SURVIVAL 10: LEVEL 1 STAGE 2 – BALL OF NET

We went up to the fifth floor. It is still dark and empty space. After a few minutes, we were not disappointed.

"Greetings! Everyone is already here in rendezvous. The results of yesterday's and today's matches will be announced after the girls’ games. The game will begin momentarily.”

The space transformed as it became a volleyball court. The girls are now wearing a sleeveless top with an embroidered ordinal number name, shorts, and white rubber shoes.

"Welcome to Wealth Level: Stage 2!”

Everyone's attention was grabbed when Author came to the center and the game was about to start.

"First, the girls will play Ball of Net. 10 girls, divided into two groups, the silver and gold group. 5 players each team...”

Gold versus Silver, same battle as before.

Gold team- Forzen (14th), Sixzen (16th), Aeizen (18th), Twentieth (20th), Sectwen (22nd) from private high schools

Silver team- Second (2nd), Fourth (4th), Sixth (6th), Aeith (8th), Tenth (10th) from public high schools

After more than ten minutes of waiting, Author appeared in the middle of the court. We gathered to find out what the hologram’s message would be.

"Before the game starts, I'll explain first the special mechanics of this extraordinary volleyball game. The ball that you are going to use is an ordinary ball made of outstanding quality materials. It will only project an image and color. When the ball falls to the ground in your team's territory, the image that the ball projects will affect one of your members.”

“Like yesterday, a member of ours was hurt?" Aeith asked audaciously.

"Unlike in an ordinary game, you will have 5 rounds to play and 3 minutes for each round, a total of 15 minutes. Only 1 minute will be the given time interval per round.”

For boys, it was 5 minutes per round. For us, it’s only 3 minutes. Author still didn’t answer the question of Aeith.

"The scoring will be on which team would last and endure the agony of this amicable match. Only this time, it's more extraordinary. Boys can endure the pain of being physically hurt, while girls can endure the pain of being emotionally hurt. In this game, more unforeseen events will happen. Good luck.”

And again, Author disappeared like a bubble.

"Players, proceed to the court. I repeat, proceed to the court.”

I looked up at both walls, the timer. Yesterday, it was also attached to the basketball ring; now it's just on the wall. We gathered in the middle.

"Position, two teams separated according to your assigned teams.”

The two teams parted ways. We were well-positioned.

"Rules and regulations are the same, when defied, certain castigation will be given. The game will start in 3, 2,”

The ball is still dark blue like yesterday, but it has a small brain inside, on the side, and the one in the middle looks like a piece of paper with writing on it. The brain looks like it's just animated or cartoonish. This one is unrealistic compared to yesterday, which looks exactly like a human organ.

"1 *whistle*”

"Move!" My trance returned when I heard Aeith's voice. I looked ahead, and the ball was flying towards me! "Outta way!” she shrieked.

I immediately stepped aside, and Sixth made a move. Aeith looked at me. "Focus," she advised me.

I nodded. It's been a minute, and the ball hasn't fallen to the floor yet.

01:35

The dark blue ball turned to gold. The ball dropped in the gold team’s line. No one was hurt. It weirded me out, but I am glad that this happened instead.

"Continue the game," Commanded the timer.

Twentieth caught my attention. She looks tense and doesn't seem to focus well.

02:48

The ball suddenly flew in front of me again. I hit the ball with both hands. It went to the gold team and was passed around when it landed on Tenth's back, she couldn't catch up with it because it was far and it would definitely cross the line.

*whistle*

The ball landed just past our line when the timer whistled, not counting that turn.

We ran to our bleachers and drank water.

"Guys, why can't we feel anything?" Sixzen asked everyone.

"Yeah. Are you sure none of us were affected?" Tenth checked us one by one to see if we were all right.

Everyone shook their heads to say no. The boys approached us.

"That’s great," Fifth commented.

"Just keep playing and let's see what happens next," Sixzen suggested. Everyone agreed to Sixzen’s suggestion.

"One minute break is over. Players, back to the game. I repeat, players back to the game. Round 2 will start in 10, 9,”

We returned after a one-minute break.

"8, 7, 6, 5,”

Aeith is ready to serve the ball.

"4, 3, 2, 1, *whistle*”

And the ball went to the other team. If the ball used to turn gold because it landed in their territory, it returned to being dark blue as it was passed around. When the ball is passed around, it is dark blue. It changes color depending on which team the opponent is playing. The inside of the ball has an animated brain on the side and its center has a large red-letter F in the middle.

"Mine!”

I suddenly backed away from Sixzen. "Hya!"

