The First Trial

“Seven Chosen for the Game of Sins.”

Farrah muttered as she read the headline in the paper. Her fingers trembled slightly as she turned the page.

The ink was smudged, but she could still make out the words printed beneath the headline.

[ The Rules of the Game ]

[ 1. Only the Cursed may enter the Game.

Those whose names are written upon the Statue of Avarra shall be pulled into the Trials.

You cannot summon yourself, nor refuse the call once chosen. ]

[ 2. There will always be seven participants.

When one perishes, another shall take their place. ] 

[ 3. There are seven trials, each one representing a Sin.

Lust, Gluttony, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, and Pride.

Each Trial lasts one month in the realm that embodies it. ]

[ 4. The goal is simple: Survive.

There is no timer, no task, only survival. Yet the world itself will test the nature of your soul. ]

[ 5. Each Sin corrupts differently.

The weak will surrender. The strong will adapt. The wise will endure. ]

[ 6. At the end of each Trial, the survivors shall return to the Avarra Line and be carried to the next destination. ]

[ 7. Those who complete all seven shall be freed from their curse.

Those who fail shall be devoured by their own sin. ]

[ 8. And above all… do your best to speak only truth, or the Game will know.

Lies are the currency of the damned. ] 

Farrah took a deep breath as she carefully read the rules. This was her lifeline after all. She had basically just died from the car accident, and she didn’t want to die again. If there was a chance of survival, she might as well cling to it.

Still, she couldn’t help but feel nervous. This simply felt too unreal.

“This is insane…” she whispered. “It’s a nightmare. It has to be.”

Shane didn’t answer. He knew Farrah was also aware that this wasn’t just a game.

Farrah shook her head as she controlled her emotions.

Farrah folded the newspaper slowly, her fingers brushing the faded edges like it might vanish if she blinked too hard.

She turned to Shane and asked, “Okay. I need to know everything you know. Even if it’s just guesses.”

Shane exhaled while rubbing the back of his neck. “I got here maybe an hour before you. Woke up in this seat, same as you. No warning, no explanation.”

Farrah frowned. “And the others?”

He nodded toward the scattered passengers. “They were already here. But not all of them made it.”

Farrah’s stomach tightened. “You mean the girl with the rose…”

“She wasn’t the first,” Shane said quietly. “Three others died before her. One tried to break a window. Another touched the intercom. One just… vanished after lying about his name.”

Farrah’s breath caught. “So the rules are real. We can’t just lie?”

“I’m not sure… But certain things must not be lied about.” Shane said. “And they’re watching.”

Farrah glanced around the train car. The others were silent, but alert. The woman with the rosary kept muttering prayers under her breath.

The boy in the hoodie was still rocking slightly, eyes darting between the windows and the emblem glowing faintly on his wrist.

‘No wonder they’re silent… They don’t want to get caught in a lie or something.’

It finally made sense.

Still, everyone had the seven-petaled mark on their arms.

Farrah leaned closer. “Do we have to fight each other?”

Shane shook his head. “No one knows. The rules say ‘survive,’ but not how. Some think we’ll be forced to compete. Others think the world itself is the enemy.”

Farrah’s eyes narrowed. “So we’re all just… waiting?”

“For now,” Shane said. “Everyone’s cautious. No one wants to be the next rose.”

Farrah looked at the others again. They were strangers, but not enemies… not yet. She could feel the tension in the air…

One wrong move, one broken rule, and someone else might bloom red.

She sat back, trying to calm her thoughts. Her emotions toward Shane were still tangled... the breakup, the silence, the message she never answered. But right now, survival came first.

She’d deal with the past later. If there was a later.

Then, the intercom crackled again.

[ Arrival in 3 minutes. Prepare for disembarkation. ]

[ Trial One: The Realm of Lust. ]

Farrah’s heart skipped.

Shane met her eyes. “Here we go.”