Last part of the prologue.

If there is one thing I should be graceful for, it's that the sun isn't shining through my window when I wake up. Instead, it's soft knocks on my door that awaken me. My body feels heavy and part of me doesn't want to get up.

Shit, did I fall asleep in my clothes? Ugh, just how tired was I last night?

Apparently, tired enough to fall asleep without waking for dinner, if my growling tummy is anything to go by. And it's that hunger that convinces me to get up and open the door.

I expected a guard and stand there and scold me. I did not expect a fellow inmate to be the one to wake me.

Kikoi is shifting her weight from one leg to another when I open the door. I'm surprised. I didn't expect her to go to me, especially at a time like this.

"Why are you here?" I ask. She looks at me, but not with fear.

"Noriko wants us to gather in the cafeteria. You were late, so I came to get you."

Something is wrong…

"Isn't it the guards' job to be doing this sort of thing?"

She doesn't answer, so I'm left with many questions. My guts are telling me something is off. My guts are also telling me I need to eat though and right now, that has a higher priority.

"Just give me a few seconds to fresh up. I'll be there."

I quickly close the door and change into a fresh, clean shirt and wash my face. The moment I've dried up my face I already open the door. Kikoi blinks a bit confused. "That was quick."

"I'm hungry. Let's go."

I'm not in the mood for explaining myself, so I trudge out of the door and head down the stairs. Kikoi looks around before jumping over the railing and down to the first floor. "Almost everyone should be at the cafeteria right now, so I'll go with you." She says and starts walking with me, completely oblivious to me staring at her in amazement.

I guess I shouldn't be surprised a stuntwoman would not think twice about pulling stunts like that.

We exit the dormitory and walk the path to the main building. As we are walking, I suddenly realize it's too quiet. I glance around, but there is no one besides us. For some reason, the high walls look more imposing than before and the nasty, claustrophobic feeling of being trapped seems to intensify.

What is going on?

The building is just as quiet as the courtyard. When we reach the cafeteria, I hear everyone else's voices from inside. Lured by the delicious smell of fresh pancakes, I head in. Everyone inside looks to see who came in, but most soon return to their conversations. The only one who take real notice of me are Homura, who waves at me and points to a batch of pancakes she presumably baked and Noriko, who smiles at me before clapping her hands.

"Alright everyone, I want your attention please? Is everyone here?"

"Tomoe and Yoru haven't arrived yet." Toshiya points out.

"Yoru was running late, so I sent Tomoe to fetch him." Noriko explains. "I'm sure they'll arrive at any- "

The doors slam open as Tomoe stomps in with Yoru slumped over his shoulder. To my surprise, he rather gently lifts on off his shoulder and places him on the table.

"Tomoe, what the fuck." Homura mutters. Yoru yawns loudly and rubs his eyes, not bothering to get up. "It's so early…"

Ekorin raises an eyebrow. "But 9.00 am is a reasonable time to wake up. Late, even."

Masato scratches his head. "Yeah, about that…does anyone else find it strange that the guards let us sleep instead of waking us up? I mean, today is supposed to be our first day of rehabilitation, right?"

Ainosuke smiles. "Perhaps it is a management mistake."

Mizuki rolls her eyes almost dramatically. "Sure, because a high-tech facility with sixteen potentially dangerous teens would forget to do such a simple task as setting an alarm."

"Everyone, settle down. Masato, thank you for bringing up the subject of the guards, because that is the reason why I gathered everyone here." Noriko says, immediately silencing everyone. Everyone save for Rea.

"Ooh, this better be good. It would be annoying if you dragged every single one of us here for trivial matters." She sneers, playing with her hair. It looks like she isn't really putting much effort in keeping up the façade of a nice girl.

Instead of answering her, Noriko nods to Hanako, who steps up. "This morning I woke up early, to go on my morning run. However, as I was running, I realized there were no guards coming up to me and questioning what I was doing. Actually, there were no guards in general. I ran around the facility, but I didn't bump into anyone. When I returned to the dorms, I met up with Noriko and told her about it."

Noriko takes over. "I too woke up early to do a bit of yoga. When I walked out, I realized the safety locks on the door had been unlocked, despite the reason why they are there in the first place is to keep the inmates from going out at night. I definitely remember going out before 7.30, which I have been told is the time when the guards play the morning announcement over the monitors."

