Simulation Swarm ? Kang Dae-ho ╱ 388

THIRTEEN Devil's Advocate

No longer would she be the meek, the victim, the one to offer a hand in kindness. Her focus was now singular ━ her own survival. The barrier was gone, and with it, the last remnants of the girl who once believed she could save everyone, including herself.

She pushed herself off the beam, her feet falling under the unexpected weight. Regaining stability, Minseo stumbled out onto the battle grounds. Players were fighting for a spot, faces falling into pools of blood, bodies being thrashed out of rooms and into the barrel of a gun.

Across from Minseo was an open room. Its yellow painted walls welcomed her warmly, gleaming with interest as if to call her in directly, a personal invitation on her own accord. She picked up the pace, her legs straining with longer strides despite the ache of her muscles and scab of her skin ━ Minseo was going to make it.

But before she could make it, she was pulled back. "It's mine," gritted a voice from behind. "That's my room."

Minseo's neck was trapped between their arms, squeezing the little air left from her lungs. Her legs flailed and kicked against the weight, falling as the strength of her capturer restrained her movements. Minseo's hands clawed at their arms, their skin protected by the material of their shirt. But if her nails couldn't make a mark, her teeth could.

Sharp, dagger-like teeth which had never been perfected by braces were razored into the arms of the opponent. Hungry for survival, Minseo's teeth punctured the flesh like a rabid animal. The screams soon fell from his mouth, followed by the release of her body. The two came crashing down onto the floor, falling into a puddle of blood.

Player 238. His hair was cut unevenly, ragged jabs of scissors parting the odd places of his bowl cut look. His face was hollow and ghostly, his cheeks sharp and nose thin. His chest heaved, falling and rising rapidly under the tension of the room. Around them players continued to fight and fall for their secured spots. Player 238 did not take his narrowed eyes off of Minseo as he lunged towards her, using the last of his strength to claw into her legs.

Minseo scurried back, breathless and bruised, using the palms of her hands to push herself closer towards the room. But he was right on her little lamb tail.

It was zombie like, his movements. He crawled and cried, his outstretched hands palming her shins and digging his bloodied fingers into her flesh. "It's fucking mine," he gritted once again, blood dripping from his vulgar words. "My spot."

As he retracted his hands once again, pushing himself further up her body, Minseo seized the fleeting moment like a wolf with her prey. With the precision of a lioness striking, she raised her leg and drove the heel of her dirty shoe forward, her foot slamming directly into the side of his face.

"Fuck!" Player 238 howled, his voice a jagged cry as his hands flew up to clutch at his nose. His blood ━ thick, red, and warm ━ spilled over his fingers, dripping like a sinner's tears, the ruby liquid staining his thin lips. His tongue flicked out, greedily lapping at the blood as though it were the last drop of water in a desert of drought.

Minseo used the brief respite to push herself off the cold floor, her body unwilling, but her mind driven by a singular, undeniable instinct: survival. She staggered, uncoordinated, as her feet tangled beneath her, her legs betraying her in the cruelest of ways. Her knees buckled, but she managed to steady herself. It was only for a moment, but it was enough.

Enough to find the direction she needed, to feel the pull of the light ━ the false warmth of the yellow walls that bathed the room. They were still waiting, still beckoning her, but Minseo knew their warmth was not meant for her. Nothing in this world had ever been meant for her.