Chapter : Prologue
[Breaking: Field trip bus containing 40 college students gone missing]
The morning news was grim: 40 students from Class 3-B had vanished overnight. Families were distraught, and search teams scoured the area, but no trace of the students or their belongings could be found. As the days passed, eerie rumors began to circulate-some claimed to have heard strange voices or seen flashes of light around the school grounds before the disappearance.
Unbeknownst to those searching, the students of Class 3-B had been transported to a mysterious island, awakened by a voice announcing that they would be participants in a brutal game of survival, one that reminded them constantly of memento mori, the certainty of death.
Each wore a bracelet that tracked their vital signs, with a deadly capsule poised to activate if they disobeyed the rules. Adding to their terror, each student soon realized they'd gained a supernatural ability-abilities that could just as easily save them or turn them into deadly weapons. Now, as fear and distrust grow, alliances are formed and shattered. With each choice-cooperate, escape, or attack-they come closer to the ultimate decision: kill or be killed.
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[In a faraway island]
Sunlight broke through a canopy of trees, casting dappled shadows on the cold ground. The first thing Yuki noticed was the dull ache in his head as he slowly opened his eyes, squinting at the unfamiliar surroundings. He blinked, disoriented, the murmur of waves in the distance grounding him only slightly. The last thing he remembered was being in class-the fluorescent lights, the hum of chatter, the teacher's voice droning on. But now he was here, lying on rough soil instead of his school desk.
He sat up, only to realize he wasn't alone. All around him, his classmates lay sprawled, still unconscious, their faces slack with an innocence that seemed painfully out of place in this eerie setting. He scanned the area, heart racing. They were in a dense forest clearing, surrounded by towering trees that blocked out all but fragments of the sky. As he tried to make sense of his situation, Yuki's hand brushed against something cold on his wrist-a thin metal bracelet with a small screen and an ominous red light blinking faintly.
He was still studying it, confusion turning to dread, when a familiar face stirred nearby. It was his friend, Asahi, groggy but awake, blinking up at Yuki in equal confusion. Before either could speak, a sharp, crackling sound echoed through the clearing, a voice-mechanical and lifeless-boomed overhead.
"Welcome, students of Class 3-B. You have been chosen to participate in a game. A game of life and death. Each of you has been equipped with a bracelet that monitors your vitals and enforces the rules. Breaking these rules will activate a poison capsule within the bracelet, sealing your fate."
Yuki's blood ran cold, his mind racing. He glanced around at the others, still slowly coming to, their faces filling with fear as they processed the announcement. The voice continued, and with each word, the weight of their situation sank in.