(One day before the completion of 12 months)
Twelve months.
That's how long it took—
for strangers to become something close to family.
We had trained together.
Fought together.
Survived together.
Pain.
Fear.
Failure.
We had seen it all—
and still stood beside each other.
Or at least—
that's what we believed.
Tomorrow was the elimination round.
And for the first time—
no one knew what would happen.
"They said it's different this time," Xiami whispered.
Different.
That word didn't feel right.
It felt… dangerous.
Still—
we smiled.
We laughed.
We pretended.
Because that's what you do—
when you're about to lose something you don't want to admit you love.
That night—
we were called to the hall.
But it didn't feel like training.
It felt like a goodbye.
Our manager stood in front of us.
For once—
he didn't look strict.
He looked… human.
"This elimination round," he said slowly,"will change your lives."
Silence.
"Some of you will leave."
A pause.
"But until that moment—you give everything you have."
We clapped.
Not because we were happy—
but because we didn't know what else to do.
Then—
he handed us something.
Tickets.
"Take this as a farewell gift."
A farewell.
Before the end.
We hugged him.
All of us.
Together.
And then—
he said something that stayed with me.
"You are a team," he said."Not individuals."
A pause.
"But not everyone will walk the same path."
His eyes moved across us.
Slowly.
Carefully.
"Sometimes…you'll have to change your perspective."
I didn't understand it then.
I wish I did.
The amusement park was alive.
Lights.
Music.
Laughter.
For a moment—
we weren't trainees.
We were just—
kids again.
We ran from ride to ride.
Screaming.
Laughing.
Forgetting everything.
The Ferris wheel.
As it reached the top—
we shouted into the night.
Free.
For once—
truly free.
Then came the roller coasters.
The chaos.
The rush.
Two hours passed—
like nothing.
And then—
hunger hit.
We gathered at a food stall.
Before we even ordered—
drinks were placed in front of us.
"Welcome drinks," the staff said.
I frowned slightly.
We hadn't said anything.
They already knew we'd come.
Something about that felt…
off.
But I ignored it.
That was my second mistake.
We sat together.
Talking.
Laughing.
Remembering.
"Remember your first mission?" Adrien said, smirking.
I rolled my eyes. "You mean the one where I almost got us caught?"
"You did get us caught."
Laughter erupted.
For a moment—
everything felt safe again.
Then—
it shattered.
A scream.
Loud.
Sharp.
Real.
We turned.
Chaos.
People running.
Shouting.
Falling.
A group of armed men stormed the park.
Mafia.
Or at least—
that's what it looked like.
"They're searching for someone!" Claire shouted.
Our instincts kicked in instantly.
No hesitation.
We moved.
Fighting wasn't new anymore.
Our bodies reacted before our minds did.
Dodge.
Strike.
Block.
Counter.
It felt like—
another mission.
Another test.
We handled them.
One by one.
They fell.
Too easily.
That's when I realized—
something was wrong.
This wasn't resistance.
This was… setup.
Then—
a sharp pain.
A blade.
Cold.
Driven straight into my back.
My breath left me instantly.
I froze.
I looked down.
Blood.
My blood.
I turned—
and struck back.
The man collapsed.
But so did I.
The ground rushed toward me.
Sound faded.
Faces blurred.
"ROSE!"
Someone screamed.
Was that Adrien?
I couldn't tell.
Everything felt distant.
Heavy.
Cold.
Am I… dying?
After everything?
After coming this far?
Is this how it ends?
No.
No.
I can't—
Darkness.
But then—
a voice.
Familiar.
Calm.
Too calm.
"Vital signs stable."
My eyes snapped open.
White light.
No pain.
No blood.
Nothing.
I sat up abruptly.
I wasn't at the amusement park anymore.
I was back.
Inside the facility.
A room.
Clean.
Controlled.
Fake.
The others were there too.
Alive.
Uninjured.
Confused.
"What… just happened?" Xiami whispered.
No one answered.
Because we all knew.
Or at least—
we felt it.
That wasn't real.
Or worse—
it was.
The door opened.
Our manager walked in.
Same calm expression.
Same unreadable eyes.
"Congratulations," he said.
No emotion.
"You've completed your final simulation."
Simulation.
My fingers clenched.
"So that was all fake?" someone snapped.
He tilted his head slightly.
"Pain felt real, didn't it?"
Silence.
My back still burned.
Even though there was no wound.
"Fear," he continued,"reaction…attachment…"
His gaze stopped on me.
"Observed."
My stomach dropped.
Observed.
Just like before.
Then—
he said the one thing that broke everything.
"Some of you hesitated."
His eyes moved across the room.
"Some of you chose to protect…"
A pause.
"…instead of completing the objective."
My heart stopped.
No.
"No…" I whispered.
That wasn't—
"That is failure," he said.
Silence crushed the room.
Then—
the screen behind him lit up.
Names appeared.
Ranks.
Status.
My eyes searched—
frantically.
Until—
they found it.
ROSE — COMPROMISED
My breath shattered.
Compromised?
No.
No.
That can't be—
Then—
another word appeared beside it.
"ELIMINATION: PENDING."
Everything went silent.
And for the first time—
I understood what our manager meant.
We were never a team.
We were—
always seen as lab rats.