Previously on Captivity....

The players are thrown into chaos after a mysterious figure, Adrena, announces them as qualifiers for a deadly game. As the lights flicker and darkness descends, panic erupts among the players, who scream for escape and grapple with the horrifying reality of their situation.

Amid the turmoil, characters like Demnin, Nia, and Anex react with intense emotional distress. Demnin confronts Awandea, accusing her of indifference, while Anex tries to calm the situation.

All of it concludes with a sudden, unbearable ringing noise that jolts the players back to their own worlds. Demnin finds himself in his bedroom in Sydney, Nia is reunited with her family in Beijing, and Anex returns to her office in Seoul, each grappling with the unsettling realization that the nightmare might not be over.

DISJUNCTION

BRUSSELS, BELGIUM

Nicole mumbled to herself, her eyes fixed on the screen of her computer. The words "See you tomorrow" loomed large, their finality underscored by the ominous red letters. She looked down at her attire-a black slip and a long maroon skirt-before her gaze shifted to the door of her small, dimly lit room. The harsh yell that followed-"Hey you! Open the door!"-was a jarring intrusion that she chose to ignore. Instead, Nicole lay down on the cold, hard floor, curling up in the corner. The room felt stiflingly dark, with only a suitcase, a table, and a small window high up in the corner offering a sliver of light.

"I want to go back. That place was better," she murmured to herself, her voice a mix of longing and despair. She wrapped her legs beneath her long skirt, trying to shield them from the chill of the floor.

JAKARTA, INDONESIA

In a different part of the world, Florida had just returned to what she hoped was reality, her heart pounding with relief. "Ah! I am back! Thank god I am back!" she exclaimed, her voice brimming with joy. She looked around the familiar surroundings and sighed, "Ah, it was a stupid dream after all!"

"What is it, babe?" a voice interrupted her elation. Florida turned to see Harold standing behind her with two cups of coffee.

"Huh?" She glanced back at her own reflection-a vision of comfort clad in a fluffy black bathrobe, seated on a white couch.

"Harold? Why are you here?" she asked, puzzled.

"What? What do you mean? You asked me to visit yesterday. Did you forget? Don't play with me, bae. Have this coffee. It's your favorite."

"Oh. Coffee." Florida accepted the cup from Harold's hand, noticing the rich aroma wafting from it. As Harold leaned on the couch behind her, resting his head against hers and taking a sip from his own cup, she studied the perfectly brewed drink in her hand.

"Actually, Harold, I think we should end this..." she began, her tone shifting from the warmth of the moment to a cold resolve.

"End what?" Harold asked, puzzled, his playful fiddling with her hair ceasing as he registered her words. "Us. The end of us," Florida replied firmly, standing up with an air of finality.

"What? Wait a minute. What? I think I heard you wrong-"

"No, Harold. You heard me right."

"All of a sudden? Wait. Florida, tell me what I did wrong and I can fix it. But please. Just please don't-"

"Harold. Look. Please just leave. There is nothing you can do fix it because there is nothing to fix. We are just not meant to be together."

"Florida-"

Without another word, she pushed him out the door, her resolve unshaken by his desperate pleas. His cries for reconciliation echoed in the hallway, but they only provided her with a satisfaction she hadn't expected. She slumped back onto the couch, feeling the weight of her decision.

IN THE GAME, CAPTIVITY

Awandea wandered through an empty hall, her voice barely a whisper in the vastness. "Where did everyone go?" she muttered, scanning the deserted space around her.

IN THE GAME, CAPTIVITY, NPC COUNCIL HALL

In the council hall, Adrena burst in with urgency. "Game master, there is a disruption in the game," she announced, her voice echoing off the grand walls.

The man seated at the head of the long table looked up, his expression troubled. "That is?"

"Sir," Adrena began, kneeling on one knee and bowing her head respectfully. Her right hand rested on her bent knee, while her left hand hung limply by her side. "One of the players didn't return to her place."

"What?"

"She is a player from my hall-Adrena Hall. She's the only one who didn't teleport back."

PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA

From within the kitchen, Awinita called out over her shoulder. "Poh, here's your food. Awandea, I'll leave your food on the table!" She tossed the plate onto the table with a bit of frustration, relieved that the contents remained intact.

"Tch. That girl just hates me," Awinita muttered to herself when she received no reply. With a sigh, she declared, "I am leaving for work," and made her way to the front door.

TOKYO, JAPAN

Upstairs in a quiet house, a woman's voice grew louder as she approached a door. "Eichi, Eichi. Breakfast is ready. Wake up already!" She climbed the stairs slowly in her pink slippers, her voice growing increasingly insistent. "Eichi. Wake up."

When she finally entered the room, she found her little brother Eichi on the floor, gasping for breath. "Eichi! Eichi... Ah. Are you okay?" She hurried to his side, lifting him gently into her embrace. As his breathing calmed, he looked up at her with a troubled expression.

"Kaori Oneechan..."

"Tell me, Eichi. Are you okay? Are you hurt?"

"Oneechan... when will mother and father return?"

"Mother and father? Eight months from now... You miss them, my sweet little brother?"

"I don't know..."

"They only left last week. You miss them, huh? I made omelet crust pie today. Mother's specialty. You like that, don't you? Want to eat in your room or come downstairs?"

"Oneechan, you know I trust you the most..."

"Huh, where did that come from?" She smiled and ruffled his hair. But his serious expression made her smile fade.

"Oneechan... may I ask you something...?"

"Definitely, my baby brother. What is it?"

"Oneechan, I bought a game online yesterday. It's called Captivity. Can you find out who launched it?"

"Yeah, sure. One second." She stood up and rushed downstairs. A while later, she returned to the stairs with a laptop, her focus intense as she worked the keyboard. She climbed back upstairs, entering Eichi's room and setting the laptop down as she spoke. "Eichi."

"Yes, oneechan?"

"The game was launched by Tarterean, also known as Darkcroft. It's Japan's one and only game company that is so famous globally, people die to just see their games. It's run by a royal family. This particular game, after launching in Japan, was immediately released globally. The Japanese purchase rate is only twenty-three percent, compared to eighty-seven percent globally, including Australians, French, Americans, Italians, and so on."

"Oh."

"Eichi, what's wrong? Tell me." She asked, placing the laptop down gently.

"If I tell you, will you trust me?"

"Eichi, even if you told me a man entered your room from within the mirror, I'd trust you. So just tell me."

"Oneechan, when I turned on the game yesterday, something felt off. I soon realized I was inside the game. The other players didn't believe me. And then someone died in the game as well. They labeled it as a default and soon enough, we were all sent back home."

"So this is one of those games where the main character buys it from a shady shop and gets pulled in?"

"You don't trust me, do you?"

"No, I do. I trust you."

"What?"

"What?" She responded, puzzled.

"...why?"

"You don't want me to?"

"No, that's not it, oneechan. But now that I've said it out loud, it sounds ridiculous. So why..."

"Haha. You wouldn't make up such a lie. Trusting my baby brother is the least I can do."

"Oneechan... I love you."

"Hehe. Me too, sweetie. Hey, let's dig around a little."

"Hm?"

"In cases like these, Eichi, the factor connecting both worlds-reality and the game world-is time. When did you log in to the game yesterday?"

"At around nine at night," Eichi replied.

"And you found yourself back in your room..."

"Hm... nine in the morning."

"See? There's a gap of twelve hours. What if you enter the game exactly at nine at night today? How did you exit the game? Do you remember?"

"Ah, there was a sort of ringing in my ears which forced me to shut my eyes. When I opened them, I found myself here... in my room," Eichi answered hesitantly.

"I see. Interesting. Wait, let me get as much information about the game as possible."

"Oneechan."

"Yes?"

"You are so good at computers and solving stuff. Why are you applying to be a vet despite all this?"

"I want to be in the force too, you know. But... mother and father want me to be a vet."

"Oneechan, do what you want. Leave mother and father to me!"

"Haha. Look at my baby brother growing up. Sure, I'll do as you say. But first, this." She pointed to the laptop screen. Eichi leaned forward, studying the information.

"Do you see this? Information about the game is almost unreachable. That suggests something is going on. Is it VR?"

