Silvara watched the silent standoff between Ken and Mabushi with a faint smile. She stepped forward, raised her hand slowly, and spoke for the first time with a calm but firm tone:
"Let's end this argument. Whoever believes Ken is the most fit to lead this group, raise your hand."
Everyone hesitated… until Ann's hand shot up. Her face was flushed, but she didn't look away. It was clear she had made her choice.
Akio followed, lifting his hand slowly while looking elsewhere as if he's pretending not to care. He muttered:
"The last thing I need is picking myself and getting lost in the first puzzle…"
Three hands were raised. Three votes… against one.
Mabushi didn't move. His jaw tightened, and it looked as if fire was boiling inside his chest. He stared at Ken with sparks flashing in his eyes.
His body stiffened. Their vote wasn't just a team decision… it was a betrayal. A betrayal of his voice, his pride, the image he had built for himself within this chaotic group.
His eyes widened slightly as he looked at the three raised hands. No one chose him. No one even hesitated for him. They all chose "that cold statue," as he called Ken. Even Ann.
He clenched his fist so hard his nails dug into his palm. His other hand went to his chest, where his heartbeat thundered, and his breathing grew heavy.
He closed his eyes for a moment and scolded himself silently:
'Calm down… this isn't a battlefield. You don't need to break something to prove you're strong. Stop showing your feelings like this, you idiot!'
His hand slipped into a hidden pocket inside his jacket, pulling out a small metal case. He flipped it open quickly, revealing a neat row of white pills. He took one discreetly, swallowing it dry.
Mabushi kicked the wall hard, shaking the stones. A muffled cry of frustration escaped his throat, the sound of pride cracking.
Then he stopped, his shoulders were trembling, his eyes were fixed on the ground… before lifting his head slowly. He walked towards the group with heavy steps, every muscle resisting the tremor inside him. He reached the center of their circle and stood silently.
The mechanical voice echoed again:
"Time is up. The leader has been chosen."
A glow lit above Ken's head, sending small sparks from the ceiling. A tiny red hologram of Ken appeared, floating in front of them.
"Confirmed leader: Yukaji Ken. From this point on, this individual will make all final decisions. Everyone must follow him until the mission ends."
Ann watched Mabushi. For the first time, he was trying to hide his anger, his gaze avoiding everyone. Something in her chest ached, she wasn't used to see him like this. Mabushi, who never shut up, who boasted endlessly, now looked different.
She stepped toward him and whispered:
"Hey… are you okay?"
He didn't look at her. He lifted his sunglasses slightly and said with forced casualness:
"Huh? Okay? Me? Of course I'm okay. Why would you think otherwise?"
Suddenly, the screen lit up again, showing a long corridor leading to seven doors, each marked by a glowing symbol.
The mechanical voice continued:
"In front of you are seven doors. Each leads to a room with a unique puzzle. After solving it, you will face two new doors… and so on until you complete seven stages."
The screen divided into a diagram:
• Stage 1: Everyone enters the same door.
• Stage 2: Two new doors appear, and the team must split.
• Stage 3: Each subgroup splits again…
• Stage 4: Some of you will be alone.
• Stage 5: Depending on your choices, you may regroup or stay separated.
• Stage 6: Choosing the wrong door traps a member for five minutes.
• Stage 7: You must all reach the same final room to win… or the test fails.
The voice sharpened:
"You have one hour and twenty minutes remaining."
There was No visible timer. No clock. Just the ticking threat. A door appeared before them, marked by a spiraling symbol glowing faint blue.
Silvara whispered:
"A spiral… symbol of mind? Or confusion?"
Ken stepped toward it decisively. When he stood before it, he placed his hand on the handle and opened it slowly.
He paused at the threshold and said without looking back:
"Follow me."
The four followed him inside one by one. Mabushi hesitated at the doorway, muttering to himself:
'Follow me… Hah. How noble of you, great leader.'
He grumbled and walked in. The moment they all entered, the door sealed behind them, and the room lit up. In its center stood a round table with a bowl carrying five folded papers.
A glowing inscription appeared on the wall as the mechanical voice returned:
"Welcome to Door One: The Trust Test."
"In front of you there are five papers. Four say: Tell the truth. One says: Lie. Each of you will take one at random. You may not look at others papers."
"A question will be asked each round. You must answer without revealing your paper. After hearing all answers, you will vote on who you think has the Lie paper. You must guess correctly in at least three rounds to win."
The small wall-table slid forward, displaying five glowing papers.
"Choose one paper now, and keep its content secret."
Ken took his first, expression unchanged. Akio followed. Ann hesitated briefly before choosing. Silvara examined the papers thoughtfully before selecting one. Mabushi grabbed his quickly, as if wanting to get it over with.
Ann looked at the words on her paper, and her eyes widened slightly.
"Lie."
