The case study of Teodor Gavril.

The midterm came to an end, all had left the hall without anything of significance happening. Teodor gave me thanks as he left, but other than that no contact was made. I continued on that day normally, after all, nothing to be wary of had happened.

It was a Tuesday, and it was like every other Tuesday. It passed, and I slept back in my dorm.

Thursday came, with it marking the end of our midterms, or mine at least. I knew Zakariya still had a midterm on Friday, but I was done gladly.

As I left the hall of my final midterms, I could see the upperclassmen leave alongside me, but instead of looking relieved, they all walked with dread covering them. I could understand that not everyone must have done well, but that was beyond not doing well. Their legs were shaking, their faces were covered by their hands, and they muttered to themselves.

It had crept me, so I inquired. I approached one of the upperclassmen.

"Excuse me, why are all the upperclassmen like that?" I asked.

He jolted in place and then turned to face me.

"You new here?"  his expression slowly turned 'normal.'

"Y-yeah... It's my first semester..." I said.

"Well then, you will find out soon enough," he said as he walked past me," I wonder what kind of role they will pick for you, that's if you get any." Leaving me with such words, I was left in a state of shock.

Opening my phone, I had an idea of who to contact, but I wondered if it was the right idea. The upperclassman had said that I would 'find out soon enough,' so there was no reason for me to rush. Maybe I should prepare beforehand? After all, looking at them, whatever I was about to know looks as if it will not be pleasant.

"Yeah, I've noticed them as well." I had met up with Zakariya that evening, so I inquired about what he had in mind. "You think they have an extremely harsh grading system? Like your answer has to be CORRECT correct?"

"Maybe? But still, I don't know... From what I was told, I feel like something deeper is about to happen." I said crossing my arms.

It was only natural that the thought of this having something with Naojimi Kashimo had crossed my mind, but I just couldn't find the connections. With how clueless I was, a bit of me was excited to encounter the 'soon enough' I was promised.

Friday came and passed the same, as the midterms came to a definitive end, the number of ghastly upperclassmen only increased.

That day I decided to take a walk. So following a familiar path, I reached a familiar boulder, but to my disappointment, I didn't run into him. I wondered if he was somehow avoiding it on purpose, as having half the semester pass without running into each other once, was simply, not something to ignore.

The campus was massive, and the student body was made out of a couple thousand students, so to say it was completely unnatural might be a lie, but still... It was unnatural.

I walked back to the moonlit green path. Passing the ghost town, I entered the modernly lit campus, students occupied the campus, even in the dead of night. Students walk to and from dorms, recreational centers, and even the cafeteria. The midterms were over, and everyone was having the time of their life celebrating.

Walking through the crowds with no company, I came to the campus' boardway. I walked with slow steps, enjoying the chilly breeze, and song of the crashing waves. While I did find it a bit annoying with the amount of couples all around, I walked with my eyes shut. I didn't need company, I was happy with nothing more than my thoughts.

I eventually found an empty bench and decided to occupy it by myself. I sat facing the dark glittery sea. I had forgotten all my worries from moments ago and had my mind turned blank. I intently stared and felt as if I was being stared back at. I liked the peace of mind doing nothing had given me.

I gave a glance to the empty right side, I did feel loneliness not being accompanied, but I convinced myself I didn't need the company. But, despite trying to convince myself of not needing company, I still thought of who I would have liked to occupy the empty right side.

Zakariya was one of the first to come to mind, he would sit and throw snarky comments like, "Oh this feels like we are on a d-d-date..." maybe even hug my arm as a tease.

Some of my friends came to mind, but I kept seeing it as nothing more than an awkward experience. I would have rather not wasted such an out-worldly sight on empty talk. I wondered if that had made me think of Zakariya as a true friend.

But, most importantly. The person I had wished to occupy that empty seat was none other than her. To have her rhythmic little melody fill in the silence left behind by the tidal waves... I would do anything for such. I find myself unwillingly mimicking her tune.

As I sat in peace, I wondered how my next day would be. How my life will move, what I had planned for my future, and who I'm going to come to know. Just what is it that was prepared for me?

I continued to hum in peace until I had finally lost control of my eyelids.