"I didn't hear any announcements." Tomoe remarks. Yuyami laughs. "We probably all slept through them."

"Dude, Hanako and Noriko literally just said they woke up before the supposed morning announcement. You'd think that Noriko at the very least would hear them. And that's not even going over the fact that you just said everyone here is so much of a heavy sleeper that they would sleep through something like that." Shinri says, crossing his arms.

"Don't you dare lump me in with you and your antics." Isamu scoffs at the sportsman.

Mizuki brushes away a strand of hair. "Alright, so all the guards have mysteriously gone missing and someone opened the doors for us. This cannot have been done by one person, much less a student."

Rea rests her elbows on the table and her head in her arms. "Are you implying that the facility is hijacked?"

Homura gets up from her chair, knocking it over. "I say that instead of discussing where those fucktards have gone to, we use this chance to get the hell out of here!"

Isamu sighs loudly. "Did you seriously forget that even without the guards, we are still surrounded by tall walls with spikes and barbed wire, and that's even leaving out the fact it's electric. And even if we would still find a way to shut off the power and climb the wall, we will become escaped fugitives. We will be caught before we could even think about leaving the city."

Yoru finally switches from lying on the table to sitting on it. "Maybe the people outside will come when they notice something is wrong."

Rea chuckles. "Ah yes, because people help out criminals on a daily basis. Such an amazing plan. Is that what landed you in jail?"

A few people glare at Rea, myself included. Yoru cowers down by her words and I hear Homura cracking her fists. To my surprise, however, it's Kikoi who stands up for him. "Rea, that was an unnecessary comment. You should step down if you don't want your comments to backfire on you."

It doesn't do anything to her. She swings her legs onto the table and makes herself comfortable. "Aww, how sweet, standing up for him and ignoring the truth that all sixteen of us has broken the law so badly, it was either this or jail."

Noriko takes a step towards the brunette. "Rea, listen here right- "

She leans backwards and stares into the dancer's eyes. "Don't go acting like saints. Because you aren't. Stop running away from the truth and accept that now there are no guards around, our only options are to break out and flee like rats, or stay in this prison for all of eternity. We are all horrible people who deserved punishment, but at least I'm admitting to it."

There she goes again…shoving the painful truth through our throats. This time, it's not just me who stays silent. Everyone looks pained by her words. Then…what about me? Was I a horrible person too?

"Well, she isn't wrong…" Shinri starts, but his voice sounds hesitant.

Noriko shakes her head. "Let's put that aside for now. First, we need to- "

I never get to hear what is on top of her priority list. The monitor in the cafeteria turns on, static filling the screen. Those who had been sitting stand up. Everyone looks in anticipation at what's coming. Then, finally, we hear a voice.

"Test…test…test…can everyone hear me? I hope you all do! Now then, everyone, please make your way to the gymnasium for the opening ceremony. Attendance is mandatory. Well, see you soon!"

The monitor shuts off again. Chills are going down my spine. That voice was almost childlike, and it feels so disturbing in a place like this.

"Child's voice telling a group of kids to come to them. Yup, that's about every B-movie plot involving little kids. I'm decking points for originality." Shinri immediately comments. Mizuki just stares at him. "Seriously? That's what you're saying after this?"

"I don't like this…I don't like this…" Hanako says as she walks to the entrance of the cafeteria. Ekorin calls out to her. "What are you doing?"

She stops and turns to her. "Well, they did say attendance was mandatory. So, I'm going to the gym." And before anyone can protest, she is already out of the door. Ekorin hurries after her and so does Yoru.

"Hey, wait for me!" The green haired girl yells. "Stop going so fast!" Yoru adds.

Mizuki face-palms. "Idiots. This is obviously a trap."

Isamu unfolds his arms. "Regardless, it isn't really wise to ignore the demands of someone who is presumably responsible for the disappearance of fully armed guards. I'd prefer to at least know who will kill me."

And with that, he leaves. Shinri sighed deeply. "You know what? I might end up regretting this, but he's right. This is practically a hostage situation. I don't think we're in the position to make disagreements with whoever that was."

Tomoe growls, but he caves in as well. "Fuck it. Might as well go and protect these fuckers."

