[Time remaining: 9 minutes, 30 seconds.]
The numbers flashed in Percy's vision, hovering like a ghostly overlay no matter where he looked. It was as if someone had hacked his brain and projected a digital clock directly into his line of sight. His pulse thundered in his ears, drowning out the chaos erupting around him.
Screams echoed inside the coffee shop. Someone knocked over a table, spilling coffee and glass shards onto the floor. A barista shouted for everyone to calm down, but her voice was drowned out by the sheer panic that rippled through the room.
Percy gripped the edge of his table, trying to steady himself. His instincts screamed for him to run, to do something, but his mind was a tangled mess. The words from the broadcast reverberated in his skull: Secure a safe zone. Survive.
The problem was, he didn't know where to start. The novel—TWSA—had outlined the beginning of the first scenario in horrifying detail, but it had been years since he'd read it. The specifics were blurry, like trying to recall a dream after waking up.
Outside, chaos was spreading like wildfire. People were running, tripping over themselves in their desperation to flee. Others stood frozen in shock, unable to process what was happening. Percy's gaze darted to the window, where he saw the thing that had crashed onto the street moments ago.
It wasn't human. That much was clear. Its body was grotesque, a writhing mass of flesh and limbs that didn't belong together. Its head was vaguely canine, but its jaw unhinged like a snake's, revealing rows of jagged teeth. Blood dripped from its maw as it let out a bone-chilling roar, sending nearby pedestrians scattering.
[Time remaining: 8 minutes, 45 seconds.]
The countdown was relentless, each second ticking away like a death knell. Percy forced himself to breathe, his thoughts racing. The safe zones. Where were the safe zones? He wracked his memory, trying to pull the answer from the recesses of his mind.
Suddenly, the air around him shimmered, and a figure appeared in the middle of the café. It was small—barely the size of a toddler—but its presence was anything but comforting. The creature had a human-like face, grotesquely elongated into a perpetual grin. Its skin was ashen, and two small horns jutted out from its forehead. It hovered a few feet off the ground, dressed in a shabby cloak that looked like it had been sewn together from shadows.
"Amazing," the creature said, its voice high-pitched and mocking. "Humans truly are fascinating. Look at you all, scrambling like ants. It's almost adorable."
The room fell silent, save for the sound of someone sobbing quietly in a corner. Percy's stomach churned. He knew what this thing was. A Dokkaebi. The mischievous, cruel facilitators of the scenarios in TWSA.
The Dokkaebi clapped its hands together, a grin splitting its face even wider. "Allow me to formally welcome you all to the first scenario! Congratulations—you've been chosen to participate in an extraordinary event, one that will determine the fate of your miserable little world."
"W-what is this?" someone stammered, their voice trembling. "Is this some kind of prank? What the hell is going on?"
The Dokkaebi's grin didn't falter. "Oh, this is no prank, my dear human. This is your new reality. Your world is under the jurisdiction of the Star Stream now, and I must say, we have quite the show planned for you."
Percy clenched his fists. He remembered this part. The Dokkaebi would explain the rules, toy with the humans, and then let the scenario play out. It thrived on fear and chaos, and right now, the café was serving up a feast of both.
"As you've heard," the Dokkaebi continued, gesturing to the glowing countdown in the air, "you have a limited amount of time to find a safe zone. Failure to do so will result in… well, let's just say it won't be pretty. The weak will perish, and the strong will rise. Such is the natural order, don't you think?"
A few people shouted protests, their voices a mix of anger and desperation. One man, a burly construction worker by the look of him, stepped forward. "Listen, I don't know what kind of sick joke this is, but I'm not playing along. You hear me? I'm not—"
The Dokkaebi snapped its fingers, and the man's head exploded.
The café erupted into chaos once more. Blood sprayed across the room as the man's lifeless body crumpled to the floor. Percy's heart skipped a beat, his mind screaming at him to move.
"Ah, ah, ah," the Dokkaebi tutted, wagging a finger. "Let this be a lesson to you all. Non-compliance is not an option. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have other humans to attend to. Good luck, and do try to survive. It'll be much more entertaining that way."
With a final cackle, the Dokkaebi vanished, leaving the café in stunned silence.
[Time remaining: 7 minutes, 20 seconds.]
Percy didn't wait. He grabbed his bag and bolted for the door, shoving past a cluster of people who were still frozen in shock. Outside, the street was a battlefield. Cars were overturned, fires burned unchecked, and the air was thick with the smell of smoke and blood.
He weaved through the chaos, his heart pounding in his chest. His bike was still locked up nearby, but it wouldn't do him much good now. The safe zones—he had to find a safe zone.
"Think, Percy," he muttered under his breath. "Where would they be?"
In TWSA, the safe zones were marked by strange blue barriers. They were scattered throughout the city, but they weren't easy to find. And even if you reached one, there was no guarantee you'd survive. The monsters would attack anyone caught outside, and the weak were often trampled by the strong in the rush to safety.
As if on cue, a blood-curdling scream pierced the air. Percy turned to see another one of those grotesque creatures—this one resembling a twisted amalgamation of a spider and a bear—pounce on a fleeing woman. He averted his gaze, forcing himself to keep moving.
His mind raced through the possibilities. A subway station? Too enclosed. A park? Too open. A skyscraper? Maybe, but only if the safe zone was on the lower floors.
[Time remaining: 6 minutes, 10 seconds.]
The countdown was relentless. Percy's breaths came in ragged gasps as he sprinted down the street, dodging debris and terrified pedestrians. His legs burned, but he couldn't afford to stop.
Then he saw it. A faint blue glow in the distance, emanating from the entrance of a department store. His heart leapt in his chest. A safe zone.
Percy pushed himself harder, weaving through the panicked crowd. The closer he got, the more he could see. A shimmering dome of light encased the store, its edges flickering like static on a TV screen. People were already rushing inside, their faces etched with desperation.
As he neared the entrance, a hand grabbed his arm. Percy spun around to see a young woman, her eyes wide with fear. She was clutching a small child to her chest, her other hand outstretched.
"Please," she begged. "Take him. I can't make it, but he can. Please!"
Percy hesitated, his heart wrenching at the sight. But he didn't have time for this. He pulled his arm free, his voice cold. "I'm sorry. I can't."
The woman's expression crumpled, but Percy forced himself to turn away. He couldn't afford to be a hero. Not here. Not now.
He reached the safe zone just as the countdown hit 5 minutes. Inside, the air felt… different. Lighter, almost. The barrier hummed faintly, a comforting contrast to the chaos outside. Percy leaned against a wall, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath.
Around him, people were crying, shouting, or simply sitting in stunned silence. The department store, once a place of mundane normalcy, had become a refuge for the desperate.
Percy's gaze drifted to the blue barrier, its surface rippling like water. He knew it wouldn't hold forever. The scenarios were designed to whittle people down, to push them to their limits. This was just the beginning.
For now, though, he was alive. And that was all that mattered.
[Time remaining: 4 minutes, 30 seconds.]