"Well, it's already past midnight," I said.

I continued the harmony as I walked to my dorm room.

3.1 Cheater's Dilemma.

Startled awake, I slowly open my eyelids and take in my surroundings.

"F-F--- Where am I..."

An unfamiliar gray room.

A single light hung from the ceiling, the walls dried and withering, a massive mirror that crossed the room from one end to the other covered the other side of the room, and a table with a chair pairing it sat in the middle.

My head still fuzzy, I pull myself up.

I took weakly and dragged steps, barely moving as I exasperated what energy I had.

The gray lifeless room echoed with every step, my staggered breathing audibly filled the silence.

As my peripheral vision slowly came back to me, I noticed a flatscreen TV that sat at the upper-right corner of the wall that housed the mirror.

It was dark, most likely turned off.

I approached the mirror and extended my arm towards it. I stared at myself, the empty gray room covering for background.

I then turned around and headed for the wooden table. As I approached it I could see two buttons sat on it, one tinted green and the other red. I rotated around it and headed for the chair carefully pulling it slightly away. 

I took a look at the mirror that had reflected me and the table and took my seat.

A moment of silence, not my breathing, not my steps, and not even my blood flow could be heard, a moment of absolute and utter silence.

And the silence is disturbed by a sudden raid of static.

I involuntarily run my palms into my ears as I scream trying to stop what little I can of the repulsive sound. The static comes to an end, a monotonous grey voice replacing it.

"Welcome humans, as you have both been seated, we shall begin with our experiment." The voice came from the flat-screen TV, no longer dark as it has been replaced with the visual of the room.

At first, I had thought it was a visual of the room I had been in, but looking closely I could see that the person on display was not me, but rather someone I knew very well.

"As you can see, there are two buttons ahead of you. The green one will signify Admitting, and the red one will signify feigning ignorance." The two buttons lit up with the corresponding color, "There are 3 outcomes to be expected, and accepted."

I calmly gathered what little of myself I could, I needed to understand that panic would only destroy me, so I needed to understand the rules I was being told.

"For the convenience of the participants, we will be having the outcomes with an A and B reference. The first possible outcome: A and B feigning ignorance. This outcome will allow both A and B to move on with no consequences or benefits. The second outcome: A admits while B continues to feign ignorance. Under such an outcome, A will be allowed to leave the vicinity while B will be erased. And finally, the third outcome: A and B admit to their crime. This will lead to the erasure of both, A and B."

...Huh? What? Era---

I stood up in shock, widened my eyes, and dropped my jaw, mimicking the act of the person on display.

"The experiment will be conducted 10 seconds after the end of the announcements. After that, the participants will be given 30 seconds to talk with each other and come to a decision." The voice then cut out.

Ok...Ok... Calm down, think... just... just where the hell am I?

If I remember correctly, I had slept on my bed yet had somehow woken with my back to the room's deteriorating wall. I had tried to recollect my thoughts, but it was useless.

And those rules... is this a game? is someone toying with us? Is this nothing more than an elaborate prank? But, this setup, this room... Would someone go this far for a prank? Looking at one of the room's ceiling corners, a camera sat right in open sight as if mocking me. Would they not have tried to hide it if it was a prank? 

...

I gave a quick glance at the display, making sure that my act was as similar to his as possible, I did not need him figuring out this early on.

He shifted around his room harassing the already-in-poor-state walls, kicking and even throwing the wooden chair at them. I'm guessing this wasn't his first time, as instead of being stunned or shocked, he had looked Enraged. He understood his current position, and it had made him lose his sanity.

I wondered about the fairness of such an event, after all having an experienced and inexperienced person tackle each other was not fair, but it wasn't like this was a game so fairness probably had not crossed the mind of the perpetrator.

Soon the 10 seconds had come to an end, and the countdown for our decisions had started. Not wasting a second, my friend in crime started the conversation.

"I'm sorry Avery, I'm the reason we're stuck here," Teodor said. 

His very first sentence had comforted me.

"I'm sure you are scared and confused right now, but trust me and we can get through this," Teodor said. He had turned around and faced the camera of his room as if gazing straight into my eyes through it. It was as if all the stress within me had vanished.

