Skylar raised her right arm and swung the knife at him aiming for his shoulder but he dodged it with his swift movement giving her an opening on purpose. She gritted her teeth in annoyance and kicked him in the stomach taking him off guard. She again aimed the knife at him slicing through the air. Karma dodged it yet again and held her wrist turning her body around and pinning her against the wall. He moved his face close to her ear as her front was facing the wall and spoke in a deep intimidating voice.

"You being so feisty just makes me want you more, you know?"

"Jerk. Why the fuck did you have to choose me anyway?"

"Told ya. You are my type. How did you get hurt in your ribs?"

"What? I didn't. Now let go."

"Your movements showed it earlier. Don't lie to me, sweetheart," Karma grabbed her wrist and pushed her back onto the bed. He hovered on her with a speed of a fierce panther and pinned her hands above her head with his one hand. And another hand slowly pulled her t-shirt up to her ribs revealing a deep purple bruise on the left of her ribs. He caressed his hand over it making her wince as the sharp and dull pain hit her abdomen. "This. Who did this? It seems like it has been done recently so someone in the mansion right now-"

"None of your business. Get off of me. "

"I told you earlier to just be obedient and I'll help you get through the game alive," he put his knee between her thighs and rubbed his right knee on her clit making her bite her bottom lip to suppress a moan. He looked at her face noticing every reaction with his sweet curiosity and amusement.  "So, just don't make me mad and tell me who did this."

"Fine, but let go of my hands first." He continued looking into her eyes as if keeping her movements in check and freed his grip from pinning her hands. Skylar didn't break eye contact with him even for a split second and got her right hand out of his gaze pulling out a knife stealthily from inside of her full sleeve. She moved fast enough not giving him the time to react and stabbed him in his right thigh making him groan in pain. She took the chance to push him away and stand.

"You see I really didn't plan to attack you because you are my partner after all. I just simply wanted to test you when I first entered this room. But you crossed the line and don't fucking touch me without my permission. I mean no hard feelings," Skylar smiled at him and got out of the room without glancing back.

Karma just chuckled rolling back his head and felt his excitement rush in every of his sense looking forward to the next day.

"A girl coming out of a boy's room at late night. How scandalous," Landon walked towards Skylar in the corridor with an amused smirk on his face.

"Don't let your imagination run wild. And aren't you also supposed to be in bed to rest for tomorrow?"

"I'm a night owl," Landon shrugged and walked along with her, "by the way, haven't  we met before coming here?"

"That's a pretty old trick to flirt you know. Try something new."

" I'm not-" Landon let out a small chuckle and continued, "2 years ago. You got into some serious trouble after you stabbed someone in his balls with an anti-cutter. You don't even remember your savior from back then?"

"Wait. No way. That's why your eyes looked familiar but you were wearing some old baggy clothes and glasses back then. Gosh, I was so shocked seeing someone like that fight an entire gang of 50 people with me," Skylar smiled and stood in front of him leaning close to his face, "Now that I see you up close, you are actually quite good looking."

"I get that a lot. I wanted to ask for your number back then but you thanked me and ran off. Girls like you are my type. Can I kiss you?"

"Don't think so. It's too soon?"

"Pity. And here I thought you were bolder."

"Fuck that. You know I like that you are straightforward," Skylar smiled and leaned forward until their faces were just inches apart.

He smirked and leaned closer to kiss her circling an arm around her waist and pulling her close gently. Just as their lips were about to meet, Skylar turned around her face and Landon's lips brush her cheek lightly.

Landon let out a small frustrated breath and moved his lips to her ear speaking in a deep voice, "Does Karma know about that dirty little weakness of yours?"

"Oh, I dare you," Skylar smiled looking into his eyes, "Try to use that against me and I'll make you pay."

With that, she walked back to her room without glancing back. 

Time skip.

Day 1.

Damien walked through the forest along the trees maneuvering his surroundings. At the break of dawn, all the teams were sent off just with small backpacks containing a water bottle, dagger, and some bandages. They were told to collect anything else they will be needing through the game.

Damien had been walking for like 2 hours and he couldn't spot absolutely anything but trees. The sun was unforgiving and all the fatigue building up wasn't making things smooth. He stopped in his tracks spotting an old lady crouching down in a distance in front of him. The old lady was struggling to get up and it seemed like her knee was injured. He walked forward and held her helping her to stand.

"Are you trying to go somewhere?"

"Oh, it's rare to see such a helpful young lad. I was trying to get to my little house nearby but my knees gave up," she smiled weekly at him.

Damien looked at her with sympathy and gave her a piggyback ride to her house. It was 20 minutes until they reached a small house made of soil and hay, more like a hut. He helped her sit on a chair on the porch. "Thank you so much for your help. You look tired. Want some water?"

Damien nodded with a tired smile and she fetched some water in an earthen cup from nearby with her back facing him. Damien stealthily approached her from behind with the knife in his hand. And with a brisk movement, he slit her carotid artery from behind watching a gush of spurt out like a fountain. Then a lifeless body lay in front of him as he watched it calmly and wiped the sprinkle of blood from his face.

