Phased out

As Ethan and Alice pushed open the door, a blinding light flooded their vision. Their eyes, adjusted to the suffocating darkness of Phase 1, burned from the sudden brightness. Both instinctively raised their arms, shielding their faces.

"So bright..." Ethan muttered, squinting against the overwhelming light.

Slowly, their eyes adjusted. The world around them came into focus.

Alice was the first to take in their surroundings. Her voice carried both confusion and disbelief. "This is... a city?"

Ethan turned his head, following her gaze. The sight before him made his breath hitch.

"…This is a city."

They stood in the middle of a deserted road, the pavement smooth and unblemished.

Towering skyscrapers lined the streets, their glass windows reflecting the soft glow of an unseen sun. The structures looked newly built—flawless, untouched, too perfect.

Nothing about this place screamed danger. No eerie sounds, no grotesque creatures, no signs of decay. Just a silent, empty metropolis. And yet, the stillness unsettled Ethan.

Alice glanced around warily. "It looks... normal. Honestly."

Ethan didn't lower his guard. The air was too still. The silence too thick. It felt staged.

"Yeah… it does," he admitted, voice low. "But we can't let our guard down."

Because if this game had taught them anything—it was that nothing was ever as it seemed.

As Ethan and Alice stepped forward, the blinding light gave way to an unusual sight. The sky was overcast, a muted gray stretching endlessly above them.

The sun wasn't harsh, nor was it weak—it cast a dim, diffused glow, strong enough to illuminate everything, yet lacking the warmth they expected.

The air was thick with an eerie stillness, like the calm before a storm.

For a fleeting moment, it felt real. Like the real world.

Alice's breath hitched as she turned to Ethan, her voice laced with cautious hope.

"Wait… could it be? Did we escape…?"

Ethan felt the weight of her words settle in his chest. For the first time since this nightmare began, this place looked… normal. Buildings stood tall, pristine. The roads were uncracked, untouched by decay. No rust, no death, no distortions. It was perfect. Too perfect.

And yet, something about it felt off.

"I… don't know," Ethan admitted, uncertainty creeping into his voice. "When we completed the last phase, it gathered everyone together. But this time… it just teleported us?"

Alice glanced at him, a flicker of certainty in her eyes.

"It did say that Phase 0 was just a trial. Maybe that's why everyone was brought together after you guys finished it—to explain the rules before throwing us into the real thing."

That logic made sense. Ethan slowly nodded.

"Maybe…"

They started walking, their footsteps echoing against the empty road. The city around them remained eerily still, lifeless—like a stage set up for a play with no actors.

Then—Alice suddenly stopped.

Something crunched beneath her shoe.

She lifted her foot and glanced down.

A single piece of paper, slightly crumpled, lay on the pavement.

The rule book.

Ethan bent down, reaching for the crumpled piece of paper near Alice's shoe.

Alice, realizing she was still standing on it, quickly lifted her foot and crouched down with him—her movement almost comically quick.

"This is the rule book…?" Ethan muttered, inspecting the paper.

Alice shot him a playful look. "Are you blind?" she teased.

Ethan blinked twice, staring at her blankly, saying nothing. Instead, he unfolded the paper, his eyes scanning the first line. But before he could read—

A voice.

"Hello."

The word cut through the silence, coming from behind them. Human.

Both Ethan and Alice whipped around instantly, adrenaline kicking in. Ethan was already on his feet, his grip tight around the claw weapon, prepared for anything.

But then… they saw him.

A normal human.

The guy raised his hands slightly, palms facing outward in a sign of peace. "Hey, chill. I mean no harm."

Ethan studied him cautiously. He was a little shorter than Ethan but taller than Alice. His hair was a messy shade of brown, his eyes sharp—prey-like. He looked young, maybe 18 or 19. His arms were lean, not too muscular, but not weak either.

He looked… average.

Painfully average.

Almost too ordinary for a place like this.

The stranger's expression remained calm as he spoke again.

"You both came from which phase?"

There was no hostility in his tone. Just curiosity.

Ethan spoke first.

"Phase 1. We came from Phase 1."

