“Normalcy is almost like a luxury for celebrities, like me.”
Surrounded with strangers and ordinary people, this is as normal as can get. Nervous chuckles and curious murmurs can be heard as they waited for the door to finally reveal their fate.
The door to the arena slowly lifted, unveiling a crowd of people gathered in the middle. The spectator’s reactions went from disinterest to sudden awe and amazement. Women lips parted as their jaw dropped seeing as such a fine man in flesh. Men looked him up head to toe, looking for anything that can prove he’s not better than them.
The man causing the commotion with his presence, smirked. “Never seen an Adonis before?” Zayden thought as he raked his hand through his well-styled hair causing gasps and giggles.
“Isn’t that Zayden Jaxen Flynn?” a woman from the crowd asked.
“The famous actor from the series Venganza?” another woman replied.
“Yes! That’s him! I can’t believe he’s taller, sexier and more handsome in person!” the woman exclaimed.
More words of appreciation, flirty giggles from seductive women, and hidden insecurities from men echoed among the crowd. However, soon enough the diversion provided by Zayden vanished as everyone heard the alarm resonating all throughout the arena.
People looked around, confused as to what the alarm meant until they heard a conversation from above the floor they’re in. It was visible since everything in the arena is made of transparent glass. Two men can be seen in a rather troubling situation. One of the two was holding a gun, as the other staggers back in fear, wanting to run but couldn’t.
“Escape from here!” was his last words before he was shot to his death. The man fell from above right into the middle of the gathered crowd with a loud thump causing them to separate, circling the fallen body. Silence ensued for a few seconds and then frightened screams resonated throughout the whole arena.
It’s a dead body. People stared, terrified and stunned as they watch his blood oozing out of the hole in his forehead, his eyes remained unclosed.
A series of claps and loud cheers was suddenly heard. “Attention everyone! This year’s event has finally commenced! What you have just witnessed is our heartfelt welcome to all of you so do not be scared. Rest assured that you won’t share the same fate as him.” The man who seemed to be the host of the event spoke.
The crowd reacted differently. Some were relieved and easily believe what the host had said, others cried, still shaken from what they had witnessed, a few felt excitement thinking that this will be a challenging, terrific experience.
Zayden knew that was utter bullshit. His composure remained unfazed as someone who expected the worse.
“Now listen carefully, for in the next few minutes you will be grouped into six. Your group mates will be your ally in every game throughout the whole event.” He paused.
“What?! Can’t we just choose who we want as our members?” A man from the crowd voiced out his concern earning nods of agreement from others who are also with their own group.
"That is stupid!” Several others said the same thing but their opinion is unheard as the host started calling the names of each group member.
“When you hear name, please step forward. For the first group; Karla Venturillo, Vince Perez, Derrick Camerron, Harold Gordon, Lenard Lopez, and AJ Rovalle.”
They stepped forward and soon started acquainting themselves with each other.
“We’re gonna rock this!” The guy, Lenard confidently said. He’s a buff guy. The kind you know who gets sick for even a single absent to the gym.
“Totally!” supportive AJ agreed, glancing at the other members of their group offering a friendly smile.
“For the next group, please step forward; Yekaterina Nadia Vierra, Andrik Aleksandro Fyodor, Blaize Pyry Flynn, Teivel Ahrio Vizcarius, Toffer Jade Woods, and Zayden Jaxen Flynn.”
After they had all step forward, Blaize offered his hand for a handshake towards Zayden who thinks the action was unnecessary yet he accepted the handshake.
“I’m looking forward to getting to know more about the superstar.” Blaize jokingly said with a lopsided smirk, but his expression seemed to be cold and distant. He is a tall guy, with a lean body frame. His eyes seemed to be as dark as the night sky but sparkled like the stars in the moonlight when reflected with light.
Zayden, thinking he is another fan boy of him, ignored his remark. An awkward silence followed as the rest of the group expected the same formal treatment from Blaize but he completely ignored them.
Sensing that was the end of it, Yekaterina, the woman with beach waves, brown hair and a small innocent round face, cleared her throat and said, “I hope we get along. We’re on this together.”
They simply nodded as a response. As a group, they seem to stand out among the rest but the atmosphere between them is as cold as a gush of wind in autumn. It looks like they won’t be getting along at all.
After the host finished teaming up everyone, he congratulated the players for their new companions and started giving out instructions.
