Previously on Captivity.....

The players found themselves trapped in a mysterious and deadly game controlled by the enigmatic Adrena. Alliances were formed, but tensions rose as the true nature of the game became clear.

As Demnin approaches the others, Awandea follows, but suddenly experiences a strange weakness, collapsing to the ground. Demnin rushes to her aid, and Anex joins them, concerned. Adrena's voice interrupts, announcing the team assignments, which sends a wave of fear through the players.

The teams are displayed on a massive screen, revealing various team sizes, including two teams with only two members, labeled as "monsters." The players exchange fearful glances, aware of the game's deadly stakes. Adrena announces changes to the team arrangements due to some players having lost their lives, which barely fazes the group, as death has become a grim reality.

Demnin notices a burning sensation on his hand, revealing a bold, black letter "B" etched into his skin, indicating his team number. Other players share their own letters, and Adrena explains that they have a day to decide whether to stay or leave. Anex resolves to stay, and a new group approaches, introducing themselves as Team C members.

Demnin is wary, especially of Hinata, who seems suspicious and unsettling. Nia is hesitant to trust them, and Demnin advises her to be cautious around Hinata. Awandea playfully tells Nia to punch Hinata if he tries anything, which brings a moment of laughter and relief.

As Nia prepares to leave with her new team, her friends offer encouragement and support. Tao, a kind and gentle member of Team C, reassures Nia, and Demnin invites Ahira of team B to join their group, emphasizing the importance of forming bonds in their desperate situation. Ahira agrees, and the group shares a moment of solidarity, aware that trust is a rare commodity in their nightmarish world.

CONVERGENCE

TOKYO, JAPAN – THE REAL WORLD

"Eichi! What the hell is going on?" His sister's voice rang out, panic seeping into her tone as she furiously clicked every button on the keypad. The screen in front of her stubbornly remained the same—dark, solid red with a single, ominous word: *Entered.* Frustration boiling over, she rushed downstairs, clutching the laptop in her trembling hands. She hurried to the dining table, her heart pounding as she connected Eichi’s phone to the laptop, praying for a miracle to break through the darkness.

In the world of CAPTIVITY, survival was just as much about resources as it was about skill. Like any other game, the players were expected to pay for their food, clothes, costumes, and special weapons. The system was ruthless, ensuring that even within the digital realm, nothing came without a cost. Basic items like the custom-designed neon clothes provided to each player and minimal sustenance—bread, chips, and mini water bottles—remained free. However, these too were limited, stored in a player’s inventory, accessible through their player screen.

THE GAME - CAPTIVITY

In the bustling hall, Anex took a bite out of her cream bread, savoring the taste despite the surreal circumstances. “Who are our teammates, I wonder?” she mused aloud, her tone light as if they were discussing a school project rather than a life-or-death scenario.

“I can’t believe we really need to pay for the food,” Florida snapped, her frustration clear as she fiddled with the game’s interface. Her fingers hovered over the options, still grappling with the absurdity of their situation.

Anex chuckled, her teasing nature emerging. “We need to pay for food even in the real world, Florida. You should be used to it by now.”

“Yeah, yeah, but this is a game. It’s absurd,” Florida muttered, shaking her head in disbelief. The reality of their predicament hadn’t fully sunk in, or maybe it had, and she just refused to accept it.

“Luckily, basic food and snacks are free,” Nicole pointed out, her voice calm as she crushed a handful of chips in her palm, reducing them to crumbs.

Florida watched her with a raised eyebrow, her curiosity piqued. “What are you doing?”

Nicole didn’t look up, focusing on her task. “You crush your chips like this and then eat them. It tastes better.”

Florida stared at her for a moment, her expression a mix of confusion and mild exasperation. “Ah. I’m not sure what to say anymore…”

“Just eat your bread,” Nicole suggested, her tone light.

“Huh,” Florida scoffed, rolling her eyes. Despite the strangeness of it all, she couldn’t help but smile.

As the group continued their banter, Awandea quietly slipped away, unnoticed. She sought a quiet corner of the hall, a place where she could gather her thoughts and escape the overwhelming noise of the crowd. With a deep breath, she summoned her player’s screen, the golden interface floating in front of her.

“Boo.”

Awandea jumped, spinning around to face the source of the voice. Her heart raced as she found herself staring into the familiar eyes of Demnin. “Demnin! Why did you do that?” she asked, her voice a mixture of surprise and slight irritation, her eyes blinking rapidly.

“You can stop blinking now,” Demnin teased, snapping his fingers in front of her eyes. Her blinking slowed, her gaze focusing on him, though her eyes widened slightly at his gesture.

“Why did you sneak off?” Demnin asked, his tone turning serious as he scanned their surroundings, making sure no one else was around. “What business do you have here all by yourself?”

Awandea hesitated, her gaze dropping to the floor. “I… I just wanted to check who my teammates are,” she admitted softly.

Demnin sighed, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly. “Why hide? Let’s sit over there.” He pointed to a nearby set of chairs, not far from where they stood. Awandea nodded, following him obediently, her player’s screen still floating in front of her. They sat down, facing each other.

“So,” Demnin leaned back in his chair, his posture relaxed. “Who are your teammates?”

Awandea fidgeted slightly, her fingers playing with the hem of her sleeve. “D-Demnin, it’s not ‘are’… it’s ‘is’.”

“What do you mean?” Demnin leaned forward, his interest piqued.

“I only have one other teammate,” Awandea explained, her voice barely above a whisper.

Demnin’s eyes narrowed in concern. “What? Who are they?”