His tone was firm, steady. There was no hesitation—just quiet confidence. He had seen worse, faced worse. Whoever this guy was, he wasn't nearly as terrifying as what Ethan had already survived.

Still, the stranger seemed eager to de-escalate the tension.

"Look, I mean no harm," he said, his voice even. "I'm a survivor, just like you guys. My name is Samuel. Samuel Miller."

Ethan kept his eyes on him, watching for any sign of deception. But Samuel's posture remained open, his tone sincere.

Ethan's grip on the claw relaxed slightly, his expression softening—not out of trust, but because this wasn't the time to waste energy on unnecessary threats.

Alice finally stood up as well, stepping beside Ethan. Her eyes flickered between him and Samuel, taking in the new presence.

Samuel glanced between them, then added, "I know this might seem sudden, but… this is actually a peaceful level."

The words hung in the air.

Ethan didn't know whether to feel relieved—or suspicious.

Samuel took a small step forward, his hands still raised in a gesture of peace.

"If you don't trust me, read the rule book yourself," he said evenly. "It doesn't say anything serious."

Ethan studied him for a moment, then silently lowered his gaze to the folded paper in his hands. Alice stood beside him, her eyes shifting between the two as she quietly observed their exchange.

Without a word, Ethan unfolded the rule book and began reading.

"Phase 11: Empty City 

This phase is a peaceful phase. If you have been teleported here, consider yourself lucky.

In this phase, the threat level is 0. There are no entities. The environment consists of malls, shops, and streets resembling a normal world.

This phase is designed for survivors to:

Camp

Find and team up with others

Replenish energy

Gather resources for future phases

Important Notes:

Resources are abundant, more than enough for survival.

However, they are not unlimited.

Wasting resources may result in shortages.

End."

Ethan lowered the paper slightly, his eyes lingering on the words.

A peaceful phase.

No threats. No entities.

For the first time since entering this nightmare, it wasn't about survival—it was about preparation.

But despite the words on the page, something unsettled him.

Was it really that simple?

He glanced at Alice, then at Samuel.

This place felt too perfect.

And Ethan had learned one thing so far—when something felt too good to be true, it usually was.

Ethan let out a slow exhale, his grip on the rule book loosening.

"Alright, Samuel… sorry for the outburst. I just… had a rough time, y'know."

Alice remained silent, letting them talk.

Samuel smiled, shaking his head slightly. "Oh no, please don't apologize. I completely understand."

Then, with a more relaxed tone, he asked, "Can you guys introduce yourselves?"

Ethan gave a small nod. "My name is Ethan Baker."

The moment the words left his mouth, Samuel's expression shifted. His eyes widened slightly, his posture straightened.

"Wait… you're Ethan?"

Ethan paused, frowning at the sudden reaction. "Yeah… why?"

Before Samuel could answer, Alice cut in, crossing her arms.

"Ethan, think back. After Phase 0 ended, the voice—whatever it was—spoke to everyone, right?"

Ethan blinked, recalling the announcement.

"It did say that Karlos and Ethan were the heroes… blah blah blah," Alice continued casually.

And just like that, it clicked.

Ethan's fingers tightened around the rule book as the realization sank in.

Everyone here might already know who he is.

Samuel nodded. "Yeah, you're right. And you are…?"

Alice gave a small nod before introducing herself. "My name is Alice Fable."

Samuel's smile widened as they exchanged names. "Nice to meet you, Alice. You have beautiful hair."

Alice smiled back, appreciative of the kind words. "Thank you. I like your shirt."

Samuel chuckled, nodding in gratitude. "Appreciate it."

Then, shifting his posture slightly, he glanced between them.

"Alright, shall I explain something?"

Ethan's eyebrows furrowed, his expression sharpening with focus. Alice simply nodded, both of them listening intently.

Samuel took a breath before speaking.

"Before you arrived, a few other participants from different phases had already been teleported here. Same with me. I came from Phase 19, which was peaceful—only one entity, and it wasn't even dangerous. Honestly, I'd say I got lucky. Two peaceful phases in a row."

He paused for a moment, as if realizing he was going off track, then continued.