She took a slow breath. A sting of worry crept into her chest, but she reminded herself:
'I'm a ninja trained in deception. This is nothing compared to what I've been through. Just smile and act normal.'
Suddenly, the question appeared on the glowing wall, followed by the mechanical voice:
"Who in this group do you think is hiding something? And why?"
Silence lingered for a few seconds… until Mabushi broke it with his rough voice:
"Ken. No doubt about it. His face never changes, calm and cold to a ridiculous degree. You can't tell what he's thinking."
Akio let out a short laugh and scratched his head:
"Me? Honestly… I don't think anyone here is hiding something. We only met a week ago. Some of us don't trust each other yet. It's normal to be cautious."
Silvara tilted her head slightly and said in her calm tone:
"I don't know if he's really hiding something… but I want to study Mabushi more. His reactions say things his words don't."
Mabushi lowered his sunglasses and muttered with annoyance:
"Huh?!"
Ann stared into the air for a moment, her heart beating lightly. Inside her mind, everything was clashing:
'Great… what a mess. I was going to say Silvara. I feel like that girl hides something behind that mysterious smile… something I can't explain. But… I can't say that now. I'm the liar. I have to make something up… not just anything, but something convincing, logical, and natural.'
She paused and watched their expressions. Then she thought:
'Should I pick Akio? No… that would seem harsh. He's too honest. If I accuse him, they'll think I'm avoiding the real answer. Ken? No. Mabushi? No no no… if I repeat what others said, they'll suspect me. Damn it… who's left?'
She glanced at Ken, standing quietly with his arms crossed and his eyes half closed as if uninterested. Then she looked back at Silvara and finally made her choice.
She smiled lightly and said:
"Akio."
Akio blinked in surprise.
"Me?"
Ann replied in a cheerful but slightly hesitant tone:
" I know you're really kind, and sorry in advance… but that's exactly why I think you might be hiding something small. I mean… no one is that innocent, right?"
She quickly added, waving her hands:
"I'm joking! But if I have to choose… it'll be Akio."
Akio laughed softly, but scratched his neck:
"Oh… I see. I'll get you back later."
Ann let out a short laugh and hid her nerves, but inside something else was spinning:
'Good… I think? I hope I wasn't too obvious. I trained for years to fool enemies. I can't fail a silly word game.'
Then everyone looked at Ken, who finally spoke in a firm, steady tone:
"I don't believe there's anyone here who doesn't hide something. Every person in this room has a past they haven't revealed. If I had to choose someone… maybe Ann. She's the only one who tried too hard to soften the question."
Ann froze for a second, then forced a confident smile while thinking:
'Oh, perfect. Ken doesn't trust me.'
On the wall, the words appeared:
"Round one complete. Vote now for who you believe holds the (Lie) card."
Everyone stepped toward the voting box, where folded papers and a pen were placed in the corner.
Ken took a paper, wrote calmly:
"Ann."
He folded it neatly and dropped it inside.
Silvara followed. She looked at the paper briefly, then wrote:
"Ann."
She tossed it in with a faint, unreadable smile.
Akio wrote the name with an apologetic sigh:
"Ann."
Mabushi wrote her name in large, slanted letters while grumbling internally:
'This idiot couldn't lie even if her life depended on it.'
"Ann."
Finally… Ann.
She stood before the box for long seconds, her heart pounding, her hand was trembling as she held the pen. Then she wrote:
"Silvara."
She folded the paper and dropped it quietly, pretending to be confident. Moments later, the glowing wall displayed:
"Results:
Ann: 4 votes
Silvara: 1 vote
Holder of the (Lie) card: Ann.
✔️ Round One: Successful."
The words struck her like a slap. Ann froze, her eyes widening in disbelief.
'Impossible… they saw through me? That easily?'
Everyone's gaze shifted toward her. She tried to smile, but couldn't.
'I'm a ninja! I'm trained to vanish, to deceive, to lie under pressure… how… how did I fail like this? Oh God… I want to disappear.'
Akio spoke gently, sounding genuinely affected:
"I'm sorry, Ann… but I felt you were shaking when you talked, especially when you said my name. It didn't feel sincere."
Ken added in an analytical tone and crossed arms:
"The extra smile, your voice being higher than usual, and your eyes avoiding ours… all signs of tension. You're the type who can't hide anxiety."
Ann lowered her head even more, biting her lip to keep it from trembling.
Silvara spoke softly, her eyes on Ann:
"You're good at deception when your heart isn't involved… but when you feel guilty, everything shows in your face. That tiny shine in your eyes… it was a confession without words."
Mabushi let out a small laugh and said mockingly:
"Ann lying? Impossible. I know you. When you lie, your voice gets louder and you move your hands too much."
Ann didn't answer. She just stood there, her eyes bright but tearless, even though she was crying inside.
'I wish the ground would swallow me…'
Then the mechanical voice returned:
"Prepare for round two."