• Death Game

The fluorescent lights buzzed above. They lit up the dull, colorless workspaces with a cold, harsh glow. Each workspace had a desk cluttered with papers. The computer screen was filled with never-ending emails. The air smelled of old coffee and felt heavy with desperation.

A groan came from a slumped figure in one of the chairs. A pale, slender hand reached up to brush a stray strand of black hair from their bloodshot eyes. They blinked and looked around, confused by the unfamiliar surroundings.

"Wh-what...?" she mumbled, the words catching in her throat. A searing pain shot through her head. She grasped her hair. The sudden movement made her feel nauseous.

Then, a flood of memories hit her. She remembered a world covered in dust, the sharp smell of smoke in the air, and the constant fear. It was all so vivid and real that she felt she could almost smell the decay.

She squeezed her eyes shut again, willing the horrific images away. This sterile office, though unpleasant, was undeniably safe. Slowly, She started to assess her situation. How did she get here? What happened? These questions hammered in her mind, demanding answers.

The throbbing in her head intensified with each passing moment. She gritted her teeth, forcing her eyes open again. 

A flicker of a memory sparked in her mind. A name. Min-seo. That was her name. And there was another... "Ji-Hoon." She mutterd under her breath.

Suddenly a system window materiel before her.

[Trial - Prove Your Worth: 

Trial grade: F

Stage One - Elimination

Description: take a life or risk losing yours

Trial Duration: 2 hours

Trial Rewards: The player will now be able to select a class.

Trial Failure Penalty: ???]

Min-seo flinched as a hand landed on her shoulder. Before she could react, a man's voice cut through the tense silence of the office.

"Hey, are you alright? You look like you've seen a ghost." His tone was overly friendly, filled with a hint of something she couldn't quite place.

Without turning to face him, Min-seo brushed his hand away with a cold look on her face. "Don't touch me. Only Ji-Hoon gets to do that."

The man's smile faltered for a brief moment, then returned, wider this time, but somehow colder. "Ji-Hoon, huh? Sounds serious. Maybe a little too serious for these times."

Min-seo didn't reply. Her instincts screamed a warning, amplifying the unease that had settled in her gut. This seemingly helpful colleague felt off, and the way his gaze lingered on her made her skin crawl.

Just then, the translucent panel flickered back to life, bathing the office in an ethereal blue glow. [Trial Commencing] the words pulsed ominously. The man's smile widened further as he gazed at them.

The man, his facade of helpfulness shattered, lunged at Min-seo again. "Join me!" he snarled, his voice laced with desperation.

Min-seo wasn't having it. "No," she spat, scrambling back in her chair.

He ignored her and grabbed her wrist with a burst of strength. Fear shot through Min-Seo as he pulled her from the chair. She struggled against his grip, her voice cracked as she screamed, "Let go!"

He shoved her with a cruel laugh, sending her crash to the floor. He landed on top of her, pinning her down with his weight. Panic gripped her as she realized his horrifying intentions.

Adrenaline surged through Min-seo. She refused to be a victim. Her hand searched for anything that could be a weapon. Her fingers touched the cool metal of a pen on the desk beside her. Desperately, she grabbed it.

Time seemed to slow. The man hesitated for a split second, caught off guard by her sudden movement. That was all the time she needed. She plunged the pen into the exposed skin of his throat, aiming for a vulnerable spot.

He let out a roar as pain filled his eyes. He lunged back, clawing at her and tightening his grip around her throat. Min-seo fought back with all her strength, repeatedly striking the same spot with the pen, driven by fear.

His grip weakened. His face frowned in agony, his eyes bulging. With a final gasp, he went limp, his body collapsing lifelessly onto hers. Min-seo let out a sigh of relief as she lay there, gasping for air, the metallic smell of blood filling her nostrils.

The silence in the office was broken only by her ragged breathing. She stared at the man's unmoving body, the pen still clutched in her hand, the weight of what she'd done sinking in. But it wasn't like she hadn't done so before, after all to survive in an apocalyptic world one must be capable of doing all sorts of inhumane things.

Min-seo shoved the body aside and stood back up. A blood stain on her cheek reminded her of the struggle. Memories of violence and instinct flooded back. She was a survivor, but the shadows of her past were darker than she wanted to admit.

A glance at the timer on the translucent window sent a jolt of frustration through her. "Ugh, talk about slow, can't wait any longer."

She muttered a curse under her breath. These people, they were just obstacles, delays in Min-seo's plan. All they had to do was die so the trial can end.

With a glint of disdain in her eye, Min-seo surveyed the remaining office workers, now frozen with fear. They were all easy prey. With a swift movement,

Min-seo launched herself onto her desk her movements honed by a past experience. The pen in her hand, no longer a writing tool, became a deadly projectile, Her target, a man across the room.

With a throw, the pen arced through the air, striking the man directly on his forehead, with a sickening thud, He crumpled to the floor, a silent proof of the trial's brutality.

Then a high-pitched scream pierced the tense silence. A woman across the room, eyes wide with terror, crumpled to the ground, clutching her head.

This wasn't her first time experiencing the apocalypse, but the brutality wasn't something she could get use to.