"I understand this situation a lot more than you do, so just follow my steps. We can do this, for her sake." Teodor said.

I was so glad, that he was indeed not like him. He was truly nothing like that senior. My view of upperclassmen had been majorly tantalized by the senior I had first come into contact with during my first day on university grounds, and thankfully it was just corrected.

So I played along.

"O-ok..." I said.

Even though the quality wasn't the best, I could see the grin forming on his face.

"Nice, see unfortunately for them, we both know each other, so we can calmly think this out and trust each other," Teodor said. He turned around to face the table behind him, "So it's simple, all we have to do is continue to feign ignorance." He said as he reached out to the red button with his hand.

"So, please trust me, Avery, I know we haven't been on the best of terms, but let's not allow it to be our end. Please, Feign ignorance with me."

I turned away from the display and towards the two buttons, both lighting up in the ever so cliche green and red. 

"Ok, I trust you, Teodor," I said, as I faced the two buttons.

 For the reminder time of what's left, he didn't say anything, and I didn't as well. Once the time had come to an end, the monotonous voice returned.

"The timer has ended. Both participants have made their decision."

Through the display, I was only able to see Teodor's back, as he too was looking at the display within his room, and the camera was on the other side of the room. I wondered what kind of expression he had held as he stared at my own back.

"The results were as such: Teodor Gavril, Admits." Teodor raises his fist due to the announcement.

I was glad, ever so glad. He had really been nothing like the senior.

"...Avery sky, Abstained."

So it really was a choice.

"As no outcome has been reached, the participants are to remain within their quarters until further notice." The voice said. Followed by a static, we were thrown back into utter silence.

While I rejoiced in my succession, I could tell from the body language of the man on display, that he had hit rock bottom. His arms fell, his knees gave out, and his head hung. While I had only been able to see his back, he was as readable as a book. He had completely lost it.

He had gained my trust once and failed. He understood that if we were to continue as is, the only possible outcome for us now is for us both to be "erased." He had already displayed his distrust for me, and I will naturally reciprocate. We had entered a perfect stalemate.

I wondered if that's what he had thought.

I immediately took action, shoving my hand into my pocket and pulling out my only contact with the outside world. While I had sensed it sitting in my pocket from the very beginning, it was still a surprise to find that whoever had left me here had left me with it.

Clicking the button on the side, my phone lit up. The first thing I took notice of was the time, 10:42 am. Taking into account that I had woken up here after falling asleep, the time was so normal it had taken me off-guard. I then attempted to open my phone, but I was interrupted by a foreign pop-up.

Input the contact you wish to connect to:

I had attempted to leave or close the pop-up, but it was to no avail.

It had left an open space below it allowing me to either write in or choose a contact number. The choices were limited to my contacts, but gladly I hadn't planned to contact anyone I hadn't saved anyway. Scrolling through my limited contacts, I found the person. Standing out among the many named contacts, a single contact sat with a title.

I clicked on the contact titled "The senior."

The popup was then replaced by a loading one, and eventually turned into a checkmark.

Your contact has been accepted.

As if that pop-up had never existed in the first place, my phone turned on its normal calling screen. It took only a couple of rings before the person had picked up. I was then greeted by the same mocking tone I had remembered.

"Yo, if it isn't the little freshman I gave my contact to. What, you need help with your courses after the midterms?" The senior said.

"I need your help, I have been somehow thrown into some kind of experiment or something," I said. I cut straight to the point, I didn't know how much time I was given so I couldn't prolong our conversation.

"Oooo, I see you've already popped your cherry!" The senior said.

"This is serious, I need your help on this."

"That so? Well, why don't you spell it out to me? Tell me exactly what kind of experiment you had been thrown into."

I explained to the senior with utmost detail what rules we were given.

"I see... you've paid great detail to remember that much, hat's off to you." The senior said. Imagining his eccentric hat, I wondered if it would have helped take off stress if I had had any. "But still... It seems like there is a loophole..." 

I had made sure not to emphasize the point, but he had still caught it, the fact that you could abstain by waiting for the timer. Teodor truly hadn't held a candle to the senior.