They leave and only 10 students remain. Someone laughs but I don't have to turn around to kow who it is.

"My, my, what a turn of events. Let's see if they can entertain me further." Rea says, casually skipping out the door. Yuyami looks a bit blue. "H-hey, you serious? H-hold up!" He follows her immediately. Homura frowns.

"Someone needs to go after them to make sure they don't fuck shit up."

When nobody immediately answers her, she heads out. Masato runs his hand through his curly hair. "This has to be some kind of joke…right?"

Kikoi puts a hand on his shoulder. "Let's find out." She says with a strength in her voice I haven't heard before. Masato looks at her, swallows and then nods. Together, they leave. Noriko rubs her temples.

"If everyone is going, I guess I need to go too. Especially if I want to be their leader…"

Mizuki opens her mouth to protest, but Noriko already leaves. "Is everyone here stupid? Fine. Let's follow our sheep tendencies and walk into the obvious trap."

And so, I am left alone with just Ainosuke and Toshiya. Ainosuke leans his weight on a table. "So, are you two going as well?"

Toshiya looks unsure. "I honestly don't know. On one hand, this situation is far too suspicious. On the other hand, we do not know what this new party is capable of and we might risk our lives by disobeying them."

The other boy nods. "Good idea."

I don't like this. What if the guards were called to the gym too before they were killed? It's easier to kill someone in an enclosed space, not to mention, it's easier to clean up the bodies. No, I'm not going to fall for the same trap as everyone else.

"I'm staying here. I'm not gonna trust some lunatic. It's fine if you want to go, but I'm staying right here. At least I'll be safe then."

Toshiya mutters something to himself, but Ainosuke nods. "Ah, I see. That way, if it is indeed a trap and someone does come to rescue us, you can tell them what happened. Then, for the sake of justifying your claim, I will stay behind as well."

He is not the person I hoped to stay with me, but whatever. Everything is better than getting killed.

Toshiya made his decision and smiles at me. "Then, please permit me to stay here as well."

I can't help but smile at their niceness, despite the fact I can't trust them yet. That moment of niceness doesn't last long, however.

"What's that noise?" Ainosuke suddenly says. I stay still and listen. It sounds like buzzing.

"It sounds…mechanic…" Toshiya slowly says, looking around in the hope to spot the source. His eyes become wide and he points at something in the air. "There!"

I look up and see to my surprise some sort of bird shaped drone flying towards us. "I-I don't remember the guards having that." I stutter. As if insulted, it opens its mouth…

…And guns down the table next to us.

Toshiya is frozen in place, so it's on me to grab his arm and start running out the cafeteria. "Run!" Ainsouke screams, as if it weren't obvious enough. He yells as the drone starts shooting at a spot near him.

We run down the hallway, but the drone isn't far behind. Its mechanical sounds fill my ears and racks up my fear. I have never been good at running, but the desperate needs to fucking escape that thing is motivation enough to run at top speed. I try to head for the dorms, but more drones fly up and block the way.

"This is it! I'm going to die!" Ainosuke wails.

"To the gym!" Toshiya shouts, finally freed from his frozen state.

"But that is where the trap is!" I shout back. "Precisely! The one behind the monitor announcement must have sent them after us to drive us in there!" He responds.

"Then let's go already!" Ainsouke screams and runs in the direction of the gym. I'm momentarily conflicted, but it doesn't last long. I turn on my heels and sprint with all my might. When the three of us reach the place, we burst through the door.

Everyone else is inside, looking in surprise at us. Toshiya immediately starts closing the doors and after a moment of trying to take my breath, I help him. Together, we manage to shut it.

"What happened!?" Noriko shouts, running over to me as I slide down. My chest is beating so hard, I feel I could die of a heart attack at any moment.

"G-giant…robot…bird…drones!" Ainosuke manages to get out.

Mizuki frowned. "I'll check for head injuries." However, Toshiya shook his head. "No…it's true…t-they tried…to kill us…"

Fear and concern spread through the group. Ekorin, Yoru and Kikoi try to help us up, while Noriko does her best to calm down the group. "Settle down everyone. It'll be alright. I'm sure there is an explanation for this…"

"An explanation for what!? That we're alone and trapped in a prison? That all the guards mysteriously disappeared? That there are fucking robot birds trying to kill us!?" Shinri yells at her.

