The Zero Countdown

Chapter 7: Deceit

The neutral element between the two parties was Elyon, who was subjected to their use due to his Fantasm Ability that calculates the approaching death from afar.

Elora rode her motorbike around the city's nook and cranny, searching for the ideal ability from any Fantasm she encounters which can increase her chance of survival along with her boyfriend Ruther.

And she concluded the most perfect ability to escape death was none other than Elyon's Fantasm Ability. She never foresaw a high school girl who can see the future had the same plan as her.

"What if I said no? We can get out of here and eliminate you two later." Brina tugged Elyon closer to her. She knew her entire plan would fall apart once he loses him.

"You think you get to decide? What about you, Elyon? Will you choose us over some little girl you found? My boyfriend and I are experienced in dealing with the harsh reality of life. You can team up with us and leave her now."

The bargain of their negotiation turn unbalanced, Elora was going for it and taking what should be her possession.

However, Elyon took the torch of decision unknowingly. He now can choose between two sides to which will benefit him the most.

"Ahh... Shouldn't we just be a team of four?"

He couldn't choose because deciding one means betraying the other. The blame was of the high risk and staying on the neutral side is an optimal alternative.

"It's what my Elora was telling that little girl over there, but she's against that very idea." Ruther points the obvious. They arrived at an impasse and the only way forward is by sparking the flames of hostility within.

"Tsk. She's a stubborn girl. Do the thing, Ruther, my love." Elora slouches on the sofa as if she already knows how things will play out.

"Alright." Ruther nodded. He casually gripped Brina's wrist using his hands covered in cold, state-of-the-art metallic folding acting as gloves.

Not knowing what was it for, Brina got startled as Ruther extends his index finger, steam comes out of it and the alloy plating from his nail retracts.

"Decide; you die or you join us. No one had live to tell the tale of my Fantasm Ability." Ruther threatens Brina as his last resort. He doesn't care whatever method he'd utilize so long he can convince them for his woman's sake.

"No... Back off! That man is dangerous. Your timer above your head is..." Elyon was beyond shock seeing Brina's remaining time drastically dwindled. It was their fatal mistake to not know Ruther's power and now they were facing a checkmate because of their inexperience.

"Just go along with us. It's not like we'll turn you two into our slaves. By the way, Ruther's ability is Death Grasp, and he can instantly kill anyone belonging to the kingdom of existence with a touch of his hands. That's why he's wearing metallic gloves for safety."

Elora crosses her legs looking down on them. She exactly fiddled them well into joining her party with no option but their own survival in a world where the strongest and smartest rules the fabricated system of a corrupted society.

"Elyon even know you are going to meet your demise right now once you don't take our agreement. I might accidentally kill you now if you take our time more than you should." Ruther purposely and slowly brings his index finger down Brina's wrist until the space between her demise is a few centimeters away.

However, no one can comprehend but Brina herself that she orchestrated the situation into happening. After all, she needed an ample amount of time to realize the future she seeks.

"Fine. We'll accept your offer. But we'll only operate together if there's someone who has Fantasm that can beat our ability because I assure you there is one. And second, that applies to the exchange of information as well."

Brina may have seen the clouded alternative, but she's aware of the couple's objectives to an extent, and therefore giving them agreements the same as they originally plan to impose would mean she had already taken them on her side, not the other way around.

"Sounds good to me," Elora says and she pulled a pistol from the straps attached to her thigh and equipped the tubular silencer she had hidden from her pocket.

As she's aiming right exactly above Brina's head, Elyon instinctively leaps towards Elora to get her g*n but she had already pulled the trigger, hitting the target faster than anyone else could notice.

"No! Why would you kill her—"

And Elora pushed him aside, yanked his hair out of him, and forced him to see what she targeted in the first place before jumping to conclusions.

To his surprise, Brina stood fine with no injuries or wounds. What they noticed was the groans of a man hiding coming from the painting attached to the wall at Brina's back.

"Argh... How did you...!" The unknown man was shot, though they do know what part as he's staying hidden in between the panel.

"Come on man! Stop stalking my girlfriend already! I'll kill you the next we meet." Ruther was so furious he kept stomping on the wall; he took the painting off the wall and kneed the poor art in half.