"Yeah, By waiting for the timer, you could abstain from voting. It's why I have time to contact you despite the 30-second timer I had told you of-"

Fuck.

It was only once I had finished, that I realized my panic had disappeared.

"..." The senior had gone silent.

"Hello?" I said.

"You sure are calm aren't you?" The senior said.

I could feel myself grin, after all, who wouldn't after finding out how correct their assessment was? Teodor truly was nothing compared to the man on the phone with me.

"Avery, you knew about it, didn't you? The experiments and the darkness behind NUR. You knew all about it, yet you still willingly came." The senior said. His voice no longer contained a mocking tone to it, as he had spoken matter-of-factly. It was his way of showing seriousness.

I was just so right, I was about to laugh. Unlike Teodor who had spoken with nothing but lies, this man spoke with truth. Teodor understood nothing, yet acted as if he did. He said that he was the reason we were here, but that was a lie. He assessed that I was scared and confused, but that was wrong. He tried to grasp my trust but only ended up falling into despair once had broken it.

Unlike the fool of a player, Teodor was. The man on the other side had truly been nothing but a surprise. From back then, and even now. He continues to take complete control of the situation, not leaving me a single card to play. Not once did I mention my name to him, I had even made a conscious effort not to back then, yet he had still made sure to find it. All I had done was slip up once, and he had understood everything! But, I doubt that's the truth. I would bet everything that, from the very start, he had known everything. 

"I do not know if the other participant can hear me right now," I said. I wanted him to understand that I didn't wish for Teodor to take grasp of the situation.

"Well then, why did you contact me? What did you need, Avery." The senior said.

I needed something to dominate Teodor's will at the moment, as with how despairful he must feel right now, he must be a push away from obedience.

3.2 The case study of Teodor Gavril.

Just what have I done? I can no longer escape out of here now. This wasn't my first experiment, so I understood how unbreakable the rules were. There is no silver lining, there is no miracle. Avery is on his first experiment guessing how naive he had acted, so he definitely didn't have any benefits to play.

I was truly done for.

At the moment I might regret my actions, why did I betray Avery? But, that's what everyone would have done. It's an unwritten rule: those who make it past their first, are freely allowed to use those who are attempting their first, even I was once a victim of such unfairness. It was because of my then naivety that she had suffered, it was because of my own fear. I had felt bad for Avery, being erased from his very first experiment, but I wouldn't have it be the other way. To be outplayed by someone who was on his first hurdle, I would have rather taken them down with me.

But... I underestimated him. The naive one was none but me. At least, this time she won't suffer, I will take the fall on my own. I will make sure not to become a burden on her ever again. After all, she already suffers enough on her own.

Ahhh... Why was it again that I had come here? Oh, right... The promise of life after college.

It was just me and my sister.

Our parents were never there, and due to my sister's condition. We would be getting pushed from one relative to the other, we couldn't have felt more unwanted. Every year we would be thrown into a new house, a new family, a new neighborhood. We had not once experienced a place we could've called home.

Changing schools every year or other, we didn't have the opportunity to make real friends. It was as if our lives had been completely separated from the world. Living in our own bubble we both were the only company of the other.

And, that was enough. It was as if anything was taken away from us, it's just the way it has always been. We never understood what we had been left out on, so we had not once felt pitiful. We were happy with the other's company, and not once had we wished for more.

But, the world wasn't so fair. Eventually, reality was pushed onto us. My sister's health suddenly dropped, she had been completely bedridden due to her weak heart. Nobody wanted anything to do with us anymore. Out of what little sympathy they had, our relatives had collectively taken care of my sister's hospital bills.

She was forced to stay indoors, and I was forced to keep away from her. Even our little world had crumbled. I was still an early teen back then, I had already seen the world as one big enemy, and the situation I was thrown into had only made it worse. But, I knew that what little sympathy our relatives had for us, would soon dissipate. That I somehow would need to find a reason to take care of her myself.

So, I studied. For the very first time in my life, I studied. I was always told that doing great in school would have given me a chance to do great in life. I was once approached by a classmate of mine, he had made an offer to me. He had talked about this great part-time job he had found, and how I would be making more than enough money while working few hours, but I wasn't dumb. I understood very well how my sister felt, after all, we had been each other's everything for as long as I could remember.

