CODE : SURVIVAL (BTS X READER)

The announcement echoed through the subway station, sending a shiver down Y/n's spine.

"Stage Two Begins in 10 Minutes."

A mechanical clank reverberated from the tunnel ahead-a sound that signified something had changed. A new path had opened. A new trial was waiting.

The group stood frozen, their breathing shallow, the tension so thick it was suffocating.

"Did that just say stage two?" Jimin was the first to speak, his voice hushed yet sharp with disbelief.

"Yeah," Taehyung answered, but he didn't sound sure of himself.

Yoongi rubbed his temple, exhaling sharply. "Okay, let's break this down. First, we wake up in an abandoned city with no memory of how we got here. Then, some automated voice tells us we just completed something we didn't even know we were playing." His sharp eyes flickered toward the tunnel. "And now it's moving us to the next round?"

"Like a game..." Hoseok muttered under his breath, his expression darkening.

Y/n swallowed hard. They were catching on.

"I don't like this," Seokjin admitted, crossing his arms. "We need to find a way out of here before-"

A loud thunk cut him off.

Everyone turned.

At the far end of the station, a heavy steel gate had descended, blocking the stairs leading to the surface.

Jungkook was the first to react, sprinting toward it. He pressed against the cold metal, then slammed his fists against it.

"It's locked," he gritted out. "We're trapped."

Namjoon stepped forward, scanning the surroundings with a calculating gaze. "If this is really structured like a game, then our only way forward..." His eyes landed on the dark tunnel leading into the unknown. "...is through there."

No one moved.

Y/n already knew the truth, but she couldn't show it. Instead, she mirrored their hesitation, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.

Hoseok scoffed. "Are we seriously considering walking into a pitch-black tunnel when we have no idea what's waiting for us?"

"Do we have a choice?" Namjoon countered, his voice steady but grim.

The silence that followed was deafening.

Y/n took a shaky breath. She needed to act natural. If she hesitated too much, they'd suspect her even more. But if she acted too confidently, they'd question her.

Before she could decide what to do, a soft beep echoed in her ear.

She froze.

A message.

Her eyes darted to the others-none of them reacted. They hadn't heard it.

Slowly, she reached into her pocket and felt something cold against her fingers. A small, sleek device. It hadn't been there before.

[Game Guide: Stage Two - Survive Until Extraction.]

Y/n's breath hitched.

It was happening again.

She tightened her grip on the device. Only she was receiving these messages. Only she knew the game's mechanics.

And now, she had ten minutes to prepare for whatever was coming next.

But could she keep them alive-without revealing what she knew?

The low hum of the underground station felt heavier now, as if the very air had thickened with something unseen. The flickering lights above cast long, distorted shadows across the tiled floor, warping the already eerie silence.

Y/n kept her breathing steady, trying not to react too much to the beep that had just echoed in her ear. She couldn't afford to let them know she had received a message.

The others were still fixated on the steel gate that had slammed shut behind them. Jungkook ran his hands along the surface, as if hoping to find a crack or a hidden lever. Yoongi stepped back, rubbing a hand down his face, his mind clearly racing.

"Okay," Seokjin exhaled sharply. "No need to panic. Let's think this through."

"Easy for you to say," Jimin muttered, glancing at the tunnel. "You're not the one considering whether that thing leads to death."

"It's not like we have another option," Taehyung pointed out, crossing his arms. "Unless you want to sit here and wait for-whatever this place has planned for us next."

Namjoon's brow furrowed as he turned to Y/n. "You've been quiet."

The sudden attention made her spine go rigid.

"Huh?" She blinked, feigning confusion.

"You haven't said much since we got here." His gaze was sharp, analyzing.

Damn it. Stay calm.

Y/n forced a shaky breath and gestured vaguely at the surroundings. "What am I supposed to say? None of this makes sense." She let her voice waver slightly. "I don't even remember how I got here."

She could see the suspicion still lingering in Namjoon's eyes, but before he could press further, Hoseok sighed and leaned against the railing.

"Honestly, I don't care how we got here. I just want to get out," he said. "But since that's clearly not an option, we need to focus on what's in front of us."

"Which means heading into the tunnel," Yoongi muttered.

Another beep vibrated in Y/n's ear.

Her fingers tightened around the small device in her pocket as new words flashed across its tiny screen.

[Warning: Player Detection Imminent.]

Her stomach dropped.

Player detection?

Y/n swallowed the lump forming in her throat. Did that mean something-or someone-was coming for them?

A faint, distant sound made her freeze.

Click. Click. Click.

It was rhythmic, almost mechanical, echoing from deep within the tunnel ahead.

Jungkook turned sharply toward the noise. "Did you hear that?"

Everyone stiffened.

The sound grew louder. Closer.

Click. Click. Click.

A shadow moved at the far end of the tunnel.

Y/n's breath caught in her throat.

She knew what was coming.

And they weren't ready.

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