(POV In-ho/Frontman)

On the way back to my room I noticed something weird in the atmosphere around us. I didn't encounter many of my managers and the VIPs weren't in their usual places either. Maybe Mi-na was right, maybe something dangerous was developing here – but would they really try to overthrow me? Who could be behind this?

Evening was rising and the ship was long gone, probably now reaching the cost of South Korea. I had complete trust in Mi-na to lead the ship safely back to the port and I knew she wouldn't hesitate to put everyone in their place who tried to disobey the rules. I had taught her how to fight and to use weapons so she was much deadlier than she looked like. Tomorrow Gi-hun and I would get out of here and I was sure Mi-na would await us on the mainland, already having a plan like she always did. I switched on my screen zapping through the channels of my personal security cameras when I suddenly heard people talk in a muffled voice: on the screen I saw some masked guards and managers.

"Player 456 is endangering the whole concept. Imagine the Frontman decides to stop the games once and for all just because he discovered that he's gay now. We would all lose a huge source of income." "And what about trading the organs? No games, no death, no organs, right?" "Imagine Player 456 will establish himself as new Frontman, he'll surely put an end to trading any organs." "He's endangering the whole system. If it hadn't been for the Frontman he would have been eliminated long ago. Maybe we should catch up on that." "The Frontman can't be there forever and as soon as he makes one slight mistake Player 456 is no longer safe." "And Frontman will be next."

The blood froze in my veins, I was speechless. Gi-hun was strong but he was unarmed and against so many of them he didn't stand a chance. I got up from the couch and ran through the abandoned corridors; I needed to get him out before they could attack him. First I had to save him and then all of them would die, every single of these traitors would be killed in an atrocious way, I would make sure of it. I ran into the last corridor when I saw that Gi-hun's door was already open and I heard noises from inside. NO! As I pushed the door open I saw a guard laying on the floor unconsciously and Gi-hun was fighting another one by hitting him with a wooden chair. I raised my revolver and shot the guard right in the head. Out of breath he looked at me and wiped blood off his eyebrow with the back of his head. "Thanks for finally controlling your employees, Frontman", he said sarcastically and I grinned despite the fatal situation: "Always at your service. Now let's get out of here. Oh and take this.", I gave him my second revolver, "This is no place for an unarmed man." Without making any noise we moved forward through the corridors towards where I knew was the next exit – but as I looked around a corner I heard the first shot and even felt the draft from the bullet that had just missed me. "BACK! They blocked the exit!", I shouted and we ran back towards the management area. I knew that at this point there would be only one exit: underground through the tube where Jun-ho managed to escape years ago. I heard the traitors approaching behind us and realized that there were many of them – probably all who hadn't already left the island after the Games' end. We didn't stand a chance fighting them but we both knew that we wouldn't surrender. "In there.", I hissed, pulling Gi-hun into the room where I knew was the way into the tube. His weapon pointed at the door in case they would break through while I moved some furniture to block the way to buy us some time.

"Gi-hun, it's important that you do exactly as I say. There are too many of them, the only way out of this for us will be under water. We'll go through the tube now and at the bottom we'll find diving equipment. Do you know how to use it?"

Gi-hun snorted: "Please, as you know I'm a natural. Don't worry, the bad penny always turns up again." I shook my head, almost laughing. I admired this man and yet he would be the death of me. With a crack I opened the tube's entrance and climbed inside. "Follow me, they won't take long." Gi-hun was right behind me as we climbed down the hundreds of ladder rungs, the gun in his hand, ready to fire. Automatically I bit my lip – the bad-boy-vibe suited him and even now I couldn't overlook his pure sexiness. Arriving at the ladder's bottom I led the way through the underground to where the diving equipment was stored – and froze in shock.

"What happened?", Gi-hun asked – and froze as well as he saw it: every single of the oxygen bottles had been destroyed with a bullet. We were trapped. Trapped with no way out.