"We're all going to die! This is the end!" Yuyami screams.

And right at that moment, something happened. If we were to look back on it later, it would be the exact moment, that the lives we had would be officially turned on its head.

"The end? No, no, no, this is not the end. In fact, this is only the beginning!"

It's the same voice from before. The same voice that sent me chills down my spine, now shuts everyone up with a few words. Everyone looks around, briefly forgetting about the danger that waits outside.

"Where did that come from?" Hanako pounders, looking around. Isamu crosses his arms. "What do they mean with 'this is only the beginning'?"

Yoru fuzzes with his hair. "Nooo, I want answers, not more questions!" He whines. From the looks, of it, he is not the only one. Ekorin has her hand on my arm and I feel her shaking lightly. I look to my side to see Kikoi looking worried.

Just…what in the fuck is going on here?

Then, a brand-new voice rings out. It's less childish and more annoyed. "How long are you going to stretch this part out? They want answers, now hurry up and do your thing!"

"Upupup~ Patience, my brother. You really should stop more to smell the flowers. Oh well, I guess you are right. Let's get this show on the road!"

Masato points to the speech stand, that is oddly placed on the podium of the gymnasium. "It's coming from there!"

"Show yourself, whoever you are!" Noriko shouts. Eerie laughter follows suit.

"Alright, settle down. Now, everyone, let's begin with the opening ceremony!"

We don't get a chance to try and process these words. All the sudden, there is a black and white flash. It comes from the speech stand and soars up high in the sky. It spins, it falls, it lands, and I finally get a good look at it. It's…

"A teddy bear?" Ekorin asks.

She is right. It's a teddy bear. Half of it is white, like a polar bear, with a black bead for an eye and a round muzzle. The other half is black, with a weird red slash for an eye and a terrifying grin. It looks like a children's toy reject.

"I'm not a teddy bear. I…am…Monokuma! And I am your new headmaster!" It speaks.

The silence basically echoes my thought, before someone else voices it. "What. The. Fuck." Homura says.

"Wouldn't prison warden be more appropriate?" Rea asks. "This place isn't really much of a school, now is it?"

"We have a fucking talking teddy bear proclaiming itself as our headmaster and you're concerned over the fact it may be factually incorrect?" Isamu asks her.

"Well, it probably isn't best to diss someone who most likely murdered the guards, now is it?" Rea innocently replies.

"I am not a teddy bear!" It angrily shouts. "And I prefer the title of headmaster. I have my brother for that title."

It remains silent.

"That's your cue, you know!" The bear shouts. There is a groan and then unceremoniously, a second bear comes out from behind the speech stand. Its design is…lazy. It's basically the first bear, but with its colours inverted and its eyes swapped. Where the first bear was black, it is white, with again a simple bead for an eye. On the other side, it is black, but a much duller shade and its eye looks a little droopier, not to mention it is blue. The only thing that makes it stand apart aside from the eye colour is the mouth. Where it was grinning on Monokuma, it looks set in permanent disappointment or boredom.

"I'm Kumachrome. Monokuma's brother and the prison warden of this place." It says with its monotone voice.

"Someone pinch me." Hanako says. Tomoe pinches her arm and she yelps. "Ok, I am not dreaming."

"But…this can't be real, right?" Ainosuke weakly asks. Shinri pushes up his glasses. "Those bears are probably remote-controlled robots. Someone is trying to confuse us."

"I could check them." Kikoi offers, walking away from my side and towards the robots. The first one, Monokuma, takes offense. "Hey! I'm not just some toy you can flip on its back and tear its fur to pieces! Besides, harming the school headmaster or prison warden is a violation of the facility's regulations. I don't want to punish someone already."

"Violation of the facility's regulations?" Toshiya repeats. "But those don't say anything about such a prohibition."

"Oops, did I forget to update the rules? Oh well, this is the perfect time to go over them!" Monokuma chuckles. Beeps rings through the gym and I find myself taking out my E-Book from my pocket. I switch it on and head for the rules and regulation.

Rules and Regulations of Despair's Rehabilitation Centre

- From the day they arrived, every student is an inmate and will never be permitted to leave.

