21

Reliance

Niragi

Niragi gaped at Chishiya dumbstruck, a storm of mixed emotions raging within him. Surprise and relief, Niragi had expected to contend with, but concern and fear? Well, those certainly caught him off guard. Especially since said concern was not directed at himself. No, Niragi worried for Chishiya's sake, for his life, his wellbeing. These games were highly lethal after all, what if Chishiya didn't make it through this game? Niragi dreaded the possibility of being forced back into an isolated existence.

Selfish prick. Admit you're worried for him not for yourself, Niragi cursed at himself.

"Why the fuck did you do that? You could've just left!" Niragi argued, black eyes boring into Chishiya's.

Chishiya glared up at him, a bemused smirk playing on his lips. "The same reason I didn't kill you in five of hearts, or stopped you from punching Aguni when he kept your gun," he replied calmly.

Niragi glared down at him with tense, wary eyes, still struggling to believe that in front of him stood someone who genuinely cared about him, his wellbeing, his history and burdens.

You don't deserve this, his friendship, his kindness. You don't deserve any of it, the cursed voice dominating Niragi's mind hissed.

Niragi clenched his fists, fighting to silence the inner voice that had tormented him for years. He wasn't used to someone caring, to someone standing by him just for the sake of it. His instincts ordered him to push Chishiya away, to protect himself from the possibility of betrayal. But ever since the night of the five of hearts game, Niragi had ever so slowly regained control over his dark impulses and his hate.

"You're a fool you know?" Niragi muttered, shaking his head. "A damn fool for sticking by me."

Chishiya's bemused smirk softened into a gentle, reassuring smile. "You would have done the same," he replied with conviction.

"Oh yeah?" Niragi challenged with a snarl, his darkness threatening to seize back control, demanding to defend him from the fear of possible betrayal. "What makes you so sure huh?"

Chishiya held Niragi's furious stare for several heartbeats before softly replying. "You just sent me away, despite the panic written in your eyes. Your first instinct was to protect me, even though you're terrified of being alone again, of being abandoned."

Niragi felt his conviction waver. Chishiya's words stripped Niragi of his defences, exposing the fear he'd been trying so hard to restrain. He was terrified of losing the one person who seemed to understand him, the one person who made him feel less like a monster and more like a human being. Again, Chishiya had read his mind like an open book, seen straight through his act.

"Dammit, Chishiya," Niragi muttered, running a hand through his hair, his fingertips brushing against the fibrous texture of his bandage. "You're making this really hard, you know that?"

Chishiya's smile widened just a fraction. "Good. You need someone to make things difficult for you, to challenge you. As do I. Otherwise, we'll never change."

Niragi huffed, his anger evaporating like mist under the fiery sun. "Fine. Just… don't die, okay? I can't—" He cut himself off, unable to voice his remaining thoughts, as if speaking them aloud might curse them.

I can't lose this feeling of hope, can't lose this newfound path of possible redemption, Niragi thought, the tiny spark of trust, ignited only a few days ago, now flaring brighter. I can't lose him.

Chishiya nodded, understanding the intent of Niragi's unspoken words. "I don't plan on dying anytime soon. We'll get through this, together."

The determination in Chishiya's voice settled over Niragi like a protective cloak, shielding him from the ever-present fear gnawing at his heart. For once, he allowed himself to believe in the possibility of something better, something beyond the endless cycle of violence and survival of his past life.

"Alright," Niragi said with a determined nod, his voice steadying. "We should stash the supplies somewhere safe. Other players could arrive any time now."

"And our weapons," Chishiya added, pointing at something behind Niragi.

Niragi turned around, his pierced eyebrow raised and studied the small table at the centre of the room. Atop it lay displayed ten phones and beside those a small card read: Number of players must be even. No weapons allowed.

"No weapons allowed. Oh come on!" Niragi scowled in annoyance.

"Come," Chishiya urged, as he pushed past Niragi. "We can stash our gear behind the front desk."

Niragi watched Chishiya stride towards the metal cage that was the police station's front desk, with purpose. He halted before the grated door and twisted the knob. "Locked," Chishiya muttered and set the duffle bag on the ground, before gazing at Niragi. "My backpack if you please," he said, extending an arm towards Niragi.

"Right, yeah," Niragi mumbled, breaking from his stasis. Niragi handed Chishiya the backpack, watching as he rummaged through it and pulled out his set of lock-picking tools. Chishiya's slender fingers worked with practiced ease, the click of the lock opening soon echoing softly in the eerie silence of the police station. "There we go," Chishiya said, pushing the door open and stepping inside. He motioned for Niragi to follow. "Let's stash everything here."

Niragi obeyed and silently, but efficiently helped Chishiya secure all their gear. Once finished, Chishiya locked the door, took a deep breath and, eyes locking with Niragi's, said, "let's do this. Together."

