I woke up in a dark room with a single door for me to open. The door was silver, a weaved design clearly accented in gold across the frame. The shimmer on the door seemed to come from nowhere, the antique trim defying the darkness with its light. Odd, in my opinion, but hey, I was in a game. I maneuvered towards it, cautiously, unaware of what was inside of it.

As I finally approached the door, I pulled away from its handle.

I took sharp breaths in and out. 'It's just a game. There's no danger in playing.'

My hand shook as I pressed my fingers against the cold metal door knob.

When I stepped into the next room, the door behind me slammed shut and disappeared. I took a deep breath before stepping forward. I only won The Game twice. Most of the time, it was Sage or Zolona who won The Game, but between the two of them, Sage always came out on top. Maybe it would be different with a new player on the field.

I looked at the room around me. It was Zolona's throne room. It was so familiar I knew I couldn't be wrong. The colors seemed more distorted in reds and blacks-- something that never happened before-- and an almost magical aura lingered in it. Claw marks scraped the walls around me that once were embedded with a zig-zag design, and even the smell of the room was surreal. Copper? Zinc? Maybe iron? It smelled stuffy like an attic.

To my surprise, someone sat in Zolona's throne I couldn't recognize. I knew the serum took memories of the players for the experiences, but I didn't know who the hell this woman was.

She wore a huge black crown with dark red jewels. In her hand, she held a sword with a black hilt covered in blood. The black laced dress capturing all of her curves clashed against the ruby high heels and the fishnet leggings she wore underneath. She had a scar across her cheek and her smile was tainted with blood red lipstick. Her pale, almost ice-white, skin striked against her deep, dark blue eyes surrounded by the gloom of black eyeshadow. Coffee hued hair angled towards her face and she had bangs pushed to the side, slightly covering one of her eyes.

Her beauty wasn't human-- almost like a 'Mary Sue' Zolona told me about in stories. The beauty of this woman had a supernatural feel to it, even despite her one facial flaw. She looked to be in her late twenties, but the gaze she gave me was etched with a calculated and cold wisdom-- something that most people my age lacked.

She wasn't Zolona. I was sure about that. Zolona didn't have blue eyes. Her face wasn't as pale as this woman's, not to mention that Zolona didn't have that scar. I captured all of her appearance and seared it into my memory. Zolona might have known something about her I didn't.

The woman's eyes glared towards me. "So, you're the girl I've been hearing so much about."

Her voice was sophisticated, carrying a regal tone. The words naturally flowed from her throat. She was calmer than I was, yet there was something about her I didn't trust. Maybe it was the smile on her face. Maybe it was my gut.

"Who are you?" I stood there in confusion, waiting for the woman's answer.

The woman laughed. "You don't remember, do you?"

"What are you talking about?" I raised an eyebrow. My stomach churned from her words.

"Well, this is only a game, for now," the woman said.

"Is this a part of it?" I asked.

"That's up for you to decide." the woman chuckled.

'No, obviously The Game is trying to trick me, but if it is, what challenge is in this room?'

Wheels in my head spun.

"If you're looking for what challenge to do, it's to find your way out of this," the woman informed.

I nodded. "Thank you."

The woman smiled. "I didn't tell you what to get out of yet."

"Don't you mean out of this room?" I asked.

"You need to escape the quicksand you stepped in," the woman said as I looked down at my feet.

Crap, I was sinking in quicksand! I had to act quickly, but slowly. You sink quicker if you don't do appropriate procedures. I looked around for something sturdy to grab to pull me out. Nothing was there except the curtain on one of the windows. The ceiling raised higher with every second I waited, the floor pulling me into an abyss. The curtain had to do. I grabbed onto it and used all my upper body weight to drag my sinking legs away from danger.

I got myself out of the quicksand, turning to the throne to find the woman was gone. I looked back to the quicksand to reveal a new, black door. I smiled as I entered it.

Darkness engulfed my world, not a sound speaking against the shadows.

'There has to be a switch somewhere...'

When I finally felt a lever, metal and cold to the touch, I turned it on. When the power returned, it took a while before my eyes adjusted.

It was a light far brighter than the blood moon I'd grown accustomed to. I found myself with a sun rising on a beach and a blank easel in front of me. The smell of salt and ocean waves sent my senses in disarray. It was familiar, yet something I wasn't used to.

There was a little girl there as well. She had blonde hair and light blue eyes. She was dressed in a white dress with pink and blue flowers on it. Her shoes were also white, and her pink lacy socks matched the outfit. On her head, she had a sparkly headband on top of her braided hair.

She smiled at me. "You must be Raven."

"My name's 635202, not Raven!" I paused, letting the girl's words sink in, "How did you know that name?"

The little girl giggled. "Well, I was created out of Echo's memories, right?"

'So...Echo knows this girl. I should've known!'

"Are you the princess?" I asked.