- Violence against headmaster Monokuma and prison warden Kumachrome is strictly forbidden and will be severely punished.

- Destruction of monitors and surveillance cameras is prohibited.

- Monokuma morning and night time announcements will happen at 7.00 am and 10.00 pm. Certain areas will be closed off at night time.

- Sleeping anywhere other than the dormitory will be seen as slacking off and will be punished.

- Students are free to explore the area with limited restrictions.

- Only students who successfully disrupt the harmony will be permitted to graduate.

- More regulations will be added if necessary.

What…?

"Wait, 'never permitted to leave'? But, that means…" Hanako slowly says.

"Bingo! Your sentences have been revisited and it looks like it's for the best to change that one-year-rehabilitation into a life sentence. Don't worry, you guys don't need to move. Everything you need is here! I'll personally make sure you will never run out of food or water, so you guys can keep on living here for the rest of your life!" Monokuma happily announces, but no one is happy with this.

Shinri drops his E-Book as if it's poisonous. "What? No! You can't do this! This whole project was set up so that we could get out, not to stay here forever!"

Masato shakes his head in denial. "No, I can't stay here! I want to go back home!"

"This has to be some sort of sick joke." I manage to get out. My head is spinning, I have just caught my breath again, and everything is a mess.

Isamu's sharp tone cuts through the murmurs that filled up my ears. "If this is meant to be a kidnapping, why do you bother yourselves with us? Why not kidnap children from people you can profit from? Rea and Ekorin have rich families, but I doubt they'd come to our rescue as easily as others might, considering their children are criminals."

Monokuma cocks his head, like a curious bird would do. "Hm? Why would you think that would be my reason? In this place, it doesn't really matter how rich you are. Besides, it's not like the outside world knows about this."

"The outside world…doesn't know about this?" Ekorin repeats him, fear dripping from every word.

"Yup! So don't worry about your families missing you, because they won't have a reason to do so." Monokuma explains.

Even with the entire situation, Toshiya still manages to tell us what he means. "If the outside world doesn't know about our predicament, then they'll think that we are still undergoing rehabilitation. And because of that, nobody will think something is wrong, and will not come to our rescue."

"But, we could alarm them…" Ekorin tries, but to no avail.

"Don't bother." Kumachrome speaks up. "He'll destroy all tries of communication to the outside world."

"And even if we would manage to get a message past those two, who would believe a bunch of criminals?" Rea points out, still with a light, eerie smile on her face. "Accept it, we won't get out. How boring."

Homura shoots a glare at her before turning her attention back to the teddy bears. "This is bullshit! You can't make me stay here!"

Monokuma chuckles softly. "My, my, you've all only been here for one day and you already want to get out? Tsk, that's a shame. Well, I guess there is one way out…"

The moment those words left his mouth, hope blossoms in everyone again. "There is a way out!?" "Tell us!" "We can go free!?" "What is it!?"

There is a dreadful feeling nestling itself in my stomach. I slowly get up from the ground. There is no way he will let us go that easily. There must be a catch.

"Upupu…well, you see, you could say that by letting you all stay here forever, we have created a new society. Society is built upon trust, peace and harmony. Now let's say if someone were to…disrupt that peace, without getting caught. Then that person would gain the right to leave this prison."

"Then," Noriko carefully asks, "how do we disrupt the peace?"

"Simple. By killing another inmate, of course."

His words fall like a bomb. The shards strike everyone speechless. Is…is he serious? I can't wrap my head around it. He is telling us to kill a person to escape. Yoru and Ekorin slap their hands for their faces. Mizuki backs away and so does Isamu. Homura and Yuyami start to shout profanities, but Yuyami's sound more scared than angry. Ainosuke curls up in a ball, muttering words to himself. Masato grabs Kikoi's arm as a way to secure himself and the girl in question just stares in shock at the bear.

Tomoe takes a step forward and curls his fists. "Ok, this bullshit has gone far enough. Let us the fuck out or else!"

"Upupu, do we already have a delinquent here? Ooh, how scary. If only I wasn't so defenseless…" He mocks him, which only increases his anger. He stomps towards the podium and grabs Monokuma.

