Quick disclaimer: This entire book is kind of dark/dystopian/bloody, so maybe not read it if you are easily disturbed :D

Tis not for the light hearted.

Tis also very long, every chapter will have many parts, each POV of a character would most likely have different lengths, depending on how motivated I was when I wrote it.

---

We all know the heavy weight in your chest when you could feel that something terrible was going to happen?

Yes, that precise feeling was what Oliver Anderson felt as he stepped out into the darkness of the night.

It was stupid of him to attempt this rescue mission, but he felt obligated to save the boy.

He simply had to.

...

For all the people that never made it.

He inhaled as he hurried down the empty streets.

***

"I suggest you to stop crying, little one," The interrogator told him as they pulled out a knife, and stepping towards Julian, "The more you cry, the more your leader will have to take. The more bodies the Abyssals will need to collect"

He remembered desperately trying to stop the flow of tears, slapping himself for not being in control of his own actions.

He remembered how Julian looked at the interrogator, silent and completely emotionless. He remembered Julian yelling his rank, his number and his name, everytime they asked a question, even when he started to succumb, even when the defiance and light in his eyes disappeared as time went on, but he never stopped.

Julian Miller.

Abyssal scouting leader.

Number 304.

He used to wonder why he did that, but he knows why now.

Over and over again Julian had repeated it in defiance, because when he was stripped of his dignity and pride, the only thing he could cling onto was his own identity and his will to live.

But even that didn't stop the spark of defiance and life that once shone brightly in his eyes to dim.

Julian lost his sight, and most likely his will to live that day.

***

Oliver fumbled with the ropes that held the boy in place.

All the captors had gone off to do whatever, and he hoped it was not a trap.

In a hushed voice, Oliver told the bounded and gagged boy that it was going to be alright, and that they would be able to slip past the guards, and they will be out soon.

Oliver tries to untie them.

The boy lets out a muffled noise and panic and struggles, jutting his head towards Oliver with fear in his eyes.

A warning.

A warning that Oliver didn't get enough time to react to.

Oliver collapses instantly, his vision blurry as he feels a stinging pain at the back of his head

He sees the lead captor admiring the fresh blood on their bat as he smiled down at the two, "Well, now... I think having two will make this way more interesting"

It was all that he remembered before the darkness came rushing up to meet him.

***

He remembered watching the interrogator torture Kaihon after they dragged away Julian's unconscious body.

"Playing a game" as they called it.

The Caveat.

They told Kaihon to count the number of seconds aloud, and every time the pain, exhaustion or fear made him forget what number he was on, they would start the entire procedure over.

Kaihon never made it to 120.

***

"Does your dignity mean more to you than his life?" 

The lead captor taunts as they twisted their hand deeper into the boy's hair and wrenching his head back, exposing their throat to the knife. Oliver the urge to flinch as the boy cries out, but he remains silent.

"Fuck you" The boy gasps out as he glares at the knife. Oliver swallows hard, eyes darting away, he had never been a team player since the incident.

"Do it," The captor hisses, sliding the knife up under the boy's chin. "Beg on your knees for him to be spared – and make it convincing."

***

He remembered fear as they pulled Kaihon out of the room, just like what they did to Julian.

Just like what they will do to all of them.

He remembered Jackson looking at him, he remembered feeling numb as they pulled him up to his feet as shoved Jackson out of the room.

He remembered Jackson fighting and yelling before being thrown out.

"Kill yourself"

Oliver realized that they were no longer trying to get information, they weren't really in the first place.

This was all just a sick game for their entertainment.

Anger flared up inside him as he was handed a knife.

He thought about the entire team, damage and hurt, he hoped that they would never see him like this.

It was not the morally correct thing to do.

He had snapped the instant they gave him even the tiniest bit of space, taking the opportunity to tear through whichever captor was closest, with the training that was supplied to them.

He had wanted to get out with no unnecessary deaths.

He got out just in time before the lockdown was initiated.

He would never leave without them.

He had waited for weeks, waiting, listening.

"-They told us the scouting team, or whatever was left of it, has been moved right?"

"I don't know, I heard they might just off them if they put up much of a fight"

"Serves them right you know, trying to be the villains or something, taking over the towns and killing people"

"Have you seen the leader of the stupid group yet? God, seeing him nearly lose his mind was fucking amazing"

Oliver immediately stood up, snapping the pencil he used to take notes as he stared straight at the speakers.

