Da-bum's breath hitched as his eyes fluttered open. The room was still cloaked in eerie silence, the civilians still unconscious around him. But something was wrong. Terribly wrong.

His heart pounded, an unexplainable weight settling in his chest. He could feel it—something inside him had changed. The moment his gaze lifted, he was met with four pairs of unreadable eyes.

Kyung-jun. Jun-hee. Somi. Jeong-won.

All staring at him.

"...What?" His voice came out small, barely above a whisper.

A cold shiver crawled up his spine as realization dawned. They weren't just looking at him. They were expecting something.

No. No, no, no—

"You're one of us now, Da-bum." Kyung-jun's voice was detached, emotionless.

The air in Da-bum's lungs vanished. His hands trembled as he stumbled back, his chair scraping against the floor. "No—I'm not—" His voice cracked, panic clawing at his throat.

Jun-hee sighed, rubbing his temple. "Come on, don't make this difficult."

"You're lying," Da-bum gasped. His entire body was shaking. "I—I'm not—"

Jeong-won, ever calm, pushed up her glasses. "You are. The game chose you."

Da-bum's head spun. His stomach twisted violently. No, this wasn't happening. He wasn't a killer. He was supposed to survive, not become the enemy.

He clenched his fists, his breathing ragged. "I don't want this."

Somi's expression remained blank. "Doesn't matter."

Kyung-jun watched him with empty eyes, tilting his head slightly. "You have no choice."

Da-bum's heart shattered. His lips parted, desperate to say something, anything—but nothing came.

He was drowning.

Hopeless.

Trapped.

"W-What do I do now?" His voice was hoarse, barely audible.

A heavy silence followed.

Then Kyung-jun spoke, his tone laced with quiet cruelty.

"We kill Yoo-joon."

Da-bum's stomach dropped.

His breath stilled as he turned to the unconscious boy across the room. Yoo-joon, the one who always smiled, who always cracked jokes even in the worst situations.

"No..." Da-bum shook his head, stepping back. "No, I can't—"

Kyung-jun's gaze was cold, unyielding. "You will."

Somi leaned back, sighing. "Think of it this way, Da-bum. If we don't kill him, he'll kill us eventually."

Jeong-won nodded. "And if you refuse? We can just kill you instead."

Da-bum's breath caught.

It wasn't a threat.

It was a fact.

His entire body trembled, his nails digging into his palms. He wanted to scream, to run—but there was nowhere to go.

Kyung-jun took a slow step forward, his voice deathly quiet.

"Make your choice, Da-bum."

And just like that—

The last piece of him shattered.

Morning arrived like a cruel joke.

A deafening silence blanketed the room before the voice rang out.

"Cha Yoo-joon is dead."

The words hit like a thunderclap. The air turned ice-cold as the remaining players slowly stirred awake, confusion flashing across their faces—until they noticed the lifeless body lying on the floor.

"Cha Yoo-joon was a civilian."

Gasps. Shaky breaths. The weight of the announcement pressed down on them like a vice, suffocating, unbearable.

Mina covered her mouth with trembling hands, her eyes blown wide with horror. "No..."

Eun-chan stumbled to his feet, his voice breaking. "Yoo-joon—? No, no, NO—" He lunged forward, shaking his friend's shoulders, as if that would wake him up. "WAKE UP! WAKE UP, DAMN IT!"

Yoon-seo took a sharp step back, her chest rising and falling in uneven breaths. "Another civilian..." Her voice was barely above a whisper.

Jun-hee exhaled sharply, his jaw tightening. "Shit."

The chaos spread like wildfire.

Mina sobbed into her hands. Eun-chan cursed under his breath, rage and devastation mixing into something volatile. Accusations were already forming in their heads, but before anyone could say anything—

The voice returned.

"The Blackmailer used their power on Jin Da-bum."

Da-bum's breath hitched.

All eyes snapped to him.

His heart slammed against his ribs as panic surged through him. He could feel their stares, feel the way suspicion instantly latched onto him like a parasite.

"Da-bum..." Yoon-seo's voice was careful, but laced with unease.

His lips parted, but no sound came out.

He couldn't speak.

That was the Blackmailer's power.

It was perfect.

Too perfect.

His hands curled into fists, nails digging into his palms as dread filled every inch of his body. He couldn't even defend himself. He was trapped.

Eun-chan shot to his feet, rage twisting his features. "SAY SOMETHING!"

Da-bum flinched, his throat tightening. He couldn't.

Mina's voice wavered. "Oh my god... it is him, isn't it?"

"No—wait." Yoon-seo shook her head. "We don't know that for sure."

"But isn't this too much of a coincidence?!" Eun-chan snapped, his eyes bloodshot with grief. "Yoo-joon dies, and he just so happens to be blackmailed?" He jabbed a finger at Da-bum, whose body was frozen in place. "That's too fucking convenient!"

The tension in the room thickened.

Kyung-jun, still leaning against the wall, finally spoke. His voice was flat, empty. "We can't jump to conclusions yet."

Eun-chan turned to him, seething. "Oh, NOW you want to be rational? Where was this logic when it was Minji?!"

Kyung-jun's face remained void of emotion, but something flickered in his eyes—something dark. "I'm saying we need to think. That's all."

Da-bum's breathing grew heavier as the discussion spiraled around him, his mind screaming, his body rigid with fear.

He could feel it.

If they voted now, he was dead.