4 The Groups

The woman with white eyes began to move amongst them.

With her firm and unyielding hands, she corralled them into groups of three. Kado was pushed towards a man and a young child.

The abruptness of the action added to the confusion that was already rampant in the room.

The man was stocky with short blond hair and piercing blue eyes.

He had a hard, rugged look about him, a certain masculinity that was accentuated by his sharp features.

His jumpsuit bore the number '14' in bold red.

Beside him was a young child, a girl who couldn't be older than six or seven.

She had long, wavy orange hair that fell to her waist, and her brown eyes were wide with fear. The girl was crying softly, her small body looked like it was shaking with each sob. Her jumpsuit was marked with the number '13'.

A quick survey of the room made Kado realize that the grouping was not random.

Each group was arranged based on the numbers on their jumpsuits, their placement in the room seemingly ordered.

He was with 13 and 14, and he could see other groups arranged similarly.

The room was filled with a cacophony of whispers and sobs as the individuals in each group started acquainted themselves.

The air was thick with panic and uncertainty.

But beneath it all, Kado could sense a growing determination.

They were all trapped in this game, and they would have to find a way to survive, together.

As he looked at his own group members, Kado knew he had to step up. What will happen now?' He was with a child and a stranger…

"Iiissh."

He took a deep breath, steeling himself. They were a team now… 'will this team stay the same till the very end?' He thought to himself.

The room fell into an eerie silence as the voice reverberated through the air once more, its words dripped with ominous implications.

"Each group," it intoned, its tone sounded like it was laced with sinister undertone, "must make their way to the foreboding dungeons and vanquish not one, but three formidable monsters. Each member of the group must face these creatures alone, but they must return as a united force. The last surviving team, the one whose member delivered the final blow, will be subjected to an intense scrutiny, as their fate lies at the mercy of everyone present."

A wave of murmurs erupted throughout the room, like a swarm of distressed bees, as the weight of the task settled upon the participants. Panic swelled and spread like wildfire, infecting the atmosphere with an overwhelming sense of dread.

"What?" Someone said.

"How?" Another one asked.

Whispers of doubt and fear ricocheted off the walls, blended into an indistinguishable cacophony of trepidation.

Amidst the chaos, a girl, roughly the same age as Kado, stepped forward, her presence looked commanding attention.

Her long, lustrous tresses fell down her back like a shimmering waterfall of sapphire, perfectly mirroring the intensity of her penetrating ocean-blue eyes.

She possessed a slender yet athletic physique, exuding both grace and strength.

With a resounding voice that cut through the clamor like a sharp blade, she voiced her incredulity.

"How can we expect a mere child to face and conquer such monstrous creatures? Is this a cruel illusion? And what manner of abominations are we expected to confront in the first place?"

Behind her, a young boy was clinging to her leg, his features mirroring her own defiance.

His jet-black hair framed a face that betrayed his tender age, while his deep, obsidian eyes displayed a glimmer of vulnerability.

Kado's gaze shifted momentarily to the girl's number, emblazoned with the digit 7, before glancing at the boy whose number bore the mark of 9.

The room, once enveloped in panic, now held its breath, captivated by the audacity of the voice that was speaking from above.

The girl's inquiry had ignited a spark of rebellion within their hearts, tempting them to question the very fabric of their terrifying reality.

But more than half of then were able to realise something sooner than some others did…

As the room continued to buzz with skepticism and questioning, certain groups, like the one comprised of the girl with number 7, seemed to attract the most doubt.

Their composition—a young girl, an elderly man, and a boy—did little to inspire confidence in their ability to form a formidable team.

They appeared mismatched, lacking the physical prowess typically associated with success in such a harrowing endeavor.

Amidst the growing tension, a member from Kado's own team couldn't resist the urge to sneer and mock the seemingly ill-fated trio.

A derisive laugh escaped his lips as he crossed his arms defiantly. "Well, well, well," he jeered, dripping with sarcasm, "looks like this trio is utterly doomed."

His words hung in the air like a toxic cloud, poisoning the already suffocating atmosphere.

Kado, taken aback by this callous display, furrowed his eyebrows.

It was no secret that each individual present harbored their own desires, their own wishes driving them to participate in this twisted game. Survival and victory were the ultimate goals shared by everyone in the room.

So, why would this man choose to belittle and mock a team that, like his own, sought the same outcome?

"Listen," Kado retorted, "we're not exactly blessed with good fortune either."

His gaze shifted towards the child standing beside him, a little amount of protectiveness glimmered in his eyes.

"But that doesn't mean we abandon all sense of compassion. Winning shouldn't come at the expense of innocent lives."

The man, consumed by arrogance and selfishness, scowled in disgust as he continued to cast disdainful glances at the elderly and the young.

"This shit couldn't be any easier," he declared, stretching his neck with an air of superiority.

Choosing his battles wisely, Kado decided not to engage further with the man.

Now was not the time for confrontation.

Instead, he focused on the bigger picture, reaffirming his determination to navigate this treacherous game with integrity and compassion, even if it meant standing up against those who had lost sight of their humanity.