Chapter 1: The Invitation

Ethan hated silence.

Not because it was peaceful—

but because it didn’t exist for him.

Every step he took through the crowded campus was loud. Not with sound, but with thoughts. чуж.

I forgot my assignment…

He looked at me today—does he like me?

I’m so tired…

I wish I could disappear…

Voices. Hundreds of them. Constant. Overlapping. Suffocating.

Ethan clenched his jaw, pushing through the noise like he always did. He kept his head down, dark hair falling into his eyes, pretending—like always—that he was just another normal student.

He wasn’t.

He could hear everything.

Every lie. Every secret. Every hidden desire people buried deep inside their minds.

It was a curse he had learned to live with.

Until today.

Because for the first time in his life…

Something felt wrong.

He stopped walking.

The noise—

the endless, overwhelming noise—

…cut out.

Gone.

Completely.

Ethan’s breath hitched.

Silence.

Real silence.

His heart began to race, panic crawling up his spine. This wasn’t possible. This had never happened before. Not once. Not ever.

Slowly, he lifted his head.

People were still moving around him. Talking. Laughing. Living.

But he couldn’t hear them.

Not a single thought.

“What…?” he whispered.

Then—

A voice.

Clear.

Sharp.

Right behind him.

“You’ve finally been chosen.”

Ethan spun around.

No one.

Just an empty hallway stretching behind him.

His pulse slammed against his ribs. That voice—it wasn’t like the others. It didn’t feel human. It didn’t blend into the noise.

It stood above it.

Controlled.

Deliberate.

Watching.

Ethan took a step back.

“This isn’t funny,” he muttered under his breath, scanning the area. No one reacted. No one noticed him. It was like the world had continued… without him.

Then something slipped into his hand.

He froze.

He hadn’t felt anyone touch him.

Slowly—hesitantly—he looked down.

A card.

Black. Smooth. Cold.

It hadn’t been there before.

His fingers tightened around it as dread settled in his chest.

On the front, written in silver ink:

WELCOME TO THE STRANGE GAMES

Ethan’s stomach dropped.

“No,” he whispered. “No, I’m not doing this.”

He turned, ready to throw it away—to leave, to pretend none of this was happening—

But the moment he blinked—

The world changed.

The bright campus vanished.

Replaced by darkness.

Cold air wrapped around him, heavy and suffocating. The scent of something old—dust, iron, something almost metallic—filled his lungs.

Ethan stumbled back, heart pounding wildly.

“Where the hell—”

“Language.”

The voice again.

Closer this time.

Right in front of him.

Ethan’s head snapped up.

And there he was.

A man stood across the room, half-hidden in shadows. Tall. Still. Watching.

Everything about him felt… wrong.

Not in the way normal people felt—loud, messy, chaotic.

No.

This man was silent.

Completely silent.

Ethan’s breath caught in his throat.

Impossible.

He tried—instinctively—to reach into his mind.

Nothing.

No thoughts.

No emotions.

No noise.

Just emptiness.

For the first time in his life…

Ethan couldn’t hear someone.

The man tilted his head slightly, as if amused.

“Interesting,” he said, his voice low, smooth… dangerous. “You’re reacting faster than the others.”

Ethan forced himself to speak, even as unease crawled under his skin.

“Who are you?”

A pause.

Then—

The man stepped forward.

Moonlight slipped through a broken window behind him, finally revealing his face.

Sharp features. Pale skin. Dark eyes that looked like they could swallow everything whole.

Beautiful.

Terrifying.

“Riven,” he said simply.

The name felt heavy. Like it meant something more than it should.

Ethan swallowed.

“What is this place?”

Riven’s lips curved—just slightly.

Not a smile.

Something darker.

“A beginning.”

Ethan’s grip tightened around the card still in his hand.

“I didn’t agree to any of this.”

Riven’s gaze dropped briefly to the card… then back to Ethan.

“You didn’t need to.”

A chill ran down Ethan’s spine.

“What does that mean?”

Riven stepped closer.

Too close.

Ethan’s breath hitched as that overwhelming silence wrapped around him again. It was suffocating. Addictive. Terrifying.

“You were chosen,” Riven said softly. “And now… you play.”

Ethan shook his head, backing away.

“No. I’m leaving.”

Riven didn’t move.

Didn’t stop him.

