The portal was waiting at the center of the ruined intersection. A vertical pool of light shimmered between two broken streetlights. It didn’t look particularly stable, but it was the closest thing to mercy the Miracle Royale had offered.

[Time Until Portal Collapse: 2:45]

Deon stopped a few steps away from it, chest rising and falling as the others gathered behind him. Nobody stepped in immediately. For a moment, all of them simply stared at each other.

Deon glanced back first. "So?"

The twins, who were now holding onto each other, had looked up first. And it was Mina who spoke.

"We’re going home."

Nami, still leaning against her sister, nodded weakly. "Yeah...we’re done."

Deon didn’t argue, expecting what they would’ve chosen anyway. Honestly, if either of them said they wanted to continue, he would’ve called them idiots and tried to convince them otherwise.

Jin looked down at the [Fire Axe] Card in his hand. His fingers tightened around it before he put it in his pocket.

"I’m going home too."

Deon raised an eyebrow. "Really?"

Jin looked embarrassed for some reason. "What, you want me to stay?"

"No," Deon shrugged. "I just figured a high school kid’s probably gonna have an important wish."

"Ha..." Jin muttered. "Well, I would’ve thought that before all this. But now...I realized it’s better for me to achieve my dreams myself. I’ve got time after all."

Deon was slightly jealous at the statement, but nodded regardless. Though he was right. Jin was a brave kid who had a whole future in front of him.

Why waste it here?

Then Deon turned to Hana. She had been quiet the entire time, [Basic Heal] held loosely against her chest. Her eyes were fixed on the portal, but Deon could tell from her expression that she had already made her choice.

"And you?"

Hana looked at him. For a second, she smiled like she wanted to apologize before even speaking.

"I’m going home."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah." She nodded, then looked down at the Card in her hands. "I realized that my dream is a bit naive...But I think I understand now that I’m simply not fit for this place."

Hana gave a small, fragile laugh. "I don’t think that’s a bad thing anymore."

"...No," Deon said quietly. "It’s not."

Then Deon looked toward Vivian. She stood a little farther back, hands tucked into her jacket pockets as she watched the portal with an unreadable expression.

"And you?" Deon asked.

Vivian turned her crimson eyes toward him. "Me?"

"Don’t play dumb."

"You said your Desire Card was blank," Deon continued. "So what are you choosing?"

Vivian stared at him for a moment before shrugging casually. "I’ll choose what you’re choosing."

Deon frowned. "And how would you know what I’m choosing?"

"Isn’t it obvious?"

Deon clicked his tongue and looked away. Of course, she knew. Maybe she had known before he did.

[1:00]

Mina helped Nami forward first. The twins stopped in front of Deon, and for a second, neither seemed to know what to say.

Then Nami lowered her head.

"Thank you."

Mina added a beat later. "For keeping us alive..."

Deon scratched the side of his neck. "Don’t thank me. I was mostly trying to keep myself alive."

"Mmm..." they both hummed in unison. "Good luck!"

And together they stepped into the portal. White light engulfed their body before they vanished from view.

Jin went next.

He stopped just before entering, glancing back at Deon with the [Fire Axe] Card still in his hand. "I’ll really put it to good use."

"You better."

Jin snorted despite himself before stepping through as well, the light swallowing him all the same.

Only Hana remained.

[00:12]

[00:11]

She stood in front of the portal, clutching [Basic Heal] against her chest.

For once, Deon wished she would just go quickly. That would’ve been easier. Instead, Hana turned around.

"Deon."

"What?"

"Don’t do too many reckless things."

"I’ll...try my best."

"That’s still not good enough!"

"It’s the best offer you’re getting."

She laughed softly, holding onto [Basic Heal] before finally turning to him. "I know I said I’m going home, but I’ll still watch...somehow. I don’t know if that’s possible, but still."

"Never mind, it doesn’t matter. Don’t forget!" She tilted her head before grinning from ear to ear. "I’ll always be your number one fan."

Deon didn’t know what to say. That was the problem with sincerity. It always got under his skin before he knew what to do with it.

She gave him one last smile, then turned and stepped into the portal. The white light wrapped around her—

And then? She was gone.

[00:05]

[00:04]

Deon stared at the empty space where she had been. Vivian stepped beside him, saying nothing for once before stepping inside as well.

He exhaled softly before stepping toward the portal as well. The light washed over his face, warm and gentle, so much so that he almost forgot what had happened prior.

But a thought crept into his head, almost like a parasite that tugged in his brain.

How the hell would it even work? Would the previous contestant’s memories be erased? What about all who died? Are they going to be revived?

And home where? Wasn’t District 4 supposed to be gone? If this ruined apocalyptic place was their world, then what exactly were Mina, Nami, Jin, and Hana returning to?

Unless...

But without being able to think on it further, his foot appeared out on the other side. His eyes took a moment to adjust due to the white lights, but the moment they did...

A chandelier hung above him, draped in gold and crystal over a grand entrance hall.

A red carpet stretched beneath his feet, cutting through the center of a mansion so large it felt less like a house and more like a palace. Oil paintings lined the walls, leading the eye toward twin staircases that curved upward and joined at the balcony above.

And around the entrance hall...he saw others. People who were in the same space as him. He glanced down at their hands, immediately realizing—

Cards... These are contestants!

And then he saw them.

Mina.

Nami.

Jin.

Hana.

All four of them stood only a few meters away, staring at the mansion with the same confusion as the rest of the candidates.

Vivian appeared beside him in another flash of light, hands tucked into her jacket pockets like she had expected this. "You’ve gotten soft, Deon."

He snapped toward her. "Don’t tell me..."

Before Vivian could answer, a burst of confetti exploded above the twin staircases. Everyone in the entrance hall flinched.

Then that cheerful, grating voice rang through the mansion.

"Ding, ding, ding!"

Mimi spun into existence beneath the chandelier, golden microphone in hand and ribbon-like ears fluttering behind it.

"Congratulations, surviving contestants! You’ve arrived safely, that’s good!"

For a second, everything seemed to go quiet...before the hall erupted into screams and shouts.

"What?!"

"No, I chose home!"

"You said we could leave!"

"Send us back!"

Mimi tilted its porcelain face, and this time...Deon didn’t imagine it. The painted smile on its face moved freely, no longer constrained to just being paint.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!"

"THE ILLUSION OF FREE WILL IS JUST TOO AMAZING! ABSOLUTE ECSTASY!"

Mimi continued, laughing so hard its ribbon-like ears bounced. "It’s too easy, almost like herding cattle!"

But it seemed to catch itself, straightening as the golden microphone appeared in its hands once more.

"Ahem...thank you for your continued participation! Whether you selected Return Home or Continue Playing, all surviving contestants have now been successfully transferred to the venue for the Second Game!"

Deon curled his fingers into fists by his side.

"You sick little..."

Mimi giggled into the microphone. "Welcome to the next Game, ladies and gentlemen!"

A large blue panel appeared right behind the mascot, with only two words written in big, bold letters.

[ESCAPE ROOM]