Lyra's eyelids fluttered open, and the world around her resolved into an endless expanse of white. The ceiling above radiated an unstable, flickering light, casting a dim glow that felt neither warm nor comforting. The walls were featureless, stretching infinitely, and the ground beneath her feet was covered in green terrain—a bizarre, uneven mix of rolling hills and patches of sharp-edged bumps.
"W-where am I?" Lyra whispered, her voice trembling. She clutched her knife tightly, the rough texture of its mottled teal-green handle grounding her amidst the surreal scenery.
She turned, her sharp purple eyes catching sight of what could only be described as a gigantic box. The space was entirely enclosed, no exit or entrance in sight. A sense of claustrophobia crept over her, and her stomach churned.
Her gaze shifted to the towering ranking board at the front of the box, glowing faintly. 50,000 names were etched across its shimmering surface, each paired with a rank and a bold 0 points. Her heart sank as she scanned the list and found her name at the bottom:
Rank 50,000 – Lyra – 0 Points
Her chest tightened. Why am I here? What is this place?
Before she could piece her thoughts together, a sudden noise reverberated across the room—a sound that seemed to come from everywhere at once. The collective hum of voices silenced abruptly.
"Welcome, participants, to the testing site!"
The voice was soft, like that of a child, but there was an edge to it, something unnatural. Before the announcement could continue, a haughty male voice cut through the air.
"This is ridiculous! What nonsense is this 'testing site'? I was chosen to join the God Game, not some petty trial!"
Lyra turned to see the speaker: a tall man dressed in regal finery, his embroidered cloak pristine even in this strange place. His voice was full of arrogance, his tone grating.
The childlike voice spoke again, calm and chilling, "Interruptions will not be tolerated."
A wet crunch echoed across the space.
The man's head was obliterated, reduced to a red smear on the green terrain. Gasps and shrieks erupted from the crowd. Lyra froze, her breath caught in her throat. Before the screams could die down, others met the same fate—heads crushed in the blink of an eye.
The voice resumed, unfazed. "Now, without further interruptions… welcome to the testing site."
Lyra remained rooted in place, her sharp features pale with terror. Her hollowed face showed no movement, yet her mind raced. This isn't real. This can't be real.
"There are 500,000 human participants, split into 10 testing sites of 50,000 each," the voice continued, its tone unnervingly cheerful. "Your goal here is simple: survive until the number of participants is reduced to 25,000."
Her heart sank even further. Survive?
"The more kills you get, the greater the benefits! Take a good look at the ranking board. Currently, you're ranked by the order you were chosen. To climb higher, you'll need points. Killing a participant grants 5 points if they have 0, and additional points equal to their total score if they've already killed. Simple, isn't it?"
The ranking board loomed above them, a reminder of the grim reality. Lyra's gaze darted back to her name. She couldn't shake the feeling of dread sinking into her chest.
"Now, when I count down to zero, the testing site will begin. Kill or be killed. It's your choice. Oh, and one last thing," the voice added, now playful and taunting, "Higher ranks might just give you advantages in the next phase."
Lyra's breathing grew shallow, her wiry frame shaking. The childlike voice began its countdown.
"Five!"
The air filled with panic. People screamed and scrambled, forming alliances on the spot. Others fell to their knees, crying or praying.
"Four!"
Lyra felt a tear roll down her cheek. She couldn't move.
"Three!"
A man nearby sharpened a crude sword against a rock, his grin manic. Lyra clenched her knife, her mind racing.
"Two!"
Her hand instinctively found the pouch tied at her waist. The rusted pin on her cloak felt like a fragile tether to her old life.
"One!"
A wave of silence fell, broken only by the erratic flicker of the light above.
"Zero! Let the killing begin!"
The world plunged into darkness.
Lyra could hear the chaos around her: screams, the sickening sound of flesh tearing, and the wet crunch of bones breaking. Her hands trembled as she gripped her knife, her body pressed low to the uneven ground.
A shadow loomed over her. She turned and saw him—a hulking man with filthy, disheveled clothes and matted brown hair. His bloodshot eyes gleamed in the dim light of the ranking board.
"This ain't your day, little girl," he snarled, his voice guttural.
Before Lyra could react, his massive hands wrapped around her neck, pinning her to the ground. She struggled, kicking and clawing, but his strength was overwhelming. Her vision blurred as he tightened his grip.
I can't die here…
The knife in her hand gleamed faintly. Summoning every ounce of her strength, she drove the blade into his throat, feeling it sink into flesh. Blood sprayed across her face as he released her, collapsing in a gurgling heap.
She gasped for air, her hands trembling as she stared at the lifeless body.
Another figure emerged—a gaunt woman with sunken cheeks, wielding a dagger. She lunged at Lyra without hesitation. Desperate, Lyra rolled the corpse over her, the blade sinking into the dead man instead.
The woman struggled to free her weapon, giving Lyra a chance. With a quick, brutal strike, she slit the woman's throat.
Her second kill.
Blood dripped from her knife as she clutched the dead woman's dagger and stuffed it into her pouch.
The bodies piled up around her. Exhausted, bleeding, and battered, Lyra crawled beneath the mound of corpses, masking herself in the scent of death. She waited, the distant sound of fighting fading into the background.
Then after much fighting and murdering, a girl of from noble descent appears in front of her. Even though she was under pile of corpses she doubts the girl even noticed her under the corpses. The girl was fighting many people and Lyra could easily tell the girl would be dead in minutes. Not long after, the girl's body gave out and she was now collapsed on the ground. The girl had a face of terror on her face of course but it was weird, even though Lyra had seen many of them already. The girl's expression unsettled her, and before Lyra even realized… Lyra took the girl in her pile of corpses.
"Get your hands off me!" the girl hissed, but Lyra silenced her with a knife pressed to her throat.
"Shut up, or I'll make sure you're next," Lyra whispered, her tone cold and final.
The noblewoman went quiet.
Minutes passed like hours. The voice returned.
"Congratulations, participants. 25,000 remain. Check the ranking board to see where you stand."
Lyra emerged from the pile, her eyes scanning the now-bloodied ranking board. Her name wasn't at the bottom anymore.
End of Chapter 2.