By the time they realized that there was an intruder, it was far too late.

He had already slit the first person's throat, and was just about to stab the other.

"-Wait no, please, I have a son, I have parents that are waiting for the end of my shift, please-"

Oliver hummed slowly, holding the bloodied handle of the knife he had been given to end himself days ago.

"And the scouting team had a family"

Their filthy bodies would litter the grounds, and he made sure of it.

***

"You actually thought I cared about him? Pathetic"

Oliver sneered as he stared right at the lead captor.

"I thought you would have known that by now, I don't do anything for others," Oliver scoffed leaning back, "Never."

He took a moment to think before leaning forward with a sick smile on his face, "You look awfully like your father you know, that fucking bastard had it coming to him the moment he messed with me"

The captor threw the boy aside as he stared down at Oliver, "Don't. You. Fucking. Dare. Disrespect. My. Father"

"I do whatever I want, you orphaned little shit," Oliver chuckled, although a part of him felt empty as he said those words, "You don't own me"

"Oh I will after today," The captor said, suddenly with a light voice, "After all, no one is going to stop me, are they?"

Oliver could see just inside his vision that the boy was getting up, dragging something heavy as he crept towards them.

Just a few more moments.

The captor smiled, unaware of what was coming, "My name is Dan, and it'll be that only name you will ever need to know"

"Sure glad to meet you," Oliver replied as the boy raised the bat, "I'm sure it will too"

There was a sickening crack, and Dan fell forwards.

The boy gave him a hand, "Nice acting, I'm Brandon"

"Nice aim, I'm Oliver"

---

Gigi stared at her blank screen as she sat in the morning light.

Or was it the mid-day?

She couldn't tell, not like the sun dimmed at a certain time before being turned off.

No, it was just either on or off. No in betweens. Ever.

She leans back for a moment, before snapping back quickly to staring at the blank screen once again.

Gigi rubbed her eyes as she slumped over the table, "Why motivation, why? I just need to get this one thing done, it's not that hard, please-"

"-And when the world needed him the most, he came back!" A figure hopped through the open window, a bright smile on his face, "Heya, Gigi! How're you doing?"

"Connor shouldn't you be in school?" Gigi looks up, "It's 8:47, and your first class started at 8:20"

Connor huffs as he sits down on the floor, closing his eyes briefly before replying, "You weren't there, and I was lonely, so I left"

"Idiot"

"Besides," He opens one eyes to glance at her whilst completely ignoring her comment, "Why do you care? Hm?"

Gigi opens her mouth to retort, but Connor winks, "Nah, I'm just joking around, nothing serious. Besides, I'm here because I got some stories from school to tell you"

"I'm not interested," Gigi deadpans, turning away to pick up her pen, "I don't like "gossip", it's degrading, fake and stupid"

"Aw c'mon," Connor pouted, "But it's really cute!"

"Gossip is never cute, Connor," Gigi sighed, starting to draw a circle as she continued to ignore him.

"...Okay, fine, I'll listen," Gigi muttered, "Only if you swear that I have consent to strangle you if it's not adorable enough, though"

"Woah, wait, I didn't consent to that-"

"Okay, tell me about it," She said, casting a glance out the window, "Or do you not want to tell me-?"

"No, no," Connor rubbed his face tiredly, "I want to tell you- God- Just be patient- M'kay, so you know the smart kid in my class?"

"Linus?"

"No," Connor stuck out his tongue as he rocked back and forth on the floor, "Lyrius Deltan, the one with the scar, not Linus Jiao, and anyways, he's not smart-"

"Get to the point," She was this close to kicking him, "Or I'm not listening"

"Okay, okay! So long story short, this football jock is crushing on the smart kid," Connor explained without taking in a breath, "There, quick enough for your delicate ears?"

"Which one of the football nerds?" Gigi asked, peering at her attempt at drawing an ear, "Jez? Jaron? Or some people that I do not remember?"

"Jez, obviously," Connor fake gasped as he gently nudged her chair, "Who else?"

"Good for him," She replied off-handedly as she leaned back to survey her sketch, "Wish them luck I guess"

"Lyrius told Jez that he'll "think" about it"

"Oh"

"Yeah"

"..."

"..."

"Can I tell you something?"

Gigi immediately dropped her pen, turning around abruptly. 

Connor swallowed as he averted his gaze. 

