Your name is Len Kagamine, and you're going to regret this. It's been roughly a year since Tei had won the Program. It wasn't surprising that she had won, really. She was always ready to kill. No, what worried you was that she had gotten so badly beaten up that she had to be hospitalized for this long. Most of the people in the Program this year that you had met seemed so kind and gentle. What could possibly have made them turn into such... Killers?

You yourself had decided not to view the Program this year. Many of your friends had died. You don't like viewing the Program anyway. The Program was a result of a revolution. Now, every year, one class from a freshman grade is taken into the Program, and the students are forced to fight to the death until one remains. The only thing the winner receives is free hospital treatment and protection for the rest of their lives. Not to mention actually getting to live.

But you know what that 'protection' really is. To make sure you don't start spreading stuff about the government.

Of course, you never speak of this verbally. You'd get arrested and killed if you did.

You stand at the door to Tei's room. You visited her every few months in the past. She was overjoyed to see you every time. You felt like you should've visited more, but you can't help it. You're horrified of Tei Sukone. She had always been your stalker. Texts, emails, love letters in your locker. She had never gotten violent with her obsessive love for you, but she did hate your girlfriend at the time, Miku Hatsune. You ended up breaking up eventually. You're still good friends, just... Not dating. It's a long story.

Back on the topic of Tei, she and never gotten violent, but you could always tell she wanted to stab Miku in the throat. You didn't watch it, but you're pretty sure she released that violent tension in the Program. You shiver at the thought.

Sucking in a breath, you twist the door handle and step inside the room. In the hospital lies Tei. You had hoped she was asleep. But no, she's awake, staring at the ceiling. She turns her head, red eyes staring at you before a smile crosses her lips.

"Len!" She exclaims. You can't help but note she looks much better from your last visit. You walk over to her, pulling up a chair and sitting down.

"How are you feeling?" You ask. She seems even happier to know you care.

"Much better, actually! I'm ready to head on home right now, but the stupid doctors here won't let me." She made a face.

"Yeah... Well, maybe you'll be out soon. You look fine to me." You say, trying to be optimistic. You don't mention anything about her mental state. The last thing you'd want to know is get into detail with that.

"Oh, Len," Tei sighs, your name flowing from her lips, "you really don't know shit."

You blink. "I- ... What?"

She looks at you again. She looks much more serious than she had before. "You're entering your freshman year, Len." She tells you. "You're going to go into the Program."

You're aware that your face must look ridiculous from how dumbfounded you are. "Tei, that's impossible, it's chosen randomly! The same school can't be picked twice!"

"It's random. There's always a chance, Len, a chance!" She spits at you, her eyes narrowed angrily now. You stand up.

"Tei, please. This is the last thing I want to worry about. I think you need to rest. I'll come back and visit again soon." You turn around, heading towards the door. You feel a hand clamp around your wrist, squeezing hard.

You turn around, hissing in pain, about to tell her off, but your voice goes silent before you could even speak. She's right in your face. You hadn't even heard her get out of the bed. Your heart beats faster. Like you said before, you are horrified of Tei Sukone.

Staring into her eyes, you nearly forget about the pain of the tight grip on your wrist.

"You know nothing, Len Kagamine." She tells you. Every word sends shivers down your spine. "You're going to die. Horribly. Maybe your head will be severed from your neck, or maybe you'll be sawed in half. Perhaps, if someone is feeling particularly mean, they'll cut out your tongue and wait for you to either bleed to death or choke on your own blood." You're shaking. Almost everything she's saying seems so real. Like you yourself had seen these things happen. You don't want to imagine it anymore.

"But not if you know how to survive," she concludes. "You're going to have to give up everything. Your sister, your friends, maybe even a limb or two, your innocence, your pride... Everything. Because your life is worth it. Remember that, and you're going to survive." She releases you. Backs up. Goes back into the covers. Stares at the ceiling.

You turn around and quickly leave the room. You're still shaking.

You have a feeling this is going to be a long day.

End of chapter one.