Briefing

Kamal and Daniel started waking up every member. It's already time for breakfast and everyone's still asleep.

The two yell in the hallway to wake everyone. And once the contestants saw them, they were surprised to see how different they were from yesterday. Cheerful and loud.

They went to the upper deck where breakfast is already served for all of them.

Hunter and his roommates felt uncomfortable when they saw Ben looking at them. But they chose to ignore it.

"Hunter! What happened last night?" Kylo asked.

He heard about what happened from the others.

Hunter told him the whole detail and Kylo ended up laughing at him.

After their breakfast, Steve gathered them again for a few briefings.

"First! Once we arrive, you must remember to obey the rules of the castle! You will be taken to your rooms by your mentors! Follow only them and do not stray!" Steve said while reading something on the folder he was holding.

"Oh! And take note that no one can leave their room during lights out! We'll know if you did!" He added and turned to Hunter and his roommates.

"We will be arriving in a few hours! So you can now start preparing your stuff!" Daniel said and sat on the couch beside Simon.

The guy moved a little, avoiding contact with Daniel.

The contestants soon went back to their rooms to fix their luggage.

And after a few hours, everyone ran to the deck to finally see what Herus island looked like.

There was thick fog everywhere at first. Until the view finally became clearer and before them was the magnificent yet dangerous island of Herus.

And finally, they had arrived.

As the cruise approaches the port. The guys finally have a clear view of the shore.

They saw a small house not very far from the port. Behind it are the green forest of the island.

The cruise finally made its last stop and everyone departed to go to the house carrying their luggages.

In there, waiting all the champions dressed in a uniform just like DREAMS.

Steve gave a black folder to Niall before he and his team stood behind him.

Niall stepped forth and faced everyone.

"Welcome to Herus island!" Niall said with a sincere smile.

"He doesn't look scary like them!" Jamie whispered at Taki while looking at the man speaking in front of them.

Niall and the other champions led them to the forest.

They took a road that led them to Castle Grim.

"It's creepy..."

"Are we staying there?"

"Look at the castle! It's beautiful!"

"Do you think Dracula lived in a castle like this too?"

"I like the design!"

"Can we vandalize the glass mirrors?"

"Wow! There's trees!"

"Look at the mansion!"

"Dumbass, that's a manor!"

The contestants gathered on the green field.

"Welcome to Castle Grim!"

"When I call your name and your mentor, they will take you to your room first to take a rest! We will be calling you at the great hall after a few hours!" Niall said and opened the folder.

He started calling names and here are the list:

Yuna - Drew

Celine - Simon

Raven - Sean

Lia - Seth

Yelena - Nicholas

Lisa - Hanbin

Rose - Jimin

Jennie - Grant

Juliet - Jasper

Kamal - Jamie

Terrence - Salem

Ben - Hunter

Steve - Julian

Daniel - Theo

Jared - Neil

Terrence - Jay

Jace - Taki

Hugo - Elijah

Niall - Yuri & Kylo

Yael - Jake

Sage - Kenny

……

"We should say something!" Yuri whispered at Kylo with his eyes locked on the man walking in front of them.

There are five of them heading to their room right now. Yuri, Kenny, Jake and Kylo will all be sharing their room.

"You should say something! You're loud!" Kylo said and slightly pushed Kenny forward.

"I'm not! You made a good impression yesterday, you should be the one to talk to him!" Kenny pushed him too.

The four kept pushing each other until they arrived in their room. Designed with a retro theme and on the corner are two bunk beds.

"All four of you will be sharing this room! You can rest here for now!" Niall said and left.

Kylo and Kenny sat on both the lower bed while Jake and Yuri put their luggages on the upper beds.

They talked with each other for a while.

"If anyone of you is bored in your room, you're free to go to the library, terrace and the commom room at the West Wing!" A woman's voice was suddenly heard from the speaker.

"We should go! Maybe the others will go out too!" Kylo said and they stood up to leave their room.

