The gate stood open. Twenty people had gone in before them — and not a single one had come out.
"Last group's done. Let's move!"
A man shoved through. Others followed. Linray hung back, eyes on the entrance — something materialized beside the door. A parcel. Small, plain, like a mail package.
He crouched down. Inside: a videotape.
SCP-024's little quirk. After each game ended, the recording appeared outside. The previous round's footage — delivered to nobody in particular. Just... left there.
*Who's it for?*
"What's wrong?" Harlan stepped closer, watching Linray stare at the tape. "You feel off?"
Linray straightened up. "Nothing. Let's go."
The girl in the plain clothes tugged at the red-haired kid's sleeve. "Don't show off during the game. Just stay safe."
The kid waved her off. "Yeah, yeah."
Twenty-one people stepped through. The gate sealed behind them.
---
Studio lights snapped on — harsh, white, industrial. The kind that made everyone squint and nobody look good. The air had that faint metallic bite. Like old equipment. Like dried blood.
Twenty participants stood blinking in the glare.
"Welcome, game participants."
Flat. Emotionless. The voice came from everywhere and nowhere — no speaker visible, no source, just sound filling the space like it had always been there.
"Stop talking nonsense!" Someone from the crowd. "Start the game!"
"What are the rewards?" Others called out. Eager. Impatient.
Linray's jaw tightened. SCP-024 had the ability to confuse — to make people forget what they'd just seen. This bunch didn't care that the previous twenty never came back out. Their heads were full of prizes and glory. Nothing else.
"The rewards are random," the voice continued, "but they will always satisfy you. Since everyone is impatient — let's begin."
The stands filled.
Not with people. With shapes. Ghostly silhouettes flickered into existence around the arena — blurred bodies, hollow faces, clothes stained with something dark and dried. They sat perfectly still, facing the center.
Linray felt something crawl up his spine. *What are you things?*
"Holy shit." The red-haired kid — Dex — licked his lips and grinned. "We've got an audience? This is exciting."
"Something's wrong." Linray stared at the figures in the stands. "Those aren't human."
*SCP-024's records said the audience only showed up on the tapes — never visible during the game. So what the hell am I looking at right now?*
*An audience that shouldn't exist, watching a show nobody signed up for.*
The venue floor shuddered and began to rise. The host's voice returned:
"Twenty participants. You will be divided into ten groups — two per team."
"Five games total. Select your teammates now. The game officially begins once teams are formed."
"The final grand prize belongs to only one winner!"
The crowd buzzed. Linray watched them light up like kids at a carnival and felt his stomach turn.
*Five games. Twenty people. One winner. Do the math, idiots.*
---
Harlan walked over. They'd already agreed outside — team up, watch each other's backs. Linray didn't refuse. The guy was better quality than the rest of this crowd. The Death Show's difficulty scaled gradually; having someone competent early meant not wasting energy on the warmup rounds.
"Hope we work well together." Harlan extended a hand.
Linray took it. Brief. Businesslike. Harlan smiled. "From any angle, you're someone worth teaming with. Strong body. Smart eyes."
*Is this guy trying to sell me something? What's next — a business opportunity?*
Linray almost laughed at his own thought. *Maybe a ponzi scheme.*
But the guy could handle himself. That was what mattered.
The remaining participants shuffled around, sizing each other up. Hesitant. Suspicious. Everyone trying to pick the most reliable-looking partner.
The red-haired kid with the earrings got shunted aside. Nobody wanted him.
"Hey — my name's Tam." A timid-looking guy sidled up to Dex. "Wanna team up?"
"Dex." The kid looked Tam up and down like he'd found gum on his shoe. But at least someone was willing.
*That kid's gonna get eaten alive.* Linray looked away. *Not my problem.*
---
The host's voice returned:
"Everyone has formed teams. Now I will announce the first game."
"First round: cooperation between two people. One person is blindfolded. The other guides them forward."
"The blindfolded person must reach the end to pass."
"The route contains obstacles and dangers. The guide warns. The walker listens."
"If the walker fails — the guide gets one chance. Walk the path alone. If you make it, you pass."
Linray's expression darkened. So did everyone else's.
Two parts. The walker goes blind through unknown dangers. The guide watches and calls directions. If the walker dies — the guide has to do it solo.
*This game requires trust. And nobody here trusts anyone.*
The difficulty had just tripled. And the real question wasn't the obstacles.
It was deciding who walks.
The venue transformed. Black walls rose around each lane — like curtains dropping over a stage. The course was hidden. Only after both roles were assigned would the guide see the full layout.
Nobody knew what was inside.
"You have one minute to decide: who will be the guide, and who will be the wayfarer."
"If you cannot decide — we draw lots."
The host's flat voice left no room for negotiation.
---
"I'll walk."
Linray looked at Harlan. Calm. Direct.
"You understand this is about cooperation. If I can't make it, you'll have to do it yourself. So pay attention — memorize every obstacle, every turn."
Harlan studied him for a moment. The businessman polish dropped for a second, replaced by something sharper. "Don't worry. I get what you're saying. I won't sabotage this."
"I was planning to walk myself and give you the guide spot. But you volunteered before I could argue." A short laugh. "Fine. I'll watch your back."
*The road's full of dangers. Harlan's smart but he's not fast. And my body can take hits his can't.*
Linray's physical abilities were far beyond normal human limits. Whatever SCP-024 threw at him, he could absorb more punishment than anyone else here. No point making Harlan tank the unknown.
In seconds, they'd settled it. Around them, the other groups were still arguing — voices rising, fingers pointing, everyone fighting for the guide position.
*Of course they are. The guide gets to SEE the course. The walker goes in blind.*
Linray crossed his arms and waited.
*Whatever. Let's get this over with.*