It's all in the game...

***

CHAPTER 63:

BLACK CARD

Everyone watched me impatiently while I pondered over the cards.

"Come on, Olive, pick one already," Lea urged excitedly. "White or black?"

It seemed my nervousness was amusing her. My eyes drifted to Mars just for a moment—it was involuntary. My naive heart thought he might help me. Of course, he couldn't—or rather, he wouldn't. I was alone in this mess.

I took a deep breath and chose "Black."

Revealing my secrets to these souls felt even harder than doing something foolish. Leyla narrowed her eyes at me, her devilish smile seemingly reflecting the wicked thoughts in her mind.

"Hmm..." she finally said. "Let's start with something light. Shed one of your layers, sweet girl. Let's see what you're hiding underneath."

"What?"

"Strip!" someone shouted, laughing. The others whistled and clapped. I looked around in panic. Were these souls sick? Did they really think I would strip in front of them?

"Come on!" the girl urged. "At this rate, we'll never finish the game."

"I'm not taking off my clothes!" I snapped back at her. "I pass!"

She shrugged, but her grin widened. "As you wish, darling. The rules are clear."

I threw down the card in frustration. Just then, a burning pain seized my arm, cutting off my breath. I doubled over involuntarily. A scream was stuck in my throat. It felt like something had torn off my flesh. In panic, I looked at my arm. It was... burned. My skin was red and blistered, just as Lea had said.

"The first time always hurts," James said, almost like he was sharing a secret. His words, twisted with implication, had everyone roaring with laughter—everyone except Mars and me. I looked at him deliberately this time, but his eyes were on the ground. It seemed he didn't want to face me.

"Your turn to spin, Olive," Leyla said.

I wanted to flee, to erase these people from my life forever. But they were waiting for it, eager to see me crumble, to watch tears spill. I wouldn't grant them that pleasure. Clenching my teeth, I reached for the spinner with trembling fingers. It halted on James, who promptly selected a white card.

"Tell us your biggest fear," I said without thinking.

He flashed a wicked grin and shot back, "Not catching an orgasm."

His laughter was tinged with a plea. Of course, he was lying, and now he had a scar on his wrist just like mine. But when he lifted his head, there was a look of immense pleasure on his face. He was a masochist, deriving joy from pain. He took a drag from the cigarette the girl beside him offered, then leaned in to blow the smoke between her lips.

My God, what nightmare had I stumbled into? Each subsequent round filled me with dread. It was clear: these people thrived on risqué topics. I doubted they even considered themselves friends. Their questions seemed solely intended to expose each other's dirty secrets. As the wheel spun relentlessly, their clothing dwindled, and hidden affairs came to light round by round.

Now Mars was sitting shirtless across from me, quietly smoking. He had lost his sweatshirt in one round, his t-shirt in another. The lipstick mark on his neck was a gift from the girl beside him. When Lea chose a black card and kissed one of the girls as her task, he didn't even lift his head to watch. When it was his turn, he sighed and chose a white card.

"Oh, man..." Leyla said. "If you had drawn black, I would have dared you to kiss me."

In your dreams, sweetheart," Lea laughed softly, then turned to kiss Mars. I wasn't quick enough to look away. A sharp ache bloomed inside me as their lips met, far more intense than the sting on my arm.

"Okay, we get it, he's your boyfriend..." Leyla rolled her eyes. "Now, the question comes. Tell us honestly, Mars, are you really in love with Lea?"

This time, I kept my eyes down, unable to face Mars's answer—or to see how Lea would react to it. But even with my head bowed, the anticipation was unbearable, just like everyone else's. We were all holding our breath, waiting for his response.

"No," Mars said.

My head lifted before I could stop it, my gaze locking onto Mars. I held my breath, waiting for the candle to flicker and betray his words, for the pain to twist his face. Surely, Lea was expecting the same. But Mars sat there, his brows furrowed, expression unchanged. Moments passed, and nothing—no flicker of light, no gasp of pain.

His words were true.

He wasn't in love with her.

The realization hit me like a wave, and I could barely process it before the others burst into laughter. This time, it wasn't me they mocked. Their eyes turned to Lea, whose face reflected the cruel truth.

I kept watching Mars, unsure of what to feel. Our eyes briefly met before he looked away, returning to his cigarette. The game carried on with the same brutal edge, and soon enough, I had learned everyone's dirty secrets by heart—who had slept with whom, how many times they'd cheated, and even where. It wasn't limited to this small circle anymore; it had spiraled into a disgusting gossip spree reaching far beyond the rest of the Dorm.

When my turn came, I drew a white card. But unlike the others, this one had three small stars on it. The reaction was immediate—cheers and applause erupted from the group. Lea quickly explained the reason. According to the rules, this card didn't mean answering just one question but three. I was trapped, and James, of course, would be my executioner.

"Sweet girl..." he licked his lips. "Here comes your first question." I swallowed, and he mimicked my action with a sly grin. "Everyone's been honest. Now it's your turn. How many people from the Dorm have you slept with?"

I took a deep breath. "None."

Shouts of disbelief rang out. "Look at that..." James said, smirking. "Totally untouched, huh? With your looks, how's that even possible, kitten?"

"Ask the second question," I snapped.

His reaction was to feign fear, widening his eyes dramatically. "Oh, she's got claws... Have a smoke; it'll calm you down." I forcefully pushed away the cigarette he offered. "Okay, okay," he laughed. "Don't be mad; here comes your second question." He paused to think. "So... you haven't slept with anyone, but surely you've kissed someone, right?"

