Chapter 6 The Water Beneath the Water

After the strange incident with Ploy and the spiderweb-shaped cracks still visible on the glass of the massive tank, the remaining eleven participants in the lobby stood in silent unease. No one dared mention her name, as if speaking of someone who had broken an iron rule—and was now facing punishment—might somehow draw the same fate upon themselves.

Everyone distanced themselves from Ploy, retreating to find their own space. She was left alone with her fear. Though Kawin and Praewa showed some concern for her, it was clear that they too were wary of getting too close. One by one, the group spread out across the room.

James sat in the corner, near a glass tank devoid of any life. He was a quiet man in a black hoodie, geometric tattoos lining his wrists. Since their arrival, he had barely spoken. He kept to the shadows, so much so that some in the group hardly remembered what he looked like. To most, he was invisible—but he was always listening.

Not that he didn’t want to speak. It was just that every time he tried to communicate, something would whisper beside his ear. The voice was soft—barely audible—like the faint ripple when a finger touches the surface of still water. That was why James preferred silence. He wanted to hear the whisper more clearly.

"James... stay quiet..."

Once again, the voice warned him. He froze, glancing around to see if someone else had spoken, to confirm he wasn’t losing his mind. But he was alone.

He turned toward the tank behind him. It was empty—just water, still and lifeless. No fish. No shadows. No movement.

"If you speak… they won’t believe you… Don’t tell anyone… Just keep listening…"

James frowned. This was the first time the voice had spoken so much. It was a boy’s voice—he was sure of it. A boy no older than ten. The tone was chilling yet gentle, like the speaker didn’t even know he was already dead.

"You’ve been here before. Don’t you remember?"

James swallowed hard. "No… I’ve never been here," he whispered, not realizing he had spoken aloud.

"What was that?" Praewa, who overheard, turned and asked curiously.

Startled, James shook his head. "Nothing. I didn’t say anything."

He stood up and quietly moved toward the large fish tank that everyone else had been ignoring. The others were too busy discussing how to escape or debating the remaining rules. James stepped closer to the glass, leaning in. He heard a faint sound calling him from within, but when he tried to focus—

The voice was gone.

But the water was no longer still. Something was moving. Tiny bubbles began rising from the bottom. A moment ago, the tank had been lifeless.

"James… you know you're different from the others… They were chosen to be here. You were chosen to listen."

He clenched his fists. A cold sensation climbed from his feet up his spine to his head, leaving goosebumps across his skin—even though the room wasn't particularly cold.

"Who are you?" he asked under his breath, barely moving his lips.

"I am what existed before the rules, before the system, before all of them… If you help me escape, I’ll take you home."

"Really? You can take me home?" James asked mentally, not aloud. He didn’t want anyone knowing about this.

Bzzt!

Suddenly, the speakers crackled. A static signal interrupted everything, grabbing everyone’s attention.

"Unauthorized communication detected. This is your first warning. Further violations will result in disciplinary action."

Everyone looked around, confused. Arisa, noticing James’s pale face, walked straight over to him.

"What did you do?" she asked calmly, but her eyes demanded the truth.

"I… didn’t say anything," he replied honestly. Even though he hadn't spoken aloud, he knew he had responded—with his mind.

"Don’t fear the system, James… Fear what’s behind it."

A final whisper tickled his ear. Then, he saw a shadow—something small—moving through the water. It darted past too quickly to identify, but it left a lingering feeling in his chest.

A feeling that he knew the water.

A memory surfaced—of nearly drowning once but surviving without knowing how. Ever since then, he hadn’t been the same.

He wasn’t sure he ever would be again.