As her body lay on the ground, her lifeless wrinkled eyes were open staring straight through his soul. He sighed wearily before reaching out for her left wrist. A band with a QR code on it. He scanned it with his wristwatch and watched the points earned under his name. 3 points. "Well, considering it was an easy kill, not bad."

He picked up the earthen water cup from the ground and smelled it. "It was poisoned. Knew it. Who would help a candidate knowing that we are out to kill them anyway," he looked around watching the mesmerizing greenery and homeliness the place had. "Her soul must be in a better place now plus I gave her an easy death. I think I'm being too soft."

"Are you sure it's ok to just keep scouting this place without earning any points? We could follow some footsteps or something to get our first kill," Skylar complained walking behind Karma down the rocky path of steep mountains.

"I got a plan so just keep going. And look out if you see any person nearby."

"I fucking hate walking and the heat and you. Fuck this damn exam I wanna die. You can kill me if you want. What do you say?"

"Stop whining like a kid seriously," Karma said while walking but stopped in his tracks seeing a familiar face walk toward them.

"Look whom we have here," Landon smiled seeing them, and moved his gaze towards Skylar, "Hey there. Aw didn't know I would miss seeing you this much after what happened last night."

"Something happened between you two?" Karma asked with curiosity in his tone.

"Nothing to talk about," Skylar walked close to Landon, "You should focus on the exam."

"I am. And it will get quite interesting for me if I tell karma some interesting stuff about you-"

Skylar took out her knife and pointed it at Landon's neck in a swift motion, "If you wanna die already, I can grant that wish for you."

"Woah chill. I was just kidding," Landon smiled with an amused expression, "I like saving the best bite for the last, you see. Best of luck then. Gotta go." He walked away from them disappearing into the dense forest.

"I don't care whatever it is but I don't want it getting in my way. Also, I didn't know you go around flirting with other boys," Karma mused.

"First, I don't think that we are in relation for you to tell me what to do. Second, it's none of your business."

"Wait, stop. I hear some footsteps."

"Oh, would you look at that," Skylar pointed to the left direction at a small boy who was sitting on the ground going through a backpack, "just a kid. Will killing him even benefit us?"

"It will. His backpack. There must be something useful there. I wanna see what you can do. Go ahead. Kill him. And please don't say that you are too soft to kill a kid."

"Pfft. I hate kids. I'll do it. I'm bored anyway," Skylar shrugged and walks quietly towards the kid but he noticed her and started running. "Wait I'm in no fucking mood to run in this heat damn it," Skylar cursed under her breath and chased after him.

He ran through the trees easily like he is familiar with every nook and corner of the forest. On the other hand, Skylar kept having a hard time because of the uneven land and trees everywhere. She stopped in her tracks finally getting a good opening. She took out her knife and threw it directly aiming at the kid. It stabbed his back abdomen making him drop to the ground and cough out blood.

"It was annoying to run and catch you so I'm not gonna grant you an easy death," Skylar sat on one knee kneeling and looking at his dying face. "How about this? I'll let you live. Can you tell me where your friends or family are hiding?"

"P-please spare me," he agonized as fear was prominent in his eyes.

"Sure. Tell me where the others are hiding."

"I-I can't. Please don't hurt my family," he coughed out blood again and pleaded with a forlorn expression.

Skylar let out a huff in annoyance and stabbed the vital artery in his thigh. It was a few minutes until his breathing slowed and he blurted out his final words in a weak voice, "Please be safe mom," a tear rolled down his cheek and he drifted off to another dimension.

"What's the point in protecting your family when they ain't even here to save you? Meaningless."

"Human compassion as they say," Karma smiled and walked towards her, "I'm glad that we have similar thoughts."

"Hey, look at our evaluation points. For this kill, I got 8 points and you got 2. Isn't it supposed to be equal 'cause we are a pair?"

"Individual evaluation points. It goes to the person who contributed more to the killing."

"You seriously know too much. Let's see what we got in the bag pack and get moving."

Landon walked barefoot through the sand across the beach enjoying a gentle breeze and seagulls chirping nearby. So far everything was going well for him so it felt like paradise to him. He walked to a one-room cabin near the beach and went inside. It was small, old, and dirty but it did the job.

In the middle of the cabin, a man in his 30s was tied up to a chair, his finger and toenails removed with a scissor, some nasty stabs on his thigh wept yellow, abdomen, shoulder, anywhere where it wouldn't kill him but make him feel the pain. His head hung down holding on to the last strings life had to offer before he died due to excessive bleeding.

"Look what mess you made here. I don't hate a girl who is capable of doing this though. I got the points after killing 2 people. They are hard to find," Landon shrugged with a calm expression, "Did you get any useful information out of him?"

"You bet. We really do make a sweet pair," Kathy smiled cheerily at him as her hand was covered in blood that wasn't hers.