Niragi responded with a single nod, a confident smirk playing on his lips. "Together," he confirmed.

They both made their way to the small table at the centre of the room and chose a phone each.

"Identity confirmed," Niragi's phone chimed at him when he gazed at the screen, as did Chishiya's a brief second later.

With a dramatic sigh, Niragi cracked his neck, strolled towards a row of chairs lined up against one wall and made himself comfortable. "We should act as if we're strangers until we've sussed out the game and players," Niragi suggested, fumbling with the bandage around his head. First impressions mattered, especially when these could influence fate itself, could make the difference between life or death. The last thing Niragi required, was to be perceived as injured, weak or unworthy, and slowly but methodically unraveled the bandage wrapped around his head. The stark contrast of the white fabric against his tan skin and black hair would only alarm strangers, would only betray him and his affliction. At least with the bandage now removed, his injury drew much less attention, and the dark shade of his hair concealed it further.

Chishiya simply nodded in response and leaned against the wall opposite Niragi, his hands tucked into his pockets. "And now we wait," Chishiya stated, as they both retreated to the safety of their cold, cruel masks.

They didn't have to wait long before more players began to trickle into the game arena. Each one grabbed a phone to register for the game and found a quiet corner to wait. Most kept to themselves, eyes darting warily around the room, trying to analyse their competition. The air hung thick with tension and unspoken fears.

Niragi and Chishiya exchanged subtle, knowing glances for a heartbeat but remained silent, each maintaining their defensive masks. Chishiya's the mask of cold hearted indifference, Niragi's the mask of wicked amusement.

Niragi slowly scanned the room with a dark, predatory gaze, as he lounged in his chair, right ankle resting on his left knee and his right elbow casually leaning on the backrest of the chair beside him. With each passing minute, waiting for the game to begin, Niragi slowly surrendered himself to his dark instincts, aware he didn't have a choice if he wanted to survive. His darkness was his armour, his defence keeping him alive and allowing him to commit whatever horror necessary to win without hesitation.

As the room slowly filled, Niragi studied the new arrivals, their behaviours, their body language. Each one had a story etched into their expressions, a history of survival and pain. Some stories easier to pick apart than others.

The first was a tall, wiry man with sharp features and a perpetual scowl. He moved with the restless energy of someone constantly on edge. His eyes scanned the room, calculating and cold, while his fingers fidgeted with the phone he'd just picked up.

Next was a young, petite woman, who despite her delicate appearance, held a fierce determination in her gaze. She clutched a small, silver locket around her neck, a reminder of someone she had lost, or perhaps of someone waiting in the real world. She was accompanied by her friend, a slender and agile woman of similar age, with short black hair and a wary look in her eyes. She wore fingerless gloves and carried herself like a seasoned fighter, prepared to spring into action at any moment.

A brawny man with a clean shaven head entered next, his muscles rippling under a tight black tank top. His intimidating presence commanded attention. Once he had registered for the game and made himself comfortable near the front desk, Niragi's gaze briefly met his. His eyes radiated aggression and a thirst for blood, but Niragi, completely unfazed, merely raised his pierced eyebrow with a smug indifference. As expected, Niragi's refusal to submit to the burly man's silent play for dominance only fuelled the inferno of anger raging within him.

The next arrival shuffled through the entrance with only minutes to spare before game start at six o'clock, the number of players again becoming uneven. The newcomer was a handsome, young man with delicate features, round brown eyes and longer hair dyed blonde. With graceful steps, he made his way to the table, registered and took a seat at the other end of Niragi's row of chairs.

Niragi studied the new arrival curiously. Something about his presence intrigued Niragi, yet he couldn't quite explain why. Perhaps it was the feeling of complete calm that he emanated, or maybe it was the grace and precision with which he moved, or the intelligence mirrored in his dark eyes.

We need just one more player then it's game time, Niragi thought, eyes once more scanning his competition.

Just before the clock struck six, a tall, lean man with a haunted expression entered and completed the group. He seemed almost ghost-like, his movements fluid and silent. There was a deep sadness in his eyes, hinting at a past filled with loss and pain.

"Welcome players, registrations are now complete," a female voice crackled overhead. The players quickly snapped to attention, collectively holding their breath in anticipation.

"Before we explain the rules you are required to choose a partner then proceed to the next room. You have two minutes to make your decisions or you will be allocated. The game difficulty is seven of clubs " the voice instructed.

Clubs, the balance of the three other suits. Which also means we'll have to cooperate to win, Niragi thought, hating the idea of having to rely on others in order to survive. With the exception of Chishiya of course, they'd made a good team so far, the trust they put in each other was steadily growing.