"My name's Laila," the girl, Laila, giggled again-- making me cringe.

Laila was a perfect name for her. Her doll-like eyes and white clothing did give an angel vibe. Zolona told legends about such creatures, and though she didn't give much description on them, Laila gave me an image of what one might look like. Were they real? Crap, if that were true, I'd be screwed.

I rolled my eyes. "So, I'm guessing you're important to him."

"Was," she said.

I raised an eyebrow. "Were you not friends in the end or something? Not like friends are good things. I prefer allies."

"Raven! How could you say that? Friends are different than allies!" Laila took my hand.

"How?"

"Friends help each other. They've got each other's back. They're people who hang out."

"Hang out?"

"Don't tell me you haven't done that before, Raven."

"Could you please stop calling me that!? My name's 635202. Not Raven."

"Why don't you like it? Is it because it gives you a warm and fuzzy feeling inside?"

"You didn't answer my question," I said, trying to change the subject.

Laila giggled again. "Oh, I forgot. We used to be friends."

"What happened?" I asked.

"I moved on to a Better Place. That's at least where Echo thinks I am. I don't know where the real me is. I'm only a fraction of Echo's memories. This is what he saw me as," Laila smiled.

I sighed. "Is that a name of a city? It sounds nice. "

"Echo hopes so. He couldn't stand seeing me get my ticket. One bullet was all it took," Laila said.

My eyebrows shot up in realization. "You were killed!?"

"Echo tried to save me, but Arvin's sister told him it wouldn't be a good idea. Sage used me to try to capture him, and counted down to my death. You know, I tried to be Sage's friend. I'd never expect her to actually kill me. I guess I'm one of the angels now." Laila sighed, bowing her head.

"Shit... how long have you..." I was completely phased hearing she was dead.

"Almost a week now,"Laila said.

"Echo doesn't feel guilty at all?" I asked.

"Of course he feels bad about it! He just... forgave himself," Laila said.

'I could never do that...'

Laila smiled back at me. "You have to paint in this challenge. Capture the moment."

"I see an easel, a brush, but no paints," I said.

"Use your imagination and emotion for the paints," Laila gestured to the paintbrush.

"That doesn't make sense!"

"Just paint. It should be fun. Are you going to?" Laila asked.

"Not without actual paints," I crossed my arms.

"You're going to fail the challenge. You sure?" Laila asked.

"Yes, I'm sure!" I said.

I fell through the sands below me and hit my head on concrete.

'Shit!' I rubbed a fresh bruise, 'What was I doing? That little girl, Laila, I wonder if she... No, I have to focus. I have to make it out of The Game. I'm not messing around anymore.'

I looked around the area, not much light gleaming into the room. The surroundings were out of focus, warped.

Only a gun laid in the center. I walked over and picked it up slowly. Shallow breathing quivered behind me, and I turned to find Laila.

"Please don't hurt me! I don't know why everyone likes me!" she said.

"What are you talking about? Didn't I fail your challenge?" I asked.

Laila covered her face. "Don't hurt me!"

'This is another challenge. Laila didn't act this way before.' I stepped forward.

"Get away from me! This is how you treat me and my other friends? You hurt us? Of course, I'm pitiful." Laila's heart pounded in our small, confined room like a drum.

"Sage used me for bait, and counted down for my death. She killed me." Laila's words from before echoed in my head.

'This is from Sage memories...'

I knew my challenge. Sage claimed she had near-perfect aim. Did Laila really befriend Sage? I wasn't sure, but now, with a gun in my hand, I had to kill her to advance. I raised the gun.

I hesitated. I talked to her for less than five minutes, but I hesitated the same. I couldn't explain why.

'This is why you're cold in the first place. That way when you have to kill someone, you don't feel bad about it and you can do your job,' My hands trembled.

It'd have to be a perfect shot. That was the only way I could pass the challenge. That was Sage's talent. I looked at Laila's face. She looked so scared. I had close my eyes in order to do it, despite my record. I could see Zolona's disapproval. Thank gods she wasn't here.

I closed my eyes and pulled the trigger. I didn't open my eyes when she screamed. When the shriek faded, I finally opened my eyes to reveal another room.

To my surprise, someone else was in there with me: Sage.

Sage produced a crooked smile. "What? Surprised to see me?"

"I expected you to be further ahead," I said.

"Normally, yeah," Sage groaned.

"What happened?" I asked.

Sage crossed her arms and stomped her foot in rage. "I ran into one of Echo's talents."

"Same thing happened to me," I informed her.

"He's ruining the fun!" Sage clenched her teeth together.

I cocked an eyebrow. "Did you know a girl named Laila?"

Sage laughed. "Yeah, I did. I couldn't believe the look on her face when I pointed the gun."

"Yeah... what's our challenge?" I asked, attempting to change the subject.

"You're not going to like it," Sage pointed to the piano.

