The broadcast continued, "Now please pay close attention. The question is..."
"Who was the person you killed during your initial test?"
When I heard that question, it hit me like a bucket of ice water.
That's right—no matter how stupid Quinn looked—
He was someone who had killed a person close to him to get here.
Someone who could kill and still grin all day—wasn't that more terrifying than those pretending remorse?
The moment I let my guard down, he'd stab me in the back. A wolf in sheep's clothing.
I instantly realized how foolish I'd been to underestimate him.
With only one minute on the clock, I fired questions at Quinn.
First question: "Did you actively kill that person?"
Quinn smiled. "No."
I studied his face, not missing a single micro-expression.
"Was that person older than you?"
"No."
"Did that person share a blood relation with you?"
"Yes."
"Did that person ever take care of you?"
"No."
"Did that person look a lot like you?"
"Yes."
"Did you join this game for the money?"
"No."
I paused. Everyone came for the hundred-million prize. Why did Quinn say no?
Quinn mouthed silently: "Hurry."
I glanced at the countdown timer, swallowed hard, and asked my final question.
"Did you join this game for revenge?"
Quinn froze for a moment.
Then a smile crept onto his face. "Yes."
A chime sounded. Time was up. The broadcast announced: "All un-blindfolded contestants, please write your answers on the electronic screen."
With a mechanical whir, a screen rose from the floor.
I crouched down, picked up the stylus, hesitated, then wrote my answer.
There hadn't been enough time, and Quinn's answers were completely unexpected.
My conclusion felt absurd.
But it was the only answer that fit.
3
The thirty-second countdown ended. The electronic screen sank back into the floor.
Everyone waited anxiously for the results.
We were paired up now. If the answerer got it wrong—
The questioner would be punished alongside them.
Either both passed, or both died.
While I sat there terrified, Quinn whispered from behind me, "Who did you write?"
I leaned back and tested him. "The only person younger than you in your family would be your brother, right?"
Quinn chuckled. "Why not a sister? You never asked about gender."
I nearly fainted.
He was right—I hadn't asked about gender!
Quinn's answers could just as easily point to a sister.
Sweat began dripping from my forehead.
If I died here, then my best friend would have died for nothing!
I clenched my fists, consumed by both terror and fury at Quinn.
He came here for revenge, so why wouldn't he give me a single hint?
If it were before we were paired, fine. But we were teammates now. What good did killing me do him?
Unless... he came to take revenge on ME?
Just as I was ready to throw a punch before dying—
The broadcast spoke again: "We will now announce the answers. Teams with incorrect answers will be punished together. Teams with correct answers will have a green light appear beneath their feet and may follow our Rabbit Overseer to leave for the dormitories!"
"Team one's answer is... incorrect."
Before they could react, the floor tiles beneath their feet opened.
Both fell to their deaths.
"Team two's answer... correct."
A ding sounded. Green lights appeared beneath both members' feet.
They exhaled in relief and hurried toward the exit.
Staff with badges waited outside, immediately escorting them to another room.
Everyone stared after them with envy.
Including me.
The next several teams were all unfortunate—every one fell to their death.
The game organizers were cunning. By announcing results sequentially, nobody tried to run.
Because nobody could be certain of their own fate.
If your answer was correct, you'd pass.
But if wrong, the trap activated so fast, running was impossible.
At least, that's how I rationalized it.
By the time our turn came, the room was nearly empty. Only the second team had survived; everyone else was dead.
Quinn and I were the last pair.
I inched my feet forward slightly.
If my answer was wrong, I'd grab the tiles in front of me the instant they opened—anything to avoid falling.
The pair before us fell to their deaths.
I watched the person ahead of me drop, heard the sickening thud, and broke out in goosebumps.
I swallowed hard, awaiting my own verdict.
"The final team's answer... correct."
A ding. Green lights appeared beneath both my and Quinn's feet.
I was completely stunned.
Quinn ripped off his blindfold and pointed at me, laughing hysterically. "Hahahaha! Man, your face! You looked like you were about to pass out!"
I ignored him, grabbed my luggage, and headed for the exit with a cold expression.
The staff member at the door extended his hand. "Right this way. I'll escort you to your room. Lunch will be served at twelve o'clock sharp in the dining hall."
Quinn bounded after me with a grin. "Exciting, right?"
I scowled. "Lunatic. No wonder you killed your own brother."
At those words, Quinn's smile vanished.
He leaned close to my ear and whispered, "You're wrong. My brother was the one who entered the game. I'm the one who almost got killed."
I stopped in my tracks, staring at him in shock.
He put a finger to his lips, signaling me to stay quiet.
I followed his gaze. The Rabbit Overseer who'd been marching ahead had stopped.
And was staring motionlessly at both of us.
Quinn winked at me and quickened his pace.
I decided this wasn't the time for conversation. I'd ask him more once we reached the dorm.
On the way, I tried to memorize the route.
But the Rabbit Overseer led us through an endless maze of corridors and several escalators.
I was completely disoriented.
All I knew was we kept going deeper—down what felt like eighteen levels underground—before the Rabbit Overseer finally stopped.
He pointed ahead to a bright, futuristic-looking corridor.
"This is the dormitory area. The dorm manager is inside. Please make your way there yourselves."
"Thank you, sir."
Quinn slipped into character immediately, using a student's polite phrasing.
4
He whistled and strolled in without a care.
I hurried after him.
A few steps in, a cartoonish rabbit robot standing upright on rollers zipped toward us.
Its AI voice announced: "Welcome, new students. Please press your handprint on the screen to complete dorm registration."
The Rabbit Hall Warden had an electronic screen on its chest displaying both our names—Quinn on the left, me on the right.
We each placed our hands on the screen.
"Handprint recognition successful. Please hold still."
The moment those words faded, something blisteringly hot slammed against my palm.
It felt like being branded.
My hand sizzled against the screen with a sharp crackle.
"Shit!"
The burning pain made me yank my hand back instinctively.
I flipped my wrist to look.
Burned into my palm was a circular scar shaped like a button.
Beneath it was a string of numbers—3720.
I glanced at the screen.
The area where I'd pressed my hand had a circular heating element, still glowing an angry red.
"Hey, do you have one of these?"
I turned to Quinn.
His palm bore an identical button scar, but his number read 3721.
Why was his number one digit more than mine?
Perhaps noticing my confusion, Quinn said with a grin, "These must be our registration numbers. I'm right after you."
I nodded, still puzzled. "How can you still be smiling? Doesn't your palm hurt?"
"Hurt?" He sounded genuinely curious.
He stared at the burn mark without any sign of pain, examining it with fascination.