"Fascination and Fear are Two sides of the Same Coin."

Lennon's POV

Finally getting a grasp of the situation, I stood up and hastily walked toward that guy. Firstly I punched him on the side of his face.

"Cheeky Fucking Brat" He screamed.

"Where are all your friends? The other Candidates?" I asked.

"I wonder" He replied.

I loaded my punch and was about to hit him when someone grabbed my wrist "May I ask why were you questioning him about us?"

There stood a tall guy who seemed to be around the same age as him. He wore glasses and, was as tall as me. He also looked very frail, but that's just how he looked, his strength was nothing like how I expected. I couldn't even move my arm, solely due to his grasp. Then next to him stood a girl, probably around the same age as those 2 and a little shorter than me in height, she wore a skirt, shirt, long boots, and a bag. She looked somewhat haughty from the way she stood there and looked at me.

I calmed down my arm and then suddenly jerked it out of his grasp. But the moment I got out my arm, he grabbed the other one and spun me a good 90°, then tried kicking my back but I immediately blocked it, still got thrown a good distance away. Quickly getting a hold of myself, I got ready expecting him to attack me again but... he wasn't there. That girl was still there but he wasn't.

I heard a soft clattering sound behind me. I turned around as fast as I could but was still too late. He was in mid-air and booted me on the side of my forehead on the Nerve.

It was a Pressure Point!

I flew a few meters away and fell. I couldn't move... this pressure point causes severe pain and stuns the person. It is mostly used for knocking people out, if I hadn't moved back there, I would have fallen unconscious. Nonetheless, I still can't move so not like it matters...

I was facing my left and heard someone walking on my right, then stopping by my head. A bag suddenly fell before my face... The same bag that girl was wearing.

"Is that it? I don't think someone who did that to Basil could be this weak, and if that really is all you can do, then it's a disappointment... Lennon Stallard." Said that girl.

"Damn, I guess I'm very popular now. First that Monster, and now you..."

"Talking to Stall a little time would be no good... it's useless. You really are Stupid"

"Heh, you really can see through me," said I with Grin.

"Still trying on that" She sighed.

"No, not anymore" I lifted myself in the air on the palm of my hands, and rotated myself with a jump, causing my leg to hit hers and making her fall down while making me stand back up.

"AH, Screw you brat" She roared.

"Shut it please, I am about to defeat your boss so watch closely," I replied.

"Stop it, kid, fighting any further is useless and harmful for both of us and our friends. We didn't even come here to fight in the first place."

"Yeah, that's right... Let's stop" She said while getting up.

"Y- Yeah I think so too..." said Grace confusingly.

"I Guess" I sighed while leaning against a tree "So what do you guys want then?"

"We want to team up with you all"

"Huh?"

"We want to team up. It's not that hard to understand, you all are candidates too."

"Yeah I know that, but why do you want to team up? Not like we've got any instructions to be teaming up, so why?" I asked.

"Ah, what a scintillating man you are. I've met the Fiend. There are supposed to be 10 candidates to start the game. We were only 4, and I was the only one to meet the Fiend. I thought maybe we can find the other candidates near the place it all started, that tree." He explained.

"Hm, I guess you're not lying. It just makes sense now, since I was the only one who met that Fiend here probably. He also mentioned that there are 10 candidates, and that guy can lead us to them. I see, it all adds up now....no. The last piece doesn't fit. Why were our timings of meeting that Fiend so different? Why did that guy reach the tree before all of you? and where is the fourth person?"

"You have met the Fiend...?" Felix asked giving me cold glares, no, all of them were glaring at me...

"Beats me, I was also just thinking, but I doubt if I know the answer. And about the 2nd one, we had sort of an argument due to which he left us behind and ended up meeting all of you first. The fourth person, huh? Don't worry, she'll be arriving soon too. Couldn't come with us due to some circumstances." He replied.

"Is that really it?" I questioned harshly.

"Yes, you don't believe me?"

