Phased out

"Welcome to Phase 1: The Bridge.

This phase consists of a single bridge spanning two directions—Front and Back, based on the direction you faced upon arrival.

Your goal is simple: Choose the correct path.

Rules:

You must choose a direction—Front or Back. One path leads to survival. The other leads to death. If you choose wrong, you will awaken Vorator1. If you choose correctly, you will leave this phase and proceed to the next.

Important Information:

If Vorator is awakened, at least one participant must die.

Vorator will not stop hunting until it has eaten.

You cannot outrun Vorator.

It is fast, relentless, and will not be tricked.

If Vorator feeds, it will leave. But if there are multiple survivors, it may still linger.

Phase Difficulty: Easy.

Remember: Not all choices in life are fair. Some paths exist only to be walked once."

Karlos' eyes scanned the paper carefully, his pulse steady but his mind uneasy.

Then—his eyes froze on one line.

"At least one participant must die."

A subtle chill ran down his spine. His fingers tightened slightly on the page.

"At least one… must die?" His voice was quieter now.

Ethan, sitting beside him, leaned in to glance at the paper again. His brows furrowed slightly, but his voice remained even, logical.

"I'm pretty sure it's talking about the total number of participants… right?"

He said it like he wanted to believe it.

Like he needed to believe it.

Karlos didn't respond immediately.

The way the rule was phrased… it felt off.

Like there was something more to it.

But Ethan's explanation made sense.

And Karlos, despite the unease creeping into his gut, wanted to feel safe.

"Yeah… that could probably be it."

His voice lacked full confidence, but he let himself go with it.

He folded the rule book neatly, sliding it into his pocket.

Ethan's eyes followed the movement.

"Wait." He raised an eyebrow. "Are you collecting the rule books?"

Karlos casually patted his pocket. "Yeah. As evidence."

Ethan blinked. "Evidence? Of what?"

A beat of silence.

Karlos glanced at him, then looked away.

"We'll talk about that later."

Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly.

But he didn't press.

Yet.

Ethan exhaled sharply, shaking off the last bit of unease.

They had bigger things to worry about.

Karlos' cryptic comment about "evidence" could wait. Right now, they had to decide—

Front or Back?

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

They just stared down the bridge, the dim red lighting barely illuminating the path ahead. The metal groaned faintly, a distant creak echoing into the void.

Ethan furrowed his brows, trying to mentally retrace their steps.

"We woke up facing… this way, right?"

Karlos gave a nod, arms crossed as he processed the information.

"Yeah. The rule book said to choose 'based on the direction we woke up in.' If we go off that… the way we're facing right now is Front."

Ethan's eyes flicked toward him, watching his expression.

Something about the way Karlos was thinking—like he was searching for a loophole.

Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly. "Do you have a plan?"

Karlos let out a short breath. "I'm not so sure this time."

Ethan's stomach twisted.

Karlos not having a plan was not reassuring.

But then—Karlos' eyes darted back to the rule book in his pocket.

"It doesn't provide any hints…" he muttered. "Or does it?"

The cold metal beneath them groaned faintly as Ethan and Karlos stood at the center of the bridge.

A single decision.

One way meant survival.

The other meant death.

Karlos stared ahead, his eyes flicking between the dimly lit path in front of them and the one behind. His fingers lightly tapped against the rule book in his pocket, his mind racing.

One must be right.

One must be wrong.

And yet—there was no way to know for sure.

Ethan was watching him closely. Waiting.

Karlos took a slow breath before finally speaking.

"Alright. Let's think about this."

His voice was calm—but there was a sharp edge of uncertainty beneath it.

"The rule book told us to choose based on the direction we woke up in. Right?"

Ethan nodded once, his brow furrowing slightly. "Yeah…?"

Karlos held up a finger. "That means it wants us to make a decision using that specific detail."

His voice was steady, but Ethan noticed the subtle tension in his jaw.

"Now, if this phase was trying to trick us," Karlos continued, "then it would have worded that differently—or left it vague."

He paused, letting the thought settle.

Ethan glanced back at the dark path behind them.

"So… you're saying Front is the correct choice?"

Karlos hesitated.

His fingers tightened slightly against the fabric of his pocket.

"Logically… yes."

Ethan caught the flicker of doubt in his eyes.

Karlos sighed, running a hand through his hair.

