned as the little crowd moved away from Prison who stood up. He had a normal human face but he seemed utterly upset with a large scowl and glowing red eyes. Everyone moved away from him. 

 

"You have angered me dearly. For that, I'll have ALL of you exe-" 

 

"Always such a hothead, aren't you, older brother?" a voice distracted us, one all too familiar to our ear. 

 

"Little brother, what are you doing in my territory? I will have y-" 

 

"Yes, yes. Chop my head off all you want. You know you can't kill me," Prism chuckled as he just sauntered without any tension. I wasn't quite sure how to feel about all this but one thing I could feel in my guts for sure, they were definitely not brothers. "Now then, what say you give me back my players and you can have yours? It's been awfully lonely without my friends scampering about in my hallways." 

 

"They're all coming with us," I said firmly and Prism chuckled. 

 

"Ohhh~ if it isn't my little rebel. I can't take all of them or my big brother here will be real upset at me. Then he will really chop my head off." 

 

"Its fine, Baekho. You should go back to your game... We will find our own way out from here," Wonho said and smiled. Prism walked up to him and took the cube from him. 

 

"Wow. I've never seen someone pull off our helmet before," he said cheekily and spun the said helmet. "You know what? I like you. What about this, big brother? I'll fight you along with one of my players. You can pick any of yours too. If I win, I'll take this one with me." 

 

"Huh?" Wonho blinked in confusion and Prison frowned deeper. 

 

"This is not your game. You don't get to make such decisions. I will not hold back on fighting you." 

 

"Of course not. That's what I want to hear. Hey, catch~" I didn't realise he was talking to me as he tossed the helmet over. I barely grabbed it and the cuff around my wrist popped open. "You'll fight, right?" 

 

"No," Minhyun whispered and held my sleeve. 

 

"I'll be fine, Minhyun." 

 

"Then let's fight!" Prism cackled and snapped his fingers. As if a firecracker had went off, Prison's head blew up. Without delay or a chance for us to even react, Prism snapped his fingers again and a white portal opened up. "Everyone, let's hurry now before my big brother comes back." 

 

"Just like that??" I yelped, doubting it would be that easy as everyone rushed towards the portal. I wasn't sure why people were trusting Prism. He was just the same as Prison, a game leader. I saw Prison's head started bubbling up with data pieces and rushed towards the portal. "Minhyun, let's go." 

 

"Oop~ he's not going to be happy~" We all hopped into the portal and it closed up behind us. 

 

"Why are you doing this?" Minhyun asked Prism who was right behind us. 

 

"Well, a little friendly fire is fine sometimes, don't you think?" Somehow we ended up back at the hallway that we were much more familiar with and took a much needed breath. "Plus you'll need help to finish the final game." 

 

"Wait. That wasn't the final?" I asked and Prism laughed, shaking his head. He snapped his fingers and I flinched unintentionally. A large bar appeared floating mid air and it had been almost filled up. 

 

"With this, it should fill right up." As if on cue, it made a beeping sound. The sound of confetti being popped echoed the halls. "Congratulations, you have all reached the final stage of the game!" 

 

The remaining cuffs popped open as well, falling to the ground as the entire hallway started to change. The walls started falling apart and white took over everywhere. 

 

"What's going on?!" I asked Prism who tilted his head. 

 

"What? A good old battle of survival. Last one standing wins the game." 

 

"No way!" Things from the previous games like giant cats and statues started to pop out and attacked us. I stayed close to Minhyun as we dodged and started running around cluelessly. 

 

"Why is this happening now?" 

 

"Fall back!" Hoshi yelled towards us as we realised the giant praying mantis from before started chasing us as well. "Wah!! This is horrible! There's no place to hide at all!" 

 

"Prism! Stop this! We don't have to do this!" I shouted aloud, knowing he would be able to hear me even if I couldn't see him. The whole place started to shake and Minhyun tripped. I went back and helped him up, gasping as I saw the white started tearing apart. An all too familiar cube head push his head in followed by his arms but he wasn't small at all. He was bigger than the cats and even the praying mantis. His sheer size almost made the white void feel small and suffocating. He swung his hands down and everyone started to scatter, running for their lives as we probably looked like ants to him right now.

 

"PRISM!!" he roared, making the entire place shake again. It wasn't even easy for us to look at him from where we were.

 

"What do we do?" Minhyun asked as we continued running and panting.

 

"There has to be... A way... To stop this."

 

"There isn't a way."

 

We stopped running and noticed Jonghyun catching up to us with Ren alongside him.

 

"You..." Minhyuk was about to charge at him but Kihyun held him back. "You left us there to die!"

 

"Now isn't the time to fight each other."

 

"You're wrong. Now is the time to fight," Jonghyun said. "Kill or be killed. There's all there is to this now."

 

"That's why you came to us?! I'll kill you gladly if you want me to."

 

"I came here so that Minhyun is the last one alive."

 

"We know about you. You wanted Minhyun to live last time too and look what happened? You won in the end."

 

"He sacrificed himself for me! I didn't want him to die!"

 

"Guys, stop fighting!" Ren cut in this time. "I've had enough! Save your energy for running instead!"

 

But what could we do? The whole place was chaos with Prison trying to squash us, creatures and statues trying to kill us and there was just no way to win. Is there even a way to give up that didn't end in death?

 

"Baekho," Minhyun called my name and I looked at him. "There has to be a way."

 

"Huh?"

 

"Remember what Prism said? There's always a way to clear the games...." 

 

I nodded and took a deep breath. There had to be a way. I pulled out my sword and swung at the zombie that came charging at us, slicing it back into data. Look and find. There has to be one. Minhyun used the bow and covered me from the back as we rushed forward instead, trying to find a way out of here. Prison hadn't stopped attacking either, lashing out at the others and slammed his hand down. 

 

"He must be mad at Prism..." 

 

"I'll destroy all of you!" Prison snarled and his hand started coming down towards us. I turned around, about to push Minhyun aside when I saw his outstretched hand. 

 

"Baekho!" Minhyun shoved me out of the way and I stumbled. 

 

"Minhyun! No!" I scrambled up and gasped, trying to grab him but was too late as his hand slammed right down in front of me. "MINHYUN!!" 

 

I froze. It felt as if some part of me broke. This wasn't real. This can't be happening. We were so close. We just needed to figure out a way to win here. I shouted and stabbed Prison's hand, anger blinding me. He lifted his hand and I held on to the sword, unable to pull it out. He lifted me right to his face and I hissed at him. 

 

"You're the one from earlier." 

 

"I'll kill you!" I yelled without thinking, pulling myself up onto his hand. I yanked the sword as hard as I could and it came off. I swung it down onto his hand again, hoping it would damage him but he didn't even yell in pain. Instead, he was quiet. "I'll kill you... I'll kill..." 

 

"I can release you from this pain. Just surrender to me and it will all stop." 

 

"Stop? Stop? You guys stop it then... How can I stop..." I didn't notice the tears running down my cheeks until Prison poked my head, pushing me back with his giant finger. 

 

"Or you can stop this all with a single cut from your own will," he said while poking the sword. I looked at my hand and then down at the chaos that continued spiralling out of control. There was no way to win. No way to escape this game. "This is my choice to you and possibly the last chance I give you." 

 

"Why did you have to kill him... Why..." My hand started to shake. Either way was giving up but they were also the only ways out now. 

 

~~~

 

> Surrender 

 

> ERRroRr