The silence in the dormitory was eerie. The metal beds, lined up in precise rows, offered little solace after the chaos of the first game. You sank down onto one of the mattresses, exhausted, your breathing still ragged. The memory of the dry sound of gunfire haunted you.

As you massaged your temples, someone moved into the bunk opposite you. You didn't look up, too focused on calming your nerves, until you heard a familiar laugh, sarcastic and laced with that carefree tone you'd always detested.

"Well, this is a real romantic reunion, isn't it?"

You raised your head. There he was, Thanos, sitting on the bed with one leg crossed over the other, his purple hair as messy as ever, as if he'd just come out of a storm. His eyes shone with a mocking sparkle, and the crooked smile that knew him so well was still there, intact.

"No way," you muttered.

"Wow, hello to you too, kiddo."

The last time you'd seen him, things had ended badly, very badly. And now, after years of trying to bury him in your memory, he appeared here, in this place, in this nightmare.

"What the hell are you doing here?" you asked, trying to keep your voice low.

"Same as you, I guess," he replied, leaning back against the wall with a relaxed demeanor that didn't fit the circumstances.

"Surviving. Though, of course, doing it in style. I don't know if you noticed, but I was one of the first to cross the line in the game."

You glared at him. "Do you want a medal?"

"Well, I wouldn't say no," he replied with a shrug and a wider smile. "But hey, what a twist of fate, huh? Of all the people who could be here, it turns out you were here too. It's almost poetic."

You closed your eyes, trying to ignore him. His voice, his presence, made your stomach churn. Not only because it reminded you of the past, but because, despite everything, there was still something about him that made you feel vulnerable.