0:54. The ball turned to gold. The ball fell again to the gold team.

"For the third time that you will hesitate to continue the game, the bleachers won't hesitate to explode.”

"Whaaa!”

We were startled because we heard the explosion. The gold team’s bleachers exploded at the corner. We turned our attention to the game. Round 2 continues.

01:43

We are still trying not to let the ball fall to the floor. It went back to dark blue, and the flesh still had a brain on the side and a currency sign in the middle.

02:57

Aeizen passes the ball to Forzen and she spikes it. Aeith and Fourth ran at the same time, collided. Aeith sat down and scratched her head. Fourth tried to chase, but she stopped. The ball turned silver—it crossed our line. The gold team scored.

*whistle*

"What happened to you, Aeith?" Fourth asked her gently.

Aeith scratched and held her head. "There are memories that entered my brain.”

"What do you remember?" I questioned her.

"W-We don't have money. We don't have anything to eat. There are the voices of children crying. Noisy cars. Voices of people fighting. Then I feel like I'm crying too... " My forehead furrowed in confusion

"Maybe your memories are slowly coming back." I looked at Fourth.

If Aeith's memories slowly came back, then the memories of Twentieth and Sixzen also came back when we scored against them. Does that explain why their actions and facial expressions also changed? They both looked troubled a while ago.

"Players, back to the game. I repeat, players, back to the game. Round 3 will start in 10, 9,”

After a short conversation, we returned immediately.

"8, 7, 6, 5,"

Before the timer counts down again, it has a follow-up message.

"Starting in round 3 will be a special one.”

My eyes also widened. The whole floor, except for the bleachers and the volleyball court that we’re standing on, was already surrounded by mud.

"Better be careful where you're stepping and don't cross the line. Round 3 will start in 4, 3, 2, 1, *whistle*"

0:42

I threw the ball in the air and slapped it hard with my right hand. I passed safely and straight to the other team. Passed back to us, and it is spiked by Sixth. The gold team tried to follow the ball when...

"Ah!" Aeizen's squeal. She fell into the mud.

We winced at what we saw, and the rest of her group immediately helped her get out of the mud.

"Continue the game. It's your choice to help your co-member but you must continue the game.”

We were delayed by the timer’s warning. She still can’t take her feet off the mud pit, so Twentieth helped her while the three continued to play.

"Darn it! I'm sinking even more!" Aeizen panicked.

Before, only her feet were submerged in the mud, now, it’s up to her waist.

"That's not just mud, it's quicksand!" Seventh called out.

"Continue the game," the timer warned. The tone of its voice was alarming.

"Go ahead. Play without me," Aeizen pushed out her teammates to play without her.

We must help our friends, but if we stop playing, worse is about to happen. The game continued.

01:32

The ball fell to the gold team. It turned gold. Inside, there is still a brain, and it looks like there are wrinkles on the side and in its center. Forzen lost focus on playing but she still insisted on playing.

"Forzen!" Sixzen called out Forzen but Forzen seemed to be spacing out, so she adjusted herself and ran again to pass the ball to us.

02:00

Aeith had the ball and passed it to the other side. She passed it to us and Sixth was about to strike when she went out of balance and she wasn’t able to pass it to the other side. When the ball fell in front of her, she kneeled and covered both her ears. The ball in front of her before it went back to being dark blue. It is silver because it landed in our territory, but it is no longer the brain inside, but an animated heart. The one in the middle is two animated hands holding, but it has a crack in the middle. Sixth stood up while still covering her ears. She looks troubled as if she were having a nightmare.

"'Don't-" I no longer stopped her from walking when she crossed the line.

The former mud that surrounded us suddenly became a cloud. Blue and white colors enveloped us, but we couldn't feel the wind. W-We're in the sky?

"Aaaahhh!" We heard two girls scream. One is to Sixth and the other is to Aeizen.

The quicksand transformed and became a sky.

"Continue the game!" the timer exclaimed.

*explosion*

We were stupefied when we heard an explosion.

"Save those two, we'll play!" Tenth commanded.

Sixth was lifted safely. She immediately ran closer to the ball and passed to the other group. When she hit that, round 3 was over.

*whistle*

"Safe!" Aeith declared.

I noticed the clouds had stopped moving. Other girls stepped as well and immediately ran towards the bleachers. Aeizen sobbed

"Is something wrong? Earlier, I noticed you were panicking while covering your ears. You look stunned. Do you remember anything?” ” I asked Aeizen.

"I don't know. But when the ball fell on the floor, I remember something.”

If it is true that those are her memories, then those are unpleasant ones.