Their room is located at the West Wing so they went to the West Wing common room.

Half of the contestants are there chatting with each other and touring the place.

Kylo decided to go with Taki and Neil and the three who are all actually from Japan, went to the library together.

"Why do all the books look so old?" Taki said while scanning every books in the bookshelves with his point finger.

Kylo grabbed a book with a cover of brown leather.

"Woah! This book is rare!" Kylo exclaimed while opening every page of the book. His eyes formed into a shape of 'O'.

"I'm not really interested with books! They make me sleep!" Neil mumbled and scrunched his nose in distaste.

They stayed in the library for a while before they went to the corridor at the second floor of West Wing.

Hunter, Jamie and Salem are also there talking quietly with each other while leaning themselves on the grills.

"Hey! Why the long faces?" Kylo spoke as they approached them.

"Do you think Sir. Kamal is a cool mentor?" Jamie asked looking quite worried and Hunter patted his shoulder.

"Jamie's mentor is Sir. Kamal! Mine is Sir. Terrence! And Hunter's mentor is Sir. Ben!" Salem exclaimed and the three only nodded their heads.

"Hunter! I heard what Sir. Ben asked you to do at the cruise! And now he's really your mentor?" Neil asked and Hunter flopped himself on the floor.

"Argh! I'm doomed! What if he gives me a hard time!?" Hunter whined hopelessly.

"Everyone, please proceed to the great hall for the briefing!" The same voice from earlier spoke again through the speakers.

They went to the great hall together. And soon, everyone filled every empty seat.

Some of the mentors aren't there. Only Juliet, the leader of ACES, stood in the front.

They greeted each other before she started to brief them about the castle.

"First and foremost, it is important that you must remember not to go out after lights out! It is a simple rule so we expect that no one will dare to disobey it!"

"The North and South Wing will be off limits to every islanders! You can freely go around the castle except those two! Also, every islanders is forbidden to leave the castle unless they are with their mentor! Or they will be doing a daily task!"

"Are we the islanders?" Sean asked Hanbin who was sitting beside him. But enough for Juliet to hear since they're in the front row.

"That's right! The moment you enter Herus island, you are now an islander! So! Regarding the game, I was told that two among you have shared their thoughts about it! Stand up please!"

Kylo and Hunter discreetly stood up. They may not show it but the islanders can feel their nervousness radiating from them.

"Can you please tell me what you two shared with them?" She asked with a grin on her face. It was neither sincere nor friendly.

The two looked at each other. Kylo nodded at Hunter signaling him to speak.

"The game of Herus is as anonymous as its champion! Some people say that joining the game is not different when you join a war on a battlefield! You're life will be on the line! So I think that's why none got out to tell everyone about the champions!" Hunter said and Juliet turned to Kylo.

"They said the victory isn't like any other victory! It is something great that is worth the lives taken! The game teaches its people something more than kindness! It teaches the lessons of life and what matters in every moment!" He added and finally both can feel their confidence waking from their inner selves.

"The island will give us a prize that can be cherished forever! It is greater than any glory!" Hunter said and after a few seconds of silence, Juliet started clapping her hands that only reminded them of someone who did the exact same clap at the cruise.

"Indeed! The prize is the greatest lesson of life..." she hummed quietly while looking at the two.

"Now! Some of you may not still believe of the hiding truth from their words! So allow me to wake you from your delusions! The game will be consisting of several tests that will be coming from the champions! Your mentors, will be on your side to guide you! If you succeed, you will proceed to the next stage! But if you fail, then you will find the answers to your questions about the previous islanders that didn't make it!" She said and everyone started mumbling at each other.

They already have a guess. But they don't have enough guts to accept the truth.

"The test doesn't have a specific date! So you have to be prepared all the time!"

"Now that's all for now!" She said and left just like that.

The great hall was covered with silence for 5 minutes exact. All islanders are waiting for her words to fully process in their minds.

They quietly returned to their rooms thinking if they made the right decision to join the game.

I hope you liked the chapter.

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