"Who was that...? This was the first he showed upon us." Brina mentioned.

"Someone who can walk through walls... Isn't he the man the bystander told in the news earlier in the morning?" Elyon remembered, picking up the clues together as he starts assessing the ability of those who he views as threatening against his power.

"You're correct, Elyon. That bastard has been going around hotels and restrooms peeking at girls and assaulting them using his Fantasm Ability: Void Passage. But he didn't know one of the women he attacked was, in fact, a Fantasm and so he's forced to kill her before he meets his own demise out of his perversion."

Elora explained the man they had encountered had been using his power for malicious gains. Though his ability is still harmful since he can escape anytime he wants.

"So you're his recent victim." Elyon calms himself first by sitting on the sofa beside Brina.

"He's getting on my nerves! I was having a nice long bath but then I started seeing letters on the wall because my ability can show and identify any Fantasms. That's how I figured out he's peeking at me so I scared him away at first, but he kept stalking me and it's getting annoying!"

Whining at the sofa unable to do anything to stop the man who's been lurking at her back, Elora goes to the fridge and took a bag of marshmallows. She incites her eating disorder while she's out of ideas to get rid of her common enemy.

"Please don't think too much about him. I promise I'll kill him no matter what next time." Ruther sided with her. He pats her side and consoles her girlfriend experiencing anxiety.

"Hm. Eliminating him is within our league. However, he's eavesdropping on our conversation. What if he uses what he heard from us and sells us out to the other Fantasms?" Brina always considers the worst. She meekly pours a chocolate drink on her glass till the pitcher becomes empty.

"Hm... I doubt he'd even think about that. Just a hunch base on his personality." Elora snacks on the sweets she's keeping in her pocket after she was done with the marshmallows.

"So what are we gonna do now? Wait until Fantasms were reduced to a single digit?" Elyon asked.

"Good idea. We'll do just that. I bet tomorrow we can operate by cleaning up the rest of them." Elora said, taking what he said seriously since they don't have anything better to do and, going out would expose them to danger, hence Brina dragged him into a hotel so they can lay low for a while.

"Just so we're clear; if we happen to be the last 4 players in this game, we won't show mercy nor kindness. I'm telling you this because anytime we can strike on your backs before you know it."

Ruther fights fair and square. He's telling them ahead that's fine for them to fight back once there are no enemies left in the Zero Countdown.

"Deal. Besides, that was what had planned anyways." Brina agreed.

As they were losing topics they can converse with, things becomes awkward and silence takes over as they aren't totally acquainted yet. They are all a victim of the Unknown Entity who got together in a group, which happen to share a room in a hotel cowardly waiting for the players count to drastically within a day.

To bring out the stifling atmosphere between them, Elora gently tugged Brina from her seat and took her towards the shower room by the left corner.

"Wait, where are you taking me?" Brina wondered.

"I'm getting sticky. We'll have a bath together. No complaints." Elora flips her hair and forced her to come with her, leaving Elyon and her boyfriend on their own.

"Try peeking at my woman, I'll kill you as well." Ruther glares directly at his soul. He'd never forgive those who look at his lover in a malicious attitude.

"Whoa chill. I am not interested in any woman. I'm more problematic how I can survive and her..." Elyon speaks about Brina's safety. He can't help but fret regarding his uncertain future.

Seeing how he had already lost before he even tries, Ruther shook his head saying, "Fear of losing someone isn't a bad thing, you and I, and pretty much everyone submits. What makes it unacceptable was sometimes, we are too afraid we couldn't take any action."

"......" Elyon was rendered silent for being transparent.

He barely knows Brina yet there's an impulse in him telling him to protect her at all costs. Not just because her ability could lead to their victory nor their survival, but because if he loses her, then he's no different than the past self he hated the most.

While both of the men sulk on the couch together, Elora confronts Brina for telling a harmless bluff that might once be a secret she'd never know.

"You, outrageous girl... I already told you that my ability is True Foresight. I can read your TRUE ability. Why are you telling lies right on our face? Give a proper answer for your deceitful approach or else I'll tell them I killed you out of self-defense."

Elora was armed with a g*n when she and Brina entered the shower room. She loathes betrayal and lies and she'd eliminate her no hesitation once Brina fabricates a lie again.