Saturday night, is the bloody night.

Valery's POV Darkness enveloped us, the only light coming from the moon, casting long, eerie shadows. We were outside, the stage set for their game. Everyone wore black masks and carried sharp weapons. We surrounded a cage where the victims were held, their white clothes stark against the darkness. Their hands were bound, as if to ensure they wouldn't easily escape. It was against our will to participate in this game, but we had no choice. Refusal meant becoming the next targets. "No matter what, stay close to me," Kairos commanded, his voice firm. Daisy and I nodded in agreement. "I can't wait to see their blood splatter," a girl next to us said, sending chills down my spine. "What time is it?" a man asked, the only one wearing a gold mask. "It's already 5:30 pm, King KD," the man beside him replied. "Hmm, 20 minutes to go," King KD said with a smirk. They were so unnerving, excited for the bloodshed. "Is there really no other way to stop this?" Daisy whispered, her voice laced with fear. "As you can see, there isn't. The authorities are also under the school's control," Kairos said calmly. I let out a dry laugh. "The hell, we might die here!" "Come on, think positive, Val. We'll escape this hellhole," Kairos said, trying to sound optimistic. "As if," I muttered, turning back to the cage where the victims were trapped. Their lives were on the line, mere seconds away from danger. If I were in their position, could I handle it? "King KD, it's already 6:00 pm," someone announced. "Open the cage and give them 10 minutes to run," King KD commanded. The cage door slammed open, and the five victims bolted for freedom. "Look, they’re like scared cats," a girl laughed from a distance. "Go run, little scared cats!" another yelled. "It’s already 6:11, King KD." "It's time to hunt everyone. The game has begun," King KD announced. Everyone pulled out their weapons. "May the best win?" I asked, the words spilling out without a second thought. What the hell? Everyone was staring at me because of what I said. It didn't sound sarcastic, right? "Yeah, may the best win, Valery," King KD smirked, his gaze piercing into me. He knew my name! I don't even remember giving it to him! Why did he look at me so strangely? Did he think I was a spy? Your honor, pilipino po ako! I was pulled back to reality by Kairos and Daisy tapping me, as everyone else began running. Could I kill someone to survive? We ran, Kairos and Daisy ahead of me. As I ran, I couldn't shake the thought: Could I kill a friend if they became a target? Or would they kill me if I was the target? These questions haunted me, a terrifying reality that could very well unfold. Life was at stake in this game. Kairos had already warned me not to trust anyone too much. Did he include them in that warning? Should I be wary of them? But I still hoped our friendship could withstand this. I had accepted them as my friends. It felt unfair to distrust them when they were the ones looking out for me. Do I even deserve their friendship if I can't trust them fully? We were the only three together now, separated from the others to increase our chances of finding the targets. We stopped at the edge of the forest, listening for any sounds. "Can we do this? Are we ready to be killers?" Daisy asked, her voice trembling. "We have no choice but to kill them and bring their heads to King KD," Kairos said, his voice devoid of fear. I couldn't believe he could say that so nonchalantly. "Nothing will happen to us if we don’t kill, right?” I asked, hoping for reassurance. "Wrong. If you miss five times, you'll receive a punishment equal to two rule violations. That's why we have no choice but to kill them. We have to become monsters in their eyes," Kairos said, his words chillingly matter-of-fact.