"No, not really, but it seems we'll be working together for a while so I'll try to get along... as much as I possibly can." I grinned.

"As you should you kid."

"When is your fourth one coming? I want to end this quickly." Sam asked.

"Speak of the Devil, there she is," said he pointing behind us.

I turned around. There was a short girl, nothing more than 160cm, with long black hair. She was dressed almost the same as the girl earlier, but somewhat neater. She had big, greyish eyes, with long, silver eyelashes. The Lower eyelashes looked unusually long and made the eyes stand out.

"Who are these morons, Ace?... And why is Basil lying there like that?"

The appearance didn't suit her speech one damn bit.

"A lot happened and apparently these guys are all our comrades...for now. They'll be helping us with this game, and about his condition... Let's not talk about that" He said smiling sarcastically.

"Fine, whatever. I'm Jade. 19. What about you?" She said while moving her hand towards me.

"Lennon. Lennon Stallard, 15" I replied, shaking her hand.

At last, we all introduced each other. The guy that I beat up was Basil, the four eyes was called Ace, the annoying girl that arrived earlier was Ariella and the last one was Jade. They were all college students as I thought.

"One last thing I wanted to as-"

Thunder roared extremely loud unexpectedly and everyone covered their ears with their hands. Some even fell on their knees. The weather was all dark and cloudy all of a sudden. I didn't even realize it getting like that, when did it even get like that? I'm certain it was pretty sunny and clear just a while ago. Ain't no way in hell I didn't notice it getting like that, and now it almost seems like how it was back then - when I met that fiend, in that dream-like dimension. A bit too much for me to comprehend at once...

"The hell!?" Samantha exclaimed.

"When did the weather get like this?" Ellie cried.

"Weird ain't it?" I whispered sliding next to Ace.

"Think it's a coincidence?" He answered with another question.

"Uh, could be... I can't tell."

"Well-" he was saying something but was interrupted... By the thunder, once again, and not only it just roared this time, but fell on the ground, just a few meters away from us. Would be around 50 as we were all able to see it clearly. If it wasn't for the large number of trees reducing the energy before it struck the land, and absorbing it after it spread to the ground, we may have all been victims of ground current. I was making a horrified smile while thinking that.

"A close one, wasn't it?" Ace said. We seemed to be thinking the same thing and he noticed my expressions too. Although his' were pretty similar to mine.

"More importantly, what's that?" I asked pointing out toward where the lightning fell. The few poor trees were slightly on fire, though most of them were already all ashes. But amidst all those trees there stood a tall man, in a long cloak, the hood on his head. There was no doubt, it was him.

All of sudden he vanished from there, and a gust of ominous wind blew against me. It was unusually cold and fast. A good number of leaves, along with the wind blustered against me. It sent a chill down my body, I could feel someone, a presence, standing right behind me, an evil presence, yes.
We all turned around at the same time, and yes. There stood the fiend, with an evil smile on his face, which could be seen despite the bandages on his face. I wasn't that shocked compared to the others, because I had met him once again. The same goes for Ace too probably, but the others. They all looked frightened as hell, frozen at their spot, eyes wide open, faces pale, shocked.

"Welcome to the Game, you pitiful candidates of the game. Now that all 10 of you players have gathered here, it's time, to begin the game. More likely begin the First part of the game. The rules will be explained shortly, but first of all, go to the hollow of that tree and take out whatever you find there. This is the beginning, of the most horrific and chilling, the most dangerous and the most menacing and treacherous experiences of your life. Now, Let's Begin, shall we?"

We all felt the same sort of fear. I could see everyone still at their places, sweating in this cold weather, with terrifying faces, and I could not see but know that they all got the same goosebumps I'm getting right now.

But there might be a little difference between the goosebumps I am getting right now and the goosebumps they would be getting right now. They are most likely having them due to extensive fear and fright; while about me, it's a totally different case. I don't fear this fiend or whatever it is, actually, it's the first time in a while I've got to feel such extreme excitement, a sense of slight danger and risk, and fascination. Whatever this game is, no matter how dangerous it is, it for the first time in my life made me feel "challenged."