"Yes," Eichi confirmed.

THAT NIGHT AT NINE
SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

Anex sat at her desk, the dull grey of her office walls a welcome sight after what felt like an eternity of chaos. She sipped her coffee, the warmth spreading through her as she tried to shake off the lingering unease from the game. For the first time in a long while, she felt almost at peace.

But the peace was short-lived.

Her phone buzzed on the desk, snapping her out of her thoughts. "Now what?" she muttered, picking it up to check the notification.

IT IS TIME WE SEE YOU AGAIN.

"What?" Her heart skipped a beat as she stared at the message, her mind racing. Before she could process it, a sudden light flared in front of her, drawing her gaze.

Her laptop, which she was sure she had turned off, had switched on by itself. The screen flickered, and the pointer moved across it as if guided by an unseen hand. It clicked on the app labeled CAPTIVITY.

Anex jumped back in shock, her breath catching in her throat. She sprang from her swiveling chair, her hands trembling as a cold sweat formed on her forehead. She watched in horror as the screen began to change, her worst fears coming to life.

A sudden ringing filled her ears, sharp and relentless. The sound grew louder, unbearable, and she dropped to her knees, clutching her head in agony. She shut her eyes, hoping against hope that when she opened them, this nightmare would be over.

IN THE GAME - CAPTIVITY

When Anex opened her eyes again, the familiar sight of Adrena Hall greeted her. The blood-colored walls seemed to close in around her, and she found herself surrounded by people materializing out of thin air, just as disoriented as she was. She was back in the game.

Frantically scanning the hall, her eyes landed on a familiar figure. Relief flooded through her as she rushed over. "Awandea. Are you okay?" she asked, her voice trembling.

"Yes," Awandea replied simply, her tone calm, almost too calm for the situation.

"Thank God. What happened here?" Anex pressed, her concern growing as she glanced around, but the hall was empty save for the players slowly appearing around them.

"Nothing," Awandea replied again, her eyes distant.

"Oh. The guide isn't here yet," Anex murmured, assuming the lack of activity was due to the absence of their overseer. She sank into a chair beside Awandea, her body tense, as if bracing for the worst.

"Anex? Awandea?" A voice called out, drawing their attention. It was Demnin, who had just appeared in the hall, his face pale and drawn. Anex stood up and hugged him tightly, seeking comfort in the familiar presence. He gently patted her back, his touch grounding her in this surreal reality.

"What happened?" Demnin asked, his voice laced with concern.

"Nothing... I... I was just so happy when I reached home, but now... we are back here," Anex replied, her voice breaking. She couldn't hold back the tears that had been threatening to spill since she realized they were back in the game.

"Miss Jung..." Demnin began, but Anex shook her head, cutting him off.

"Never mind," she muttered, wiping her tears and gesturing for him to follow her. They sat down next to Awandea, their despair a heavy weight on their shoulders. Demnin clenched his fists tightly, his thoughts turning to his mother-the one person he cherished most in the world. The sight of her innocent face filled his mind, and the realization that he might never see her again gnawed at his soul.

As if responding to his dark thoughts, a familiar voice boomed through the hall, freezing the blood in his veins. It was the voice he had most hoped never to hear again.

"Welcome back, players. I hope you enjoyed your time with your family, for now will start the hard part of the game. Congratulations to all who crossed the selection round."

The players stood around, trying to grasp the reality of their situation. Adrena's sudden appearance sent a shiver through the crowd. Her face, glistening with a light amusement that belied the seriousness of the situation, made the tension even more palpable. Demnin, unable to mask his fury, stared at her with a glare that could burn through steel, yet deep down, he knew his anger was powerless against her. He was trapped, just like everyone else.

Adrena's voice, cold and authoritative, echoed throughout the hall. "Now starts the preliminary rounds. Thirty-two rounds. Two hundred players. And now, I'll divide you all into teams. The number of the team you are in will appear on the back of your hand in the next hour." Her words hung in the air like a death sentence. Without any further explanation, she disappeared as quickly as she had arrived, leaving the players to grapple with the ominous future she had laid out before them.