Is she angry? Maybe I talked too much and distracted her from her work or something? Maybe I'm annoying as fuck and she's done-

"Connor, you can tell me anything," Gigi said slowly, frowning at him for his sudden reaction, "I won't judge"

"...Well you see..." Connor explained slowly, , "I've met this guy just today..."

"Continue, continue," Gigi gestured as Connor quite possibly face planted on the floor with a sigh, "Tell me about it"

"I- I'm dying," Connor complained, his voice muffled as he refused to look up, "God, out of all the people I can like, why-"

"Karma," She commented as she nodded to herself, "You're a goddamn player-"

"I don't mean to!" Connor retorts without taking in a breath as he continues to face the floor, "They come to me, and I'm like, "Okay then", but then I don't feel anything and then they're all like "He thought I was just a conquest", they're all so possessive and insensitive-"

"I... Cannot relate"

"Whatever!" Connor exclaimed sitting up suddenly, "Not like I'll get a chance, another guy already has his eyes on them-"

"Connor," Gigi put her arm on his shoulder, "Connor look at me"

"...Yes?"

"Are you sure you like them?"

"Yes"

"Would they be like every other relationship you have gotten your stupid self into?"

"...I will not let that happen"

"That's settled," Gigi said standing up, "We're going to war"

---

"FUCK YOU JARON, AND YOU TOO, TOBIAS" Rose yelled into her mic as she furiously clicked her keyboard, "HELP ME TAMARINE, DAMIEN DO SOMETHING"

"I can't do shit!" Damien exclaims as his character ran around in circles, the smashing of the keys on his end could probably be heard from 10 miles away, "It's goddamn glitched!"

The death screen popped up a few seconds later.

"Goddamnit-" Rose screeches as she threw herself backwards, propelling herself away from the screen, screaming as she turned around in circles on the wheels of the chair.

"...You guys good?" Jaron asks quietly, Rose could hear him frowning from his side, "...You guys aren't actually upset, right?"

"No," Rose says, "I might have just overreacted a bit"

"A bit," Tamarine jokes as her character dances over Rose's dead body, "You were literally screaming!"

"Okay, fine," Rose replies, "Maybe I did"

"Where's Issac today anyways?" Jaron asks as the default calling music began playing, "Y'know he said he'll be here, but he texted last minute that he's gonna be busy today"

Rose could hear Tobias moving on his end, "He has a crush"

Damien smashes something on the table, right next to the microphone.

"Wait, that wasn't your head was it?" Tamarine shrieks, "I'm not taking you to the ER again!"

"Shhh," Damien whispers, before continuing loudly, "You guys heard about the news recently?"

"The one about the parasite?" Tobias mutters, "It seems scary, if I'm being honest"

"Don't worry about it!" Rose jumps in, completely forgetting to respawn her character, "They said it doesn't affect people between 1-30 age frame"

"But haven't you heard?" Jaron lowers his voice suddenly, being barely audible, Rose leaned in to hear, "They had side effects, even if they don't kill us outright, they make these hallucinations and also make certain people lose their minds" 

"Yeah but we're inside the city walls," Tamarine comments emotionlessly as her character ran around slaughtering the bandits, "They say they've been working on it, and no one has been infected"

"Shush!" Damien whispers harshly, "They could have just been taking the people that are infected, and terminate them and all of the people that knows them!"

"Hello internet!" Rose jokes, "Welcome to Damien Theory!"

"S-Shut up!" Damien claps his hands together forcibly, "Stop quoting that old history section you did a project on! Besides, DF and Gray are way superior!"

"Hey you watch your mouth!" Rose says, standing up from her chair suddenly, "Or I'm going to march over there and take your eyes!"

"Calm down, calm down," Tamarine says slowly, "We all can agree that The Pals are the best though, right?"

"Wrong!" Jaron retorts, he was extremely close to the mic as he screams, "Blitz is the best!"

"Oh you guys are all getting cancelled!" Tobias jumps in, "The Muffin Trio and Dream Team are the best, not those silly gamers"

"You are so done, Tobais!" The others exclaims, in sync as Jaron's wifi began to act up, "S-So done, y-you goddamn i-idiot!"

Rose laughed as Jaron continues to lag behind the others.

Oh how she could do this all day.

 Everyday, they were the best.

---

I'm not really good at writing lol.

Pls forgive me.

Sorry if you're kinda getting bored, probably only 2 more parts of chapter 1 after this.

And then we're moving ahead with murders and lies.

:3

Hope you enjoy the story as always :D