If I were to ruin my own life for her, she would feel nothing but betrayed. So, I took the hard way. I forced myself, I hated every bit of it, but I had to do it. I was bad at it, but I had to do it. I was losing myself to it, but I had to do it. And, somehow, I had finished high school. I wasn't the top of my class, nor was I the bottom. for the people around me, I had been nothing but the kid who sat on that seat.

I had planned to immediately work, but I was told of an opportunity. To complete my undergraduate on a completely free course. At first I was skeptical of course, but after researching more into it, it had been true. NUR had proof of partners and graduates from all over the world. It was as if I had a dream come true. On my knees, I begged my relatives, just until I had graduated, for them to take care of my sister until then. That I would stop expecting anything from them, and for them to only care of her. It wasn't the easiest yes, but they had agreed. I didn't care if my dignity was stepped on, it was my duty to make sure she lived.

I'm sure relatives cursed them, my parents. A sibling they had, that suddenly died, burdening them with 2 children, one bedridden, and the other a worthless dumbass. Whether it be my aunts or uncles, I could always see them look down on us. Pushing their children away from us, but even then I was grateful, they were the reason my sister was given the care she was given. They were the reason I could even think of furthering my prospects. So, even though I was doing it all for my sister, a part of me wanted to make them feel proud as well.

Reaching NUR, I found the real hell. it was around this time as well, somewhere after my first midterms, I was then pushed into my first experiment. Taken advantage of, the upperclassmen who had been with me used me as the scapegoat to escape the consequences. "To test the limits of your dearest person", was the punishment. Right before the experiment, I was shown a tape. Someone had placed a camera around their neck, replicating a first-person point of view, and was interacting with my bedridden sister.

For the very first time alive, I felt true fear. I understood the legitimacy of the threat, the fear of failure, and the burden of life on me. And yet, I was naive. I was weak, and I sought the comfort of another leading me to foolishly trust in those who had been with me, only to be completely and utterly betrayed. Left behind with nothing but despair and agony, I was forced into viewing another tape.

In it, my sister was shown, beaming at the person behind the camera. As she coughs, the person behind the camera turns around to hand her a cup of orange juice. It looked as if she had been having her breakfast with the small toast sandwich next to the orange juice on the metal tray. As they, the person behind the camera, reach out for the orange juice, they slip a pill into it. 

It was then that I tasted true despair.

Completely powerless. No matter how much I screamed, no matter how much I begged, no matter how much I called for her, and no matter how much I clawed at the projection playing on the wall. I was powerless. As she was handed the cup, her smile, as if mocking my despair, radiated toward the perpetrator, and she gulped the drink down, without the faintest hint of doubt.

The person left the camera hidden within one of her room's corners, making sure it had clearly filmed her and left without a trace.

As the filming continued normally, I sat lifelessly watching her go by her day, waiting for it. No matter what I did, all I could was watch her slowly die at that moment. Stuck inside a dark room, comforted by no one and nothing. I alone watched her, the only person understanding what she would come to suffer.

And, As she went to sleep that night. It played. With the sound of death, her heart rate had completely flatlined. As I heard the machine's buzz, my lifeless body was activated. I very well understood my position. But still, I rammed and rammed my fist into the wall, I shouted and shouted into the dark room. I called for anyone and anything, I had completely lost it. As she lay there lifelessly in the darkroom, her buzzing flatline sounded me the whistle of despair.

It was then that I had understood, just how weak and minimal I was. How powerless and useless I was. How insignificant and meaningless I was. No matter how many tears I shed, no matter how many names I called. All I could do was watch her pass, still a child unknowing of life. 

Then, as if my cries were heard, medical staff came rushing into her room. Quickly acting upon the situation, they were able to save her in her last moments. 

I store in a daze.

I almost laughed.

"To test the limits of your dearest person."

It was as if it was all a game.

Just, what do they take human life for?

For something as ridiculous as this, they tested her.

Just what hell did I throw myself into?

As the beeps of her heartrates slowly took over, I understood just what I was.