"Now listen here you piece of shit…"

There is a bang from behind me and I remember the drones are still there. I leap forward, running towards him. Before Tomoe can punch him, I grab his arm. "No, don't! Those robot drones are working for him! They will shoot you to pieces!"

Of course, trying to subdue a guy who is twice as strong as I am never can go well. With one rough swing of his arm he launches me towards the ground. For the fourth time in two days, I fall hard on the floor, but this time the back of my head is the part that lands first. I hiss in pain from the impact. Noriko and Hanako immediately rush towards me.

"Hey, she has a point you know!" Homura shouts at him. When he doesn't even look at her, she too balls her fists and punches his side. Naturally, it doesn't do much, but it does grab his attention.

"Fuck off! I'm trying to force this asshole to let us out!"

There is a sharp beep. It comes from Monokuma, who has been mysteriously quiet upon to now. There is another beep. Kikoi's eyes widen.

"Throw it away!"

Tomoe blinks in confusion. At least he is no longer angry, but the beeping continues. Seeing that yelling at him has no effect, Kikoi runs up to him and snatches Monokuma away from his grasps. The pace of the beeping quickens while she looks around. The beeps go faster and faster.

"Take cover!" She screams as she throws Monokuma in the air.

BOOM!

The air is suddenly filled with smoke and heat and I feel the shockwave tugging at me. It's gone just as quickly, despite the fact my ears are still ringing.

Monokuma exploded. And it would have killed Tomoe if Kikoi hadn't interfered.

Tomoe looks at the scene, his mouth opening and closing, with no sound coming out of it. It's Shinri who shakily answers. "That…was a bomb. These bears are equipped with self-destruct bombs."

"But…that bear is now gone right?" Yoru asks hopefully, before that hope is immediately shot down.

"Nope, I'm still here! Reincarnated from my own ashes like a phoenix!" The bear cheers.

"How many more of these bears are there?" Mizuki asks, still taken aback by the explosion.

"Well, technically, two. Kumachrome and I. But, just in case there is a malfunction, we have more than enough backups to last us a life time."

He turns around and points at Tomoe with his short arm. "And you, you just got very lucky! What you just did was a violation of the school regulations. In normal circumstances, I would have harshly punished you. But, see this as a warning for the future."

None of us knew what to say something. This whole thing was so bizarre, what could be said? But of course, there is always someone who breaks away from that silence.

"So, we just have to try and kill each other, and the last one standing wins?" Rea asks with a causality that feels alien to me.

"Not precisely. There must be rules, otherwise it will be chaos. An individual is only allowed to kill two people and there cannot be more than two murderers at a time. Furthermore, the crime must be carried out in secret. If the other inmates find out who the killer is, it's game over. Those are the rules of the Killing Detention Centre, the ultimate Killing Game of life and death!"

He could have just as well spoken in a different language, because my brain refuses to process it. I'm still lying on the floor, but I'm too weak to stand up. Noriko and Hanako are by my side, but they both look like they have seen a ghost.

"Well, if there aren't any more questions…happy killing!" He disappears and so does Kumachrome.

We, however, stay silent. Isamu is the first to move as he walks to the door. "It appears the drones are gone. We are free to leave."

"Free to leave!? You mean free to die! We're all going to die here! Just like in Battle Royal!" Shinri shouts, shaking heavily. Ainosuke puts a consorting hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. I am certain none of us are actually capable of killing a living person. No one here was arrested for murder, or we would have been informed of it. So, as long as we don't cave in, we will all be fine."

Ekorin nods, though it is shaky. "Oh yes, killing is so barbaric. I can't imagine someone would do such a thing."

Hanako throws up fist, trying to regain her energy back. "Yeah! We just have to stay strong and fight! We won't let them manipulate us!"

"However, I'm sure that the mastermind is most likely anticipating a reaction like this." Toshiya says, averting his eyes. "I don't want to bring everyone down, but whoever set this in motion, must have an ace upon his or her sleeve."

Noriko's hand grabs mine and with a firm hold, she brings me to my feet. Once I'm standing upright, she smiles at everyone else, though it's clear it's a forced one. "Well, then we need to do extra hard our best to bound together and stand strong."

Yoru nods. "I'm sure we can find a way out. We just need to make sure those teddy bears don't catch us."