I sighed. "We have to write a song."

"The first one to write a good song is the winner. There's no way either one of us is making it through this round," Sage complained.

"I'm not losing another challenge."

"We're better off. Besides, the next round is the last one. The one where..." Sage began.

I interrupted her. "How do we lose?"

"No idea," Sage said.

"How about we refuse to do it?" I asked.

"Okay, I refuse," Sage shouted.

She fell through the floor.

I didn't. That was odd. Instead, a gold door opened in front of me.

'Guess since Sage refused before I did, I won the contest. Maybe I have a chance at beating her,'

I trudged forward, swallowing a lump in my throat. The gold door lingered in front of me, and I knew what was next.

I had to face my worst fear. I never liked that part. Since I lost a challenge, it'd be harder than if I hadn't missed any. My fear was hard enough as it was.

You're probably wondering what it was. The stranger appeared every night in my dreams. She haunted me for seventeen years of my life, or at least two, considering I forgot the other fifteen. She became a mysterious silhouette hiding beneath the black cloak. Every time I caught her gaze, a eerie feeling overwhelmed my body-- like she had a lingering resentment for me. Hell, not knowing who she was helped me cope! Sometimes, I questioned what I was more afraid of: the woman, or the uncertainty of not knowing who her identity.

My hands became sweaty. My heart raced. I took in a deep breath. Even after succeeding the challenges, this fear almost killed me several times. I had no reason to be afraid, but I was. After all, I couldn't remember her. My breaths were shallow.

I opened the door slowly to the final challenge, my hand shaking as the door creaked open. I couldn't see anything from the mist within the door, and I shut it before going in.

'You can do this. Breathe!' I took another deep breath and tried to open the door again.

I entered the doorway before the door was shut behind me. I tried to open the doorknob again, but it was locked. A chill ran up my spine. I was trapped.

"Don't even try that," spoke a voice from behind me.

She was dressed in the same black hood completely covering her face. I gulped as she reached out her hand to a weapons table, like an omen of death.

"So, what weapon are you choosing this time?" she asked. Her voice haunted my every movement. It was dead, heartless even. However, it had a royal charm like a member of an upper class family.

"None of your concern." I clenched my teeth.

The woman ignored my comment. "Whatever you choose, you won't win."

I looked at the weapons in front of me. There was a sword, a staff, knives, a gun, a bow and arrows, a spear, and spellbook.

"I'll take the knives." I grabbed them off the table.

It was a risk. Knives were limited in range, and were limited in number. I couldn't get up close to the woman without her possibly hurting me.

"I knew you would choose that. Are you ready to face your fate?" she asked.

"No," I said.

"You sound horrified!" she threw a knife at me.

I quickly dodged her attack before gasping for breath.

'Remember, 635202, she has tremendous aim, is great at making you feel worse about yourself, is violent, manipulates, is fast, cunning, and she does everything to kill you. Oh, you can't forget her powers.'

I took a knife and threw it at her for a counterattack.

I missed.

The hooded figure laughed. "Your aim's the same from when you fought me two years ago."

"Bullshit!" I said, with wide eyes, 'That's impossible! I didn't start playing The Game until a year ago.'

She threw another knife which barely missed my face. 'I need to focus! I can't listen to my emotions! It's best to keep statements like that locked up in the deepest part of my mind' I concentrated and threw another knife.

The knife would have hit her, if she didn't speed right past it. "Foolish girl. You're caught in a game you can't understand."

"No, I'm not! I've played for a year now!" I stabbed her chest with a knife.

"I wasn't talking about this one..." she smiled.

She melted into a dark pile of goo before fading away into nothing.

'I'm caught in a game I can't understand...? Impossible! This woman can't know something about this game I don't.'

I sighed.

I laid my knives on the table. I would've died a gruesome, gory kind of death if I had to face that creature in real life-- a creature of the unknown.

I turned to see the white door near me. I smirked as I opened it.

I woke up, fluttering my eyelids open. I wasn't surprised to see that Sage, Zolona, and Echo were waiting for me. Echo made it out before I did? Surprising. I couldn't help but wonder how that was possible.

I half expected him to be dead. Crap, I take that back. I was pretty sure facing his worst fear would leave him as a corpse on the floor. Boy, was my accusation wrong.

I squinted my eyes and yawned. "Who won?"

"Not me," Sage moaned, clenching her teeth together. Her face was red with jealousy.

"Someone beat Sage's streak?" I asked.

Zolona smiled. "Yes, someone did."

"Congratulations, Zolona," I assumed it was her. After all, I hadn't done it. There was no way I could take credit for it either.

"It wasn't me." Zolona's smile widened.

My eyebrows shot up. "What?"

If Sage was beaten out, I got last, and Zolona wasn't the one to beat Sage, it could only mean one thing.

Echo didn't just make it out before me.

He won.