Alicia's POV-

"Player 456, player 315 and player 218, welcome to the final game. Before we begin, we'll flip a coin to decide who plays offence or defence. Please choose a shape. Triangle or square. And the winner will choose whether Player 315 will be there in their team." The square places his fist in front of us. "what will happen if no one chooses me?" I ask the staff. "If no one wants you to be in there you will be eliminated." I look at Gi-hun with hope.  "Triangle," Gi-hun replies while looking at Sang-woo. 

Then he flips the coin. "It's a triangle. Please choose either offence or defence. And please state if you want player 315 in your team." before Gi-hun decides, he looks at me. "I choose defence and she will be in our team." I hear Sang-woo sigh deeply. 

Then they led us to the same ground where we played Red Light and Greenlight.

"for the final game, you'll be playing Squid Game. Let me explain the rules of the Squid Game. One, the attacker must enter the squid shape court, run past the defence, and then tap the area inside the squid's head with his foot to secure the win. Two, the defender must block the attacker's advance and force them outside of the court's bounds in order to win. Three, if a situation arises, in which either player is unable to continue playing the game, the last one standing will be the winner."

By the time he finishes, we are standing in the centre, Gi-hun and I are facing Sang-woo. "A player's unable to continue. Explain that again." "that would be referring to the player's death. And now, with that, let the game begin."

I follow Gi-hun to the circle in the front. I see Gi-hun tying his laces. Then gets up. I follow Gi-hun to the side by hopping on one foot. "We used to play as kids," Gi-hun states. "When we cross it, do you remember what we used to call it?" Sang-woo attacks us with the knife. "Shut up! Who cares!?" Gi-hun throws sand on his face. Sang-woo stumbles back and screams.

Gi-hun and I go to the other side of the Squid. "Inspector Royal," I replied. Gi-hun smiles at me. Then it starts to rain.

Now we are facing Sang-woo. "I put an end to her suffering. You know she would have died anyway." Sang-woo says. "No, I treated her! She could've survived. You killed her." I say while my grip on my knife gets tighter.

"You know what, you're the reason I had to kill her. I thought of killing her as well, but unfortunately, she survived. I knew you three would stop all this, so she didn't die in there."

"You killed someone because this might end?" Gi-hun asks back. "Yes! You, you and that girl would have been the majority you need to get out! Going home without a single penny. I couldn't do that!" Sang-woo yells.

"They both are the ones who stopped me. 'Cause I was gonna kill you with this. It is over. I won't let you leave with that money." Gi-hun takes out his knife and attacks him.

But Sang-woo dodges over, then attacks me. I duck down. I was about to attack me from behind but I slipped due to the rain and fall. I see Sang-woo coming forward, I roll to the side and I push him with my legs. He falls and loses his knife. Then he stands up and punches me on my face and stabs me on my back. I yell in pain.

Then Gi-hun held his neck using his arms from behind. But my vision gets blurry. And I faint. "Alicia!! Alicia Wake up!!" That's the last thing I heard.

After what seems like ages, I wake to see Sang-woo hovering over Gi-hun and saying something. Gi-hun holds his hand to prevent him from being stabbed.

I see a knife near my palm. I quietly take it. And without making any noise. I go and stab Sang-woo from behind. He lets go of the knife and falls to the ground. He whines in pain. He tries to get up but I punch him on his face. I fell to the ground. I have no energy. "So It was you who killed them. You... you killed everyone! You are the one who killed them." Gi-hun punches him with every sentence he says.

He takes out the knife from his palm... he doesn't stab him. He just leaves the knife beside this face. Then he comes near me, helps me stand up and we both limp to the squid's head. But I stopped him, "Wait, didn't you say that his mother is waiting for him?" I look at him. Then we both look back and see the staff pointing his gun at Sang-woo.

"We wanna end here." we go towards them. "Cause three. If the majority agrees, the game will be terminated." I say to the guard.

"So if she and I give up now, you have to end it, right?" Gi-hun says. The guard lowers his gun and speaks in his Walkie Talkie. "player 456 and player 315 wants to stop the game."