I was nothing, no one. To them, I was merely a test subject, and she was nothing but a casualty.

Monsters, that's what they were.

After that, I never risked it once. Having been betrayed, and given the taste of despair, I did the same. I was thrown, like every student, into experiments now and then, and I would always think of none but myself. I would think only about how I could get out, how I would pass. I wondered just how they had even benefitted from this. Was the data really helpful? Was what they had studied really what they needed? Us students were forced into seeing it as a game, while it had been truly an experience of collecting data. Just how were they gaining from all of this?

But, I wasn't given the freedom to think. I was simply told to act, I had been turned into another clog in their system. And, I didn't retaliate. It was just 4 years, so I decided to withstand it. Then, I can finally be with her again.

One day, it was by complete mistake, but I had run into a girl on campus. On a secluded bench, under the starry sky, she sat on her own rubbing her eyes ever so much. She sobbed to the ocean, forcing a melody.

I watched her from afar.  As I tried to make reason of her humming, I took in the scenery. It was a bewitching experience as if it had explained all my inner struggles. 

Once she had calmed down, I approached the girl, she acted like she had been fine, while visibly looking unwell. I sat beside her and forced a conversation. I made sure to make her understand all I was there for, was conversation. She reminded me of my weak sister, and I needed that reminder. At first, I rambled on about the most pointless of topics, and soon enough, she had joined in. We opened up to each other and enjoyed each other's suffering. While we talked, we both understood the other's pain. Yes, I had no idea what she had been through, but I knew that she didn't know mine either, it was just that we were suffering inside, and needed someone else who did.

But, through her. I had met the devil. I wish, as much as I truthfully enjoyed my time with her, I wished that I had not approached her, that I had not talked to her. As I slowly understood my current predicament. How outplayed I was. How powerless I was once again. I cursed him. Why couldn't he be just another naive, powerless, dumbass? Why did he have to outplay me like that? Does he not understand that I can not afford to lose everything? That what I'm doing isn't for me, but for another, that I'm not selfish but completely selfless?!

If I disappear, if I'm erased, if I'm forgotten, if I'm to die. my relatives will abandon her, and she will have to die. I-I can't have that. I-I simply can't. So, I betrayed him. It was simple really. I was not going to fall by myself, so I admitted. If he was to plan my demise, then he was to meet it as well, so I admitted. So why. Why did it end up like this?

What little hope I had, had been completely destroyed.

And, It was all his fault. 

I stared up at the display, Wanting to see what he had been up to. And to my surprise, he too stared back.

Instead of looking at his display, he turned and faced the camera, staring right at me.

His stance was steady, his expression calm, and his body relaxed.

...

He was terrifying.

3.3 The protagonist.

The static played, signaling the return of the Experimenter.

"The questionnaire will proceed once again." The experimenter said, "The rules and outcomes are to not differ. Once again, the participants will be given 10 seconds to prepare, followed by 30 to make their choice. This time they are to freely use all 40 seconds to communicate."

Static signed the end of the announcement.

Throughout the announcement, Avery had not lost contact. Continuing to stare right at me through the display, his relaxed calm expression overwhelmed me.

Just... Just how could he be so calm under our current predicament? Had he believed that I would forget all about it and feign ignorance now? Or did he plan to keep abstaining until a change was made? Just what was the reason for his sudden relaxed state?

"Teodor," Avery said. "Feign ignorance for me."

...Huh?

His sudden declaration had left me in awe. Just how confident was he?

"Allow me to cut to the chase," Avery said. He turned away from the camera and faced the mirror of his room. I followed suit, "You understand what they mean when they say Erased don't you?"

"Y-yes," I said. I was overwhelmed by his sudden control of the situation I couldn't help but stutter.

"Then you know the free roam I will be given right?" 

"You will be allowed to choose anywhere except your home country, and you will be left as a no man. No background, No family, No past, and most likely no future. That's the erasure of NUR." 

"Indeed, that is how the erasure system works. So tell me, Teodor, if I were to get erased, most likely due to your own betrayal. Just where do you think I would go with all my anger towards you?" Avery said. he slowly stepped towards the mirror of his room, his steps echoing through the microphone.

