The silence in the dining hall is deafening, broken by the occasional clink of utensils as players halfheartedly pick at their meals., The atmosphere feels suffocating after the first game, and every face you see is a mixture of fear and exhaustion. You feel the same despair, trembling slightly as you hold the cold lunch box in your hands.

Rice, kimchi, a fried egg, and some vegetables. It’s a meager portion, the kind that’s more about survival than satisfaction. You haven’t even touched it, too shaken to eat as the events of the day replayed in your mind.

You should’ve left. You had the chance to go home when they gave the option but you didn’t. Unfortunately desperation is a powerful thing, and the weight of your debt felt heavier than the fear of death. And now you’re staring blankly at your lunch, drowning in your thoughts as the weight of your decision pressed further down on your shoulders.

Suddenly someone sits beside you, jolting you from a potential meltdown. As you glance to your side you realize it’s her, the girl you’ve caught staring at you one too many times.

Player 067. Kang Sae Byeok.

You’re not sure what it is about her, but she has this quiet intensity that draws your attention even in a place like this. Her expression is unreadable as she picks up her fried egg and places it into your lunchbox.

“Eat.” Her voice is quiet but firm, leaving no room for argument. “You need it.”