The Survival Games

Chapter Ten: The Game of Faces

The tension in the room was unbearable. Sir Daemon and his gang members watched with smirks and gleaming eyes, feeding off the drama like crows circling a dying beast. I stood quietly.

To be honest I didn't want to play Neo's games. There was no point. He seemed to like embarrassing me in front of other. I always wondered where does Neo gets all his strength from

For me just surviving the slums has taken all my strength and Neo trying to seek attention act was just wasting my time and energy.

Neo stepped into the center of the room with that same smug grin. "The game's simple," he said, drawing a crude circle on the floor with a piece of chalk. "We'll take turns trying to push each other out of this circle. Best two out of three. Whoever loses has to receive an punishment."

I caught a flash of disdain showed on Daemon's face. 

After explaining the rules, Neo paused for a moment and turned to Daemon "The punishment can be decided by Sir Daemon".

Daemon clapped, his voice full of cruel amusement. "Interesting."

But he wasn't finished. His eyes gleamed with something darker. "I'll make this more entertaining. How about this? We can include the mumblety-peg as a punishment for the looser. The loser of the game stands in place with an apple on their head. The winner gets to throw a knife at it."

Neo froze. His face went pale for a split second before recovering with a grin. Neo nodded and said "Sure, that sound more fun"

I saw the flash of expression and thought: he may have great ambitions and some cleverness, but he is too short-sighted.

Based on his personality and current role in the gang he may want to rise to the top. He must have thought this was a chance to show Daemon how strong he is, hoping Daemon would speak well of him in front of the Red Vulture leader. That way, he could climb the ranks faster.

My head stayed low and a faint secret smile crossed my face.

Why does he think he'll win? Because he knows his advantages—his strength and various experiences in gang fights. Anyone could see that Neo could easily beat me due to our physical differences. Confidence in his abilities to fight well added to the belief he will win. Which is why he may have been scared of the punishment at first, but his arrogance calmed him. He always believed he was stronger than me, especially since I had always given the impression that I was weak.

But thinking that defeating me would earn him respect was laughable. 

Why? Because even if he did defeat me, no one would respect him for it, as the game clearly favoured him. Especially those higher ups like Daemon and the leader of the Red Vulture would just look down on him in disdain as a person who is really strong wouldn't ask to play a game that is in his favour. People like Daemon and the Red Vulture leader would see through the calculative schemes.

So why did Daemon agree to Neo? Because Neo is in his gang, of course he will side with him. and more importantly it's because its fun and entertaining. 

"So do you understand the rules?" Neo asked, turning toward me.

I stayed silent for a moment. Then I asked, "Are there any other rules?"

"Nope," Daemon said with a smirk.

Neo said "Let's begin."

We stepped into the chalk circle. One of the gang members raised his hand. "Start!"

Neo came at me fast, hands outstretched. His eyes were already glowing with victory. I waited until the last moment and used my agility, slipping sideways and letting his momentum carry him just past me. Barely. I made it look clumsy. Like it was just because I was lucky.

I didn't want them to know my cards. Not yet.

Sir Daemon raised an eyebrow, just slightly.

Neo stumbled but caught himself, his face tightening. He turned towards me hatred can be seen in his eyes. He rushed back, this time with more force, aiming a low kick at my leg. If it landed, it would have shattered bone. I moved again, fast, and because he'd committed too much power, his own foot carried him out of the circle.

Silence filled the room.

No one moved.

Neo stood up quickly, his face burning red. "I let you win that one," he snarled. "It was just a coincidence". He continued "You're not gonna be so lucky again!"

Daemon's face soured. His men exchanged glances.

Neo was always like this. No matter how many time he has tried to humiliate me but ends up getting humiliated, he just won't learn. Every time when he see a chance to show how much better he is he just jumps at the bait I gave him. 

Second round.

This round I need to help Neo think that he is stronger then me. 

We stepped into the circle again. "Start!" someone shouted.

Neo lunged. This time, there was a glint of metal. His right hand held a small knife.

I barely dodged, but not without cost. The blade scraped across the left side of my face, stinging and warm. Blood trickled down my face.

I said nothing. My legs tensed as I pretended to catch my breath. I knew I needed to make sacrifices to maintain the illusion. I controlled my strength, ensuring the wound wasn't deep. Coincidence might be believed once or twice—but not a third time. They'd suspect. For now, I had to look like I was beginning to feel exhausted.

I positioned my body into a defensive stance, eyes fixated on him.

He attacked again, faster this time. I knew it's time. A flash of light flickered in my eyes. I acted like I had no escape. I stepped back—out of the circle, with a small cut on my arm. 

Cheers erupted from Neo's side.

"That's more like it!" one gang member laughed. "Taught him a lesson!"

"Better give up, bastard," another jeered. "Before you embarrass yourself more."

Neo grinned, wiping the sweat from his forehead. "Rules didn't say no weapons."

I looked at him, my expression unreadable. He thought he'd broken me. Thought the scrape across my cheek and my arm meant he'd won.

Third round.

We stood in the circle. My head lowered. My hands still.

Neo thought I was afraid. Thought I was crying.

"Start!"

Neo lunged again, the knife raised toward my right leg.

But I was ready.

My head quickly turned and I gripped the small pebble in my pocket—the one I'd pocketed earlier from the alley. My fingers flicked. The pebble flew.

It hit Neo's hand.

The knife clattered to the ground and Neo screamed in agony.

Now or never I thought.

I surged forward, used both of my hands towards Neo and pushed his stomach. He backed backwards, out of the circle.

Silence filled the room except me pretending to breath heavily.

Daemon's face hardened. His gang members' laughter stopped.

"What the hell?" one of them muttered.

One yelled "How can you even looses?"

Another sneered. "Losing to a weakling?"

Neo's face twisted. "Shut up!" he barked.

No one said another word.

Daemon leaned forward, his gaze narrowing on me.

The knife lay on the floor. The apple waited on the table.

I smiled.

And the real game, I knew, hadn't even started yet.

To be Continued...