"..." That sense of dread I once felt, that sense of despair I once felt. It was slowly creeping back into me, "You couldn't mean..."

Avery stopped his steps right in front of the mirror.

"**** street," He said slamming his hand into the mirror, I could see my side of the mirror shake with each slam he threw, "Hospital *****, Room *****," he did not stop. I could sense the whole room shaking, it was as if an earthquake was occurring at this very moment. "Patient number *********, Name Ozana Gavril."

As her name is mouthed, the shaking comes to a stop, but my knees continue. A dark memory, A dark mentality. I was thrown back into that dark room, watching her slowly being taken away from me.

I look at myself from within the massive mirror, I'm in terror.

The man ahead of that mirror, He was none but despair. How did he even come to know such information? How did he come to understand my fear? Just... Who was he?

Avery spoke gently, "Teodor. It's simple, all you have to do is feign ignorance, and I promise you, I will not lay a hand on her." He had given me it. My chance to overcome my powerlessness. But, even then he had not promised me complete freedom. It was clear. All he had asked of me was to feign ignorance, not once did he say that he would do such himself. 

Even then, I will answer. After all, Even if I were to betray him and stay, what would I gain by losing Ozana? I was completely under his thumb, but at least I was given a choice.

"I will, I will feign ignorance," I said. I stood up and headed towards the table. I had one choice and one choice to make, prolonging it any further would have been useless.

Avery went completely mute, and I did as well. We both faced our choices and awaited the voting timer to start. As soon as it had started, it came to an end. He had also made a choice. There will be no abstaining this round, it was truly the end.

I might have been erased, but even then. I will find a way, even if it means working through the slums of some unknown country, even if it means pushing down those below to climb up whatever ladder I'm thrown into, I will find a way to reach back to Ozana. At least then, I will still have her somewhere in this world.

Just wait for me.

The static played, signaling the final announcement of this hell.

"The timer has ended. Both participants have made their decisions. The results were as such: Teodor Gavril, Feigns ignorance." The announcer said. His voice was as monotonous and dead as ever. I had hoped he would have given me at least a warm finale.

Looking at the display, I could see Avery sigh in relief. He too stared intently at his display of myself. I imagined the calm expression he held a moment ago still sat on his face, unlike my smirk of victory, he must have seen this whole experiment as boring. But, I bet was he glad to come to get rid of me. Nobody likes a snake after all.

"Avery Sky, Feigns ignorance."

...

The monotonous announcer continued, but his voice had turned into white noise. I could hear nothing, as I had entered a state of shock.

I looked at the palm of my hand. Just what, just what was I? As I had brought it to my face, I could see myself in between my fingers from the mirror's reflection. Have I ever been in control? Have I ever understood my position? Have I ever truly understood just what was happening? He toyed with me. After making peace with my end, after finding the motivation I needed. He left me alive, probably a sick sad joke of his, making fun of me.

I heard the door at one of the room's walls come unlocked, as it opened a bright white light raided the room, gradually covering the room, it soon reached me as the door came to fully open.

With a completely white bright light covering it, the person had turned into a silhouette. As the dark silhouette of despair Leisurely stepped towards me, I could feel my heart sink. Just... Just what kind of game was he going to play with me next, Just how did he plan to manipulate me?

In a state of despair, I crawl towards it. I had lost all sense of dignity, So I begged. With everything I had, I begged.

"I-I'm sorry, P-please don't touch her! I-I've already done as you've wanted!!!" I crawled towards him and took hold of the legs of despair.

He lowered his gaze towards me, his face completely dark due to the shadowing. It was as if I was staring into the abyss, and it had been staring right back at me.

"Calm down Teodor, I can't do anything now that you've played along. You and she will be safe." The abyss said.

"N-No! You're lying! I can tell! The way you are looking at me, the way you are speaking, the way you are seeing right through me! You do not even acknowledge that I'm here in front of you, don't you?! Just how do you want me to trust such a dead, inanimate, face!"

Within such a lifeless, empty, gray, withering room. The abyss stood before me. Within it, I had seen all my primal fears. Covered in darkness, a symbol of despair, and a personification of control.

Avery Sky, to me... He was no longer human.