Didn’t need to.

Because the moment Ethan turned—

The door behind him vanished.

Gone.

Like it had never existed.

His chest tightened.

“No… no, this isn’t real—”

“Oh, it’s very real.”

Ethan froze.

Riven’s voice was right behind him now.

He hadn’t heard him move.

Slowly—fearfully—Ethan turned.

Riven was close enough now that he could feel his presence.

Still silent.

Still unreadable.

Still wrong.

And yet…

Ethan couldn’t look away.

Riven leaned in slightly, his voice dropping to a whisper near Ethan’s ear.

“Welcome to the game, Ethan.”

A pause.

Then, softer—

“Try not to die too quickly.”

Chapter 2: The First Rule

Ethan didn’t breathe.

Not properly.

Not since Riven’s words settled into his bones like something alive.

Try not to die too quickly.

The silence around Riven still pressed against him—unnatural, suffocating. It wasn’t just the absence of thoughts. It felt like something deeper… like standing on the edge of a void that could swallow him whole.

Ethan forced himself to step back.

“I’m not playing,” he said, voice sharper now. “I don’t care what this is. I’m leaving.”

Riven watched him.

No reaction. No emotion.

Just that same faint, unreadable expression.

“Then leave,” Riven said calmly.

Ethan turned instantly.

The door—

It was there again.

Right where it should have been.

His chest lifted in sudden hope.

Without thinking, he rushed forward, grabbing the handle and pulling it open—

Darkness.

Not a hallway.

Not an exit.

Just an endless, consuming black.

Ethan froze.

Slowly… he leaned forward, peering into it.

A whisper brushed against his mind—

Jump.

He recoiled instantly, slamming the door shut.

His heart pounded violently now.

“What the hell was that?!” he snapped, turning back.

Riven hadn’t moved.

“If you’re so desperate to leave,” he said softly, “you’re free to try.”

Ethan glared at him.

“You knew.”

“Of course.”

Silence stretched between them.

Then—

A sound.

A sharp, metallic click echoed through the room.

Ethan stiffened.

“…Did you hear that?”

Riven’s gaze shifted slightly.

“Yes.”

The air changed.

It felt heavier. Tighter.

Like the room itself was holding its breath.

Then the voice returned.

Not in Ethan’s head this time.

Everywhere.

Cold. Mechanical. Inhuman.

“Round One will begin shortly.”

Ethan’s stomach dropped.

“No,” he whispered. “No, I didn’t agree to this—”

“All players must participate.”

“Players?” Ethan repeated, panic rising. “There are others?”

As if answering him—

The shadows in the corners of the room began to move.

Figures stepped forward.

One by one.

A girl with trembling hands, her eyes wide with fear.

A tall man pacing back and forth, muttering under his breath.

Another boy, younger than Ethan, clutching his head like he was trying to block something out.

Ethan’s chest tightened.

He reached out instinctively—

And the noise came back.

All at once.

Loud. Chaotic. Overwhelming.

What is this place?!

I don’t want to die—

This isn’t real this isn’t real this isn’t real—

Ethan gasped, staggering slightly as the flood of thoughts crashed into him.

Too much.

Too fast.

Too loud—

“Focus.”

The word cut through everything.

Ethan’s head snapped toward Riven.

Still silent.

Still untouched by the chaos.

Ethan clenched his fists, forcing himself to breathe through the noise.

“…There’s too many,” he muttered. “I can’t—”

“Then learn.”

Ethan glared at him.

“This isn’t something I can just learn—”

Riven stepped closer.

Again.

That unbearable, unnatural silence wrapped around Ethan, instantly muting the others.

Relief flooded through him before he could stop it.

And that scared him more than anything.

Riven noticed.

Of course he did.

A faint smirk touched his lips.

“Better?” he asked.

Ethan swallowed.

“…Don’t do that.”

“Do what?”

“This,” Ethan gestured between them, frustration slipping into his voice. “This thing you have—it’s not normal.”

Riven tilted his head slightly.

“And yours is?”

Ethan went silent.

The voice returned.

“Round One: Mindbreaker.”

The room shifted.

The walls twisted, stretching into something larger—darker.

Symbols carved themselves into the floor, glowing faintly beneath their feet.

Ethan’s pulse quickened.

“What is Mindbreaker?” he asked, barely above a whisper.