"Look, man. This time, I'm not one hundred percent sure. But think about it—if they wanted us to fail, they could have messed with our orientation when we woke up. They didn't. They left us in the exact direction we were meant to face."

Ethan exhaled sharply, processing that.

Karlos turned to fully face him now, his expression more serious than before.

The bridge groaned faintly under the weight of silence.

Ethan and Karlos stood still, staring down the two possible paths—Front or Back.

The wrong choice meant certain death.

Karlos' fingers absentmindedly tapped against the rule book in his pocket, his mind spinning. He had been sure—so sure—that the rule book had given them a hint.

But now, reading it again, something clicked.

His stomach dropped.

It wasn't telling them which way to go.

It was just defining what Front and Back were.

That's it.

It never actually said to choose based on that.

Karlos' breath hitched slightly. He had been reading it wrong. The game wasn't giving them a logical solution. It was forcing them to gamble.

Ethan noticed the shift in his expression.

"Karlos?"

Karlos hesitated. His throat felt tight.

"I… I think I misunderstood something."

Ethan frowned. "What do you mean?"

Karlos took a sharp breath, forcing himself to stay calm.

"The rule book never told us to pick a path based on where we woke up."His voice was slower now, more deliberate. "It just told us which way is Front and which way is Back. That's all."

Ethan blinked. "So… that doesn't help us at all?"

Karlos swallowed hard. "No. It doesn't."

For a moment, neither of them spoke.

The weight of that realization suffocated the air around them.

They weren't being tested on logic.

They weren't being given a puzzle to solve.

This was pure chance.

Ethan let out a slow breath. "So now what?"

Karlos' jaw tightened. He hated this. He hated not knowing.

But they had to move forward.

One way or another.

His voice came out quieter this time. "We decide."

And for the first time, Karlos didn't have an answer.

He looked at Ethan.

"What do you think?"

And just like that, the weight of the choice shifted onto him.

 "I think Front is the right path. But I need you to tell me if I'm overthinking it. Because if I'm wrong—"

His voice trailed off.

They both knew what would happen if he was wrong.

Ethan stayed quiet for a moment.

Then—he met Karlos' gaze.

The bridge was silent.

No hints. No clues.

Just the endless void stretching beneath them and the impossible decision ahead.

Ethan stood still, staring at the two paths—Front or Back. The wrong one meant certain death.

Karlos was thinking, his brows furrowed, fingers tapping against the rule book in his pocket.

Then—he sighed.

A long, tired breath.

"Screw it. I say we go Back."

Ethan's head snapped toward him.

"Back? You're sure?"

Karlos hesitated for a second. Then—he shook his head.

"No. I'm not sure at all."

That answer sent a chill down Ethan's spine.

"Then why—"

"Because sitting here won't help us, and I'd rather make a decision than freeze up and die here." Karlos' voice was firm, but there was something behind it—uncertainty, doubt.

Ethan swallowed hard. His gut twisted painfully.

Something about this felt off.

But at the same time—he had no better idea.

For the first time, Karlos was looking at him, searching for reassurance.

He wanted Ethan to agree. To confirm that this was the right choice.

Ethan felt his hands tighten into fists.

Then, slowly—he nodded.

"...Alright."

He didn't trust the decision.

But he trusted Karlos.

And so—they stepped toward the Back.

The bridge was silent.

No hints. No clues.

Just the endless void stretching beneath them and the impossible decision ahead.

Ethan stood still, staring at the two paths—Front or Back. The wrong one meant certain death.

Karlos was thinking, his brows furrowed, fingers tapping against the rule book in his pocket.

Then—he sighed.

A long, tired breath.

"Screw it. I say we go Back."

Ethan's head snapped toward him.

"Back? You're sure?"

Karlos hesitated for a second. Then—he shook his head.

"No. I'm not sure at all."

That answer sent a chill down Ethan's spine.

"Then why—"

"Because sitting here won't help us, and I'd rather make a decision than freeze up and die here." Karlos' voice was firm, but there was something behind it—uncertainty, doubt.

Ethan swallowed hard. His gut twisted painfully.

Something about this felt off.

But at the same time—he had no better idea.

For the first time, Karlos was looking at him, searching for reassurance.

He wanted Ethan to agree. To confirm that this was the right choice.

Ethan felt his hands tighten into fists.

Then, slowly—he nodded.

"...Alright."

He didn't trust the decision.

But he trusted Karlos.

And so—they stepped toward the Back.