Chapter 4: ??? Hour – A Countdown to MIDNIGHT [Five to]

Lee Joon POV

Minor detail?!

The moment he said those two words, my world went red. Like a cloak, it draped itself in my face so that all I could see was red, red, red. I felt my hands form fists as something primordial snarled inside me, making me want to step forwards and smash this indolent holographic image to fragments regardless of how futile it would be.

But just as I was about to move, a hand shot out and grabbed my shoulder. I spun, eyes flaring, only to see a pair of soft brown eyes. Too soft to hurt.

“Please stop,” the younger boy said, honest worry clouding his eyes. What was his name again? Mee, Mii, oh that’s right. Mir. Simple enough to remember I guess. “Like he said, he’s the one throwing the dices here. Let’s listen first.”

I let out a small grumble but backed down. It was the unavoidable truth.

I turned back to the ringmaster. “Spit it out then,” I snarled. “You got ten seconds.”

The Ringmaster smirked his perpetual twitch of a grin, as if thoroughly amused at my anger. Well soon enough I’d give him something to smirk about. Smug bastard.

[OH? IT’S NOTHING MUCH] The Ringmaster said in a coy tone. [JUST THAT I THOUGHT I SHOULD WARN YOU ABOUT THE WOLF]

I was tired of his sly games and roundabout manners. It seemed that the Thunder boy was as well.

“Enough.” Thunder hissed, his eyes narrowing to slits. “Explain.”

[VERY WELL] The Ringmaster complied, though the very flow of his words and smooth gestures, I had the feeling it was all scripted. The way he had paused, letting us have our moment of hope and then crushing it like Mjölnir bringing down its divine judgment. It was all so…planned. Lights, camera, action. May the audience be pleased. He knew full well such a show would keep their tails wagging. But we were no puppets to be played. It infuriated me.

Oblivious to my rage, the Ringmaster continued his spiel.

[SIMPLY LETTING YOU FIVE JUST COMPLETE SEVEN LEVELS IS FAR TOO SIMPLE, NOT FUN AT ALL]

I beg to disagree.

[THEREFORE, I HAVE INTRODUCED A WILDCARD, A WOLF SO TO SPEAK].The Ringmaster raised one finger theatrically as if to silence our unspoken questions. [NOW, NOW, LET ME CONTINUE]

I barely held back a growl.

[I WILL NOT TELL YOU WHO THE WOLF IS, NEITHER WILL THE WOLF HIMSELF KNOW FOR YOU ARE ALL MEMORYLESS. HOWEVER AS TIME GOES BY AND YOU ALL COMPLETE MORE LEVELS, YOUR MEMORIES WILL RETURN AND THE WOLF WILL REALIZE WHO HE IS]

“And what happens then?” G.O asked grimly. I didn’t even realize I was holding my breath, but the tension in the air was killing us all.

The Ringmaster made a sound of approval, as if he had anticipated these questions. Like actors reciting their designated lines. [HE WILL KILL YOU. ONE BY ONE.]

I choked. Kill us?! Was this the man’s twisted ideas of fun?!

“Kill us?!” Seungho growled, the Ringmaster’s puppeteering finally getting the better of his manners. “But as you said, we are all amnesiac, so why would one of us want to kill the others. We all want to escape. Your plan isn’t going to work.”

[AH, AH, AH] The Ringmaster twitched one hand in front of us, like a schoolmaster reprimanding a particularly cheeky child. [IT WILL WORK. AND IT IS NOT ME WHO WILL ORCHESTRATE YOUR DEATHS. IT IS YOUR OWN SELVES AND PASTS]

“What-“ I started, thoroughly confused and ready to just beat him up for answers heedless of the fact he was a hologram and all. But the Ringmaster interrupted me first.

[BUT ENOUGH ABOUT THAT, YOU’LL HAVE PLENTY OF TIME TO DISCOVER SUCH THINGS LATER.] The Ringmaster straightened himself. [EVERYTHING ELSE WILL COME WITH TIME. HEED MY WARNING. BEWARE OF THE WOLF. AS ALL WOLVES DO, THEY STRIKE FROM THE SHADOWS AND WHEN YOU ARE AT YOUR WEAKEST.]

He paused, allowing us a moment to swallow all that. Then he finished with a flourish. [I WISH YOU ALL THE BEST OF LUCK AND DO NOT FORGET. YOU HAVE 24 HOURS. MAY THE STRONGEST SURVIVE.]

“Hey! Wait a sec-“ I yelled, seeing him sizzle out of existence, but suddenly the grandfather clock began to chime loudly, each bell resounding so loudly I could feel the reverberations through my bones. It made my teeth chatter and my skeleton shake. The world blurred around me, turning to an obscure slur of colors. I stumbled, reaching out for anything stable, but the world was spinning, spinning, spinning and then all of a sudden the floor beneath me dropped and with a lurch I was falling…

                                  falling…

                                              falling…                                                                        

     ...

           ...

                         ...

                                                    [AND SO,TICK TOCK,LET THE GAMES BEGIN]