This question was more complex than the first. The answer should have been no since I had never willingly kissed anyone. But... at the fair... that cursed night... that despicable Bong...

I pushed the images from my mind and quickly said, "Yes."

Mars looked up for the first time, his gaze fixed on me, trying to discern if I was telling the truth. Surprise overtook his expression when he saw that I hadn't burned.

"Hmm..." James chuckled. "So you're not that innocent after all. Let's move on to the last question."

Ask who it is,' Leyla said excitedly, her eyes flicking between Mars and me like she was piecing together a puzzle. If I said his name, it would ignite chaos—Lea would be devastated, and everyone else would relish the drama. But...

"No," said James. "I'm curious about something else." I held my breath. He took a long drag from his cigarette and asked, "Have you ever been in love with anyone here at the Dorm?"

The devastating blow had finally arrived. There was no dodging this question with any maneuver. Would lying and burning myself change anything? They were all going to find out the truth anyway.

"Yes," I said simply.

Whistles blew. Someone shouted. Leyla leaned in and whispered something to Lea's ear.

"I know who it is," Lea said, grinning mischievously.

My gaze shifted from her to Mars, but he was no longer paying attention to me. He withdrew into his world as the game dragged on with its absurdities. Fortunately, someone soon announced the final round. The cigarettes were burned out, the milk was finished, and everyone's minds seemed a million miles away. There wasn't much energy left for mockery or ridicule. But there was a catch: in this last round, the three people the arrow pointed to couldn't pass.

I had never prayed so hard in my life. Someone, somewhere, must have heard me because the arrow landed on someone else both times, and I'd made it to the final round untouched. Just one more, I whispered to myself. Then, this nightmare would finally be over. The trauma wouldn't fade overnight, but that was tomorrow's problem. Mars looked just as eager to leave it all behind, pulling on his t-shirt and sweatshirt with visible boredom.

And then...

Leyla spun the wheel one last time.

She had started the game, and now she would end it. The damned arrow stopped on my soulmate. Cheers broke out all around. What a spectacular finale. Their excitement spiraled out of control, especially when Mars picked a black card.

"Surprise us, Leyla..." someone shouted.

"Let's end the night on a high!"

"Set it on fire, girl; let everything blaze!"

Leyla grinned at James, who was howling like a wolf. Until that moment, their closeness had led me to believe she was Lea's best friend. So when her gaze cunningly shifted to Mars, I couldn't understand it. The devilish expression on her face did not bode well.

"Mars, my dear..." she began. "You've heard the requests. We expect a fiery kiss from you, one that will haunt our dreams."

Mars sighed in exasperation. "To whom? You?"

She laughed. "No, not me." Her gaze wandered around us. Left, right, left, right... "Whoever here you haven't kissed before, let it be her," she finally said.

Everyone seemed to turn their heads toward me in unison as if conspiring. They all knew each other too well. Who knows how many times they've played this same game? Clearly, no one cared who was with whom in this group. That just left me—the innocent villager surrounded by vampires...

Mars's eyes found me like everyone else's, but unlike them, he wasn't smiling. Despair spilled from his gaze, filling the space between us. Until now, he had blindly followed whatever was said to him, but now he hesitated. I could see the helplessness on his face. He genuinely did not want to kiss me, even for a stupid game...

But the rule was clear: he couldn't pass. When he finally rose slowly, I stood frozen like a statue. Either my ears had gone deaf to the whispers of the others, or they, like me, were breathlessly awaiting what would happen. It seemed as if no one else was around me anymore. I only saw Mars—his crossing around the board, coming up to me, kneeling before me.

After all my efforts to stay away from him, he was now right in front of me, impossibly close. Could he see how I was trembling? I couldn't hold his gaze. My heart felt like it was about to give out. When he leaned in, I thought I might faint. And then, when he touched my chin, it sent a jolt through my entire body. He hadn't even kissed me yet, and I was already falling apart in his hands. What would it feel like? How would I go on after this?

His eyes were on my lips now, and he leaned in even closer. His scent clouded the last bits of my rational thought. My mind let go of everything—every decision, every plan, every right move. I couldn't take it anymore. My eyes closed, my lips parted, and my body instinctively moved toward him. My heart pounded with desperate longing. I had never wanted anyone or anything so badly.

But...

I felt a warmth on my forehead. My eyes fluttered open slowly. Mars had kissed me—on the forehead—and let go of my chin. He stepped back, leaving me suspended in that empty space. I couldn't process what had just happened. My gaze shifted from Mars, who was now walking away, to the group around me, laughing hysterically. It felt like I was underwater. The sounds were muffled, and everything around me seemed to ripple. I was swaying in place.

It was a fitting end to the night, really. Once again, I was on stage. Once again, Mars played the prince, and I was the court jester in a supporting role. They were all looking at me, laughing at me, pitying me. I had just earned another badge in my collection—the girl Mars didn't want. And this time, it was the highest one yet. The cruel things they said about me barely registered anymore.

"The game is over," I heard Mars say.

He walked away without a backward glance. Lea immediately jumped up and ran after him. The others followed, some hand in hand, some arm in arm, laughing and joking as they went. I was the only one left behind. But I didn't rush. Why hurry when I could savor my downfall? Smart Olive... Know-it-all Olive... Stubborn Olive... How well she had learned her lesson. How her plans had blown up right in her face.

I got up like a war veteran, dragging my feet from the wreckage. Just a few steps later, I saw him... Tarben—standing there, watching me from behind the bushes. From the look on his face, I could tell he'd been there for a while. He had probably seen the whole thing.

The game is over, I thought.

Now, it was time to face life.

***