CHAPTER SIX: The King's Pawn
Reina
> CARD SELECTED: 2♥
Reina hadn't chosen it.
The system had.
In the final second before auto-assignment, she'd hesitated—and the lobby had decided for her. Now, her token pulsed red as the floor beneath her vanished. Gravity pulled her down through glass and static.
When she landed, it was in a classroom.
Wooden desks, chalkboard, flickering lights. Dust floated in the air like ash. Reina stood with four others—some familiar from the last round. A man in a business suit. A teen girl with a twitching eye. An older woman silently weeping.
Then, the voice:
> WELCOME TO 2♥ – "THE CONFESSION GAME."
OBJECTIVE: TELL THE TRUTH.
RULES:
– EACH PLAYER WILL CONFESS ONE SECRET.
– ANY PLAYER WHO LIES WILL BE ELIMINATED.
– ONLY THOSE WHO ARE BELIEVED BY A MAJORITY SURVIVE.
TIME LIMIT: 20 MINUTES.
The blackboard behind them cracked.
Blood began to leak from the walls.
---
Noah
Back in the atrium, Noah watched chaos unfold.
A man had been thrown to the floor near the bartering corner—tokens scattered from his bag. A tall woman stood over him, expression flat, one boot pressing down on his throat.
"Five tokens," she said. "You want your card back, don't you?"
The man gasped. "You can't do this!"
"Then draw a Club and win it back."
Noah stepped closer. A bystander whispered to him, "Don't interfere. That's Lark—Queen of Spades. Survived a 10♠. Runs the Face Cards."
Face Cards.
A group of veterans who'd beaten multiple rounds and taken on the names of Jack, Queen, and King. Ruthless. Untouchable.
They sold information. They hunted tokens. And they never entered Hearts games.
Lark's eyes flicked toward Noah. Just for a second.
Then she smiled.
---
Reina
> Timer: 11:37
The older woman had gone first. Her voice trembling.
> "I left my son in the car while I gambled. He… he died. Heatstroke. I told everyone he went missing. I lied to everyone."
Silence.
Reina felt her heart twisting—but she believed her. They all did.
A tone sounded. Green light. Survivor.
Then the suited man.
> "I watched my coworker overdose. I stepped over him. Took his project. Got promoted. Never told anyone."
Green.
Reina's hands shook. She could feel it building. A pressure behind her eyes.
Then it was her turn.
The girl with the twitching eye whispered, "If you lie, you die."
Reina stood up. Her voice was hoarse.
> "My sister… vanished. I was supposed to pick her up. I didn't. I ignored her calls. She was taken. They never found her. I told everyone I'd lost signal. I still have the voicemails."
The classroom dimmed. The blood on the walls slowed.
Then:
> Green.
Reina sat down, heart racing.
Only one left—the quiet boy.
He stood. Smiled.
> "I don't have any secrets."
> Red.
The lights burst. Blood sprayed the room. He collapsed forward—his head cracked open on the desk.
> ROUND COMPLETE.
---
Noah
That night, Noah watched the screens.
Reina's name flickered into the survivors list under 2♥.
He exhaled, not sure why he cared.
Then the announcement came:
> NEW GAME INCOMING: 3♦ – "The Auction House."
HIGH STRATEGY. LIMITED ENTRY.
SLOT RESERVED FOR FACE CARD PLAYER.
Noah looked down at his token.
And made a decision.