Riven’s eyes flickered with something—interest, maybe.

“Simple,” he said. “You survive your own mind.”

Ethan frowned.

“That doesn’t make any sense.”

“It will.”

The symbols flared brighter.

The other players began to panic, their thoughts spiking into sharp, frantic noise again.

Ethan winced.

Then—

Pain.

A sudden, brutal pressure slammed into his head.

Ethan gasped, dropping to his knees.

Images flooded his mind.

Not his.

Not entirely.

Fragments—

Fear.

Memories.

Regret.

Voices screaming—

Make it stop—

I don’t want to remember—

Please—

Ethan clutched his head, breath shaking.

“What is this—?!”

Riven’s voice came through, distant but steady.

“Your ability.”

Ethan’s vision blurred.

“No—this isn’t just me—”

“You’re connected now,” Riven said. “To all of them.”

Ethan froze.

All of them?

The realization hit like a punch.

Every player.

Every mind.

Every fear.

All inside his head.

At once.

Ethan screamed.

The pain intensified, thoughts tearing through him like shards of glass.

He couldn’t separate them.

Couldn’t breathe.

Couldn’t think—

Then—

A hand grabbed his chin.

Firm. Cold.

Forcing him to look up.

Riven.

Close.

Too close.

“Listen to me,” Riven said, his voice cutting through the chaos. “If you don’t control it—”

Ethan’s vision flickered.

“You’ll break.”

A pause.

Then, quieter—

“And I don’t want that.”

Ethan’s breath stuttered.

Why?

Why would he care?

Riven’s thumb brushed lightly against his jaw, grounding him.

“Focus on one,” he murmured. “Just one mind. Ignore the rest.”

Ethan squeezed his eyes shut.

One.

Just one.

He reached out—

Through the noise.

Through the chaos.

Searching—

And then—

Silence.

Not Riven’s silence.

A different one.

Small.

Fragile.

The young boy.

Curled in on himself, trying to disappear.

Ethan locked onto it.

The noise faded.

Not completely—but enough.

The pain eased.

Ethan gasped for air, body trembling.

“I… I did it…”

Riven’s hand slowly dropped.

“Good.”

The voice echoed again.

“Player Ethan: Passed.”

Ethan’s head snapped up.

“What?”

“Round One complete.”

Around them—

Some players collapsed.

Others didn’t move at all.

Ethan’s stomach twisted.

“…They failed?”

Riven didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

Ethan looked at him, breathing uneven.

“This… this isn’t a game.”

Riven’s gaze darkened slightly.

“No,” he said quietly.

“It isn’t.”

A pause.

Then—

“It’s survival.”

Ethan swallowed hard.

And for the first time—

He realized the truth.

This place…

Was going to break him.

Or worse—

Change him.

And Riven?

He was already part of it.

Chapter 3: Don’t Trust Me

The bodies didn’t disappear.

That was the worst part.

Ethan stood frozen, staring at them—at the players who hadn’t survived Mindbreaker. They lay scattered across the floor, unmoving, their faces twisted in silent terror.

His chest tightened.

“They’re… dead,” he said, his voice hollow.

Riven didn’t correct him.

Didn’t comfort him either.

“They lost,” Riven replied simply.

Ethan clenched his fists.

“That’s not the same thing.”

Riven’s gaze flickered toward him, unreadable.

“In here,” he said quietly, “it is.”

Ethan looked away.

He didn’t want to accept that. Didn’t want to believe this place could decide whether someone lived or died like it meant nothing.

But it already had.

The voice returned.

Cold. Unfeeling.

“Round Two will begin shortly.”

Ethan’s head snapped up.

“So soon?” he muttered.

No break. No time to process. No time to think.

Of course not.

That would be too kind.

The room shifted again.

The walls stretched higher, twisting into something like a corridor—long, dimly lit, with multiple paths splitting off into darkness.

Doors.

Dozens of them.

Each identical.

Each closed.

Ethan frowned.

“What now?”

Riven stepped forward, his eyes scanning the doors like he’d seen this before.

“Choice,” he said.

Ethan let out a dry laugh.

“That’s it? Just pick a door and hope we don’t die?”

Riven glanced at him.

“You’re learning.”

Before Ethan could respond—

“Round Two: False Paths.”

A pause.