Masato, who ran over to Kikoi the moment the smoke from the explosion cleared up to make sure she was okay, now finally speaks up as well. "Maybe we need to give ourselves an additional set of rules. Setting a routine will help us adjust to this new life."

Yuyami pouts. "Do we have to? This situation is already messed up." Mizuki shakes her head. "Messed up situation or not, Masato has a strong point. Letting everyone free to do as they please will give so much chaos during the day."

Noriko chuckles weakly. "Then, allow me to propose a few. First of all, we will have a curfew. Nobody is allowed outside the dormitory after the night time announcement. Second, after the morning announcement, we will all gather in the cafeteria to have breakfast. During breakfast, we will discuss our plans for the day and everyone is free to do what they please after that. Lastly, we will try and not discuss our current situation too much. Wallowing in despair won't help us, so let's try to be optimistic and focus on bounding with each other and finding a way out of this facility."

Tomoe crosses his arms and looks away. "I fucking hate curfews. But sure. It's not like there is much to do at night."

Yoru looks at the ground in disappointment. "Aww, but if I'm not allowed outside after curfew, how am I going to watch the stars? My window is too small to have a good view."

"Looks like we all need to give up a bit of our freedom to make sure we sleep well at night. Don't worry, we'll figure something out." Homura says, grinning like her usual self already.

Noriko looks around. "So, if everyone agreeing on these conditions?"

Most people nod, but a certain bluehead doesn't. "How will you make sure nobody breaks those rules? Unlike Monokuma, you don't have bombs or drones to punish those who break the rules." Isamu sharply notes.

The girl he addressed looks at him with a firm stare. "We're just going to have to place our trust in everyone. If we all remember that everyone will feel better following these rules, I'm sure those considerate enough will not break them."

Isamu doesn't react. Someone else does. Soft laughter, not of amusement, but of mockery grabs our attention.

"You all speak of 'trust', 'believe' and 'hope' to hide the cold, hard truth away from your soft little ears and eyes and bury yourself under false pretenses to escape from reality. How sad." Rea says, swinging a little on her feet in most likely boredom.

"Then what?" I say, still feeling weak but at least having my voice back. "You say we just cry and wail in despair before cracking and slaughtering all within our path? Is that what your 'reality' consist of? Sitting on our asses until we die? Unlike you, I'm not planning to die yet. And if I am, I'm sure as hell don't want to die as a paranoid coward."

My words slide off like water on an oily raincoat. "I'm just warning you," she says, but there is no real empathy behind her words, "don't come to me crying when someone inevitably gets too tempted and stabs you in the back. After all…"

Her grin is terrifying. Its wide, full of teeth and it's something that does not belong with the words she speaks next.

"Can you really trust a stranger in a game where it's kill or be killed?"

Her words cut like a hot knife through the little sense of unity we had. The cold truth stares us down when we look at each other, multiple things running through our minds. Can we trust them? Will they not betray us? Will they kill me?

I never thought much about death, but as we all look with doubt and suspicion at each other, I'm suddenly very aware about the fact how easy it is to kill a person. How easy it is for me to die by one of their hands.

The doors of the gym open and close, interrupting our thoughts. I quickly scan the crowd and realize that Isamu has gone. Rea, to my surprise, is still standing there, smiling at the scene. Before I can point it out to her, she spins on her heels and walks to the door.

"Looks like the little birds have fled. Whelp, see you all tomorrow…" She sing-songs after us as she walks away.

It's still silent for a few minutes. That, or I'm just not hearing anything right now. Thoughts swim through my head, trudging slowly and mending together into one big mess. I'm surprisingly calm, but it may be because I'm just too much in shock.

Will someone kill me? Will I end up killing someone? Will…will I never see the outside world again?

One by one, people leave. Noriko makes sure I'm okay before heading off. Soon enough, I'm standing alone in the room, watching blankly as the reality and craziness of the situation keeps me standing frozen.

I wasn't even supposed to be here. I don't remember doing anything wrong. And yet, here I'm standing, on the edge between hope and despair. A web weaved of distrust and paranoia. Where killing is our only way to escape our imprisonment. Something that was supposed to reform us and give us a second chance at life suddenly became a cruel game of death.

And I'm caught right in the middle of it.

Prologue End: Prison of Entropy

Surviving students: 16