I've always been ahead of people in everything, be able to see through people, know what's gonna happen and what is happening, but for the first time in my life, despite excelling in everything, I wasn't able to tell what's happening. I wasn't able to get a hold of the situation and it just naturally challenged my instincts and my mind so much that I couldn't resist but feel fascinated. Yes, that's the sort of goosebumps I was having!

Felix and Basil brought a chest from that burrow. It had a tiny silver padlock, as big as a lemon I'd say, rusted even on the inside and broke by just simply pulling. The Box screamed a creaking noise when it was opened. This felt like deja vu, watching the box opening and the stuff being taken out, the same old stuff I saw the last time too.

"Now go check the hollow again, but deeper this time," the Fiend said.

Felix walked there again and lowered his hand in the hollow, slowly and attentively. When his whole arm has reached the limit, he said as he was trying to pull something out of there.

"I found it. Uhh, it's here but sort of stuck. Someone help."

Basil went and joined him. They were both foolishly trying to pull that thing out and it looked hilarious. I noticed all of them had their phones out, oh, they were making a video of those 2.

They had their tooth clenched while pulling it out... I could go and help them but it looked like too much work. A drag.

They both fell on the ground as if they just got what they were trying to pull, or possibly broke it.

"Did you 2 get it?" Sam asked politely.

"Uh, no but, it sort of, moved?" Basil added.

"My compliments, you pulled the Lever. You now shall enter the Game Arena." That Fiend buzzed.

"What do you mean? What's this about entering the game arena? Do we have to go somewhere? Where is this game arena?" Ace questioned.

"Good perception Candidate#8. Yes, indeed you will enter a place, the game arena, the perfect place to be playing a Sinister Game with the Devil itself, in the pits of purgatory, agony, and affliction. Above the Infernal regions and the abode of the Dead, closer to the Nether regions and the Prisons of perdition. The Playground of the Damned & the Devils otherwise known as The Lands of Abyss.

"Yeah that's some cool shit, we got it. But how do we go there?" I hastily questioned. I can't control my excitement for this game anymore. I wanna start playing, ASAP.

"Hold yer horses, Human." He said while slowly turning his neck with a smile on that bandaged face.

I followed his visions and looked at the tree. That hollow started widening, the tree was vibrating, and now it started moving rapidly. The branches stretched in every direction, and the roots came out of the land and started stretching along with the branches.

In a matter of a few seconds, the tree is now bigger, wider, and longer. The hollow had grown big enough for us to pass through.

I looked around at everyone's faces. Terrified, as I thought. "How is this even possible? It's unnatural," is what they're probably thinking. Truly foolish. Natural phenomena which are not understood by humans and the 'so-called scientists' and are not based on their conditions to be called natural, are labeled as 'Unnatural'.

"This, is the door, to the Lands of Abyss. Come after me" he went inside that hollow after saying that.

All of us subconsciously walked near it and stopped. "Who'll be the first?" Gracie asked.

Everyone was quiet... No one dared say they can be the first one to enter. That Ace seemed to be a brave person but he didn't say anything either.

I suddenly felt a glare, like someone was looking at me. Turned out it was Ace wondering what'll I do in this situation. As I thought, he was not scared to enter, but he's much more interested in seeing what'll I do.

Sigh

"Alright, I'll jump in first," I said finally. "But my friends will come after me first. You all are free to do whatever the hell you want," I said. The message was for Ace, but I said it while glancing at Basil because he was the type to get annoyed.

"Fine by me," Ace said.

I turned around and started walking towards the tree. Without thinking twice, I stepped into the Hollow and started walking. It was pitch black, and although I could walk, the place had no light. I took out my mobile and turned on the flashlight. I could now see the Fiend walking at a little distance from me.

I heard footsteps behind me, and upon turning I found Felix, Ellie, Magnus, Gracie, and Sam. And behind them, the other 4.