Then—

“Only one path leads forward.”

“The rest… lead to elimination.”

A cold silence followed.

Ethan’s stomach dropped.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.”

He looked around.

Too many doors.

No clues.

No hints.

Just blind choice.

“This is insane,” he said. “It’s pure luck.”

Riven didn’t answer immediately.

Instead, he stepped closer to one of the doors, placing his hand lightly against it.

Ethan watched him.

“What are you doing?”

“Listening.”

Ethan frowned.

“You can’t hear anything. They’re just doors.”

Riven’s lips curved slightly.

“Everything speaks,” he murmured. “You just don’t know how to listen yet.”

Ethan crossed his arms, frustrated.

“Well, I can’t read doors’ minds, so unless you’ve got a better idea—”

“Use your ability.”

Ethan blinked.

“What?”

Riven looked at him directly now.

“You’re not alone here,” he said. “Neither are they.”

Ethan hesitated.

“You mean… the others?”

Riven didn’t need to nod.

Ethan swallowed.

Right.

The players.

If this was a game… then someone else might know something.

Slowly, Ethan reached out with his mind.

The noise hit him instantly—but weaker this time. Manageable.

Fragments of thoughts.

Which one is it…?

I don’t want to die…

Think… think…

Then—

Something sharper.

Clearer.

Different.

Ethan focused.

A man near the far wall stood still, eyes locked on one specific door.

His thoughts—

Left side. Third door. It’s safe. It has to be.

Ethan’s eyes widened.

Got it.

He turned quickly toward Riven.

“I know which one—”

Riven grabbed his wrist.

Hard.

Ethan froze.

“…What?”

Riven’s grip tightened slightly, his gaze suddenly colder than before.

“Don’t,” he said.

Ethan frowned.

“What do you mean don’t? I found it—”

“No,” Riven cut in. “You found what he believes.”

Ethan hesitated.

“…Isn’t that the same thing?”

Riven’s expression darkened.

“In this place?” he said softly. “Belief gets people killed.”

Ethan’s confidence faltered.

He glanced back at the man.

Still staring at that door.

Certain.

Desperate.

“…So he could be wrong?”

Riven didn’t answer.

He didn’t need to.

Ethan exhaled shakily.

“Then what do we do? Just guess?”

Riven stepped closer.

Again.

That silence wrapped around Ethan, cutting off the others completely.

“You observe,” Riven said. “You think. And most importantly—”

He leaned in slightly.

“You don’t trust anyone.”

Ethan swallowed.

“…Not even you?”

A pause.

Then—

Riven smiled.

Slow.

Dangerous.

“Especially not me.”

Ethan’s heart skipped.

There it was again.

That feeling.

Like he was standing too close to something he didn’t understand… something he shouldn’t want to understand.

Before he could respond—

A scream.

Sharp. Sudden.

One of the players had moved.

A girl.

She rushed forward, panic written all over her face, and threw open a door.

For a second—

Nothing happened.

Hope flickered.

Then—

Darkness exploded outward.

Swallowing her whole.

Her scream cut off instantly.

The door slammed shut.

Silence.

Ethan staggered back.

“…Okay,” he whispered. “Okay, that’s definitely not the right one.”

Riven didn’t react.

His eyes moved across the doors, calculating.

Then—

He walked.

Straight toward one.

No hesitation.

Ethan blinked.

“Wait—how do you know—”

Riven stopped in front of the door, placing his hand on it.

“I don’t,” he said.

Ethan stared at him.

“…You’re just guessing?”

Riven glanced over his shoulder.

“No,” he said calmly.

“I’m choosing.”

Ethan’s chest tightened.

“That’s not better.”

Riven’s gaze held his.

“Stay,” he said. “Or follow.”

And then—

He opened the door.

Ethan’s breath caught.

For a moment—

Nothing.

Just darkness again.

But this time…

It didn’t move.

Didn’t attack.

Didn’t consume.

Riven stepped inside.

And disappeared.

Ethan stood there, frozen.

Heart racing.

Mind spinning.

Was it safe?

Or was he about to die?

He looked back at the other players.

Panic. Fear. Desperation.

Then back at the door.

At Riven.

At the silence that only existed when he was near.

Ethan clenched his jaw.

“…Damn it.”

And stepped forward.

Into the unknown.