“Someone called Lumin,” she replied, her voice trembling slightly. “It says here that he eliminated many players in the selection round.”

“WHAT?!” Demnin nearly jumped out of his seat, his eyes wide with shock. He leaned closer to the golden screen floating in front of Awandea, trying to comprehend the information displayed there. “Lumin?”

“He’s… Japanese,” Awandea added, though her voice lacked conviction.

“No, he isn’t. He’s a monster. He must be a monster,” Demnin muttered, more to himself than to her. He looked back at Awandea, his worry etched deep into his features. “Awandea, will you be alright?”

Awandea’s gaze fell to the floor, her fingers tightening around the edge of her seat. “I… I don’t want to go,” she confessed quietly, the fear in her voice unmistakable.

Demnin stood up abruptly, the chair tumbling behind him. “Let’s go back to our friends. They’ll know what to do.” He took a step forward but stopped when he felt a sudden tug. Awandea had leaped up and wrapped her arms around his waist, holding onto him tightly from behind. The sudden embrace took him by surprise, his breath hitching in his throat.

“A-Awandea…” he stuttered, his voice unsteady.

“Don’t… don’t stutter,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “Right now, I should be the one doing that.”

“Y-yeah. Alright. Alright. Calm down,” Demnin replied, trying to soothe her, though his own heartbeat was far from steady.

Across the hall, Florida noticed the exchange between Awandea and Demnin, a smirk tugging at the corner of her lips. “What the hell are they doing?” she wondered aloud, her tone half-amused, half-curious.

Anex, noticing her focus on the duo, raised an eyebrow. “Do you have a boyfriend?” she asked, her curiosity getting the better of her.

Florida shook her head, her expression turning serious. “I had one… but for some reason, I broke up with him yesterday after I was out of this game.”

“Eh? Why?” Anex asked, her surprise evident.

“I don’t understand either, Anex,” Florida admitted, her voice filled with confusion. “We were going to get married next week.”

“What?!” Anex’s eyes widened in shock.

Florida nodded, her expression distant. “Yeah.”

“Then why the—”

“I don’t know, Anex,” Florida interrupted, her voice strained. “For some reason, I just did it. As if that wasn’t confusing enough, in the back of my head, my conscience kept grieving… but I didn’t shed a tear.”

“What the heck… I don’t get it,” Anex muttered, her confusion matching Florida’s.

“Me neither,” Florida admitted, her voice barely a whisper.

“That’s weird,” Haruto commented from nearby, his voice cutting through the heavy atmosphere that had settled over the group. “What if it’s somehow connected to the game?”

The suggestion hung in the air, the weight of his words sinking into each of them. A heavy silence followed, the kind that pressed down on their chests, making it difficult to breathe. They floated in that silence, each lost in their own thoughts, until they noticed a figure approaching them.

The young boy with silver hair, long enough to cover his face, appeared in front of them. His presence was unsettling, his movements slow and deliberate. “Awandea…” he muttered, his voice barely a whisper, yet it echoed in the silence that surrounded them.

Nicole and the others instinctively stood up, their bodies tensing as they eyed the boy warily. “What do you want?” Qiang asked, her voice trembling as she hid behind Li, her fear palpable.

The boy didn’t respond. He simply repeated the name, “Awandea…” His voice was haunting, sending chills down their spines as they exchanged worried glances.

Anex studied the boy, a flash of recognition crossing her face. “Wait. You’re the guy from yesterday!” she exclaimed, snapping her fingers as the memory clicked into place. She stepped forward, her gaze locked on him, but stopped in her tracks when he raised the staff he was holding.

With a sudden, violent motion, the boy struck the staff against the ground. The impact reverberated through the earth, and from behind him, a weapon emerged—a sight that left Anex speechless. She quickly stepped back, creating as much distance as she could between herself and the boy, her heart racing.

“Awandea…” he repeated, his voice lower, more menacing. “Ah. The dude is creepy,” Nicole whispered, hiding her face behind her hands, her fear almost childlike.

Min, standing off to the side, shivered uncontrollably. “Isn’t it illegal to go around with a weapon like this in this game?” she asked, her voice quivering with fear. Her question was more rhetorical than anything, a desperate attempt to grasp onto some semblance of normalcy.

Ahira, who had been silent until now, shook his head slightly. “It isn’t,” he replied, his voice low and serious. Min shot him a glare, her fear turning into frustration, but Ahira merely shrugged, his expression innocent as if he hadn’t just confirmed the worst.

Despite the terror that gripped them, they were all acutely aware of the boy’s question. It echoed in their minds, demanding an answer. Yet none of them could muster the courage to respond. The weight of his aura seemed to press down on them, suffocating any thoughts of resistance. They couldn’t move, couldn’t even breathe without feeling like they were defying some unseen force.

Finally, it was Li who broke the silence, her voice trembling as he pointed towards Awandea, who was sitting at a distance with her head hanging low, Demnin by her side, clearly worried. “R-right there,” Li stammered, her finger shaking as she directed the boy’s attention towards the pair.

The boy didn’t acknowledge Li’s fear or the tension in the group. Instead, he simply bowed his head in a gesture that was eerily formal, and began to walk towards Awandea and Demnin, his movements slow and deliberate. The atmosphere grew even heavier, if that was possible, as the boy closed the distance between them.

As he approached, a sudden alert flashed on Demnin’s player screen, which floated beside him. Ding! The notification broke the oppressive silence, and the words that appeared were like a death knell.

Lumin is heading your way.