Gi-hun goes near Sang-woo, "I just thought about how they used to call our names when our moms had made supper for us. That won't happen again. And Alicia, thank you for the second game." Sang-woo sobs. "Let's go together." Gi-hun extends his arms for Sang-woo.

"Gi-hun and Alicia... I'm sorry." then... he takes the knife and stabs himself in his neck. Gi-hun and I kneel beside Sang-woo. "Sang-woo!" "Sang-woo, please no!!" I was about to take the knife out and put pressure, Sang-woo held my hand. "Alicia no. I know you can treat people. You have treated yourself and Sae-byeok. But I don't deserve it." He says, barely breathing. "No, Sang-woo. Don't talk." "my mother, go help her. You both have to help her."

"Ah...No. Don't... Oh, no!" Sang-woo closes his eyes. Gi-hun and I cry louder."Sang-woo, I'm sorry!! NO! Please don't go!" I cry.

I am sitting, with my eyes blinded. I hear water getting poured into a glass. My legs and hands are tied. "You both should celebrate. That was quite the game there." a person says. But that voice is kinda familiar.

"Why? Why did you do it?" I hear Gi-hun. "You bet on horses. But we bet on humans. You're our horses. I did not expect you to finish your race, except for Alicia." I look in the direction where the voice came. "Who are you?" Gi-hun asks. "It was a dream. Just think of it that way. And it wasn't a bad one for you both." that person says.

"A dream? How do you expect us to forget? We played with our lives!" I scream. "Who are you?" then I can feel steam. "No! You can't make me unconscious you fucker! Who are you..." I slowly lose my consciousness.

I feel someone throwing me out of the car. Someone removes my blinds. I look at my side. Gi-hun coughs something out of his mouth. It is a card.

Gi-hun and I went to a bank. He inserts the card into the machine. He withdrew 10,000 wons.

Then he checks his bank balance, 45.6 Billion wons. "you know what? You take half of it because you even won the game." He says to me, I just look at the screen. "no, I don't want it..." I say. "why?" Gi-hun looks at me. That is not my money. People died for this money. I can't take it. There was a long pause. "...just no," I replied.

I am standing in front of my house. I ring the bell. No one opens the door. I twist the doorknob and the door doesn't open. I just collapse on the spot.

I open my eyes, I see everything white and bright around me. I look beside me, a ventilator, and a heart monitor. I'm in a hospital. I see a stranger, more like a nurse, beside me, looking at a file. "Excuse me..." she rushes to my side. "how are you feeling right now?" she asked me. "I kinda feel better," I replied. "Do you know anyone related to you who can help you out?" the nurse asks. "no." she nods her head and leaves the room.

-that evening-

"Hello Alicia, you have a visitor." it was the same nurse with a few cops. "Miss Alicia Wag, Your mother got arrested three days ago due to illegal things. And we have interrogated your house and you are safe to stay there. And as soon as you discharge we will drop you off there." Finally, she got arrested. I was waiting for today.

-1 year later -

It's already been a year. I can't forget those 6 days. And I also found out that Jun-ho died. I tried to contact In-ho, but he didn't pick up his phone. Today is my free day. I'm in a park. A lot has changed in one year. I paid all the debts. 

I see a gun pointing at my head. It was the loan sharks again. "What now?" I ask them, annoyed. "the money" I take out my phone and show them that I have paid them. "happy?" I raise my eyebrow. They apologise and leave.

I see a man with his mask on, sitting beside me. His eyes... They look familiar. "Excuse me?" I ask. He looks at me. Those eyes... "Can you remove your mask?" he nods his head no. I beg him. But it was of no use. I grab his collar. "I. Said. Take. Your. Mask. Off." he then slowly takes it off. My grip on his collar loosens. "In-ho..." I whisper. "Where were you gone all these days!"