They seemed fine so I just continued walking after him.

...

7 minutes passed. I kept walking. The place never changed, not one but. The walls had the same russet color, like old leather. The space was narrow and dark. I could see no more than three meters ahead. The floor was rocky but plain like a road roller was moved over it. The place smelt strongly of fire, more like something burning. The smell you get from burning plastic or rubber. "What even is this place?" I questioned with a blank expression.

"It's a pérasma" he replied, in an irritated tone (which could be my imagination).

"A pérasma?"

"It means a passage." He replied.

"Oh, a passage. Must I ask, to where?"

"To the place I told you about, earlier." He said in an irritated tone (not my imagination this time).

We continued walking for another 6 minutes until I finally got a little glimpse of light ahead. "We have reached the place. Cautiously move out." He said and jumped off the end of this 'pérasma'.

I turned around and looked at them all with determined eyes. Enough for them to get the idea that the path ahead is dangerous and we are going at it.

Then I turned back ahead and walked to the end. It was just bright white light and I couldn't see anything. Putting my trust issues aside and hoping the land isn't too low from here, I jumped.

The light was so bright I was blinded. For 3 good seconds, I couldn't see anything and the next moment I found myself lying on the ground. I hesitantly opened my eyes and stood up. I was... still in a forest? But no, this is a different forest. The trees are a totally different type, impossible to be grown where we were earlier. The trees here have leaves unlike before. Here are no winds and the temperature is drastically low, too big of a change to occur so quickly.

"What is this place? Where exactly are we?" I yelled.

...

No Reply. I have no clue where I am, I don't know if I'm even on Earth or not, I don't see any of my friends, and now that Fiend is gone too. Wow.

But this is what makes it even more interesting. The more the danger, the more the thrills.

Now, what should I do... Should I just sit and wait or move? Waiting here without knowing if they'd ever even come or not sounds like a pain. I'll move on, I guess.

Thinking that I took my first step. "Hold yer horses, all of you" I heard in the Fiend's voice. I quickly turned around, but there was nothing.." Huh?!"

"From this moment onwards, the first game starts. All yer questions of what and where is this place will be answered once you clear up the game. For now, the crucial part is how to play the game. So open yer ears wide, because I'll be explaining the rules now."

This feeling, what is this? Is this fear? Is this excitement? Is this fascination? Is this terror? Is this enchantment? Is this fright? Is this trepidation? Is this discomposure? Is this apprehension? Is this intrigue? Is this compel? Is this amusement? I don't know!

I'm still a stranger to all these feelings, I know the words, and I can define them but I don't know how they feel. But if they are the feeling I am having right now, then I'm already a fan.

"-All of you are at 10 different spots of the forest, with a great distance amongst each other.

-11 of the weapons shown earlier are hidden in the forest. One more than the number of players. Finding them will be crucial for survival.

-There are twice as many beasts as the weapons.

-The game will begin at midnight and will be over when the moon has passed the western horizon.

-Killing a beast is not mandatory, but killing one will get you an additional weapon later, which can result immensely helpful in the latter stages of the game.

-Everyone who manages to kill a beast shall proceed to the next round.

-Your bags have been thrown along with you, but they've been emptied. The only thing left is the torch.

-The forest is infinitely vast. Remove any thoughts of escaping.

-Quitting the game is not an option.

-There are no rules, you are free to do whatever you want, be it of your interest or not." He explained the rules slowly.

"Heh, beasts? I wonder what kind of... And the last one tho, the last rule. It was indirectly signaling to us that violence amongst each other is not prohibited. Interesting. And the game will start at midnight and will be over when the moon crosses the western horizon, that's six hours. Not as much as I expected, I'd say. Looking at the moon, there are like 4 minutes until the game starts.

I sat against a tree, 4 minutes of rest should be enough to keep me going for 6 hours.

Bring whatever games lie ahead and we'll see if they can push me to bring the best of my ability out. I'll destroy the architect behind this game.