Inside the game, the college setting shimmered with an eerie, artificial glow. "Oh my God!" Sharleen gasped, her voice echoing in the vast, empty halls. David turned to A.D., his eyes wide with a mix of recognition and alarm. "It's not like that, it's different!"
"Yeah," A.D. confirmed, his gaze sweeping the unfamiliar environment. "Everyone, tap your left hand."
"Yeah," A.D. confirmed, his gaze sweeping the unfamiliar environment. "Everyone, tap your left hand."
Hesitantly, they obeyed. A small, holographic screen shimmered above each person's wrist, displaying their in-game identity. Sharleen's showed "Student." David's read "Teacher." A.D.'s own screen displayed "Cleaner." The four other team members found themselves assigned as "Watchmen."
"Now, tap your right hand," A.D. instructed. Another data screen appeared, this one displaying a countdown: "10 days to game."
A.D.'s voice cut through the growing tension. "Everyone, go find Suzanne."
Chapter Six: The Unwilling Guard
Inside the game, as the team fanned out, one of the four watchmen, Shin, suddenly stopped. "No, I can't leave you, A.D."
"No need, Shin Wang," A.D. replied, his voice firm. "I can handle this."
"No," Shin insisted, "Lisa told me to be with you every second."
Outside the game, Jane, who was monitoring the feed, turned to her mother. "Mom! Why did you tell him to do that?"
Lisa, Jane's mother, shifted nervously. "Nothing. I just... I think it's important to save A.D. for Suzanne."
Back inside, A.D., communicating through a device, spoke to Lisa. "Tell him to leave."
"But!" Lisa began to protest.
"There's no need for it," A.D. interrupted. "We have to find Suzanne and be prepared for the game."
"Okay, Shin, go," Lisa conceded, her voice relaying the message. "But when I tell you to, you have to come immediately."
"Okay, Ma'am," Shin replied.
After a few hours, Sharleen's voice crackled through the comms. "I've found Suzanne!"
"Where?" A.D. asked urgently.
"She's in my class," Sharleen reported.
"Okay," A.D. instructed. "Find a way to be friends with her."
"But why?" Sharleen questioned, confused.
"Because it's important," A.D. explained. "She thinks this is a dream—a happy life she wished for. We have to convince her it's not a dream. It's a dangerous game that has swallowed lives. After the lecture ends, try to meet her with me."
Meanwhile, David's voice came through. "A.D., where are you? I'm doing some work."
"Everyone, now we have to prepare some things," A.D. announced.
Shin's voice chimed in over the mic. "What things?"
"Go and see every corner of the college," A.D. instructed. "Try to find the boundaries of the game and tell me if anything suspicious. But be careful, and don't touch any unusual things. Sam, Shin, John, and Michael, you all be safe and follow my instructions. You have to leave this game alive."