"Had to go somewhere really important and it was a secret," he replies. I go back where I sat before. "That long?" I ask. "What?" "Did that take you too long to complete that secret stuff?" "It's because someone wanted me to do something for them. which is personal to them," he replies. "is it over or should you go missing again?" I ask him, not looking at him. "maybe..." He whispered. 

"Excuse me, would you like to buy these flowers? I need to sell them before they get dried." a woman with a basket of roses, asks. I take out 50,000 won and give it to her. She was about to return the rest of the money, but I demanded that she keep the money. She gives me 5 roses. In-ho buys 5 more.

Then he gives those roses to me. "what?" I look at him. "for you?" "But I already have it." "I know, take it anyway." I scoff and take it from his hand.

"Why do you have a gun?" I ask him, out of nowhere. "Huh? How do you know?" "I can see the gun holder," I say simply. He takes out one gun and gives it to me. "for you." "why?" "Just keep it, for your safety." he shrugs. I look at the gun and point at him. "Can I kill you?"

"But you won't," He said teasingly. I sighed and dropped it down. "true. What if I get caught?"

"You won't because it is a police gun." I sigh deeply.

He drops me off at my house. "Wait," I turned to face him. "Where is Jun-ho?" He looks hesitant. "I don't know." "What do you mean?" "Maybe he is on a mission or something. you know, a police duty." I nod at his response.

"bye." I see him leaving the apartment. I go inside, I place those roses on the table. But a black card which was stuck to the rose caught my eye. I open it and see the same card...

'DECEMBER 24, 11:30 PM. SKY BUILDING, 7TH FLOOR. FROM 1' my breath gets heavier.

I am standing in front of the building. I enter the building and go straight to the elevator. I press the number '7'. the elevator dings. Then I enter a room. I see a person sleeping on the bed in the corner.

In the midway, I hear the door opening. I look back, it is another person. He comes closer. "Gi-hun?" I ask him. "Alicia?" I nod. "Did you get the card?" he asked me. "Yes," I showed him the card.

Then we both go near the person in the bed. It was an old man wearing an oxygen mask. He takes out the mask. "pour some water, please." Gi-hun gives him the glass. "Who are you? Explain this."

Then the old man points to a man outside, who is on the floor. "You see him? That man down there? He must be drunk... because he's been sitting there for hours. He looks homeless too if I had to guess."

I go near the window so I can see the man. Everyone passing the man ignores him.

"You... were you the one who's behind it?" Gi-hun, stutters. "He's going to freeze to death if he stays out there any longer. And no one is going over to help or anything." he ignores Gi-hun's question. I go to help that man. But, "Let's wait to see who is going to help. I know you will help. You also helped the other girl even though she refused." I look at him with wide eyes, "Who are you? How the hell do you know?"

"Why did you do that to us?" Gi-hun shakes. "You think that you will stop walking and help that disgusting, stinking drunk person, huh?" "Show me who you are! Why did we leave and not the others." Gi-hun grabs his bed. "Let's play something tonight." "JUST ANSWER!!" I yell.

"If the man remains there until midnight, I win. If anyone helps him before, then you both win." Gi-hun grabs him. "no-no, we need answers, no violence please." I separate them. "Please. Answer." I pleaded. "I will." Then I look outside the window, "what will you bet on it?" "Anything." I and Gi-hun say. "It doesn't matter. You might as well take everything I have." The clock is ticking.

"Who are you?" I asked him again. "I earn a living, lending out money." "If you give money for living, then you should have given them directly instead of killing and collecting like that," I say. "You know, earning is not simple." "So was it true, whatever you said or was it all just a lie? Oh Il-nam. Is that even your real name?" Gi-hun asks. "Yes, it's real. Oh Il-nam. Those tumours are also real. And it also had gotten larger too. That's true. And the house I used to live with my family in was almost exactly like that one in the alley. That's all true."

Outside, I see a person, going near the drunk person. They sit down, shake him and leave. I sigh in defeat. "can you still trust anybody to be good even after everything you've been through?"

"What did you send the card for?"

"I heard that all the money you both won is just sitting there. None of you used it. And both if you are still living the same. Is it all just because you feel guilty?"