Niragi's eyes flicked towards Chishiya, who met his gaze with the slightest hint of bemusement tugging at the corners of his lips. That was all the confirmation Niragi required. They would pair up and play this game together, as a team, as equals.

When Chishiya pushed himself off the wall, Niragi rose from his seat, both steering towards the double doors to proceed to the next room of the police station, while the remaining players eyed each other off.

"Team One, Chishiya Shuntaro and Niragi Suguru ," the game master announced.

The centre of the adjacent room, small and rectangular, was once again occupied by a table. Atop it lay displayed various items and a sign reading: each player must choose one item.

Niragi instinctively snatched up the hand gun just as the two women joined them. Chishiya on the other hand carefully regarded the various items, and even seemed unbothered when the two women chose their items before him. 'Silver locket' chose a hunting knife and her friend 'Gloves' went with a hammer.

"Team Two, Akagi Yuriko and Sasaki Ayame," the voice again boomed from overhead.

The two last pairs soon joined them. 'Muscle guy' and 'Scowl face' – as Niragi would call them – entered first, making up Team three, followed by 'Blondie' and 'Ghost'.

"Team three, Sato Mamoru and Takei Kohaku. And team four, Akiyama Takahiro and Kanda Yasushi. All players are now paired up. You have one minute remaining to choose your items," the game master announced.

Chishiya simply waited, his hands as was custom, buried in his pockets, and observed the other players making their decisions.

"The gun is mine," a deep voice growled at Niragi.

Niragi tipped his head back and gazed up at the person standing mere inches from him, his pierced eyebrow raised with an air of arrogant defiance. "First come, first serve. So back off," Niragi warned, his tone calm yet firm.

The brawny man – who would later become apparent to be named Sato - squared his shoulders, ready for confrontation, but Niragi didn't back down. "Trust me, you don't want to do this," Niragi threatened, his voice now low and dangerous.

Sato's eyes narrowed. "Hand it over, now."

Niragi's grip tightened on the gun, a dangerous glint in his eyes as he gave Sato a wicked smirk. "Make me."

Sato took another step forward, his presence looming. "I could snap your tiny neck in a split second."

Niragi's smirk widened, his posture relaxed yet ready to strike. "Try me."

Chishiya watched the confrontation with a detached interest, his eyes flicking between the two men. "We don't have time for this," he said calmly, but his voice carried an edge of authority. "Keep in mind who is currently in possession of a weapon and who isn't." Chishiya's cold eyes rested on Sato, a silent warning to back off.

Sato's jaw clenched, eyes blazing with rage but as the timer ran down, he retreated, cursing under his breath. Niragi's smirk lingered as he watched Sato choose his item, his grip on the gun firm.

Chishiya took his time to choose his item. With but one second to spare, he scooped up the hairpin, gaining him several mocking snorts from other players. Yet his expression of cold, bored indifference didn't falter in the slightest. If anything, Chishiya seemed even calmer, if that were even possible.

"All players have chosen their items," the game master broke the silence. "The following items chosen are: the gun chosen by Master Niragi, the hair pin chosen by Master Chishiya, the hunting knife chosen by Madam Akagi, the hammer chosen by Madam Sasaki, the bolt cutters chosen by Master Sato, the wire chosen by Master Takei, the lighter chosen by Master Akiyama and the duct tape chosen by Master Kanda. Please proceed to the next room."

The players obeyed and silently moved towards the next room, a mix of tension and determination in the air. The room they entered was dimly lit, with five cells lining the walls.

"Each pair must enter a cell of their choosing. Once the door closes you will be locked in. Please enter your cells now," the game master ordered through the speakers.

Niragi and Chishiya selected the one to the far left of the corridor, the heavy metal door clanging shut behind them.

Once everyone was locked in their cells the overhead voice returned. "In each cell, you will find a pair of shackles—some for wrists, some for ankles. You must shackle yourselves to each other before the rules of the game are explained."

Niragi and Chishiya found their shackles near the back of the cell. They were designed for ankles, cold metal gleaming ominously in the dim light.

"We'll have to coordinate our steps," Chishiya noted, fastening one shackle around his left ankle.

Niragi did the same around his right ankle, the click of the lock sounding final. "Yeah. You'll have to take bigger steps," Niragi mused.

"Or you smaller ones," Chishiya teased.

Once all pairs were tethered together, the voice spoke again. "Welcome to the game called 'Jailbreak'. Difficulty seven of clubs. Complete the trials to escape the prison. You have a time limit of two hours. Your shackles must remain in place throughout the entirety of the game. To win the game you must survive all trials as a pair within the time limit. Work together or perish together, it is up to you. Good luck."

Niragi glanced at Chishiya, a determined fire burning in his eyes. "Together," he said.

"Together," Chishiya agreed, a smirk playing on his lips.