"Anyway, back to the point—I wanted to invite you both to join us."

Ethan and Alice exchanged a brief glance.

"We've set up a camp," Samuel explained. "There are about thirteen of us. We were just about to start snacking on the resources we gathered when we heard the world shift."

Ethan narrowed his eyes slightly. "World shift?"

"Yeah," Samuel nodded. "It happens when someone gets teleported into a phase. The environment changes slightly, like a ripple effect. That's how we knew someone new had arrived."

He gestured around the empty city. "So I came here to check it out. And now, here we are."

Alice looked at Ethan, her expression calm yet firm.

"Whatever you say, Ethan… I'll follow your lead."

Ethan met her gaze, feeling the weight of her words. A small but undeniable sense of duty settled in his chest. He couldn't afford to hesitate—not now.

Turning to Samuel, he took a breath.

"I mean, that's the wisest choice…" He exhaled slightly before continuing. "We'd like to stay near the camp. But before we do, I need to ask something first."

Samuel gave a small nod. "Go ahead."

Ethan's expression hardened.

"Is anyone there hostile?" His voice was steady, but there was an underlying sharpness to it. "Will anyone try to take advantage of me, considering almost all participants might know my name? And… is everyone actually willing to team up without betraying each other?"

Samuel's face shifted slightly, his smile fading. A tinge of disappointment crept into his expression.

"Actually…" he began, scratching the back of his head, "I only just met these people too. We've only known each other for about an hour and a half, so… I can't say for sure."

A brief silence followed.

Ethan's eyes narrowed slightly, locking onto Samuel.

Samuel held his gaze but quickly added, "But from what I've seen so far—from the way they acted, the way they interacted with me—everyone seemed… nice."

Then, with a small smirk, he continued, "I mean, I do look like an easy target… right, Ethan?"

He emphasized Ethan's name, mirroring his earlier suspicion.

Ethan paused. He knew exactly what Samuel was implying. He had underestimated him. A small flicker of guilt surfaced, but he quickly pushed it down.

After a moment, he nodded.

"Sure." His voice was firm now. "Take us to this camp. It's the smartest move, after all."

Samuel gave a small grin before motioning for them to follow.

And with that, they took their first steps toward the unknown.

Samuel led the way, his footsteps light against the empty pavement.

Ethan and Alice walked side by side, following close behind.

After a brief silence, Alice spoke up.

"I wonder what kind of people we'll meet."

Ethan nodded, his gaze scanning the deserted streets. "Yeah… I'm curious too. Since we've been in the same phases both times, maybe some of them have experienced completely different ones. We might get some important information."

Alice turned to him with a small smile. "Y'know, Ethan… I didn't know you could talk this much."

Ethan frowned slightly. "What?"

Alice giggled, shaking her head. "Nothing. Leave it."

Ethan chuckled under his breath. "You're an unfair girl."

Samuel, walking ahead, smiled to himself as he listened to their conversation—but made sure they couldn't see it.

As they continued moving, Ethan and Alice couldn't help but analyze their surroundings.

This phase… looked too real.

The cityscape stretched out before them, eerily familiar. The buildings were perfectly structured, the roads freshly paved. It wasn't just a vague imitation of reality—it felt like the real world, as if an actual city had been copy-pasted into this space.

But something was missing.

There were no people. No cars. No sounds.

No signs of life.

That absence sent a deep, unsettling chill through Ethan's spine. The idea of being completely alone in a massive, lifelike city… It didn't sit right with him.

Alice, however, didn't seem unnerved. If anything, she looked fascinated.

"I kinda like the vibe of this place," she admitted.

Samuel glanced over his shoulder. "Me too, actually."

Ethan shot them both a look, feeling slightly out of place. How were they so at ease here?

To Alice, this was the first real chance to breathe. After Phase 0 and Phase 1, she had been thrown from one chaotic situation to another. But now? Now she could finally relax—even if just for a moment.

As for Samuel… he hadn't seen real terror yet.

Unlike Ethan and Alice, he had only experienced peaceful phases. He had no idea what it truly meant to be hunted.

And that was why Ethan couldn't relax.

Because he knew—peace never lasted.