Gi-hun turns to look at Il-nam, "guilty, shut up! Don't you feel guilty after the things you have done?" "It's yours. That cash is your reward for your hard work and luck. And you both have the right to use it. Life goes on. One minute went in a blink." Il-nam says.

"Why did you do something like this?"

"Do you know what someone who doesn't have any money has in common with someone with too much money to know what to do with? Living is no fun for either of them. If you have too much money, then it... doesn't matter what you do with it. Everything gets boring. Everyone around me said the same thing. Everyone said that there was no joy in their lives. So, we decided to get together. We did a little bit of thinking. What could we all do to finally have some fun?" He sighs.

"Fun? More like play with lives." I say, not believing what he said.

"I think, You both forgot how... no one had to play, and all of your signatures on the agreement. And you decide to come back on your own." I still am looking outside the window, not knowing what to say because he was correct.

"Tell me, do you still trust in humanity?"

"humanity was dead when humans were born," I say without looking back.

"Why did you join us?"

"In my childhood, I always had so much fun doing things with all of my friends. We'd lose track of time. I wanted to just... feel something just one last time before I die. And you are not going to get that feeling if you are just going to spectate. And I desperately wanted that."

"And so did playing do that then?" "hell yeah... you asked why I let you both live. By joining...and playing with you guys. I got that chance to feel again. When I saw Alicia... all my childhood moments came back. All the beautiful moments. Thanks to you both. I got to remember all these things that I had forgotten long ago. It had been such a long time since I... was able to have that much fun."

I see police stopping in front of the drunk man, it was the same person. That person came back and helped. "Gi-hun, look at that." "There's someone who cares." then the clock strikes 12. I hear the heart monitor, no heart rate. I look at the old man, he is dead.

Tears in my eyes. "you knew?" I stutter. Then Gi-hun and I leave the building. Outside the building, "Gi-hun, I met Cheol, Sae-byeok's brother. I couldn't take him with me because I am young. So I thought maybe he could live with Sang-woo's mother. She can give her attention to him rather than... waiting for someone... who is...dead." I suggest. "I guess you are right."

As I enter the orphanage, Cheol runs and hugs me.  "Alicia, you are back!" I smile at him and nod, "yes I am." I and Gi-hun are sitting in front of Cheol, Gi-hun then asks, "you must be Cheol."

Sang-woo's mother greets Cheol, "is it that boy?" I smile at her. "Tell me your name, sweetie." "it's Cheol. Kang Cheol." "How cool! That's a manly name you have there. You look so tough and strong."

"Take care of him, please," I say to her. Gi-hun gives the suitcase to her. "It'll be nice to have a little extra company around for dinner for a change. Don't worry about me. You both have a good trip." I bend to Cheol's height. "I'll Come to visit you, okay?" he nods his head. I ruffle his hair. I and Gi-hun part ways. I think Sang-woo's mother opened the suitcase because I could hear her calling my name.

I am at the train station, waiting for the train to arrive. Currently, I'm on my phone typing notes for the magazine project and with my earphones and music blasting. But... I heard someone slapping clearly. I stop what I was doing and take out my earphone, and look at two people opposite the station. 

I stare at the man in a suit. He catches me staring at me. He smirks. I rush to the other side.

But unfortunately, he's already on the train. He waves goodbye. I look at the old man. I snatched the card from him. "Give it to me." he tries to take the card from me. I point the gun at him. "NO! Don't go!"

I look at it. The same shapes and numbers.

I am in the caffeine area at the university. I look at the number. I dial the number. 'If you wish to play, please state your name and date of birth.'

"I'm not a horse. I'm a person. That's why I wanna know...who you people are, and how you can do such horrible things to people."

"player 315, Alicia Wag. Don't get any stupid ideas."

"It wasn't a dream. I'll never forget what happened nor forgive you."

"Just concentrate on your studies. It is better for your future." then the line goes off.

I stare at my phone... gripping the card tightly.

~END~