Death's Deception

Chapter 11: Shadows of Deception

"Players... the roles have been assigned. Listen carefully. Your teams are as follows."

The Accountant's cold, mechanical voice echoed through the silence like a blade slicing through air. A moment passed before the names landed like a thunderclap.

Blue Team: Tatsuya Kuroda, Daichi Hayasaka, Mei Tsukino

Red Team: Ren Sakamoto, Shun Hayashi, Aoi Himura

Tension snapped like frayed wire.

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Blue Room

Daichi leaned back with a dark grin, arms folded. "Well, well. Looks like I'm stuck with the ice king and the ghost girl."

Mei flinched, her voice trembling as she tried to stay calm. "We're on the same side… that's better than facing them. Right?"

Tatsuya's voice was cool, commanding. "It doesn't matter who we're with. What matters is what we do next."

---

Red Room

Aoi hugged herself tightly, her voice barely above a whisper. "Not being with Tatsuya... that might be a blessing."

Shun's eyes narrowed. "Or a curse. He's dangerous, but so is Daichi."

Ren stepped forward, firm and analytical. "Doesn't matter. We play the roles we're dealt. Now we play to win."

---

With a mechanical screech, the steel doors at each end of the hall slid open, cold air rushing into the corridor like a breath from a tomb.

"Blue Team, to the right chamber. Red Team, to the left. Your time begins now," the Accountant commanded.

---

Inside the Blue Room

The chamber was sparse and cold, lit with a dim blue hue. A long table stood in the center, three cards placed face-down.

Tatsuya stepped forward first, picking up his card with the calm of a surgeon. "Keep your face steady. Your voice neutral. No tells."

Daichi smirked as he selected his card. "I lie for breakfast."

Mei hesitated before drawing hers, forcing a nod. "I'll... do my best not to give anything away."

They flipped their cards one by one—silently. Eyes widened, twitched, or remained deadpan. One of them was the President. One the Bomber. One merely a Player.

No one spoke.

---

Inside the Red Room

Bathed in a sharp crimson tint, the second room mirrored the first. The cards waited. The air was tense.

Aoi hesitated. "This room feels heavier..."

Shun picked up his card without a word. "Because it is."

Ren spoke firmly, the voice of reason. "We survive by reading between silences."

---

The Accountant's voice crackled to life through an unseen speaker, cutting through the rooms like a scalpel.

"The game has begun. You will spend each day in your respective rooms. Discuss. Suspect. Strategize."

"At night, one player from your team will be blindfolded and sent into the opposing team's room. The opposing team will remain blindfolded, unable to see the visitor."

"You have ten minutes."

"If the Blue Team President enters the Red Room, the Blue Team loses one heart."

"If the Red Team Bomber enters the Blue Room, the Red Team loses one heart."

"You may never reveal your role. Not with words. Not with clues."

"After five days, the team with the most hearts wins."

"Winners gain one life. Losers lose one."

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Day 1 – Blue Room Discussion

Daichi stretched casually, a smirk curling his lips. "So, who wants to confess first?"

"No one should speak about their role," Tatsuya replied sharply. "But we can still play smart."

Mei looked down at her hands, voice soft. "But if we choose wrong tonight... if we send the President..."

Tatsuya's tone was iron. "Then we're already dead. So choose carefully."

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Day 1 – Red Room Discussion

"How can we tell who they'll send?" Aoi whispered. "What if it's Tatsuya?"

"He won't come first," Shun said without hesitation. "He never risks himself early."

Ren was already in thought. "Which means it's either Daichi... or Mei. Both hard to read. Especially blindfolded."

---

Nightfall

The Blue Room descended into silence. The tick of the clock echoed like footsteps in a grave.

Tatsuya finally broke the silence. "Daichi goes."

Mei's eyes widened. "Are you sure—?"

Daichi grinned. "Of course he's sure. I'm chaos incarnate. Let's give them a scare."

Just then, the intercom crackled again.

"Attention, players," the Accountant announced. "A rule update: the player visiting the opposing team will wear a mask to conceal their identity. Meanwhile, the opposing team will be blindfolded."

The three players exchanged looks. Another twist. Another layer of deception.

Tatsuya gave a nod, cold and calculating. "Understood. The stakes just got higher."

He blindfolded Daichi with precise care. The steel door hissed open. Daichi stepped through, wearing a simple black mask.

The shadows swallowed him.

And the true game began.

Next In Chapter 12: Day One:Into The Lion's Den