A podium slowly elevated on the stage with different sets of keys with numbers on it.
“Here are the keys to your respective rooms. There’s only one woman in each team and she will be your leader.”
“A woman for a leader? That’s stupid!”
“They’re just going to make us lose the game!”
Series of more misogynistic remarks followed as the women felt nervous about being given such a huge task.
The host then interrupted the commotion. “Your leaders will serve as you informants about the games and they will be the one who will assist the team. They will also be given separate rooms. Leaders, grab your team’s keys and hand it out so they can go to their rooms. And you are instructed to remain here. You will gather here again tomorrow. “He ended his instructions and bid goodbye to the players.
The women, as the leaders, get the keys and handed it to their teams as advised. The players then moved to their rooms but not without complains about the instructions.
Complains that they thought were relevant at the moment not knowing what awaits them...
“Catch!” Derrick tossed the key to Lenard rather confidently and grinned, which the latter caught with one hand. They walked towards an entrance that leads to a flight of stairs going up into a hall lined with doors to each players’ rooms. Lenard opened the first door and they all went in one after another. The lights turned on in an instant revealing 2 bunker beds and a single bed on each corner of the room complete with pillows and blankets in all black. The walls and floors are all white in colour creating a vivid contrast. A circular, glass table is placed on the centre of the room.
Meanwhile, in the next door another team had just entered their room. The first thing that Zayden noticed is the centre table in the middle of the room. Seeing that puzzles him why it’s there, when it’s not suitable at all. He decided to push it to the side and sat down on top of it. He seemed to be thinking of something as he stared at the spot where the table was. He looked at Andrik and the others who are checking out the whole room. He is dead set on testing his suspicion.
“Please step on the square now.” The host’s voice can be heard through the speakers in the arena. The women followed the instruction given to them with slight hesitation. “Brace yourselves! Tomorrow will be your first game and as the leaders you will play a very important role. But before that, some of you will no longer be part of tomorrow’s event.” The women looked at each other in confusion. They all have the same question, “What does that mean?” However, before their question could be answered, several wo
Everything is set for the first game to commence. The leaders are inside of a 10ft covered cylinder-shaped glass container, waiting on the finish line. The waves are quite strong as it hits the glass on both sides. The water level inside the cylinder starts at the bottom and as time passes by, it increases. If the members fail to reach the finish line, the leader will drown. All the players are also in position, standing on a long, rectangular, metal podium, ready for the game.They will be given 25 minutes to complete the task of swimming 50 meters, getting the leader out of the cylinder and taking her back to the shore.
Back into the yacht, the players are all seated in their respective tables while they wait for the waiters to serve them their dinner after they changed into dry set of clothes. The place is filled with soft, melodic music, and the lights were dimmed as everyone talks about the game that had just finished while sipping their drinks. Some were laughing and giggling when they recall how they aced the recent game whereas some appeared to be traumatized, staring into thin air. Yekaterina’s table however is still filled with tension among the
Jade had never felt bolder and sexier than she ever did, except now, for she finally decided to let out her real sexual identity. And yes, Jade identified as a she from now on. She sashayed her way into the entrance of the forest where everyone was gathered for the next game tonight, wearing their uniform that she had specifically customize into a black short hoodie, gothic, punk pullover crop top, hooded sweatshirt long sleeves with alloy chain connected to the neckline that goes around her hips and backside, then she paired it with the women’s leggings uniform instead of the jogging pants assigned for the men. That wasn't supposed to be her uniform. Men were given black jogging pants and black hooded sweatshi
The moon rose in the sky, illuminating the forest. Yekaterina noticed something that sparkles and is shiny on the dead animal’s body a few steps farther. She walked closer to it and she picked up a tree branch. When she was close enough, she used the tree branch to separate the decayed flesh from the shiny thing. It’s a key. She bent down and pick it up. She wasn’t even able to examine it thoroughly when suddenly another group of players came and one of them, a normal looking guy, bolted towards her and grabbed the key forcefully, taking her by surprise.
Zayden’s hand reached out and smack Ahrio’s head, bringing him back to reality. “Do you want to die? Why are you giving her all the keys?” At this point, the woman had already received the keys. Ahrio realized his mistake but he didn’t know how to tell her so he just slowly pulled one key out from the set while the woman watched him, puzzled and wondering what the hell is wrong with him. Zayden immediately grabbed the key from Ahrio’s hand, annoyed at his starstruck expression.